Increasing electronic waste has accelerated innovative initiatives to recycle and reuse electronic products, especially smartphones. E-commerce player, Flipkart (now owned by Walmart) has launched a new Sell Back programme that allows customers to sell used smartphones on its platform, which it will eventually extend to all other categories of products available on Flipkart.
The announcement of new Sell Back plan comes after Flipkart announced acquisition of electronic re-commerce company Yaantra.
As of now, the buyback programme is available across 1,500 pin codes of major cities in India including Delhi, Patna, Kolkata and others.
Credible sources have cited that only 20 million smartphones are traded, leaving aside a major portion of the used smartphone circulation chain in India consisting of 125 million used smartphones.
According to Flipkart, the Sell Back programme is available for customers on its app, which can be accessed via a new option displayed at the bottom bar of the app, initially eligible only for smartphones, however, intends to encompass other product categories by end of this year.
In terms of smartphones, Flipkart’s Sell Back programme will allow sale of any and all smartphones even if they are not purchased from Flipkart.
If customers choose to sell their used smartphones on Flipkart’s app, they will receive an e-voucher from the e-commerce platform, which according to the company will compensate with the right buyback value.
Moreover, customers will be offered with a valuation for their smartphone after a short Q&A consisting of 3 questions, which once filled will be followed by a Flipkart executive on their doorstep to pick up their smartphones within 48 hours.
After a thorough verification conducted by the e-commerce platform, it will send an e-voucher worth the valuation in return for the smartphone.
The new programme followed by acquisition of Yaantra marks progressive efforts of Flipkart to solidify its re-commerce business and ramp up after-sale offering for customers, notably in the smartphone segment.