More cash for used gadgets

About a year ago we covered BuyMyTronics.com, a site that buys broken and unused iPods, cell phones and game consoles. Now, expanding the concept to include even more consumer electronics comes Gazelle, which provides cash in exchange for a wide range of used gadgets. Gazelle offers what it calls “ReCommerce” on cell phones, MP3 players, digital cameras, laptops, GPS devices, gaming consoles, camcorders, satellite radios, portable hard drives, video games and movies. Users begin by specifying the particular item they want to sell, following the site’s prompts for key bits of information; some 18,000 SKUs are listed. An online calculator then responds with an instant quote on how much Gazelle will pay for that product. For those with no market value, the company offers to recycle it responsibly. Gazelle provides free shipping for anything it buys, and in most cases, it even sends the customer a box to use. As soon as the gadget arrives at its offices, Gazelle inspects it to make sure its condition matches the customer’s description. The company removes all personal data from those in working condition and readies them for sale through retail and wholesale outlets. Through a partnership with Recellular, Gazelle promises nothing will ever get sent to a landfill. Customers can be paid via PayPal, check or Amazon.com gift card, or they can donate to one of 30 charities listed on the site. In all, the whole process takes about a week. The United States alone generated almost 3 million tons of consumer electronics waste in 2006, according to a Municipal Solid Waste report from the EPA, but in the short time since its launch this past summer Gazelle has already kept nearly 5 tons of e-waste out of landfills so far, it says. Still plenty of room–and need–for like-minded entrepreneurs in other parts of the world! Spotted by: Roberta Steinberg