Selling Agreement
Before you place an order with this free service, please ensure you read the following terms and conditions of use. If you have any questions, please contact us.
Who we are:
SellMyOldCellPhone.com buys cell phones and PDA’s, GPS equipment, and MP3 players. SellMyOldCellPhone.com provides the service of evaluating your electronic equipment and buying it if it meets certain conditions.
It is the desire of SellMyOldCellPhone.com to buy and pay top dollar for every cell phone and other electronic equipment submitted in a Purchase Request. The amount offered for any electronic device in this website is the maximum amount paid for that item only if it meets the criteria for maximum payout. It is what will be paid if the device has a 4 star rating as defined below. The item will receive less than the maximum value if it is rated anything less than 4 stars on a five star scale. Submitting a Purchase Request is not a guarantee to receive payment. All devices must meet a set of minimum requirements to be considered for purchase. SellMyOldCellPhone.com reserves the right the refuse any shipment for any reason. If we refuse for any reason other than what is written below, we will pay for the return shipping.
Please pay particular attention to ESN issues and RED DOT issues further below.
Finally, before submitting your device make sure you erase all your personal data. Although we make every effort reasonably possible to protect your identity by clearing all devices, for maximum security and safety, you are ultimately responsible and should wipe your device first before submitting. SellMyOldCellPhone.com is not responsible for personal data left on or open in your device.
How does the buyback process work:
STEP 1: Go to the website and place a purchase request. Do this by typing in the name or model number of your device in the search box, wait for a list to propagate, and then select your model. It will move to the shopping cart. Repeat for other models. When you are through, click checkout and follow the prompts to create a profile and submit your purchase request.
STEP 2: You will be emailed a shipping label to use to send your device(s) in to us. The label can take anywhere from 10 minutes to several hours to receive. If you do not receive after 8 hours, please request another one. Make sure that eMerchandiseReturnAlert@uspsshippingapis.com and customersupport@SellMyOldCellPhone.com has been added to your email's safe list. You can Google "how to add email to safe list" to learn how to manipulate your own email system. If they are not added, your spam controls may delete email’s from these two sources as spam.
STEP 3: Send them in, get evaluated, and then get paid.
Make sure you list the model correctly. If you list a device’s model incorrectly, it will be corrected by us during the inspection process and noted on your Post Inspection Report.
All prices are good for 15 days from the date the Purchase Request and e-label is produced to the day the device(s) are received by SellMyOldCellPhone.com. Orders received outside the 15 day guarantee will reflect the updated price, if applicable, without exception. Prices are highly volatile and subject to change depending on the current market value of the phone or other electronic equipment. It is important to utilize the e-label for shipping immediately.
No matter how many devices you submit, we treat each one in your Purchase Request as though it has its own Selling Agreement. What that means is if you send two devices and one is rated 4 stars and another is rated 3 starts, only the 3 star device is eligible for return. In other words, any device with a four star rating is never eligible for return as well as any device that cannot be reactivated for any reason. These are the only two instances where they are not returnable.
You will have the opportunity to review your Post Inspection Report (unless the order is rejected outright-atwhich point there will be none) and accept or reject only those items that are eligible for return (4 star devices and devices with bad ESN’s are not eligible for return). If you accept, your order will continue processing and payment will be initiated. If you reject one or more eligible items in your Post Inspection Report, you may get the device back if you wish, but you will be responsible for both initial and return shipping. The return fee is a flat $15.00 (for 1-2 DEVICES), $20.00 (for 3-5 DEVICES) $25.00 (for 6-10 DEVICES). More than 10 devices will depend upon exact weight times 2 (inbound shipping and outbound shipping). Any other devices in that order that we use will then be paid on. We only accept money orders or a bank issued check; no personal checks are ever accepted and it needs to be mailed immediately. We will hold your device for 10 days. If we have not received the return fee within 10 days of you decling, your device will be recycled.
Your Post Inspection Report (or a rejection email) will be emailed to the email address you have on file with us. In order to make sure you receive this email, you must add us to your email's safe list and if you change emails, you must remember to update your profile. You will receive this email a maximum of five (5) times, once every 24 hours. You will be able to accept or decline (if applicable). If you do not accept or decline by the 5th emailing, you payment will automatically default to payment, no exceptions.
Orders that have a payout value of more than $1000.00 will require additional days for payout initiation.
Procedures for Next Day Payouts:
The handling of large numbers of phones everyday has a very systematic and timely approach in order to process each device and get payments sent out within the advertised time line. Any disruption to this process will ultimately slow down payment. In order to get payment sent out in a timely manner, the following procedures must be followed:
1) Utilize the shipping label immediately. Make sure that eMerchandiseReturnAlert@uspsshippingapis.com and customersupport@SellMyOldCellPhone.com has been added to your email's safe list. You can Google "how to add to email safe list" to learn how to manipulate your own email system. If they are not added, your spam controls may delete email’s from these two sources as spam. This will prevent you from receiving a shipping label and any correspondence from us.
2) After your phone is received by us from the Post Office (With permit mail like ours, the Post Office must release these items to us when they have been processed), whatever day that may be, we will evaluate it that day and create a Post Inspection Report. That report will list your items (including any add ons or corrections), their actual condition (both cosmetic and functional) and a new offer, if applicable (meaning your device may receive a full payout and not be subject to a reduction). It will be emailed to you the following morning.
3) Once you receive it, you accept or decline. If you accept, your payment will be issued in the form of a company issued check and sent out in that day's mail (Monday through Friday only. We are not open on the weekends). If you decline, you will be emailed instructions (taken right out of the Selling Agreement) on retrieving your device. Remember, we paid to get it and evaluate it. You will need to cover all shipping to get it back. Sometimes device are rejected because of activation issues (ESN problems-Refer to section below on ESN). Often these activation issues can be resolved with a phone call by you to your service provider. If you receive a rejection, review why it was rejected and try to solve the issue causing it to be rejected, if you can. If you neither accept or decline your Post Inspection Report, it will automatically default to payment after five 24 hour emailings. Therefore, in order to ensure you receive our Post Inspection Report email, you must make sure we are on your safe list and make sure the email address you used to create this account is correct and active because that is the email all correspondence will go to. Orders over $1,000.00 may take longer to pay on; this includes multiple orders placed by the same person.
The Next Day Payouts are only applicable to orders received after midnight of May 6th, 2011.
If the pay date falls on a weekend or a major holiday, it is moved to the next business day.
All checks are printed straight from your account. PLEASE make sure your name and mailing address are correct. If a check is returned as undeliverable, any fees associated with re-issueing a new check will be deducted from the payout amount (postage and stop payment fees - Any check that is reissued will have a stop payment issued).
How we rate used electronic equipment:
In order for us to pay top dollar, each cell phone and other electronic equipment must meet the maximum rating in two areas: 1) Functionality and 2) Cosmetics. Industry standards dictate that in order to make the maximum amount offered, each piece of electronic equipment should be 100% functional and look mint in (cosmetic) condition. Electronic equipment that does not meet the 100% functionality criteria and look mint in condition are still made an offer, but will vary depending on the severity of the two primary rating areas (functionality and cosmetics). SellMyOldCellPhone.com uses a 5 star rating system that ranks electronic equipment according to issues related to functionality and cosmetics. The five stars relate to the percentage paid of the maximum amount in the Purchase Request and are as follows:
5 STARS PAY 110% NEW. No signs of use and includes all original accessories and box
4 STARS PAY 100% EXCELLENT. No signs of use, mint, 100% functional
3 STARS PAY 75% GOOD. Have some very light signs use. 100% functional
2 STARS PAY 50% FAIR. Heavy signs of use and/or loss of one minor function
1 STAR PAYS 25% POOR. Extremely heavy signs of use and/or loss of two minor functions
0 STARS PAY 10% BROKEN. Loss of three or more minor functions or one major function and only if listed as broken
Cosmetic issues are explained above in the star rating system; however, FUNCTIONALITY, as seen above, is separated into two classifications: 1) Minor and 2) Major.
Minor functional issues include the following: non working camera, non working external speaker, non working external LCD (on a flip phone only), non working volume control buttons (only if there is a menu work around), non working PPT feature, non working voice record button, non working vibrate, battery cover/door missing, door will not stay attached, stylus missing, enabled IT policies on Blackberry’s (that are capable of being disabled), missing or non legible ESN/IMEI stickers (only if ESN or IMEI can be located through the menu option), inside LCD or main LCD has issues (has a couple dead pixels or cracked).
Major functional issues include: will not power on, will not accept a charge, will not make or receive calls, will not connect to internet and/or perform any of the related internet functions, cannot be reactivated (for any reason), will not read SIM card, will not recognize memory chip, inside LCD or main LCD is non functional, one or more non working keys on keypad or qwerty pad (no exceptions), missing non removable parts, main display light doesn’t work, flip is non functional (loose or separated), ringer does not work, microphone does not work, earphone does not work, touch screen non functional (non responsive, difficult to make contact, cracked, bleeding, no back light, dead pixels), MP3 function does not work, Red Dot, missing moisture indicator, volume control button (if there is no menu work around), missing or non legible ESN or IMEI sticker (if it cannot be located in the menu), IT Policies that cannot be disabled, and major function buttons like send, end, menu or track balls.
Although we buy broken phones at 10% of their stated value, we DO NOT do so indiscriminately. We will only buy broken phones if they are listed as broken at checkout.
ESN ISSUES
It is important to say more about CDMA (Sprint, Verizon, Alltel, US Cellular, etc) phones and their ability to be reactivated. CDMA phones (like Sprint, Verizon, Alltel, US Cellular, etc) have what is called an Electronic Serial Number or ESN. The ESN is used to activate these types of phones with their respective carriers. In many instances, these ESN’s have issues that keep them from being reactivated. We will not pay on or return phones that have ESN’s that cannot be re-activated. There are three reasons why an ESN cannot be reactivated: 1) That ESN is on a lost or stolen list, 2) That ESN has an unpaid balance, or 3) that ESN is still attached to an account. When we try and activate an ESN, we are not told why it is bad. Because of that, we have no way of knowing the reason, thus in an effort to cut down on cell phone theft, we make it abundantly clear they will not be paid on or returned in an effort to discourage people from stealing and selling to us and other buy back companies.
So, if you plan to sell your device, make sure the ESN is clear and ready to be reactivated. You can do this by calling your carrier, requesting technical assistance, and asking them to make sure the ESN is available to be reactivated. Keep in mind that this exercise does not guarantee that the ESN will be available for reactivation; you may be notified later in the inspection (Post Inspection Offer) process to do it again. The best time to do this is during normal business hours. Many companies use 3rd party contractors to answer the phones and as such have little knowledge about clearing an ESN.
Remember, all Purchase Requests are tentative offers until an inspection is made. You are not guaranteed to receive the maximum payout unless your device meets the proper criteria.
All phones are eligable for return at seller's expense EXCEPT phones that cannot be activated (for any reason), phones that are rated as 4 stars, and Post Inspection Offers that have been accepted or default to payment after 48 hours.
RED DOTS
Phones with red dots are automatically considered broken, whether they work or not and irrespective of their cosmetic condition. PLEASE check you phone's moisture indicator emblem to see if the writing is smeared or the emblem is red. If it is, consider it broken. If the moisture indicator emblem is removed or partially scratched off, consider it broken.
How does "Competitor Price Match" work (when applicable):
SellMyOldCellPhone will match a qualified competitor's price for any device provided the following:
1) The item being compared between us and a competitor must be of the same make, model, and condition (working vs non working, cosmetic status, moisture contact, etc).
2) The competitor must be able to be verified via their website, without having to request a quote. Competitor's must be in the business of cell phone recycling/buyback.
3) Prices between competitors are relatively close to one another. Any attempt by a competitor to artificially fix their price and then sell to SellMyOldCellPhone directly or indirectly through friends, associates or other acquaintances will not be honored. Thus we will only match offers that are up to a max of 50% greater than our offer.
4) All quotes must be able to be verified. If it cannot be verified or is verified to be incorrect, then the price originally offered by us becomes the maximum amount available (pending inspection) for that device.
5) Some websites allow for self rating of a device being sold; if the site you are comparing us to is self rating, then that rating should be the same in both instances for a price match to work. If the site you are comparing does not allow self rating, then their maximum verified price available becomes the standard we will use in our inspection process.
6) All devices will go through our inspection process.
7) In order to receive the price we quoted (either with or without competitor matching) your description must be accurate according to any and all criteria set forth in this agreement.
8) If the competitor name or URL cannot be verified, the maximum payout will be adjusted to our normal pricing and inspected.
9) Competitor pricing is limited to buyback sites only. No retail pricing is accepted as a competitor price.
10) Whenever an unknown option is selected regarding the device, it (as all phones) will be subject to verification through processing based on the outline herein.
11) Competitor pricing is only good for packages post marked 7 days or less. Packages past the 15 day mark are subject to the competitor's current price offered.
12) Avoid using comparison sites like sellcell as they are frequently wrong about the actual price a payback site actually pays out. We only compare prices from the actual site itself. Additionally, make sure you compare accurately, ie. condition and accessories.
13) All comparison offers are verified. Please do not make up an offer. If it does not match the actual competitor named, your offer reverts to our maximum offer pending verification of device as stated in this Selling Agreement.
What if I am missing a charger, battery, back door, or stylus:
A submitted Purchase Request expects that the device being sold contains a working battery and charging device. If the device you are selling does not include a charging device or working battery, we will still buy it, but you will be assessed a percentage fee to help cover the cost of obtaining a new battery or charger. The percentage based fee is designed to ensure that everyone will receive something for their lesser expensive phones.
The fees are as follows:
A missing charger is assessed a 25% fee from the adjusted offer for a maximum fee of $5.00. For example: If your device has a maximum payout of 15.00 and is rated 3 stars your payout is $11.25. The 25% fee for a missing charger is assessed on the adjusted amount of $11.25 for a total charger fee of $2.81. Thus your payout for that device is $8.44.
A missing back door is assessed a 25% fee from the adjusted offer for a maximum fee of $5.00. For example: If your device has a maximum payout of 15.00 and is rated 3 stars your payout is $11.25. The 25% fee for a missing back door is assessed on the adjusted amount of $11.25 for a total back door fee of $2.81. Thus your payout for that device is $8.44.
A missing stylus is assessed a 25% fee from the adjusted offer for a maximum fee of $5.00. For example: If your device has a maximum payout of 15.00 and is rated 3 stars your payout is $11.25. The 25% fee for a missing stylus is assessed on the adjusted amount of $11.25 for a total stylus fee of $2.81. Thus your payout for that device is $8.44.
A missing battery is assessed a 50% fee from the adjusted offer for a maximum fee of $8.00. For example: If your device has a maximum payout of $15.00 and is rated 3 stars your payout is $11.25. The 50% fee for a missing battery is assessed on the adjusted amount of $11.25 for a total battery fee of $5.63. Thus your payout for that device is $5.63.
Shipping your devices:
After you submit a Purchase Request, a shipping label will be emailed to your email address you used to sign up with. The label will come from the USPS website and you will need ADOBE to open and print. Also make sure that the USPS is on your safe list in order to receive an email from them. You can use that label to ship your device to us.
Ship your items by placing them in an appropriate sized container, seal securely and attach the label to it. You can drop at any Post Office. Postage will be paid by us, so challenge any postal worker who requires you to pay postage up front. Also, do not use flat rate boxes to ship with. They require postage that is greater than what is normally required to ship an item and the excess will be deducted from your payout.
When sending your item, be aware that we do not insure them. Thus you may wish to purchase postal insurance when you drop off your item just in case it gets lost, stolen or damaged while enroute. If it arrives opened, damaged, or missing, we will not accept liability for it.
Keep in mind that these shipping labels are obtained from a permit held by SellMyOldCellPhone.com. As such, permit mail tends to take a little bit longer for us to receive. Also be mindful that using the Postal Service to mail fraudulent or dangerous items is a federal offense and carries a felony level charge if convicted of such acts. ONLY use the label for what it was intended for; that is the shipment of non dangerous electronic devices such as cell phones, GPS, and MP3 players. Also please remove your battery from your device (if able) when shipping.
Please do not place your device in a paper envelope. There is a very good chance it will arrive damaged and or opened and very likely missing it's contents. Always place your devices in a container that can handle the postal delivery process. If you are sending high dollar devices, it is highly recommended that you purchase insurance. If we receive a package that is damaged and missing some or all of it's contents, we will not assume responsibility for that loss.
How do we communicate with one another:
All communication is conducted by email. We are a recycling company and do not support a call center. Additionally, emails can be recorded and kept on file to reference when there are issues.
Since all communication is conducted by email, it is imperative that you place customersupport@sellmyoldcellphone.com on your email’s safe list! If you do not, you may not receive any emails we send you and as such we will not accept liability for missed communication.
Part of good communication is to make sure you update your personal information should it change in order to ensure uninterrupted emails and eventually a payment.
You will receive 4 reminder emails, about 4 days apart until your item is received by us. After we receive it you will receive a minimum of 3 emails: 1) received email, 2) Post Inspection Process email, and 3) Payment email. There may be more but that depends on circumstances surrounding your order that may be out of the ordinary.
We will make every attempt to answer emails as they come in, but from time to time we can’t. Therefore all emails will be answered within 24 hours or sooner except on weekends or holiday (unless someone is actually present to do it).
How are payments conducted:
Your payment will be issued in the form of a company issued check and and mailed via USPS. If your check is returned to us because of a wrong address, any fees associated with it (like stop payment fees) will be deducted from your payment. Make sure your mailing address is accurate and updated as needed. If you do not receive your payment by the 10th business day, notify us to request an inquiry and then to have it reissued again, if necessary.
Service providers we do not buy:
We DO NOT purchase the following Service Provider Cell Phones: CAROLINA WEST, SOFT BANK, CELLCOM, NECC Wireless, Embarq, TelCel, Rogers Wireless, Simply Freedom, STI Mobile, DISNEY MOBILE, EARTHLINK WIRELESS, AMP'd Mobile, KDDI MOBILE, 3UK/Orange, Qwest, Cellular South, Alltel, OLD ATT, WEST LINK, CREDO, BLUE GRASS, Virgin Mobile, Vodafone, CBeyond, NET-10, XIT, Metro PCS, NTelos, CellCom, or TIM. We also do not purchase any PRE-PAID SERVICE PROVIDERS including TRACFONES and any similarity thereof. We only accept the above for recycling; we will not pay out on any of the above phones.
As far as models go, if it is in our list we buy it. If you do not see it in our list and you know that it is a newer model please let us knows as we may have over looked it and would be interested in adding it to our list.
Conclusions:
You must be a U.S. Citizen residing within the United States and at least 18 years old. If a minor sells their cell phone or other electronic equipment, and the responsible party of that minor wishes to have it back, that responsible party will be required to pay for all return shipping and other charges associated with that device to get it back (so long as they follow the guidelines of these Terms and Conditions), without exception. SellMyOldCellPhone.com will not accept liability for the behavior of minors.
This Selling Agreement provides the rules governing the sale and purchase of used cell phones and other electronic equipment and act as an agreement between the seller (you) and the buyer (SellMyOldCellPhone).
This Selling Agreement holds each party to certain responsibilities to ensure that a fair and equitable practice is engaged. Submission of the Purchase Request to sell your phones constitutes full acceptance of this Selling Agreement. This is indicated by the seller checking the box (Agreeing to the Terms and Conditions) prior to submitting their order.
SellMyOldCellPhone.com does not guarantee any payment based solely on the Purchase Request you created without first having the opportunity to receive and process the equipment to make sure they meet the requirements as outlined above in this document. The service we provide is an opportunity for you to have your cell phone(s) and other electronic equipment evaluated for the purpose of selling them to SellMyOldCellPhone.com. To whatever degree your equipment meets our evaluation, as outlined above, SellMyOldCellPhone.com will pay you that amount lest you disagree as outlined above and provide the return fee within the timeline stated above for those devices eligible for return.
Placing an order and checking the "I have read and agree to the Selling Agreement" means that you actually read and agree to everything stated above.
This Selling Agreement is subject to change at any time and without prior notice and all unprocessed orders are subject to it.
Glossary of terms:
Purchase Request: Your request for us to evaluate your applicable device and purchase from you dependent upon its condition and functionality. The Purchase Request represents the maximum amount that will be paid on that device only if it meets the specified criteria listed above. A Purchase Request is not a guaranteed payment of any amount until the item has been inspected and then payment only reflects the devices cosmetic condition and functional condition as outlined above.
Functionality: The ability of the device being sold to SellMyOldCellPhone.com to perform as designed its predetermined capabilities.
Cosmetics: How the device presents itself in relation to scratches, scuffs, cracks, and other physical damage.
Minor functionality: Are those features of a device that can malfunction but still be useful to a lesser degree and as outlined by our list above only.
Major functionality: Are those features of a device that can malfunction and render it useless as defined by those items listed above.
Reactivation: A CDMA (Sprint, Verizon, Alltel, US Cellular, and any other CDMA phones) phone’s ability to be reactivated for use by someone else.
Post Inspection Offer: The offer that is made after your device has been inspected. Everyone gets a Post Inspection Offer. Sometimes the offer does not change but reflects the maximum amount payable. Other times it may reflect functional or cosmetic issues and may be less. All Post Inspection Offers must be responded to within 48 hours of receiving the email or it will automatically default to payment status.