Bounce your old phone for cash

Bounce Mobile has launched a new online mobile phone trade-in platform, paying cash for unwanted mobile handsets.

The initiative, launched by Brightstar, has already had success in Australia and Singapore. Similar initiatives have operated internationally for a number of years.

Users search the Bounce Mobile New Zealand website to find their mobile and how much it's worth. They then enter their address details to receive a free courier bag in the post. Users are required to create a secure user profile and upload proof of identification, after which the handset is collected and delivered to Bounce Mobile, where the phone is appraised and the valuation confirmed.

Bounce Mobile says payment is processed within five working days.

As of this morning, Bounce Mobile was paying $378 for a 32GB iPhone 5, $152 for a 16GB iPhone 4 and $302 for a Samsung I9500 Galaxy S4 as examples of payments offered.

Mark Wright, Brightstar New Zealand business manager for Bounce Mobile, says the service offers benefits for consumers, the environment and for people in developing countries.

He says each year millions of handsets are being replaced, with many lying in drawers or being sent to landfill.

“Bounce Mobile offers customers the choice to turn their old mobiles into cash and give them a useful second life.

“Through Bounce Mobile we take each handset and recycle it via a trusted secure service. Generally these handsets will be sold into other markets and in many cases the refurbished phones will aid the growth of mobile communications in developing countries at a fraction of the cost for the new consumer,” Wright says.

“Phones that no longer have a useful life or value are recycled in an environmentally friendly way, within New Zealand,” he adds.

Bounce Mobile claims it pays 'top prices' for used and unwanted devices, as it can correctly value the phones and access 'the most profitable routes to market'.

Businesses can also sell large fleets of phones via the site.