Important Steps Before Selling
There are a few steps you should take before selling your watch to someone either online or in real life. Without performing these steps, the would-be buyer can’t use the device with their iPhone. More importantly, the person could gain access to your personal information.
Step 1
Before you sell, give away, or trade your Apple Watch: If you have a Wi-Fi + Cellular Apple Watch, you’ll be asked to Remove [Carrier] Plan, when applicable. You’ll need to contact your carrier if you aren’t planning on pairing with another Apple Watch at this time. Otherwise, the company will continue to charge you for the monthly cellular service. As part of the unpairing process, you’ll also be asked to enter your Apple ID password to turn off Activation Lock. Your Apple Watch is now unpaired with your iPhone. With unpairing complete, your iPhone will automatically make a quick backup of your Watch. You can use this backup file to restore your new Watch, when applicable.
Step 2
As a final step, you’ll want to remove your Apple Watch from your iCloud account. To do so: You can now sell, give away, or trade your Apple Watch!
Where to Sell Your Apple Watch
When selling your Apple Watch, we mostly recommend the same companies we suggested with iPhone with minor exceptions. Because Apple Watches, for the most part, aren’t worth nearly as much as iPhones, the selling options are slightly different. The newer and better condition of your Apple Watch, the more it’s worth. Before quoting a price, most online buyers will ask some combination of the following questions:
Does the Watch turn on?Is the screen cracked?Are there scratches anywhere on the device?Is your device fully functional?
Once you receive and accept a quote, there are different procedures for each company.
Swappa
Swappa attempts to match buyers and sellers. In doing so, you’ll likely get more for your wearable device than you would through many other companies. Under this scenario, however, you don’t receive a quote. Instead, you must list your item on the Swappa website. Before doing so, Swappa suggests a price that’s based on current market conditions. Fees are paid by the buyer, which makes this an excellent solution for would-be sellers. To use Swappa, you must have an active PayPal account, and you’ll also need to submit photos of your device before the listing gets approved. Once it does, you pay nothing for the listing. Plus, payment is received before you ship. We recommend Swappa because of its ease of use. Even if you aren’t computer savvy, you’ll breeze through the listing steps.
Mercari
When it came time to sell my Apple Watch Series 4 recently, I choose to use Mercari. The selling app, which is also available through the web, makes it incredibly easy to sell your stuff in mere minutes. Better still, once you do, you can print your shipping label directly from the app. Mercari doesn’t charge you to place a listing. Instead, it collects a flat 10 percent fee once an item is sold. You receive your cash once the item has been delivered and the buyer rates the experience, and you do the same. Mercari gives the buyer three days to rate the transaction. If they don’t rate the purchase, you’ll still get your money after that time. Through Mercari, payment is sent to your bank account immediately through instant pay or by direct deposit. You can also keep the balance in your account and treat yourself by buying something listed on Mercari. Mercari isn’t the cheapest selling solution, but it’s worked for me over the past few years to sell items, electronic and otherwise. Check it out!
eBay
If you have a PayPal account, it might be most comfortable for you to sell your Apple Watch through eBay. It does come with some drawbacks. For one, any transaction ultimately comes down to a sale between you and a buyer, with eBay merely the conduit. Second, there’s some risk of selling by yourself. Because of this, be sure to only ship to the buyer’s confirmed PayPal address, so you’re protected. Additionally, price your item competitively, so you get a good deal. Finally, beware of the processing fees PayPal and eBay charge.
Apple
The mothership makes it very convenient to trade in old devices both online and in its many retail stores. In exchange, you can receive credit for a new device or an Apple Store gift card. If you decide to sell through the Apple website, you’ll receive a trade-in kit in the mail, which you can use to send in your Apple Watch. Requiring this kit slows down the process somewhat, which makes selling your device in-store perhaps a better option. It’s been my experience Apple doesn’t pay a lot for used Apple Watches. However, this is guaranteed money and a good choice if you rather not list your item elsewhere and deal with would-be buyers. Plus, unloading your wearable device at an Apple retail store when you’re buying a new one makes for a seamless process.
Craigslist
If you want to make quick cash, your best bet could be Craiglist, which will allow you to meet your would-be buyer locally and in person. If this is your plan, be sure to price your Watch competitively. For your protection, don’t mention your name or address in your Craigslist ad. To make a quick connection, put your phone number in the ad. Once you and the seller agree on a price, decide on a safe place to meet, preferably during the day. A public location is undoubtedly the best, of course. Bring a friend. Finally, only accept cash.
Bottom Line
You’re going to find out quickly that your used Apple Watch isn’t worth nearly as much as you probably expected. Because of this, your best bet might be to hand down the device to someone you know. If you rather not, use one of the services mentioned above and make some cash.
