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With the recent release of the iPhone 5 sales surging through the roof, people have been stuck with a dilemma – What should I do with my old iPhone? Now there is a cool innovative solution with EcoATMs, now appearing in more than 165 malls and grocery stores nationwide. Consumers can choose cash or donate all or part of the amount to a charity of their choice.
“It’s cash on the spot,” says Mark Bowles, founder of San Diego-based ecoATM. The kiosk determines the value of the phone once you input the information once it’s connected via a cable, by testing its screen, buttons and other functions. It then spits out cash, up to $200 for an iPhone 4! It does take security precautionary measures, you must provide a driver’s license to prove you’re the owner, and at least 18 years old.
— Buy-back programs. Companies, including YouChange, Recellular, YouRenew, BuyMyTronics, MaxBack and Gazelle, pay cash for used devices and provides prepaid postage for mailing them. Apple and Best Buy as well as wireless carriers, including Verizon and AT&T, offer store credit for usable phones.
— Charitable options. Cell Phones for Soldiers refurbishes and sells old phones, using the proceeds to buy calling cards for U.S. troops overseas. March of Dimes uses such cash for medical research on birth defects and infant mortality. Recycling for Charities and Eco-Cell accept donated devices to benefit an array of causes.
— Drop-off locations. Most electronics retailers, including Staples and Radio Shack, don’t pay for broken phones but will accept them for recycling. Others, including Target and Lowe’s, have in-store recycling bins.
Be on the look out for Eco ATM’s at your nearby supermarket, it’s going to be the NEW Coinstar, promise!
