15 July 2026 · 6 min read
Selling your phone to a buyback service: how it works and what you get
You can sell an old phone through a classified ad and wait weeks, or sell it to a buyback service and have the money the same week. Buyback is the faster and safer route; in exchange you get somewhat less than with a patient private sale.
This guide explains how our buyback works, what pushes the offered price up or down, and which phones are no longer worth selling at all.
When buyback beats a classified ad
An ad on Bolha or Facebook gets the highest price, but it costs you: photos, messages, haggling, no-shows and scam risk. An average phone takes two to four weeks to sell through an ad.
Buyback flips that: you usually get an offer the same day and the money on handover. The price is typically 10 to 25 percent below what a patient private sale would bring. If you need the money now, or simply cannot be bothered with selling, buyback is the right call.
How our buyback works
- ·Fill in the form on the Sell page: model, condition, your asking price, up to three photos. Two minutes.
- ·You usually get an offer the same day, by e-mail and on a personal status link.
- ·Accept or decline with one click, no phone calls, no obligation.
- ·Handover: in person in Kranj or by post. Money on handover, or by bank transfer once a posted phone arrives.
- ·Not ready to sell? You can also pawn the phone with us: instant payout, and the phone waits for you for 30 days.
What drives the price
- ·Model and age: iPhones and flagship Samsungs hold value longest, mid-range Androids lose it fastest.
- ·Battery health: below 80 percent means a replacement is due and the offer drops noticeably.
- ·Screen and body: buyers forgive a scratched frame, a cracked screen costs you the price of the repair.
- ·Accessories: the original box, cable and receipt raise both the price and the trust.
- ·Account sign-out: a phone with Activation Lock or Google FRP still on is unsellable until you unlock it.
What you actually get: realistic numbers
As a feel, not a promise: a well-kept iPhone 12 64 GB is worth around 150 to 200 euros at buyback in mid-2026, an iPhone 13 starts at about 250. Mid-range Androids three or more years old rarely clear 80 euros.
Phones worth less than 30 euros are often not worth selling at all: the time and shipping eat the difference. Donate such a phone or take it to a collection centre instead; our old-electronics guide covers the options.
No serious buyer will promise an exact price sight unseen. An honest offer is built from the model, the condition and the current market price, so no two identical-looking devices are worth the same.
Before handover: ten minutes of prep
- ·Back up your data (iCloud, Google One or a computer).
- ·Sign out of your Apple ID or Google account and turn off Find My.
- ·Factory-reset the phone and erase the eSIM.
- ·Take out the SIM and memory card, wipe the phone with a microfibre cloth.
- ·Our step-by-step guide on preparing a phone for sale has the details.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a phone buyback take?+
You usually get an offer the same day you submit the form. You get cash on personal handover, or a bank transfer once a posted phone arrives and is checked. The whole process typically wraps up in two to three days.
Do you buy phones with cracked screens?+
Yes, the offer is lower by the cost of a screen replacement. We generally do not buy completely dead devices that will not power on, except newer models for parts.
Do I have to reset the phone before selling?+
Yes. Back up your data, sign out of your Apple ID or Google account and factory-reset the phone before handover. A phone with an active account lock cannot be sold.
What is an old Android worth?+
Mid-range Androids three or more years old are rarely worth more than 80 euros at buyback, many less than 30. Below that line it often makes more sense to donate or recycle the phone.
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