Amazon trade in program ~ text book, movies and electronics

The following is a guest post by Linda Stacy who is a wonderful person and a smart cookie. You can follow her on Twitter @lindastacy.

The Trade-in Stores Can be a Good Way to Make Money Online

Everyday thousands, probably hundreds of thousands of people search the Internet for ways to make money online from home. It’s a common question on message forums, countless people create
blogs about it, and unfortunately, far too many people fall victim to the ever increasing number of scams and bad money-making ideas being advertised.

The other day I came upon a new way to make money online by getting rid of unused stuff that’s gathering dust at home. I discovered Amazon.com’s Trade-In Stores.

I’ve sold used books and music CDs through Amazon before, and in fact I was looking at prices with the intention of selling a textbook when I discovered trade-ins. I searched for the book by its ISBN number and when I clicked through to the page, I saw the link reading, "Sell this back for an Amazon.com Gift Card."

Apparently the Textbook Trade-in Program has been around for a couple of years. More recently Amazon added trade-in programs for electronics, video games, and movies and TV. Items in these categories that meet specific criteria can be exchanged for a gift card which will be deposited onto your Amazon account.

Here’s how it works:

1 – On the main trade-in page search for the item you want to trade-in. For books the ISBN is the easiest way to search. For electronics try the model number and for video game and DVDs you can use the ASIN.

2 – When there is an exact match you’ll see the item and the trade-in value on the next screen.

3 – If the value is acceptable to you, click the trade in button and on the next screen check the criteria for the trade.

To be eligible for trade-in each item must be an exact match. If you have an older version or different model number the item won’t be accepted.

4 – Once you’ve added all your trade-ins to the list, click the "continue" button to proceed to the shipping page. UPS shipping is free. You can choose a different method, but you’ll have to pay the shipping cost for other carriers.

You will also indicate whether or not to have them returned to you if it’s not in good condition or is unacceptable for any reason.

5 – Print the packing list and shipping label, pack up your item(s) and ship them within 7 days. I shipped two books on a Friday, they reached the trade-in center (just a couple states away) on Tuesday, and the gift card was in my account on Wednesday.

What I like about the trade-in program:

1. It feels like free money. The items might otherwise sit around my house for years before they are donated or discarded.
2. It’s easy. Just search, click, pack, and ship.
3. I don’t have to list the items, compete with other sellers, and wait to see if someone will buy. And I don’t have to worry about customer service or returns.
4. I purchase from Amazon regularly so the gift card is a nice benefit for me (others may prefer cash to spend anywhere).
5. It’s fun. It’s a little like a treasure hunt, going around the house looking for unused items to trade.
6. It’s green. Many of the trade-ins would otherwise end up dumped in landfills.
7. It’s fairly quick. If you need something Amazon sells but you don’t have the cash for it, you can turn around a trade-in and have your purchase delivered within about ten days to two weeks.
8. It’s good motivation for clearing out some of the clutter in your house.

What’s not as likable about the trade-in program:

1. Delayed gratification because of shipping time. Local stores such as BestBuy and GameStop offer immediate rewards.
2. You’ll have to spend some time searching for your items, packing, and delivering the box to the shipper, and you’ll need boxes and packing fillers to protect the items during shipping.
3. You might be able to get more for the item if you sell it through Amazon Marketplace or an online auction site.
4. You can only use your proceeds to shop at Amazon and the gift cards are not transferable.
5. Limits. Only certain items can be traded and there is a $750 limit per transaction. However, there is no limit to the number of transactions.
6. It’s not a steady income. As much stuff as we all accumulate over the years, you will run out of items to trade in.

Trading in the stuff you no longer need can be profitable. Uncluttering your surroundings has other, non-financial benefits as well. You’ll have a better organized and cleaner home, the things you keep will be more valuable to you, and you’ll gain a sense of freedom from feeling tied down by too much stuff.

Interested in blogging as a way to make money? Linda Stacy offers tips and resources on how to start a blog and where to find professional PLR articles.