10 Ways to Sell Your Phone in Canada

Want to know a secret? Here it is: there are nearly a dozen ways to sell your phone in Canada. It’s true!

And the best part is that this shortlist we put together will all offer a smooth and easy trade-in.

Within a day or two, you’ll have some cash in your hand and a warm feeling in your heart, knowing you kept your phone out of a landfill. If you use a site like Gizmogrind, you’ll help save the planet. That’s because Gizmogrind will plant a tree for every phone sold. Cool!

But there’s a problem.

Many people don’t know where to start. That’s okay because we’re here to help. Let’s dive right in.

Once you’ve decided on your method of sale below, be sure to follow our checklist for what to do before selling your phone.

Private Sales

There’s something nostalgic about the old days of garage sales and pawn shops. You’ve probably considered ways to sell your phone privately, and it’s not a bad idea.

While we don’t recommend pawn shops, the modern equivalent being classified sites are actually a great way to get paid for that phone.

For starters, you can set any price you want. Of course, you’ll need to keep it competitive. If you have a Galaxy S8 and you list it for $400, but the next person with the same phone lists it for $300, guess who’s getting the sale?

Not you.

And that’s where the trick with private sales comes in. You need to do a bit of legwork before you put it up for sale. Research how much others are selling for, and more importantly, how much people are buying for.

And then decide where to advertise.

Kijiji and Craigslist

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The most popular way to sell your phone yourself is to post it on Kijiji (or Craigslist in western Canada). This is often the first place people check when they want to buy a used phone, so you’re putting your device in front of an audience who wants to buy.

That’s a good thing.

Just remember to check the prices of competing devices first, and always include a picture of your phone.

Finally, remember to be honest about any damage and malfunctions. List them in an easy to read manner.

Kijiji definitely is high ont the list for those who have the time and are looking to get every cent out of their device.

Sounds Like you? Check out our complete step by step guide from the pros 🙂

Facebook Marketplace

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Hold on a moment – something is changing. Kijiji and Craigslist face a tough new competitor, and that’s Facebook Marketplace.

In fact, it’s so much easier to sell your stuff on Facebook than Kijiji because it’s already on your phone, built right into the Facebook app. Not only that, but you have a buying audience of pretty much everybody in your city.

Best of all, it’s not anonymous like Kijiji, so it’s safer.

The same rules apply. Check competing prices, and be honest about the condition your phone is in.

eBay

eBay--multicolored-logo

Another option is to try and sell your phone on eBay. Of course, this takes a lot of work if you’re not already an eBay seller. You need to create an account, and you need to come up with a dazzling ad that will rise above the millions of other ads.

But it gets worse.

You see, eBay will take a chunk of your sale in fees. And you’ll need to ship your item to wherever it’s going, which can get costly. That means you need to estimate and charge a shipping fee upfront.

Ugh. Facebook is so much easier.

Feeling like eBay might be your jam? We did a thorough how-to guide to get you paid.

In Store Trade-in

By now you’re probably thinking that you might skip on selling your phone privately. It seems like a real headache. Of course, Facebook Marketplace aims to take some of that headache away, but what if you don’t want to deal with people and photos and write-ups?

Good news!

You could always trade-in your device for a better phone. If not a new phone, at least you can get some store credit.

Check it out.

Retail stores

Did you know that stores like Best Buy accept some older devices for trade-in? Of course, they don’t accept any old phone. For instance, if you bring in an iPhone 8 Plus, they’ll love it, but your old Blackberry Bold 9720 is going to generate snickers.

Likewise, Apple stores will only accept Apple devices. They’ll take your old iPhone to help recycle it, but they’ll only offer trade-in credit on an iPhone 8 or newer.

So what do you get with a store trade-in? Most often you get credit towards a new device. In some cases, you may get store credit. But don’t expect cash in your wallet.

Carriers

Have you noticed a trend with Canada’s Big 3 carriers lately? They want you to bring in your phone at the end of a two-year contract.

What’s up with that?

It’s something that US carriers have been doing for years. But Rogers, Bell, and Telus have just found a way to profit from it. So now they offer things like “Bring It Back” which reduces the price of the phone for you. Of course, you have to return it at the end of the contract, so you’re basically leasing a phone.

But it is an option if you want a lower price on a new device and you have your old phone sitting around doing nothing.

So retail stores and Carriers are not our best-recommended options for Canadians by a long shot. However, you may have your reasons, we’re not judging. In that case, take a peek at our full review of your best available options.

Online Vendors

Another great way to sell your phone in Canada is to hit up an online vendor. In fact, this is arguably the easiest way to sell your phone. Best of all, you get a decent price for your device without the hassle of researching or writing ads.

And get this.

The online vendor market in Canada is booming. It seems there are more and more companies popping up, and all of them want to buy your phone. That’s a good thing for you!

Of course, you’ll want to stick with a few of the more reputable vendors. Let’s take a closer look.

Gizmogrind

Full disclosure here. That’s us. As one of Canada’s fastest-growing online vendors, we’ve developed a steady clientele of giant bluechip organizations to your everyday Canadian consumer. We think you’ll enjoy our reputation of trust and friendliness.

We’re not all smiles. In a price-sensitive market, we also make sure that our prices are at the top of the heap all the time. Send in your phone to us with that confidence.

What makes us different?

We’ve been doing this since 2014 so we know a thing or two about getting you the most for your device. We set out to make selling your phone as easy as possible. You can do it all from the comfort of your home in a simple, three-step process. Best of all, we let you know how much we’ll pay you for your device right off the bat.

Orchard

Canada’s largest phone reseller is Orchard. Not only will they buy your phone, but they’ll sell you a refurbished phone, as well. It’s nice to know that your phone is going to be fixed up and given a new loving home.

Unlike gizmogrind, Orchard doesn’t pay you until they sell your phone. So you may end up waiting for a while. And if your phone doesn’t sell? That means no money in your pocket and you’re back to square one.

Overall, if it ain’t us, we’d kindly suggest Orchard as the second-best option. They have a solid customer service team and a decent customer satisfaction rating.

Get started by downloading their App Here. The app will go through your phone to check the bells and whistles plus you answer some questions and you get a quote.

Gorecell

Next up is Gorecell. This is another good site to try. This Montreal-based company has been in business long enough to gain the loyalty of its customers. They also have decent prices for their trade-ins. We couldn’t find a recycle partner or any green initiative on their site.

Sphere

Another trustworthy online vendor is Sphere, headquartered in Vancouver. And although they don’t pay as much as gizmogrind or Orchard, and they take a few weeks to ship and inspect and process everything, they do pay. In fact, despite the time it takes, you’re guaranteed to get your money. That’s something Orchard can’t say.

Like Gorecell, we couldn’t find any recycling or green initiative of note.

Of course, if you live in British Columbia or Alberta, then the process will be a lot faster. For people living in Ontario or eastern Canada, then gizmogrind or Gorecell will be a lot faster for you.

We like what your doing Sphere, keep it rolling!

Donate Your Phone

Finally, you can always donate your phone.

There are several good reasons to donate your phone rather than getting paid cold hard cash for it.

For starters, your phone might be too old to sell. If you have an old iPhone 5s with 16 GB of memory, there aren’t many people or vendors who are going to pay you for that. And good luck trying to trade that in at Best Buy!

But you could donate it.

The Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) runs a program called Phone It Forward. Your phone could help improve the life of a person with vision impairment.

Another great way to donate your phone is through Recycle My Cell or Free Geek. These charities refurbish your phone, even if it’s completely destroyed or out of date, for various charities to sell or use.

Just take a look at where you can donate!

They’re All Great Options

At the end of the day, they’re all great options. A lot depends on your phone.

Is it only a couple of years old and in great condition? Then try to sell it yourself on classifieds, GizmoGrin or Facebook Marketplace for top dollar. Carrier or Manufacture trade-ins (like trading it in with Apple) will net you significantly less. Like a lot less!

If you have an older phone, consider donating it. It will go towards a good cause. No matter what you choose, you’re doing something good. By keeping your phone out of a landfill, you’re helping the environment and your local community.

Also, blackberry devices that run blackberry OS will be difficult to trade-in for most options science they’re kinda discontinued and no longer supported by blackberry.

So which method will you choose to sell your phone?

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