Best Place to Sell a Broken Phone or Laptop

Your cracked screen, dead battery, or FRP-locked device still has real cash value — if you know where to sell it. We ranked every option by actual payout and hassle so you stop guessing.

The options, ranked

Platform	Cash Out (Typical % of Working Value)	Speed (Quote → Cash)	Effort Level
Back Market	65–80%	3–5 business days	Low (prepaid label, no listing)
Swappa (Broken category)	70–85%	1–2 weeks	Medium (photos, listing, shipping)
eBay (For Parts/Not Working)	50–75%	2–4 weeks	High (fees, disputes, shipping)
Gazelle / ecoATM	30–50%	Instant–3 days	Low (kiosk) / Medium (mail-in)
Local (FB Marketplace/CL)	60–90%	Hours–Days	High (no-shows, safety, haggling)

Back Market wins for the 90% of sellers who want a guaranteed floor price without babysitting a listing. You answer 6 questions on screen condition, battery health, and functionality; they lock the quote for 21 days. Ship in their box, get paid via bank transfer or PayPal. Tip: Select “Fair” condition even if the screen is shattered — Back Market’s refurb partners replace screens in bulk for ~$5, so they don’t penalize you as heavily as a private buyer.

Swappa pays more if you have a desirable flagship (iPhone 14 Pro, S23 Ultra) and patience. You must photograph the exact damage, disclose IMEI status, and eat 3% fee + shipping. eBay is a last resort: “For Parts” listings attract scammers claiming “item not as described” to force returns on broken goods.

Avoid ecoATM kiosks unless you need cash today. They pay roughly 40% of Back Market’s quote for the same device. Carrier trade-ins (Verizon, T-Mobile) often require a new line activation to unlock the “up to $800” promo; the standalone broken-device value is usually 0–$50.

Warning: Factory Reset Protection (FRP) locks kill value instantly. Remove Google/Apple accounts before shipping. A locked phone is e-waste, not inventory.

Honest advice for each option

Back Market: The “Set It and Forget It” Floor Price

When to use it: You want a guaranteed, sight-unseen quote locked for 21 days and zero haggling over a shattered screen or bad battery. Back Market’s algorithm prices for refurbisher margins, not collector whims, so a cracked iPhone 13 Pro still fetches 65–75% of working value — often $100–$200 more than a kiosk. The process is six dropdown questions (carrier, storage, screen glass, LCD function, body damage, battery health), a prepaid UPS label, and a bank transfer or PayPal payout 2–3 business days after their partner warehouse scans the box.

The catch: You are selling wholesale. If you have a mint-condition flagship with original box, you leave $100–$200 on the table versus Swappa. The quote assumes “Fair” condition baseline; selecting “Good” on a phone with micro-scratches triggers a downgrade and a revised lower offer you must accept or reject (they return it free). Insider tip: Always select “Fair” for screen condition even if the glass is spiderwebbed but the OLED lights up perfectly. Their refurb partners replace screens in bulk for ~$5; they don’t penalize you the $50+ a private buyer would demand. Remove iCloud/Google locks before sealing the box — FRP-locked devices are rejected as e-waste and recycled with zero payout.

Best for: Sellers who value certainty over maximization, anyone with a cracked screen/back glass, or devices older than three years where private buyers flake.

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Swappa (Broken Category): The “Flagship Premium” Play

When to use it: You own a desirable, recent flagship (iPhone 14 Pro, S23 Ultra) with only cosmetic damage (cracked back glass, light frame dings) and a clean IMEI. Swappa’s broken category pays 70–85% of working value for these, but you must photograph every flaw, disclose battery health, and eat 3% fee + shipping. Patience required: 1–2 weeks to sell.

The One Trick That Gets Sellers the Best Price

Clean the damn thing first. Not a full detail — just wipe down the case, remove sticky residue, and snap photos that don’t look like they were taken during an earthquake. Buyers on Swappa and eBay will lowball you 20–40% if your listing looks like the phone was retrieved from a storm drain.

Remove ALL accounts before shipping. This isn’t optional. Factory Reset Protection (FRP) kills 80% of a device’s value instantly. Sign out of Google/Apple ID, remove SIM cards, and do a factory reset. Back Market’s algorithm automatically downgrades locked devices to zero — they literally won’t pay you.

Insider tip: On Back Market, always select “Fair” condition for screen damage even if the OLED works perfectly. Their refurbishment partners replace cracked screens in bulk for ~$5, so they don’t penalize you the $50+ a private buyer would demand for the same damage.

Warning: Don’t bother with cosmetic perfection. A phone with a cracked back glass but functional screen will net you the same $80–120 regardless of whether you spend 2 hours cleaning it or not. Focus on functionality disclosure instead — accurate specs get better responses than pretty pictures.