How NOT to Trade Up Your Cell Phone
Wednesday, December 17th, 2008
The Nokia Trade-up Program: Fail.
So Nokia recently sent out its holiday newsletter, filled with phone deals (free $75 Visa Prepaid card when you spend more than $300), new phone announcements (Nokia 6650), good causes (send a UNICEF e-card and Nokia will make a donation), and other holiday cheer. But there was also something more sinister: the Nokia Trade-Up program.
If you’ve ever seen the phone/device-for-cash programs at Best Buy, Circuit City, or other fine retailers, then you’ll already understand what this is about. Basically, you fill out a form that asks you some simple questions like the condition of your phone, included accessories, etc, and you get an instant trade-in price quote. If you’re satisfied, you can then print out a label and send back your old phone.
Here’s the sales pitch:
Get cash back for your old phone when you buy a new Nokia device. Just buy a new Nokia mobile device, send in any old phone, and receive money back. Go online and discover how much your device is worth!
Sounds pretty good, right?
Unfortunately, Nokia decided to add another small requirement: you have to buy a new Nokia mobile device from a Nokia authorized dealer or retailer. That’s on top of the fairly ludicrous price quote:
Apple iPhone 8 GB (original), good condition: $118.00
Nokia E66, good condition: $161.00
Nokia N85, factory new condition: $214.00
Nokia N95 NAM, good condition: $118.00
“Nokia N98″ - $77.00 ???
So it’s pretty safe to say that this is a pretty nice waste of time. Of course, if your phone isn’t worth anything, you can still have it recycled.
One last thing to note: the Trade-up program is handled by DealTree, a third-party dealer.
Please do yourself a favor this year and eBay your old cell phone instead of getting ripped off.
