£50 for ANY old mobile from O2

facingthefuture

I asked for and got a £100 allowance last June in Carphone Warehouse. They weren't sure if they could give it to me so I asked them to phone head office and check. Yep! Got it in credit on my phone bill.

silps

cantcope wrote: »

I used to work at the place that runs this scheme for O2. They have a monthly brochure available instore which shows the different trade in values. The value for recycling your old phone depends solely on which new phone you are buying.

If you trade your old phone in and then change your mind about the new one it can be extremely difficult to get the old one back though as it is likely to be in a warehouse with a million other old phones by then.

So what exactly do they do with the phone that you trade in, especially the 10 year old brick phones? Cheers.

cantcope

It depends on the handset. If it is in good condition they will be refurbished and sold abroad or will go back to the network provider for them to sell as "refurbs". (this is where the company makes its money from)
If they do not work or there is no market for the model they are recycled.
The plastics are sent off to be reused and made into things like bin bags, traffic cones, i think nike use it for soles on some their running shoes.
the metals (gold, silver, platinum etc) are taken out and recycled
the batteries are sent off to europe where some are reused and some are used in some village that uses them for power.
all quite interesting stuff. The networks should offer better rates this year as they are legally obliged to prove to the government they are recycling a percentage of their product.

silps

Thanks, I always wondered what happens to things we recycle. Sometimes I can't help but think they just bin it but it is good to hear that they do recycle it. Must be quite labour intensive to take all those phones apart to scrap them.

lawlorlane

solpap wrote: »

I am gonna try this! I have two old phones (Samsung SGH600 and Panasonic GD92, anyone remember these?). I will go down to the o2 shop and see whats happening. If they have the offer I will go for it, and tomorrow return them.

The way I read this, is that you get a refund of the 130pounds since they will NOT return your mobile.

Many thanks to OP!

WOW - good for you :T not sure if i would be brave enough its the embarrament of having to argue it out should they want to.........
....... let me know how you got on!!!! good luck

cantcope

silps wrote: »

Thanks, I always wondered what happens to things we recycle. Sometimes I can't help but think they just bin it but it is good to hear that they do recycle it. Must be quite labour intensive to take all those phones apart to scrap them.

yes it can be. They have a warehouse full of staff to cope. Each handset is scanned in so they can report back to the network which handsets have been traded in, this also checks if they are stolen or reported lost. Then its off to have the phone's data cleared before the refurb or recycle.

I have to say, even though i havent worked there for 8 months it is a really good way of recycling. Not just for O2 but for all the networks, charities etc.

SaverSarah_2

Wow, great spot OP!

adecor

silps wrote: »

Thanks, I always wondered what happens to things we recycle. Sometimes I can't help but think they just bin it but it is good to hear that they do recycle it. Must be quite labour intensive to take all those phones apart to scrap them.

Found this article in Saturday's Telegraph very interesting http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2008/02/23/sm_mobilephone123.xml

bigbargainhunter_2

Someone please confirm that this works... I am in complete suspense reading through this thread, getting closer and closer to the edge of my seat after every reply I read just waiting to find out if this has worked fro anyone or was it just a one-off??

I have so many old phones lying around I may just quit my day job if this is for real! :j

doubleuc

I got 50 quid off the 180 quid w910i with my old t300 :-)
I asked about the discount and she said 30 off without looking at it. When she scanned at the till it came up 50 quid off.
Thanks to the OP :-)