One thing to keep in mind when trying to repair a phone, laptop, or other device with an internal battery is to drain the battery before opening it. For major appliance repairs, rubber gloves and rubber-soled boots can minimize the risk of electric shock.
If you don’t have the confidence to attempt repairs, you can probably find a good local repair shop by reading the reviews. He Federal Trade Commission found that independent repair shops have the same success rate and safety record as manufacturers’ shops. Many manufacturers have discouraged repairs by threatening to void the warranty, but the victories for the Movement right to reparation has led to technology gets a little more fixable.
Just be careful of back and protect sensitive data on your devices before handing them over to repair shops. Some devices may even have a built-in solution. For example, Samsung phone owners can activate maintenance mode before handing over a device to make sure photos and accounts cannot be accessed.
Sell or Trade
You can earn some money if you sell old devices. Even broken devices can be sold for parts, though you’ll always charge a higher fee if you clean and repair them first. You can also get a discount on something new with trade-in or buy-back schemes. We have guides on how to sell or trade your iPhone (Remember factory reset first) and how to sell your smartwatch or fitness tracker.
You can usually charge the highest rates by selling directly to people through ebay, craigslist, Facebook Marketeither Beside. Just remember that you’ll need to arrange delivery or meet to exchange the goods, and buyers often like to haggle.
For a smooth sale, consider places like change, DeCluttreither GadgetPickup. These types of buyers use online questionnaires to determine a price and often offer free shipping. Shop around and see who offers the best price, but be honest in your descriptions, or you may find your quote is lowered upon inspection.
Return or exchange programs are another easy option, though you likely won’t make as much as you would with a sale, and you can often get your fee as store credit. Best Buy, Amazon, Verizon, samsung, walmartand many others offer electronics exchanges.
Donate
If you like the idea of your old electronics doing something good, consider donating them to worthy causes. chamberlain says Goodwill It’s one of the best options because the company has a strong reuse hierarchy and their goal is to get as much out of electronics as possible before recycling. You can also find local charities that accept electronics through donation city.
Cell Phones for Soldiers is a nonprofit organization that sends prepaid mobile phones to troops abroad so they can stay in touch with loved ones. recycle health is another nonprofit organization that collects fitness trackers and delivers them to underserved populations to encourage physical activity.
Investigate and Recycle
Some of the places we’ve already mentioned will recycle devices that can’t be reused, and it’s worth checking to see if your original device manufacturer has a recycling plan. Retailers like it Best Buy and staples will accept and recycle your old phones, laptops and other electronic devices.
Local facilities that handle electronics for reuse and recycling sometimes have community drop-off events, Seibert says, and local municipalities often have electronics drive-ups once or twice a year, so it’s worth seeing if there are any. any scheduled in your area.
Unfortunately, not all recycling centers and schemes are created equal. SERIES administers the R2 Standard to establish best practices for protecting the environment, worker health and safety, and natural resources. An R2 certified facility will ensure that any used electronic devices are processed responsibly, including any residual data on the devices. While most are not set up to drop consumers, there is a research tool to filter by those that do.
You can also find a long list of international e-waste recycling links on iFixitverify Call 2 Recycle for batteries, and find recycling locations through earth 911.
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