Many gadget hounds and technophiles across the world are becoming
more concerned with the environment. Some companies in America are
starting recycling programs to keep used electronics out of landfills
or shipped overseas for disposal.
Reuters is reporting that a new program called ecoNEW from
a company you are probably familiar with, but never heard of called
NEW Customer Service. The company sells extended warranties offered
on everything you buy from Best Buy and sell similar warranties via
Wal-Mart as well.
The new program will allow
consumers to return any electronic product that they own to
participating stores, even if the stores weren’t where the product
was originally purchased. The catch at this point is that the
participating stores haven’t been announced. However, Best Buy and
Wal-Mart are very likely since NEW Customer Service already sells
warranties through them.
Electronics returned under the program would net the owner
in-store credit -- the credits would be for pre-negotiated amounts
and would be issued through ecoNEW directly.
Postage and shipping for the items returned would be covered by
ecoNEW resulting in no cost to the owner for the return. With the
ecoNEW service, the customer would fill out a return online
describing what items they have and the condition of the items and
ecoNEW would provide an estimate on how much they are worth and free
shipping to return them. An example return rate is about $20 to $60
for an MP3 player depending on the model.
Another similar service from a company called TechForward allows a
buyer to opt for a upgrade plan when the new electronics are
purchased. This buys the customer a guaranteed return rate based on
the condition of the item purchased. Under this plan it would cost $9
for coverage on an iPod Touch and the buyer would be guaranteed $240
for a 3-month old touch, $190 for a 6-month old touch and $160 for a
touch up to a year old. The rate would drop if the device was damaged
or inoperable.
The USPS is also offering a mail
in recycle program that gets you nothing in return for your
electronics other than the satisfaction of recycling.