How To Trade Up Your Old Phone

There’s no doubt that times are hard right now. It’s never been more critical to have a working cell phone to stay in touch with loved ones or to assist you in working from home. If your phone is on the fritz, don’t panic. You can replace your phone without spending a ton of money. Just trade in your old one for credit and pick out a like-new refurbished device. Here’s How:

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Step 1: Prep Your Phone

Before you trade in your phone, you need to wipe it clean, and I don’t mean with Clorox wipes ( although that’s a good idea too.) You have a lot of personal information on your phone that shouldn’t be passed on to its next owner. If you go into your phone’s settings, you should see an option to wipe it clean.

But hold up! Don’t erase your pictures, apps, and music before you have backed it up to the cloud or an external storage device. If you have information saved on your SIM card, you should extract that and back it up as well and then wipe the SIM card clean. Alternatively, you could move your SIM card into your next phone, if it will fit.

When you are choosing where to trade in your phone, look for a company that provides a pre-trade check to make sure your data is thoroughly wiped.

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Step 2: Shop Around

You can easily peruse the internet from the safety of your own home and find local companies that are accepting phones in trade for “like-new” devices. Unless you live in a state with a shelter in place order, most of these businesses should be open with precautions in place for customers and staff.

Not all phone repair and replace shops are created equal. Look for a business that thoroughly inspects its refurbished phones and uses quality parts to truly make them “like-new.” You should also look at what kind of warranty they offer and make sure to read the fine print. The more extended the warranty, the more confidence the company has in the quality of their work.

You should also get the details about how the shop evaluates phones for trade-in value. Give them a call and be honest about your phone’s condition to get an estimate. While you are at it, ask what kinds of perks they offer. Some companies offer affordable device insurance or other types of protection plans. You can also ask about which phones they currently have in stock.

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Step 3: Make Your Decision and Make the Trade

Before you decide who to do business with, go over the information you’ve gathered and see who checks the most boxes. Don't let the highest trade-in value lure you into working with a company that sells low quality refurbished phones. It's better to go with a slightly lower value and get a better phone in return. Once you’ve made your decision, it’s time to make the trade. If you've followed these tips, you should end up with a better device at a reasonable price.