We’re at the CTIA 2011 conference in San Diego and we were very interested to run into the ecoATM because this could be the perfect solution for your closet full of old phones and MP3 players.
Sites like Craigslist, eBay and Gazelle are great ways to get rid of your devices but there is the pain point of having to actually send it off or meeting a stranger and then you have to wait for your money. With ecoATM, you just go to the machine, hit a few buttons and within a few minutes, you’ll have cash in your hand.
The touchscreen interface will let you input what type of device it is and there are multiple cameras in it to determine the condition of the device. It is also smart enough to know what type of device you have and it will provide an appropriate charging cable so it can determine if the device is operational.
Once you agree to the price and to sell it, you have to scan your license and then put a thumbprint in as your signature. While some of you may be creeped out by this, it is a nice security measure to ensure that people aren’t selling stolen phones left and right. EcoATM is already in 23 locations like malls, grocery stores and big-box retailers and look for it to really go mainstream starting early next year.
I think this will be a successful product because it does really look like a simple way to sell your phone. Plus, you’ll get your cash immediately, so you can buy your next phone much quicker. We’ll have a video up for you shortly but check out ecoATM’s site in the meanwhile.