Howard Huang recently contacted me to discuss UpTrade, an up-and-coming company specializing in extending the life of electronics. Here’s the latest press release that Mr. Huang sent me, and let me tell you, it’s definitely worth checking out!
Press Release:
A Win-Win for Buyers, Sellers, and the Environment: New Company Reinvents the Way that People Buy and Sell Used Smartphones
UpTrade removes the burden from the seller and the buyer with a trustworthy, user-friendly resale service.
For years, used smartphone listings have been filled with scams and unreliable products, or devices that are in worse conditions than advertised. As a result, many people feel as though their only option is to purchase a brand-new phone at exceedingly high prices from cellular carriers. For parents, whose children and teens frequently damage or lose their smartphones, this can become incredibly expensive. Fortunately, a new company has introduced itself into the smartphone resale market.
UpTrade reinvents the way that people buy and sell used smartphones. The company makes buying used phones as simple as shopping for new phones but at half of the cost. With UpTrade, people can still find quality products while reducing the waste that the technology industry is contributing to on such a large scale.
UpTrade removes the burden from the seller and the buyer. First, sellers are paid upfront once UpTrade has received the device, and it is properly inspected. Sellers do not need to worry about investing time in creating an eye-catching listing since the professionals take care of the photos and descriptions. With UpTrade paying the sellers upfront, sellers also do not need to be bothered with keeping track of the communication or negotiating sales. It is a seamless process for people who want to get rid of an old phone without throwing away their money.
The process is equally flawless for the buyer. Quality is guaranteed at UpTrade, so the company performs a thorough, 50+point inspection to ensure the phone functions like new. The photos in the listings are close-up photos of each phone, instead of generic stock photos that are typically used and falsely represent items for sale. Buyers will know exactly what they are getting before they make a purchase. To ensure satisfaction, UpTrade offers a 30-day money-back guarantee for devices, with optional 90-day device protection plans also available. The used smartphones listed on UpTrade are competitively priced, based on market value and individual phone condition, which provides the most accurate and fair prices to each customer. Through UpTrade’s service, everyone wins with a trustworthy and user-friendly experience.
Howard Huang, Head of Growth at UpTrade says, “”Smartphone ownership among teens has increased dramatically up to 91 percent. Meanwhile, new flagship phones continue to get more expensive. We’ve built a platform that not only allows parents to find new tech at affordable prices but also helps reduce the problem of growing e-waste.”
Marco Mai, Head of Operations at UpTrade, adds, “To make it safe and easy, we decided to test and background-check every phone to make sure it’s of good quality. We also go the extra step and provide actual photos and detailed notes for each phone. While many companies will face capacity challenges of handling millions of used phones, we have found a solution by leveraging big data and automation.”
Visit UpTrade online at https://upstradeit.com
Watch videos from UpTrade on YouTube at
UpTrade
UpTrade reinvents the way people buy and sell used smartphones.
For sellers, UpTrade removes the pain of dealing with potential scammers, spending time creating product listings, and waiting for the device to sell in order to receive payment. Sellers get paid up front once UpTrade receives and inspects the device.
For buyers, UpTrade conducts a 50+ point inspection on every device to ensure it works like new. Then they take photos of the device so the buyer can see for themselves the condition of each individual phone. This ensures buyers get exactly what they are expecting. UpTrade is so confident in their process that they provide a 30-day money-back guarantee.
UpTrade’s mission is to make technology affordable; to empower the world by extending the life of used electronics through the hands of others. UpTrade is committed to providing a safe and trustworthy service for everyone.
For more information, please visit https://uptradeit.com.
After giving the company’s profile a good review, I reached back out to Mr. Huang for a few additional questions to see if he could answer, which he did! Here’s our Q&A via email. (I’m so lucky these folks have all been willing to do the Q&A via email with my two crazy boys!)
Interview:
Me: What made the founders come up with the idea for UpTrade?
Mr. Huang: The idea for UpTrade came about when Marco, one of the founders, found a lot of spare smartphones sitting in his closet. He later found out after doing some research that the phones had a lot of value. Smartphones contain a lot of rare earth materials to produce it, so he thought it also best to pass it to extend its life for someone else to use it while reducing e-waste. So he tried to sell it, but had a very difficult time in doing so as well as met with a lot of obstacles. It took a lot of time to list the phones, negotiating the final sale price, and felt it unsafe when dealing with strangers.
Me: What is the average price for a phone on UpTrade’s site? The majority of phones nowadays (if you’re getting a NICE phone) are around $1,000 and typically done in payment plans through whichever carrier a client has their phone plan through.
Mr. Huang: UpTrade has inventory for all of the latest smartphones. Including the current generation iPhones and Samsungs. Typically, people save 50% or more when they decide to purchase used smartphones a generation or two old. Comparatively, UpTrade’s prices in most cases will be better vs going through your carrier or retail store when buying certified used and refurbished.
**They have some GREAT deals on phones, go and take a look here!
Me: Once you purchase a phone from UpTrade, how do you go about activating it? Can it be brought to the national service providers, such as AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon? Or do you have to go through with purchasing minutes and things like that from retail stores?
Mr. Huang: If you have an existing smartphone, activating it can simply be as easy as removing the SIM from your old phone and putting it into your new phone. In certain cases it doesn’t work, you may need to contact your carrier and let them know so they can help you with activating a phone. We sell phones compatible with all major carriers with easy filters to ensure you get the right phone that works for your carrier.
Me: If you’re selling a phone to UpTrade, what are the basic criteria for having your phone accepted by the company? Do you, as the seller, send it in first, or is there some sort of form to fill out ahead of time?
Mr. Huang: If your phone is not reported lost or stolen, we’ll accept them. Even if your screen is cracked or scratched, we’ll accept them. Sellers simply need to answer a few questions about the phone model and condition they are selling online. We give sellers an instant online quote of their phone. If they like the quote, they can proceed to ship their phone to us. Once we receive it and inspect that the conditions filled out were accurate, we issue payment within 1 business day.
Me: Does UpTrade have recommended phones for recommended age groups? Some parents choose to let their young children have phones – say under ten years old. The vast majority of teenagers have phones as well. Is there a list or informational page that would assist parents who don’t know a lot about technology pick the best type of cell phone for their child or children based on age ranges and protection on the device?
Me: We don’t have an informational page about this, but it’s a great idea that we can put one together in the future. For first time young smartphone users, parents may simply just want a phone for their child as a way to stay in touch, keep them safe, and do some classroom work. Kids may also be a little less careful when handling phones. For these reasons, it may be a good idea as a recommendation to look for phones (iPhone/Android phones) under $100.
Me: Is there much competition with UpTrade from other companies trying to provide the same services to consumers?
Mr. Huang: There are many places where you can get a used phone. Peer to peer marketplaces (Facebook, craigslist, offer), retail/carrier stores, and other online resellers. What makes UpTrade different is 1) Every phone we list for sell goes through a 50+ point inspection process to ensure its fully functional 2) It comes with a 1 year warranty, 30 day money back guarantee, and an optional accidental damage protection we call UpTrade Protect. We bring a lot of the benefits one would enjoy when buying new to used phones. 3) We take photos and video of each phone. So people see exactly what they are paying for.
Me: Once a client purchases from UpTrade, does that client typically come back again and again, or have their been issues?
Mr. Huang: We’ve seen both repeat buyers and lots of referrals from our happy customers. Typically, our clients will keep the phone for as long as possible and return if they feel like they are ready to get into a phone with more advanced technologies such as better cameras, more storage, and etc.
Me: Are there any major complaints from either sellers or buyers of the phones available? Any issues with the services provided?
Mr. Huang: We have an average rating of 4.59 stars out of 5. We’re proud to say that we do our best to take care of our customers. You can read all of our reviews collected by a third party here – https://www.reviews.io/company-reviews/store/uptradeit-com
Me: What is the company doing with COVID-19 being a huge influence with most people right now, to try to keep everyone involved in the company safe and secure, as well as potential buyers/sellers?
Mr. Huang: Our priority is to keep our staff and customers safe during these uncertain times. As standard practice, even before the pandemic started, all UpTrade employees are required to wear gloves when handling smartphones. Every phone is wiped down and sanitized multiple times throughout our inspection and listing process, including right before we pack the phone to send off for delivery. Additionally, we stay up to date on the CDC guidelines. We’ve also publicly made an announcement regarding this manner in which you can find here – https://uptradeit.com/coronavirus-uptrade-update
Me: Is UpTrade thinking of getting into the business of selling/repairing/buying used computers/laptops/ipads and things of that nature to assist families who need better-priced products for those items in the future?
Mr. Huang: Yes, absolutely. Our mission is the extend the life of used electronics and reduce ewaste. Today, we’re focused on smartphones, but eventually we want to expand to support other electronic categories.
A big thank you to Mr. Howard Huang for reaching out to me as this is such great information for everyone out there! Not just for parents looking to find a deal for their younger kids, who will likely mess up a brand new phone; but for adults looking for other options too!
What do YOU think about this service? Let me know and drop me a comment! I’d appreciate it!
Love ya,
Kelly Ann
Other companies I’m a fan of and have gotten press releases for include, The Battle of Gettysburg (an app – AMAZING!); St. Jude’s take on COVID-19; & this incredible powdered multi-vitamin, which I’ll never give up LOL!
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