Selling your phone online: The complete guide

Firstly, why should you sell your old phone?

Last year, Deloitte’s Digital Consumer Trends 2022 study reported that over the last three years, 24 million mobile phones were ‘kept as spares’ in the UK. Combined, these unused phones are worth a total of £1 billion.

In the ever-evolving world of smartphones, new technology is releasing quicker than you can figure out all of the things your current device is able to do – so these statistics aren’t exactly surprising. Desperate to get our hands on the latest tech, we’re upgrading more frequently than before which means our old(ish) devices get tucked away and eventually disposed of years down the line.

However, this can cause huge environmental issues if all of these phones eventually end up in a landfill, which is what we’re trying to help reduce here at PhoneBox. Electronic waste is a huge concern in the current climate, so by buying and refurbishing, reselling or recycling unused phones we’re doing our bit to tackle this and you can too.

Keeping your old phone as a spare makes logical sense at the time, but realistically – how many of us have actually located and dusted off that old phone rather than getting our broken one repaired or buying a new one?

Selling your old phone is a win-win situation. Not only are you helping to combat electronic waste but you also stand to make a nice financial gain, which can make upgrading to a new one more affordable, as you’re essentially recycling your previous investment. Surprisingly, even the oldest phones can be worth something.

How the process works

Selling your phone online really is as easy as 1,2,3. As it’s something that can be done anytime and anywhere, it’s the most convenient and readily accessible way to get cash for your old devices.

At PhoneBox, we’ve simplified the selling process to take all of the stress and hassle out of it. To sell your phone to us, simply follow these steps:

Search for your device: Whether you’re selling an iPhone or Samsung, we’ve listed all of the devices available to trade in so you can simply match your chosen model to the listing and get started.
Tell us a few details: We don’t make you fill in lengthy forms, simply let us know a couple of key facts about your phone’s storage, network and condition.
Get an instant quote: We’ll let you know there and then exactly how much you’ll get for your device with a no-obligation quote. Happy with our price? Proceed to the next step.
Send your phone: You can choose how to send it to us in a way that’s most convenient for you, for free.
Get paid: Once we’ve received and verified your device you’ll get paid directly into your bank account without delay. It’s as simple as that!

Ready to get started? Sell your device today.

What to do before selling your phone

Before shipping your phone off, you’ll want to do a bit of housekeeping first to make sure you’ve retrieved everything you need from the device and are happy to part ways with it. Here are a few key steps you should take:

Back up your phone: The last thing you want is to lose all of your photo and video memories or any sensitive data, so backing up your device is key. For iPhone users, navigate to Settings, then iCloud to initiate the backup process. Android users can access this feature by selecting System, then Advanced, and finally Backup.
Remove your SIM card: This is a simple step in the process that’s easily missed, but be sure to remove your SIM card and keep hold of it especially if you plan on continuing to use that same number.
Check your contract: If you’re currently paying for a contract on the device, make sure to cancel it to avoid incurring any further charges.
Factory reset the device: It’s always wise to fully wipe the device of any data or security information by performing a full reset. On iOS, this can be performed in ‘General Settings, and ‘Settings’ on Android.

The above are all sensible precautions to take, but when selling through PhoneBox you don’t need to worry if you miss a step. We make sure all phones are completely wiped and reset, turning them into a blank canvas before refurbishing and reselling.

Why choose PhoneBox?

At PhoneBox, we understand that selling your old phone can seem like a hassle and is generally the main factor that stops people from doing it – but we’re here to change that. We do all of the hard work so you don’t have to.

With a seamless phone trade-in experience from start to finish and the best prices guaranteed, we make sure that you not only get the money your device is worth but that you don’t have to waste endless hours getting to that payday.

We trade in both working and faulty phones (to an extent), and accept a huge range of handsets from all major brands including those locked to a network. What’s more, we offer free postage so you won’t be out of pocket at any stage during the trade-in process.

We pride ourselves on our high standards of customer service, as whilst our process is quick and straightforward we understand that there may be some questions or concerns along the way so our support team is always on hand to help.

If you’re ready to get some cash for your old phone, sell your iPhone or Samsung with PhoneBox today.