Cell phone buyers aren't out there just to give you money, but you probably knew that already.   They are buying them and turning them around and selling them back out to the public.    In some cases they sell them overseas, in other cases, they'll sell them online, such as on ebay.    They buy them for less than they can sell them for, and voila, take that times 500 phones, and you've got some nice profit!   Not a bad idea.   It provides you money for an otherwise worthless phone that was sitting in your junk drawer.   And it pays their bills!   Their is such a demand, because of the high retail prices for these phones.  Most people don't realize this, as service providers will frequently offer them at little or no cost, as they know they'll make up for that nicely in monthly fees.   What happens when you lose or break a phone without insurance?   A lot of folks turn to the secondary market, which is one big reason these companies exist.

how it works

Most of these companies operate with a very simple business model.   You find your phone online in their database.   Get their quote.   And then if you're willing to sell it for that amount, you fill out your personal information online.   You either ship the phone to them or they'll send you a postage paid box.    You throw your phone in the box and send it back.   You don't even have to pay return postage in most cases.    Within a few weeks, they send you a check for the agreed upon price.   A pretty simple process indeed.

market choices

Cell phone buying is a fast growing business!  It is definitely not that difficult to sell a cell phone because there are a ton of companies out there.   And from our experience, many have come and gone quickly for some reason.     Many of these companies are going on the premise that you'll save the environment (questionable marketing technique in our opinion).  Others will offer you buying credits for songs, or towards other stores.  We suggest you go straight for the money.  We recommend not simply going on the look of the site, but asking questions and shopping around.   We'll show you what we see as the best, but there are certainly other good companies buying cell phones, which we'll show you below.  

what not tip  

Shop around!    Prices vary dramatically between buyers.   Also, be very cautious of their requirements.   Most will buy but don't emphasize their condition requirements.  Many will tell you in fine print that if there is something is wrong with the cell phone, that they'll offer you a new lower quoted price.   A little late at that point, as it's probably not worth the hassle to have them send it back.   Also keep in mind that you can't sell phones that have been stolen, or that have a past due balance on them because the cell phone companies (Verizon, Nextel, etc.) "lock" the phone to prevent re-activation.   This would obviously apply to stolen phones as well. Check the going rate for your phone on ebay before you decide to sell.   It might be worth an extra $30 to take a digital picture of your phone and sell it yourself.   However, a lot of people don't want to hassle with that, and that is exactly what the cellphone buyers are counting on! So if you've been thinking "where can I sell my cell phone?", you need to look no further as we've compiled some great options below that we found to be quite reputable.

	PhoneIsCash	CashMyPhone	SimplySellular
	Best in class - For consumers looking to sell a cell phone, these guys seem to offer great prices compared to other sites.  Site layout is easy to follow.   Easy to use check order status.  Extensive fundraising setup.	Great Choice - Great site with excellent layout.  Easy to find phones in menus.  Pictures shown for reference points.   Testimonials. Media publicity.	Solid option - Good site flow.   High prices paid.  Nice selection of phones (hundreds) that they buy.  Could do without the environmental "motives".
bottom line	Overall, we like the feel of this one.  Excellent site layout.   Good  3rd party forum feedback as well.  Live help feature from 3pm -7pm 5 days a week a big plus.	Very similar, but once again, clear explanations.   You know where you are and what to do next to sell.  FAQ link was broken when we visited.  Runs an extensive affiliate program as well.	Another great choice.  Good customer service responsiveness.  Our experience shows faster than stated payment turnaround. Needs a FAQ section.
LG VX4400	$20	$20	$20
Motorola Nextel i836	$65	$50	$60
fundraisers	yes - extensive	no packages stated	yes
contacting them	email	email	phone, email, mail
payment timing	30 days	28 days	25 days
free postage	no	no	yes
site inception date	July 2004	June 2004	July 2005