You Can Trade In Outdated Electronics For Grocery Money At Costco - Here's How - Tasting Table

"If you have a lot of outdated or obsolete electronics hanging around your house, Costco has an amazing way to turn them into grocery money. It has partnered with Phobio, a company that specializes in trade-in services for electronics. Customers can use a simple process to send in old electronics that still work, and Phobio will inspect and test them and then wipe the data."

"Also, reviews for Phobio online are mixed. While customers on Trustpilot report generally favorable experiences, there are a few Reddit threads recounting horror stories. One person said they were quoted $450 for their trade-in, but after sending in their MacBook, it was returned a month later "with dents, scratches and dings." They claimed the device "refused to boot and was essentially converted into a brick," and attempts to resolve the issue with Phobio and Costco went nowhere."

Costco has partnered with Phobio to offer a trade-in program that converts functioning old electronics into digital Costco Shop Cards. Customers select device details online, send items to Phobio, and Phobio inspects, tests, wipes data, and forwards a trade-in amount to Costco for issuance as a Shop Card. The Shop Card can be used for most in-warehouse purchases and select online items, even by nonmembers. Phobio has operated since 2010 and holds a 4.2-star Trustpilot rating. Some customers report smooth transactions, while others recount damaged returns and unresolved disputes, and private sales or manufacturer buy-backs may yield higher payouts.

Read at Tasting Table