Green Your Network Blog

1. So you want that new laptop, but it’s expensive, and what if a better one comes out next year?
2. I bought a new MP3 player but it’s not exactly what I wanted, what can I do?
3. I have all this technology junk and old gadgets lying around collecting dust. Is there any value in any of it?
4. I am junking my old TV and buying a new one, how can I be certain my old TV won’t contribute to the global e-waste problem when I toss it?

If you find yourself asking any of the above questions than pay careful attention because a solution for you now exists!
Techforward, a Los Angeles-based company, lets consumers lock in a trade-in value for their devices at the point of purchase. This new philosophy is called “Ownership 2.0” and it’s all about managing technology lifecycles, from purchase to the secondary market and ultimately towards a certified recycling destiny.

Here’s how it works: For a small fee a customer can lock in a trade-in value for their purchased electronic part. For example, customers who send in their products back within six months will get 50% of the value back. Those who send theirs in from 6 – 12 months from now will get 40% back, and so on… The cost of the plan and the amount paid back depends on the device and when it is sent in to be recycled. You don’t have to wonder what my computer is worth in two years. You know exactly what it’s worth when you buy it!

This model takes the uncertainty out of upgrading by guaranteeing future trade-in values for devices at the point and time of sale. For a little bit more [than the purchase price] you’ll be covered. If you are on the fence and worried a little about whether you should buy today or wait until next year, this may put you over. Additionally, it deals with buyer’s remorse as well as the pace of technology, because you can now always afford to have the latest model. This buyback program works as a kind of insurance against both of these scenarios.

Tony Barnes, a program manager for a software company who lives in Medford, Mass., bought a plan from Techforward last year for his iPod Nano. He bought the plan because he goes through a lot of gadgets and doesn’t have the time to resell them on sites like eBay, he says. “It seems like a responsible way to dispose of this,” Mr. Barnes says. When he’s done with the MP3 player, he calls TechForward, get’s a shipping box in the mail, and sends off the part. TechForward will send Tony a gift card from the partnering retailer he originally bought the iPod from to drive business back to them, or he can get a check. It’s that easy!

Make money and help the environment. Ownership 2.0 may take recycling to the next level for some of us technology buffs.

See related articles here:
The Wall Street Journal
Bnet
PCMAG.COM

Reuse…Save up to 90% off list price and save the environment too when you shop at UsedCisco.com
By Joshua Levitt
Managing Director for UsedCisco.com

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