Tips for Buying and Selling Gadgets (cont'd)

Sellers Should Consider

• Functions, features, and controls. Most users never full advantage of all the functions and features of a device. For any particular user and device, some ports go unused, some buttons unpressed or some programs unstarted. Your buyer, however, may be counting on precisely the features you never use. Before you sell and ship a used device, test out all of the functions, controls, and features to the best of your ability.
  
  
• Battery condition and disclaimer. Have you used this device extensively? If so, and it is rechargeable, there is a good chance that the battery is in the middle or even near the end of its life cycle, which can mean irate buyes and even disputes later on. Be honest about the amount of use a device has received, and avoid offering battery guarantees unless you’re positive for some reason that the battery is in good shape (for example, because you have just replaced it).
  
  
• Legal and intellectual property issues. Though it can be tempting to include “extra” software or “free” songs, ebooks, or other types of content, be sure that you’re legally allowed to sell and/or include these before doing so, or you could find yourself enmeshed in unexpected legal and law enforcement battles.
  
  
• Original software and accessories. Have you included everything that originally came with the device? Too often, one-off consumer electronics sellers forget to include forgotten items—a stray cable, a fitting or adapter of some kind, a case of some kind, or similar. Then, they’re forced to take a hit on shipping costs as they send additional packages to irate buyers containing the forgotten items.
  
  
• Market prices. Don’t expect to get your original investment back if you’re selling a used item, even if it’s seen little use or was purchased recently. Consumer electronics devices lose value quickly, so determination to recoup your costs often means that you fail to make a sale at all. Search through listings on eBay and check prices for the same or similar items at online and offline retailers before you sell.
  
  
• Account or service transfers. Consumer electronics items that require a service of some kind in order to operate often require that you disconnect that service before you sell and ship the item in question. This is true not just of mobile phones, but also (for example) of Amazon.com’s Kindle device and some video game systems. Failure to disconnect the service and/or “deregister” the device could mean that you get inadvertently billed for your buyer’s subsequent use of the device.
  
  
• Personal data. Before selling devices that contain sensitive information, be sure to do a “hard reset” or a “full erase” of the device (instructions can often be found on manufacturers’ websites, in online forums found through web searches). Don’t assume that your buyer will have “no use” for your personal information—whether you’re selling a computer, a phone, or some other kind of “smart” device, you’re better off safe than sorry. If nothing else, think of the inconvenience that your buyer will face in having to purge your data from the device in question before they are able to use it for their own data.
  
  
• Limited guarantees. Though you may be tempted to offer guarantees in the strongest terms for devices that have been reliable for you, remember that many users are not particularly technology-savvy and some are downright ham-handed. Never underestimate the buyer’s ability to wear a device out quickly or break it by accident in the first hours of use, and craft any guarantee statements accordingly. A “no DOA” guarantee (device is guaranteed not to be “dead on arrival” but is otherwise not guaranteed at all) is often th best policy for used electronics devices.

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