Want to buy a new mobile phone? Definitely, you should. Technology is getting smarter every now and then; so you should also upgrade your level to catch up with the world. But, is it enough to buy a new mobile phone? Safe selling of your used mobile phone is equally requisite. There are quite a few things that you have to take care of before handing over your phone to a new user or a company. Definitely, this seems a hectic task to perform but it is as important as protecting your valuables.
Update: ZeroWaste is now InstaCash
Here we are providing a quick guide to help you to protect your data and maximize the re-sell value of your old phone. Follow the steps to ensure your phone is safe to sell at its best market value:
Backup your mobile phone data
The simple reason behind backing up your mobile phone’s data which includes your contacts, email addresses, photos, videos etc. to a safe place, from where you can easily transfer the data to your new mobile device.
If you are an Android user, Google Sync backs up most of your data automatically; still, for the safer side you should go to the setting > Accounts (tap Google) > Select Google account > check everything you want to sync. You can also backup your data to a safer place (computer, laptop, tablet etc.) by using a data cable or a memory card.
And if you are an iOS user you can backup your data to iCloud. Before backing up your data via iCloud make sure you have activated the iCloud backup feature in your iPhone then go to settings > iCloud > Storage & Backup.
Encrypt and factory data reset your phone
Here comes a no-returning point,” Factory Reset”, which will erase all your phone’s data permanently. So before moving to this step make sure you have performed the first step successfully and secured your all data to a safe place. To perform Factory Reset on an Android Device, you simply have to go to Settings > Backup & Reset > Factory Data Reset. It’s just a few minutes process. If in any case, you have forgotten to remove your SD card while performing the factory data reset process, you should not be worried about it because this will not erase the data contained in the card. For iPhone users, go to settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content.
Though Factory Reset removes almost all the data from your mobile phone but still there is a way to recover some leftover data which is likely be missed by reset. So for more assurance of secure data removal you have to encrypt your device before performing the reset. When you encrypt your device, it scrambles all your data and makes it unreadable. This ensures that data would not be able to be recovered by anybody and your phone is safe to sell.
Remove SD Card & SIM from your phone
Safely removing your SD Card and SIM is also important as it contains a lot of precious personal data in it which you would surely not want loose. Removing SIM and SD cards vary from phone’s model to model. If you face any problem in removing it, see the manual guide or call company’s customer care executive for the safe removal.
Clean it your mobile
This is a small but an important step to follow. It gives nothing but a feel to the customer that he is getting his money’s worth. So cleaning your mobile phone inside out gently before selling is considered as a great gesture. Here is what you need to do to bring your phone to the nearly new condition:
- Use microfiber cloth and alcohol to clean keypad, screen, and plastic of your phone.
- Avoid ammonia contained liquids; it damages your mobile instead of cleaning it.
- Use a cotton swab to clean the inside of ports of your phone.
- Be careful while using any liquid to clean the phone. Do not let the liquid ooze into the headphone jack and charging port.
Finding a Right buyer
Here you go; your old phone is all set in a new avatar to be sold out to a buyer. If you follow these steps, your data will be safe but here comes the most hectic step to perform; finding a right platform and right buyer for your phone. But not to worry guys, we at ZeroWaste have simplified this task from top to bottom.
Also Read: How ZeroWaste is changing day to day life of its customers?
- If you have chosen ZW’s platform to sell your phone then you should stop worrying about finding a right buyer because here ZeroWaste itself is a buyer of your mobile phone so you can be sure of the fact that your phone is going in safe hands without facing the most irritating part of selling that is the negotiation with random buyers.
To confirm your phone is working properly without any obstacle, we provide a great app named InstaCash, through which you have to perform diagnosis of your mobile phone to check all the functionalities of it.
- On the basis of your functionality check result and a small form filled by you to know the physical condition of your phone, you will get the best price quote for your phone. If you are satisfied with the offered price, you can place an order.
- Your phone will be picked up from your home within 36 hours and payment will be done at the time of pickup through the chosen payment mode by you among all the available payment options.
Well…well, isn’t it the smartest and smoothest solution to sell your old mobile phone in a safe way. If you have any query or suggestions regarding any of the above steps, feel free to tell us in the comments.
Note: This post was originally published in October 2016 and has been completely revamped and updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.