One thing to keep in mind when attempting to repair a phone, laptop, or any other device is to drain the battery before opening it. For repairs to major white-good equipment, rubber gloves and rubber-soled shoes can reduce the risk of shock.
If you don’t have the confidence to attempt a repair yourself, you can find a good local repair shop by reading reviews. Federal Trade Commission found That the success rate and safety record of independent repair shops is similar to that of manufacturer shops. Many manufacturers discouraged repair with the threat of voiding warranties, but the victory of the right to repair movement has made the technology a bit more repairable.
Be careful to back up 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, owners of Samsung phones can activate Maintenance Mode To make sure photos and accounts can’t be accessed before handing over the device.
sell or trade
You can make some money if you sell old equipment. Even broken devices can be sold for parts, although you will always be charged more if you clean and repair them first. You can also get some new discounts with trade-in or buyback plans. We’ve got guides on how to sell or trade in your iPhone (remember to factory reset it first) and how to sell your smartwatch or fitness tracker.
You can generally earn the highest fees by selling directly to people through eBay, Craigslist, facebook marketplaceOr Next door, Just remember that you’ll need to arrange delivery or meet up to exchange items, and buyers often like to haggle.
For hassle-free selling, consider places like swappa, declutterOr gadget pickup, These types of buyers use online questionnaires to determine price and often offer free postage. Shop around and see who offers the best price, but be honest in your details, or you may see your bid get dropped after an inspection.
Take-back or trade-in programs are another easy option, though you probably won’t earn as much as you would through a sale, and often you can get your fee in the form of store credit. best Buy, Amazon, Verizon, SAMSUNG, walmartAnd many others offer trade-in electronics.
donate
If you like the idea of putting some good work to your old electronics, consider donating them to a worthy cause. Chamberlain says credit One of the best options as the company has a strong reuse hierarchy and aims to get as much as possible out of electronics before they can be recycled. You can also find local charities that accept electronics. Dan Nagar,
cell phone for soldiers is a non-profit organization that sends prepaid mobile phones to overseas troops so they can stay in touch with their loved ones. recycle health is another non-profit that collects fitness trackers and gives them to under-served populations to encourage fitness.
research 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 the original manufacturer of your device has a recycling scheme. Retailers Prefer best Buy And staples Will accept and recycle your old phones, laptops and other electronics.
Local facilities that handle electronics for reuse and recycling sometimes have community drop-off events, Seibert says, and local municipalities often have electronics collections once or twice a year, so be on the lookout. Worth seeing if there is one set in your area.
Sadly, not all recycling centers and schemes are created equal. serie Administers the R2 standard to determine best practices for the environment, employee health and safety, and protection of natural resources. An R2 certified facility will ensure that any used electronics are processed responsibly, including any residual data on the equipment. While most consumers are not set up for drop-off, there is a search tool To filter for doers.
You can also find a long list of International Waste Recycling Link on iFixitcheck out call 2 recycle Find recycling locations for, and through, batteries earth 911,
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