Shipping guide
Five minutes of packing protects a device worth hundreds of dollars. Damage in transit from loose packaging is the single most common reason an offer gets revised downward.
1. Prepare the device
Do this before you pack. A device that arrives still locked to your account cannot be bought or wiped, and has to be shipped back.
- Back up your data. Once we erase the device, nothing is recoverable.
- Sign out and turn off activation lock. On Apple devices, sign out of iCloud and turn off Find My. On Android, remove your Google account. On a Mac, sign out of iCloud and turn off Find My Mac.
- Factory reset it. Settings, then Reset or Erase All Content and Settings.
- Take out the SIM and any memory card. We cannot return them separately.
- Leave accessories out unless we asked for them. Chargers and cables do not raise the offer and can damage the device in the box.
2. Pack it
- Wrap the device in bubble wrap, two or three full turns, and tape it closed.
- Use a box, not an envelope. A padded envelope offers almost no protection against a drop or a heavy parcel stacked on top.
- Leave about two inches of padding on every side.
- Fill the empty space so nothing shifts. Shake the closed box — if you hear movement, add more.
- Tape every seam.
- Laptops need more. Close the lid, wrap the whole machine, and use a box that fits it snugly with padding all round. Screen damage from flexing is the most common laptop shipping loss.
3. Ship it
- No printer? Use the barcode instead. Every label we send comes with a QR code as well. Show it on your phone at the counter and the carrier prints the label for you — you only have to pack the box. Easiest option by a mile, and it works at any USPS, UPS or FedEx location.
- Or print the label if you'd rather, and tape it flat across the top. Cover or remove any old labels so the scanner doesn't read the wrong one.
- Drop it off in person and keep the receipt. Do not leave it in an unattended collection box.
- Keep your tracking number until you have been paid.
- Ship the same day your label arrives. Prices move with the market, so the sooner it's on its way, the more likely your quote holds. If your label lands too late in the day to drop off, go first thing the next morning.
Shipping more than one device
The free prepaid label covers the first device in an order. Additional devices ship at your own expense. Pack each device separately inside the box so they cannot knock against each other.
What if the device is lost or damaged in transit?
The device stays yours, and at your risk, until it reaches us — we can't pay for something that never arrives. That isn't us passing the buck: only the person who shipped a parcel can claim against the carrier for it. We'll give you the tracking number and everything the claim needs, and help you file it.
Two things make that far easier. Hand the package over at the counter and keep the receipt rather than using an unattended drop box. And if your device is worth more than the carrier's standard cover, add extra protection before you hand it over — usually a few dollars, and worth it on anything over a couple of hundred.
Can I use my own box and label?
Use any box you like. Use our label, though — it is how the package gets matched to your order when it arrives.
How long until I'm paid after shipping?
We inspect and pay within one business day of the package arriving. Transit time depends on the carrier and where you are shipping from.
I forgot to turn off activation lock. What now?
Email us. In most cases you can remove the lock remotely from another device or from your account online, and we can carry on without shipping it back.