Electronics buyback FAQ

Video: Recycle your electronics

Video: Recycle your electronics with TextbookRush for cash

The TextbookRush buyback program allows customers to receive cash for eligible items including Electronics, DVDs, Video Games, and Books. The process is easy and convenient with free shipping, an immediate quote and no required product listing.

Payment is available in check or store credit. Selecting store credit will earn an additional 5%. Quotes are subject to change upon evaluation of the product.

For certain products there is a limit to how many identical models you can trade in under the same account. We do not have a list of these specific products available, but the system will let you know if you have exceeded the trade-in limit.

It’s simple; TextbookRush buys mostly Apple products, iPhones, iPads and iPods. All of the items we buy can be found on TextbookRush.

If your exact model does not appear on our website that means we no longer make offers for that item. Please do not send us items that do NOT match the model and/or model number exactly. Incorrectly quoted items will be purchased at the current offer value for that item. Items not being purchased will not be returned.

You can sell Kindles, Laptops, MacBooks, tablets and much more. In fact, we recently added four new exciting categories to the buyback catalog: Blu-ray players, digital cameras, camcorders and Mp3 players. Browse our electronics page to find out more.

No. If your item is not listed in the buyback store, then we currently do not have an offer for it. However the buyback program is being constantly updated with new titles, so check back regularly, or email us at help@textbookrush.com.

IMPORTANT: If you are trading in an Apple device with iOS 7 or higher installed on it, you MUST turn off the “Find My iPhone” feature before mailing in your item. This can be done by going into Settings > iCloud > Find my iPhone > OFF. Please remove the SIM card (if applicable) before sending in your device. Please contact your service provider to deactivate your plan.

All items must be in at least acceptable condition and the item you wish to sell must match the exact version displayed in the buyback search results or on the product page on TextbookRush.com. Please check carefully to verify details like color, total GB, service provider and version, as we cannot accept items that differ from the product page. You can find the full condition descriptions in our electronics condition criteria.

TextbookRush purchases specific cell phone models from the following carriers:

• AT&T
• Sprint
• T-Mobile
• Verizon

In addition, we also accept certain models of factory unlocked phones.

Unfortunately, we do not accept cell phones locked to a specific service provider other than the ones listed.

Laptop power cords will be required to get full trade-in value. Chargers do not affect the offer for other products. If you would like to send us the charger and power cord, we certainly appreciate it. But if you don’t have it, no worries, your price does not change.

Please do NOT send us your other accessories such as cases, earbuds, protective screens, box, & manuals; they do NOT affect your price. Any extra accessories we receive are discarded at receipt and cannot be returned.

Factory-issued rechargeable batteries should be included with your device when shipping. Alkaline batteries (i.e., AA, AAA) should be removed from devices before shipping.

You are solely responsible for removing all personal data from your device, including, but not limited to, internal memory, removable memory, and SIM cards. Consult the manufacturer of your device for manufacturer-established procedures for secure data removal.

Items received with memory storage will be factory reset. With that, all data is cleared and cannot be restored.

The value of electronics typically declines pretty quickly over time so we can only honor your offer for 7 days. If we receive your item after 7 days, we’ll inspect it and it will be purchased at the current offer value. Items not being purchased will not be returned.

If your offer has expired before you have shipped your item to us, and you would still like to sell your item to TextbookRush, simply return to TextbookRush and go through the process again to see what your item is worth today.

Yes, if your buyback meets or exceeds the product eligibility criteria and received within 7 days of receiving your buyback quote.

The most recent status of your buyback is available online anytime in your account.

If you need help submitting the items you want to sell, you can contact TextbookRush Customer Service via phone or e-mail by clicking the Contact link on the top right of any page.

The most common reasons for a change in offer outside of condition are:

1. Active ESN
2. Wrong model

Quality packing of your item can make a big difference, and save you a lot of time. Be sure to use ample packing material to make sure your item is secure during shipment. For other tips on packing, please see our packaging guidelines.

Quote is based on the information you provide. If, upon arrival, your item differs in anyway from what you provided, you will be paid the current market value for the item. Items will not be returned for any reason. The best way to prevent an offer drop is by providing as accurate an initial assessment as possible. If you need assistance determining the condition of your device(s), please see our electronics condition criteria. It is also very common for customers to select the wrong model on our website. Please be sure you are generating a quote for the correct item.

Every item sent to us is hand-evaluated by a trained member of our team based on the information you provided. If our evaluation does not match up with the one you completed online, the offer may decrease or increase accordingly. If your offer changes for any reason, you will receive an email on the day of inspection with the paid amount and an explanation of any changes to your payment.

TextbookRush does not purchase any accessories outside those specifically requested in the offer calculator. Unfortunately, any extra accessories shipped with your order can not be returned once they arrive at TextbookRush. This includes headphones/earbuds, protective cases, charge mats, retail boxes, manuals, batteries, chargers, cables, or any accessory not explicitly requested in the offer calculator.

If your item has an engraved message, it will not affect the trade-in value, as long as viewing or operation of the device is not impacted. Once we receive your item, we will inspect it to ensure that the engraving does not contain personal and/or offensive language.

Unfortunately, to transfer ownership of a warranty, we would need to pass on the personal information of the item seller to the item buyer - we are not legally able to do this.

Warranties and Extended Warranties will not garner any additional trade-in value on items.

An “ESN” is an Electronic Serial Number. An MEID (Mobile Equipment ID) and ESN uniquely identify a CDMA cellphone. In the 2005 time-frame, the MEID began to replace the 32-bit ESN. An IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) is unique number assigned to a GSM, UMTS or IDEN cellphones.

• The device still holds an “Active” account status with the carrier
• The account associated with the device has an outstanding balance
• The device has been reported as lost or stolen
• This number is tied to a carrier and helps record the activity and status of the device. Prior to our inspection, we will check to ensure that the ESN has been deactivated.

If the ESN is not clear for activation, we will notify you via email and hold the item for 5 days. To clear and active number, you must contact your wireless service provider and clear any issues that are causing your item’s ESN to be active so that we can complete the evaluation process. After this hold period expires, we will issue a revised payment for your phone.

Helpful Hint - You may need this number as a reference. On many phones you can find your ESN, MEID or IMEI by typing in *#06# and your phone and the number will appear on your screen.

Verizon phones can now be checked through their “Activate Phone or Device” page. For other carriers you may chose their Chat function on their Customer Service page.

After submitting a buyback, you can print a pre-paid shipping label provided by TextbookRush for sending in all your items, so shipping is completely free. There are no other fees. Delivery Confirmation is included with the label, so you can verify that the item successfully arrived at our location. The cost of this label is billed to us, so you never have to worry about it.

If you have multiple packages or other shipping questions check out our packing and shipping instructions.

FedEx (Pre-paid label) is the default carrier for buyback shipments. FedEx guarantees delivery in 1-5 business days. Drop off packages with FedEx labels at the nearest FedEx Office location or arrange for a free pickup from a business address by calling 1-800-GO-FEDEX. When dropping off your package, please select either a FedEx-staffed center, FedEx Office, or FedEx Authorized ShipCenter. Do NOT use a FedEx drop box to ship your package - it will not be processed or delivered. Pickups must be scheduled from a business, not a residence. If you call to schedule a pickup, make sure to mention you have a “return label”.

Please note that the shipping times are estimates and we are not liable for delays that are out of our control.

Please be sure you have the latest version of Adobe Reader installed on your computer. If you do not have this software, you can get Adobe Reader here for free.

You can print a shipping label by going to Your Account and clicking the Print Shipping Label button on the buyback order. Please note that quotes are only valid for 7 days.

TextbookRush will grade the items we receive in the condition received and make any necessary adjustments to the amount paid. We cannot pay you for items that arrive damaged or non-functioning. TextbookRush will not pay you for items we do not receive. Damage incurred during shipping does not happen very often, but you will want to ensure you have securely packed your item. See our packing guidelines here.

Packages shipped around major holidays may take an additional week to arrive. If you have not received confirmation that we received your package within 30 days of shipping, please contact us. If you ship via USPS Ground, we strongly suggest that you purchase insurance when shipping your buyback to us. If your package is received damaged and items are missing, we will not be able to pay for any missing items.

1. Check: Payments are mailed within 5-10 business days after your shipment is processed. Checks are mailed via USPS to your Billing Address on your account.
2. PayPal: Payments are issued 1 business day after your shipment is processed.
3. Store Credit: Payments are issued 1 business day after your shipment is processed.

After your buyback order is received, it usually takes 1-3 business days to check-in your items plus an additional 5-10 business days to issue payment via check and 1 business day to issue payment via PayPal or Store Credit. During peak buyback periods, processing may take longer. Peak periods are usually late December through January and late May through June.

You must cash your check within 45 days of the check date. The check will be voided after 45 days.

If your PayPal email address is returned as invalid when we issue payment, then a check will be sent to your billing address the following business day. We will also default your payment method to check. In order to receive payments via PayPal in the future, please login to your account and re-enter your PayPal address and verify that it is correct.

If it has been more than 45 days but fewer than 90 days from the date you’ve submitted your buyback, you may request a one-time reissue of your check provided it has not been cashed. Be sure to include a note detailing your buyback number and the address the new check should be sent to. Please note that we reserve the right to assess processing fees when applicable.

If it has been fewer than 90 days from the date you’ve submitted your buyback, you may request a one-time reissue of your check provided it has not been cashed. You must include your original check and a note detailing your buyback number and the address to which the check should be sent. Please note that we reserve the right to assess processing fees when applicable.

No. We highly recommend that you cash your check as soon as you receive it since we cannot reissue a check more than 90 days after your buyback submission.

No. Once a buyback payment method is selected and your payment is processed, it cannot be changed.

For example, we are unable to change a store credit to a check or PayPal payment.