eBay Canada Helps Canadians Sell Old Electronics After the Holidays

After a holiday season that introduced a slew of new electronics to households across Canada – including the iPhone 5, Microsoft Surface and Wii U – many Canadians are now finding themselves stuck with older devices they no longer need or want.   

In fact, a recent survey conducted by Vision Critical on behalf of eBay Canada found that 68 per cent of Canadians who expected to get a new smartphone or tablet this holiday season already had one or both of these devices.

The survey found consumers are at odds with what to do with their old devices. Only seven per cent say they typically resell them, while five per cent tend to throw them out instead of recycling them.  Another 18 per cent say they keep their dated devices in the ubiquitous junk drawer. Considering that, on average, smartphones and tablets sell for more than $200[i] on eBay that is a lot of value to tuck away and leave unrealized. 

But, rather than simply ditching devices or stashing them away indefinitely, eBay Canada is reminding Canadians that it’s easy to sell those surplus gadgets to recoup some holiday cash.

“While we are great at buying up new technology, we sometimes don’t know what to do with our unwanted electronics,” said Andrea Stairs, country manager for eBay Canada. “eBay empowers Canadians to sell their excess tech gear – quickly and simply – and pocket the proceeds. In as little as 60 seconds, we can all make some money, de-clutter, and give our old devices a second life.”

This holiday season, consumers have more options than ever when it comes to getting rid of their unwanted items: listing items on eBay using the eBay mobile app, receiving instant cash offers through eBay’s online Instant Sale program, and, for the first time, recouping cash in-store with the help of Staples Canada.

Making selling mobile

Selling that old tech item is easy! The eBay Mobile app allows Canadians to list almost any item in less than 60 seconds.

“Using eBay’s mobile apps, Canadians can quickly research what their item is worth, create a listing by adding pictures from their phone, and offer their device for sale from virtually anywhere,” said Stairs.  “eBay’s quick and intuitive mobile apps allow sellers to sell how they want, when they want.”   

eBay helps Canadians sell their old electronics – instantly

eBay’s Instant Sale program, an electronics trade-in program powered by Staples Canada, is another easy and convenient alternative for Canadians looking to unload a spare smartphone, laptop, tablet, or gaming system.

Using eBay’s Instant Sale, Canadians can get up to $583 for an iPad (3rd Generation), and $337 for an iPhone 4S. With a catalogue of more than 550 devices, it only takes four quick steps – and less than a minute – to obtain a cash offer. 

Here’s how:

1.     Identify the device at instantsale.eBay.ca.

2.     Get an offer based on the device and description, instantly.

3.     Accept the offer and receive a free shipping label to ship the device.

4.     Once the device is received and assessed, the money is deposited into the seller’s PayPal account.

For more information on eBay’s Instant Sale program, visit https://instantsale.eBay.ca

Instant Sale In-Store at Select Staples Locations

This year, for the first time, Staples Canada will accept unwanted electronics (excluding gaming consoles/video games, laptops or desktops) in select Greater Toronto Area (GTA) stores. Starting January 3, consumers can simply bring a device to a participating Staples location where an associate will evaluate the item and issue a merchandise credit on the spot for the assessed value. 

To find a participating Staples location in the GTA, please visit http://ebay.ca/instantsale/staplesinstore/

About the survey

The data featured in this release was conducted by the integrated Consumer, Retail & Shopper Insights Team of Vision Critical. Results are based on a national online study conducted among 1,503 Canadian adults aged 18 or over across Canada on December 3, 2012. The margin of error, which measures sampling variability, is +/- 3.1%, 19 times out of 20. The results have been statistically weighted according to the most current education, age, gender and region Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of Canada.

About eBay

Founded in 1995 in San Jose, Calif., eBay Inc. connects millions of buyers and sellers globally on a daily basis through eBay, the world's largest online marketplace, and PayPal, which enables individuals and businesses to securely, easily, and quickly send and receive online payments. We also reach millions through specialized marketplaces such as StubHub, the world's largest ticket marketplace, and eBay Classifieds sites, which together have a presence in more than 1,000 cities around the world. eBay was visited by more than 8.3 million Canadians in September 2012 (comScore Media Metrix).                                                                

About Instant Sale in Canada

eBay’s Instant Sale program in Canada is powered by Staples Canada. It allows consumers to get cash for their unwanted electronic devices in four easy steps.  Based on the device and its description, the system will generate an offer – instantly. If the offer is accepted, sellers will be able to ship their device to Staples for free and once the item is evaluated, Staples sets the price and pays the buyer.  If in good condition, Staples will resell the item and if not, the item will be recycled responsibly. For more information and to try Instant Sale, visit https://instantsale.eBay.ca