Swappie collaborates with ThePhoneLab to sell old iPhones

Research shows that 31% of Dutch users prefer a physical return point because of the personal service they receive. In October, Swappie opened the first Dutch return point in Amsterdam, and now the ten locations of ThePhoneLab are being added.

Consumers and physical return points
ThePhoneLab has ten stores in the Netherlands, spread across Amsterdam, Utrecht, Rotterdam, The Hague, Haarlem and Alkmaar. Thanks to the option to go to a physical return point, Swappie increases the options and the refurbisher makes the process easier for consumers to sell smartphones to the refurbished market. The ability to go to a physical return point can be decisive for people who are considering selling their device to a refurbisher. Currently, most consumers do this via the website where they automatically receive a price estimate. They then send their device to Swappie and receive their compensation once the inspection is complete.

Research
However, a study by Kantar on behalf of Swappie last year shows that 31% of users in the Netherlands prefer to sell their old smartphone in a physical store rather than online. Furthermore, customer information from Swappie shows that 40% of Finnish consumers who sold their iPhone through a drop-off point would not have done so if going to a physical location was not an option. They indicated that they prefer to manage the transport of the device themselves and thus retain control over how and in what condition the smartphone is returned. Once the smartphone has been returned, Swappie is fully responsible for the condition and packaging of the iPhone.

“Today we are taking a new step with our collaboration with ThePhoneLab,” says Martine Hardeveld Kleuver, Country Manager for the Netherlands and Belgium at Swappie. “I think it is important that it is made as easy as possible for consumers to make a sustainable choice. ThePhoneLab is just as enthusiastic as we are about giving telephones a second life and now this will be possible for even more people in the Netherlands.”
Sustainability Officer of ThePhoneLab, Job Hoogendam: “With ThePhoneLab, we have given a second life to more than half a million mobile phones in our ten stores over the past nine years. This collaboration with Swappie makes our impact on the reuse of iPhones even greater.” ‘

Rapid growth in smartphone usage
The market for refurbished smartphones is growing rapidly. The concept offers the perfect solution for consumers who want to sell their old device and thus contribute to a more sustainable and circular future of technology. Swappie specializes in refurbishing used iPhones, extending the lifespan of these devices and thus reducing e-waste, one of the largest growing waste streams worldwide.
Before the smartphones return to the consumer, they go to one of Swappie’s special centers in Finland or Estonia. Experienced, in-house trained experts inspect the devices to ensure that all functionalities work and new owners can enjoy the best possible performance.