Samsung has made an enticing offer to boost sales of its new smartphones, including the Galaxy S II and III, as well as the oversized Galaxy Note. Called Samsung Upgrade, the program will buy back your old phone for as much as $300 when you buy a new Samsung smartphone.
It works the same as other third-party programs such as Gazelle. You fill out an online form describing your phone and its condition and receive a quote. You must buy a new Samsung phone and send your old one back within 30 days. Samsung will send you a check for the agreed upon amount as long as your phone is in the condition you described and you include proof of purchase. The buy-back program is being run through Clover Wireless, a certified reseller and recycler of phones.
The value of the trade-in will vary by device. Samsung's list of qualifying devices includes almost every manufacturer from Acer to ZTE. Even the original iPhone made the list, but you'll only get $20 for it tops. The $300 limit has been reserved for 64GB AT&T iPhone 4S devices in good working order. Other top-of-the-line smartphones qualify for up to $250.
Assuming you're not after the new iPhone 5 due this fall, the Samsung Upgrade could give you a pretty sweet deal on a very nice phone.