Is it safe to mail your phone?

It's a fair thing to be nervous about. You're putting a $900 object in a box and handing it to a stranger on the promise of money later. Here's what protects you and what doesn't.

What can actually go wrong

• The package gets lost. Rare, but it happens.
• The company lowballs you on arrival — the classic buyback complaint. You're quoted $400, they "inspect" it, suddenly it's $180, and your phone is already in their building.
• The company just doesn't pay. Rare among established operators, common among fly-by-night ones.

What protects you against each

Loss in transit

We send a prepaid FedEx label that is tracked and insured. If the carrier loses it, that's our problem to chase, not yours — you'll have a tracking number showing you handed it over, which is the evidence that matters. Keep the drop-off receipt until you're paid.

The lowball

This is the one to actually watch for, and the protection is procedural rather than technical. Ask any buyback company two questions: do you photograph the device during inspection, and do you return it free if I reject your revised offer?

Our answers: yes, and yes. If inspection finds something you didn't mention, you get a revised offer with the reason. Accept it and we pay. Decline it and the phone goes back to you at our cost. That asymmetry is what makes the whole thing safe — a company that charges return shipping has you cornered and knows it.

Non-payment

Look for a business with a history and a physical presence. We're the online buyback desk of a staffed phone store that has been trading since 2022, and the same people who serve counter customers inspect what arrives by mail.

How to pack it so it survives the trip

1. Wipe it first — full instructions here.
2. Wrap the phone in something soft. Bubble wrap, a sock, folded clothing. The enemy is movement inside the box, not the box itself.
3. Use a box, not a padded envelope. An envelope transmits every impact straight to the screen.
4. Fill the gaps so nothing shifts when you shake it gently.
5. Put the label on squarely and keep your drop-off receipt.

A note on timing

Your quote is locked for 14 days from the moment you accept it. Ship inside that window and the figure you were shown is the figure we work from. Prices in this market genuinely move week to week, which is why the lock exists and why it isn't open-ended.