Costco, reseller team up for electronics trade-in
Gazelle, an electronics trade-in site, and Costco have unveiled a partnership through which Costco members can trade in their used iPods and other gadgets for a store cash card.
A customer cannot drop off an item to sell at a Costco store - something Gazelle said it hopes to provide in the future, but Boston-based Gazelle will pay for shipping, and in many cases, provide a cardboard box for packaging.
A consumer seeking to get rid of an old cell phone, game, or camera can go to costco.gazelle .com to find out how much Gazelle will pay for the item. About 30,000 products in 20 categories are accepted.
Gazelle, founded a year ago, will resell recent products in excellent shape to consumers through sites such as eBay or Amazon.com, to "help extend the life of a product," chief executive Israel Ganot said Monday. The company sells older products to refurbishers who sell them in overseas markets. The rest, which have no market value, are recycled for free to the consumer.
On average, Ganot said, a customer who ships a couple items together, such as a phone and GPS system, receives $100.
"We're trying to change consumer behavior," Ganot said.
Parker Brugge, vice president of environmental affairs and industry sustainability for the Consumers Electronic Association, said the group applauds Costco for providing the service.
"We are encouraged by the increasing number of recycling opportunities offered by retailers and manufacturers so that consumers have easy and convenient ways to recycle their old electronics," Brugge said.
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