ATLANTA — The old saying "built to last" does not seem to apply to electronics. Many of us want the newest and fanciest gadgets as soon as they hit the shelves. Channel 2 Action News Consumer Advisor Clark Howard found out how you can get rid of your old electronics, but he warns it might cost you.
Lakeesha Willis told Howard that she always has to have the latest and greatest electronics.
"Every time I buy a new cell phone, I sell my old one and use that money to buy the new one," Willis said.
Some people do not want the hassle of reselling. Best Buy has unveiled what it calls a solution. The Buy Back Program. Here is how it works: you buy your item at Best Buy and pay an extra fee up front.
Best Buy guarantees that if your item is in good condition, it will buy your stuff back. You will get up to 50 percent of your original price if you sell it back within six months and up to 40 percent of the price between 6 months and a year.
You might be wondering - is that a good deal? If you bought the 16GB iPad at Best Buy, the cost would be $499 before the iPad 2s came out. With the buy back fee you would have to pay an extra 70 percent. If you take your old iPad back to Best Buy, they would pay you $250 for it. You are you $319!
Clark looked at Craigslist to see what people are currently able to sell their iPads for. We found listings asking for $325. If you were to sell your iPad online, you would only be out $174!
Clark says the best way to sell your old electronics is on eBay, especially older cell phones! Smart phones go for a ton on eBay because someone can go without a contract.
"I like any other method other than paying up front, on the best that you're going to want to sell your stuff back at a big discount. Not my idea of saving a buck," said Clark.
Clark also suggests going to gazelle.com. You can ship your old electronics to Gazelle and get a gift card or cash!
WSBTV
