Trade-in your unwanted electronics at RadioShack
Considering the state of the economy, many of us may be holding off on buying that new digital camera or MP3 player we've been wanting. RadioShack announced a trade-in program yesterday that may make those new purchases a little easier on you.
You can simply stroll into any RadioShack and have an employee estimate the value of your unwanted electronic device. RadioShack is accepting MP3 players, wireless phones, gaming systems and games, GPS receivers, digital cameras, and digital camcorders. You can also visit the online trade-in Web site, and find your product there. The Web site accepts all of the above products, as well as car audio head units, notebook computers, HDTVs and computer monitors. It also sends you a shipping code, so you can ship your product for free.
You can get more money if you include the AC charger, cables, manuals and other accessories. The return doesn't come back to you in the form of dollar bills though. Instead, you'll get a shiny new gift card from RadioShack. To be eligible for the trade-in, the product must be in working condition and be able to "power on" during the appraisal process. Also, the customer must be the owner of the device, and provide their name, address, and ID to qualify for the gift card exchange.
I've been thinking of getting a new iPod, since I'm constantly having to delete music from my 30GB 5th Generation iPod, so I checked out how much money I would get from both BestBuy and RadioShack. After answering a few simple questions, I found that both programs would offer me about $35. Considering how much the iPod cost originally, it's not much, but if you're the type of person who buys a newer version of an old product, and then lets the old one collect dust, that extra $35 might be nice.
Also, it's important to note that RadioShack is not inventing any novel idea here. BestBuy has a trade-in program as well, and other companies, like Toshiba and HP, also have trade-in programs. And yes, there's always the option of selling your old device on eBay or Amazon. RadioShack's trade-in program is just one more option.
Check out the full RadioShack press release here.