Selling things online can take a lot of time and nerves; taking pictures of the items in question, writing descriptions, filling out your page with other needed information, talking to customers, and hopefully selling them. Although you never know if a customer will want to return the item due to dissatisfaction.
However, Swappa has been getting a lot of attention lately. Using this site, buyers can find reputable phones, tablets, and other items, and sellers can sell these items more quickly and easily. Is Swappa the best place for people looking to sell their old phones or outdated laptops?
Can Swappa be trusted? Is it worth the trouble of trying to sell your old device?
The article below provides answers to all of these questions. Keep reading to learn more!
Swappa: What Does It Do?
The Swappa website lets users purchase cell phones, laptops, watches, tablets, video games, cameras, and smart home items.
There is a process that sellers have to follow in order to sell the item. They upload photos of the item they wish to sell, choose the brand, select the models, and then create an account on the site.
On BuyBackBoss, on the other hand, sellers create a listing to allow individual buyers to buy the item directly from them. You may also have to send in your device to the service provider, who will then list it on their website on your behalf.
PayPal is the payment method used by sellers to receive their payment. When you create a listing, you will be asked to connect your PayPal account. When you have done that, you are ready to list your item on eBay.
A Trusted Partner for Both Buyers and Sellers
Fees: $0 (free to list and sell your device)
The Swappa website allows you to sell cell phones, watches, tablets, video games, cameras, and smart home devices. On this website, you are able to list your device on the website and sell it to an individual seller just as you would on eBay.
You do not have to pay any additional charges since all fees are included in your selling price. With Swappa, you can potentially earn more money compared to similar apps because you will be able to sell directly to the buyer.
Pros:
- The site is capable of earning more than other sites
- Reviews from customers are high
- Direct sales to individuals are possible
- A local pick-up option is available
Cons:
- Direct sales are not allowed
- You may have to wait a while for a buyer
- The shipping label is not pre-paid
- The listing must be approved by Swappa
Swappa: Is It Safe and Legit?
Buyers can feel safe using Swappa since the site verifies every transaction and prohibits vendors from listing broken devices. PayPal keeps buyer and seller information secure when dealing with payments. Additionally, PayPal protects both buyers and sellers in the event of a problem.
Before an item is sold, the serial number or identification number of the device should not be disclosed by the seller. For the seller’s protection, this is necessary.
You can download Swappa from the Google Play store, but not from the Apple App Store. According to the Swappa app’s ratings, it has received over 500 reviews and has been downloaded more than 100,000 times.
Swappa has an average rating of 4.9 on Trustpilot, with more than 8,700 reviews from both buyers and sellers. Customers who purchased items online and chose to pick them up locally are included in these reviews.
In addition to receiving a B rating from the Better Business Bureau, Swappa has received more than 500 reviews. The fact that Swappa verifies the apparent accuracy of listings is appreciated by buyers on Reddit. Reddit reviews tend to be positive for individuals who have sold phones or other devices through Swappa.
The question “Is Swappa valid?” isn’t a question you have to ask. The feedback from buyers and sellers indicates that using Swappa is a positive experience.
What Is Swappa’s Working Principle?
It’s not uncommon for new sellers not to know about Swappa’s specific rules when buying a used phone or another device.
Direct sales (no middlemen)
Swappa offers devices in a variety of brands, types, carriers, colors, storage, editions, and prices. In addition to Swappa’s suggested price, you are also allowed to change it based on your current sales and previous sales.
In addition, Swappa gives you an estimate of the amount you will have to pay in PayPal fees when you sell the item, and this will help you to avoid any unexpected charges. Be sure to include the shipping and handling cost when deciding on the price of the item. You will need to figure out how much it will cost for you to get boxes or bubble wrap if you don’t have any, so you can include that cost in the final price.
When you have decided on the price, then you will need to write a short headline for the item and a brief description of it. If there are any problems, issues, defects, or other flaws in the product, make sure you detail them. In order to verify that the item that you are selling is yours and in the condition you say it is, Swappa will ask you to provide verified pictures.
Due to the fact that you have to sell directly to a buyer on Swappa, it may take longer for your item to be sold there than it would on sites such as Gazelle, Decluttr, or BuyBackBoss. In contrast to these other sites, Swappa requires you to sell your phone to an individual, whereas the other sites buy your phone directly from you.
Every listing is reviewed by Swappa
Before Swappa publishes listings, it reviews them to prevent spam. In other words, you won’t be able to see them immediately like when you sell an item on eBay or Craigslist, because they won’t be published instantly.
As opposed to those sites, you must ensure the phone or other device you are selling is in working condition before you list it. The sale of a device for parts is not allowed. Rather than throwing away a malfunctioning phone or tablet, sell it on eBay.
Your listing is reviewed and approved within a few hours. Please send a note to their customer support team if you don’t receive an approval within a day of submitting your request. You might have to provide more information about a device before it can be listed on eBay, sometimes it might just be as simple as providing more details about the device.
Swappa’s fees are already included
The Swappa fees are built into the price, not paid directly by sellers. The fees charged by the platform are significantly lower than those charged by eBay.
Swappa’s current schedule of fees compares to eBay’s current schedule of fees in the following ways:
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PayPal payment received
The buyer must pay for items through PayPal, and unlike eBay, they have to pay immediately for devices. As soon as the payment has been completed successfully, the seller has two business days to send the package.
PayPal accounts with holds can cause confusion if this is the case. In most cases, this occurs because you are creating a new PayPal account and PayPal needs more information from you. It is still your responsibility to ship the item if there is a hold on your account and the buyer has already made a payment.
Your package will be sent once you have paid for shipping
The seller is completely responsible for packaging and shipping the item on Swappa, unlike other sites. As long as a tracking number is provided, Swappa requires sellers to ship items within two business days of receiving payment. However, the seller can choose which shipping provider to use (USPS, FedEx, UPS, etc.).
You won’t have to worry about shipping on the weekend if you sell on Saturday or Sunday and get paid the same day.
The tracking number must be manually added by sellers since Swappa doesn’t provide a prepaid shipping label.
Express Shipping is available from sellers to buyers, at an additional charge, which allows the item to be shipped the same day or the next day (excluding Sundays). Express shipping can be chosen by sellers at a flat rate.
The following methods are required of sellers who offer Express Shipping:
- Priority Express: USPS
- Next Day Air Saver from UPS
- Overnight FedEx: Standard
If you are shipping an item a long distance, you will pay a different price for Express Shipping. A device sent from New York to Connecticut will cost less than one sent to Wyoming if you live in New York. It is also important to note that different providers charge different rates. Choosing the least expensive option is easier when you compare rates.
Swappa’s Additional Features
In comparison with its competitors, Swappa offers some extra features.
Local Swappa
If you are wondering how Swappa Local works, it is a simple process, and when you choose to sell items locally, you will be able to save on shipping costs from Swappa. However, you might also find it a little less convenient since you have to meet up with someone in person in order to do this. When buying from a local seller, the buyer has the option of paying with Stripe or PayPal. If you prefer to be paid in cash, you can also choose to do so.
There is a local pick-up option that Swappa offers for major cities including Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York. There are also Swappa-approved spots in other cities such as Denver, Baltimore, and Kansas City. In case your city is not included in the list, you can submit a written request to Swappa to add it.
Swappa’s support
According to Swappa customer reviews, their customer service is fast, communicative, and aims to resolve issues within a short amount of time. As a bonus, since buyers pay with PayPal, they are protected by PayPal’s buyer protection policy.
Interestingly enough, even in the comments where users say they had a problem with a Swappa phone, they say that the customer service department of Swappa solved the problem in a very short period of time.
Communication that is direct
There is a similarity between Swappa’s communication style and eBay’s. If a potential buyer has any questions, he or she can leave a comment directly on the listing if they wish to do so. Upon receiving the email notification, the seller will be notified and will have the opportunity to respond to the inquiry.
This also prevents multiple buyers from asking the seller the same question at the same time. Other potential buyers will also be able to view the question and answer. Also, it keeps a record of answers in case the buyer claims the item is different from what was advertised.
Return policy for Swappa
Swappa has a fairly straightforward return policy. Upon receiving the item, the buyer can return it if it differs from what was listed. The seller has to refund the buyer. Additionally, Swappa will refund buyer fees if the item description failed to disclose defects or if the item was not in the condition that was described.
Buyers who request a return without a valid reason may have their request rejected by the seller. In the case of a return request, the seller may also choose how much to refund to the buyer; the full amount is not required.
Swappa vs. eBay vs. Gazelle Comparison
If the seller permits it, eBay allows buyers to negotiate prices. As an alternative to Swappa, eBay offers you the ability to create an auction-style listing, which is not available on Swappa. You have to accept the price you list on Swappa if you want to sell an item there.
However, they can also request a lower price by leaving a comment on the listing. Anyone will be able to buy it at the new reduced price if the seller adjusts the price. Unlike eBay, where private offers are allowed, this is not possible.
There are no seller fees on Swappa, unlike eBay. In contrast, Swappa charges only PayPal fees, whereas eBay charges eBay and PayPal fees.
The way Gazelle works differs from the way Swappa does. The phone or device is sold directly to the site with Gazelle. As well as accepting Gazelle’s price, you must also accept its terms. When you use Swappa, you decide how much to charge – or how little – for your services.
This is a table that shows how much you can earn using each of these services based on how much you spend:
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Similar Websites to Swappa
Are you still having trouble finding a good place to sell your phone? Swappa and other similar sites are worth checking out.
Among the devices available on Adopt a Phone are iPhones, Google phones, Samsung devices, and more. Besides unlocked phones, they also purchase carrier-locked phones. With more than 400 reviews on Facebook, Adopt a Phone has a 4.9 out of 5 rating. Trustpilot does not list them and BBB does not have any reviews of them.
Swappa does not accept broken phones or phones with a bad IMEI, which is the unique identification number for your phone. Whiz Cells does. However, they do not have the same range of devices as Swappa (a bad IMEI means that your phone has been reported as lost or stolen.) ResellerRatings.com rates Whiz Cells 4.23 out of 5 stars.
The MaxBack website is a great place to sell iPhones, Apple Watches, iPads, smart watches, tablets, and other cell phones. MaxBack is different from Swappa in that you sell directly to the company instead of an individual. They will give you a quote that is valid for 30 days after you get it. You can ask MaxBack to send back a device for free if they offer a lower price.
Summary of Swappa’s Review: A Good Way to Sell Your Device
The average rating of Swappa is higher than most of its competitors, with some of the best customer reviews of any similar site. Unlike similar sites, they also have more reviews overall, so the rating isn’t skewed by a few bad ones.
You can also potentially make more money with Swappa since sellers can choose their own price.
A downside to Swappa is that there is no pre-paid Swappa shipping label available. If you do not live near a post office, you will need to purchase a label in person.
