New Year, new phone?

Along with many other iPhone users, there is a good chance you were gifted with a new cell phone this past Christmas.

Great, right?

Too bad your old phone (which isn’t in bad shape if you do say so yourself) is going to sit in an old shoe box gathering dust. Or perhaps you’ll just toss it away. Or you might just be part of the savvy group of people that are now selling their old phones for cash.

With the growing number of companies that are in the business of iPhone trade ins for cash, knowing where to start can be daunting. Below we outline three simple steps to make sure you get the most bang for your buck!

Get a Quote

First things first: Get a quote.

A “best place to sell iPhone” google search will undoubtedly yield pages of results. Focus your research on several third-party buyback sites. This is the best way to get the most cash with the least amount of risk. Selling your cell phone directly through Craigslist or Facebook can leave you vulnerable to scammers.

Instead, sift through the customer reviews on places such as Google.com or TrustPilot.com. You will want to take into consideration the company’s customer service, ease of process, and of course how much and when you will get paid.

Once you get several quotes, compare all costs incurred, such as shipping and handling. Some buyback companies, such as OCBuyBack.com, provide a free pre-paid shipping label or local drop off site.

Ship or Drop off your iPhone

You’ve done the research. You’ve finally selected a buyback company. What’s next?

Depending on the company, sending in your phone should be fairly simple. Before shipping or dropping off, you’ll first want to make sure you’ve erased all of your personal information. Turn off your Find My iPhone feature and sign out of iCloud. Forgetting to do so may cause issues for the next user when they go to activate the cell phone.

After you have backed up your iPhone, go to your Settings app, click on General, and scroll down to Reset. Finally, click on Erase All Content and Settings, turn off your device, and you are good to go.

You’ll want to make sure you pack up your iPhone in a padded envelope or box with bubble wrap. This is to ensure your cell phone makes its way to the buyback company in the condition you reported it as. They’ll be checking the condition of the phone upon receiving it, so it pays to remember this step.

Get Paid

The time it takes to get paid will depend on how quickly you send in your cell phone and the payment method.

Once the buyback company receives your iPhone, they will inspect it to confirm its condition matches your claim. Once the phone’s condition is verified, most companies will pay you instantly. OCBuyBack.com offers payment methods such as PayPal or check.

Ready to get started? Click here to sell your iPhone today!

Written by Brenda Galeano