Do you have a glut of excess, outdated, ancient gadgetry now that the 2011 holiday season is over? If so, Second Rotation, Incorporated’s Gazelle.com website may take these relics off your hands. The process is simple. Type in the brand name and model number, check off its condition, and if the item has value, an instant offer appears in a pop up window.
With free shipping, Gazelle.com makes it easy to turn over these decomposing piles of outdated circuit boards. Based in Allston, Massachusetts, Second Rotation has built a nifty site and makes offers on just about every late model electronic appliance from camcorders and digital cameras to laptops and satellite radios as well as GPS, MP3 players, and video games.
Upon surfing over to Gazelle.com, I was greeted by a single line search form accompanied by a “Get A Free Offer” orange button. I decided to test this out on my Samsung Fascinate cell phone I purchased free last May when my Blackberry finally self-imploded and I was due for an upgrade. Really, a Galaxy 1 phone in disguise, I typed in the brand, and a “Fascinate” choice appeared. The first of three pop-up windows also appeared.
I was asked if my cell phone had any functional or physical problems that could prevent its use, did it have normal wear and tear, but was functional, or whether it had no noticeable flows -- the radio box I checked. For all electronic items, resellers like Gazelle next want to know if the item has sustained water damage. As the old adage goes, “Honesty is the best policy.” It would be folly to answer otherwise for most of these gadgets have a moisture sensor in their bellies. Once tripped, the history of such damage is permanently recorded.
Then I was asked if I had the original accessories and since I save all the circa packaging, I confirmed I had the rechargeable battery, AC adapter, and original cables. One more click and a solid $20 protected offer appeared!
According to the link, “With offer protection, we make sure you get the best offer for your Fascinate SCH-i500. Lock in your offer now, and we'll honor it for 30 days. In addition, if the value of your Fascinate SCH-i500 is higher on the day we evaluate it, we'll make sure you get the better offer.”
And the offer was made based on the cell phone’s perfect condition. To continue the offer, I headed to check out. I was prompted for my email address. While I stopped there and still have my Samsung relic, it became clear that the convenience of the web format was quite appealing. If you went through the whole process let Examiner.com readers know here.
Alternatively, one could set up his or her own eBay store, post it as an auction, and wait for a fish to come along. Which do you think is more convenient?
I would say if Gazelle.com still gave me up to 20 percent less than what was offered at $16 due to any possible perceived differences of the gadget’s condition, I still would likely have fared well, saving time and a complementary headache.
As you peruse through your stockpile of household gadgetry, and Gazelle.com says the average household has at least 25 items, ponder this famous Anonymous saying, “Every day in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed and eaten. Every day in Africa, a lion wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn't matter whether you are a gazelle or lion. When the sun comes up, you better be running!"
Sun up or sun down, Gazelle.com is ready for your antiquated gadgetry!
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