With the life span of a smartphone growing ever shorter consumers are forced to upgrade or buy new phones.
It means many have second hand phones laying around collecting dust. Trying to sell them can be difficult, because who really knows how to price a second hand phone?
Well, Gumtree has stepped in to try and help you out. The new Price Checker app on their website allows you to put in the make and model of your phone, and then gives you the average price that people ask for it on the site.
“It’s a great way to recoup some money from your old phone to put towards a brand new one,” said Claire Cobbledick, head of marketing for Gumtree South Africa.
Cobbeldick added that cellphone technology changes rapidly, which is why buying and selling is a great way to always have the latest gadget in your pocket without breaking the bank.
A recent study by Havas Worldwide has shown that 43% of 16-35 year olds consider the resale value before they make a purchase, which is why taking the resale value of a cell phone into account before purchase pays dividends.
“We do it for other high-value items like cars – why not do it for cellphones?” said Cobbledick.
Cobbledick said that electronics remain one of the most popular categories on the site.
“There are at least 17,000 cell phones being sold on the site every month, and they sell very quickly,” she said.
Smart phones are in high demand but very few people can afford to buy them new, said Cobbledick, particularly pay-as-you-go customers.
“Gumtree offers an affordable access for aspiring techies,” she stated.
The calculator
The calculator collates the data from the Gumtree site and shows how much the selected device is being sold for on average. This is based on the brand and model of the device.
This handy calculator will not only show you what you could get for your phone, but will also show you what phones are in your price range to buy.
Car prices
The price checker also has a car calculator, which shows you the average price of cars being sold on the site.
Gumtree said that they have real-time prices, with interactive charts, the pros and the cons of the car, and also the function of comparing two vehicles prices and specs together.
When you click on a make, and model that you are interested in, Gumtree gives you a wealth of information.
For example, the average price for a Volkswagen on Gumtree is R 204,237. The Volkswagen calculator page then shows you how the prices have changed over the year, what each models average is, and a review on Volkswagens in general.
The information also highlights that the average price for a Volkswagen on the site is 8.81% higher than it was last month.
“If you are looking to sell your Volkswagen, consider pricing it according to the average prices we see here on Gumtree to speed up your sale,” highlighted Gumtree.