All you need to know about O2 Recycle

[Chris_K]

If you’re thinking of using O2 Recycle, have questions, or issues, then this thread is here to give you all the information you need to know.

What is O2 Recycle?
O2 Recycle is a service O2 launched in October 2009, and so is approaching almost a decade in operation. The service allows anyone in the UK whether an O2 customer or not, to trade in their devices and gadgets responsibly, in return for cash.

And it’s not just mobile phones you can trade-in with us; you can send us your MP3 players (old school!), tablets, wearables, or kindles. If your device is broken or faulty, you can still use O2 Recycle, and you may still get money for it too.

Why did O2 launch O2 Recycle?
For as long as we’ve been a business, we’ve cared about our environmental impact and made it a priority to reduce our carbon footprint, only partner with others who share a similar vision, and we work with local communities to ‘give back’ to the environment. We sell mobiles and provide an award-winning network to use them on, and so we’re doing the right thing by giving our customers a way to recycle their devices directly through us in a responsible, ethical, environmentally friendly way. And by trading in your devices, we’ll even pay you – making it easier than ever to upgrade to the latest and greatest new phone.

Here’s just some of what we’ve accomplished, thanks to all our O2 Recycle customers:

• O2 Recycle has recycled over 2.9 million devices through O2 Recycle since launch.
• The top recycled device for 2019 is the iPhone 7. Over 35,500 iPhone 7 devices have been recycled so far in 2019.
• Every hour 33 devices are recycled through O2 Recycle. This is the equivalent to £42 paid to customers every minute through O2 Recycle.
• O2 Recycle guarantee that all devices received are securely wiped and 100% recycled – nothing ever goes to landfill - saving over 280 tonnes of materials ending up in landfill.
• It is estimated that on average each of us will own 28 phones and 10 tablets in our lifetime.
• If we lined up all of the 2.9 million devices recycled through O2 Recycle, it would cover the same distance as going go to space and back….. twice!!
• O2 Recycle are the top Phone Recycler on Review Centre with over 91% customer satisfaction.

Why should you recycle?

It’s good for the planet! We are responsible recyclers operating a zero landfill policy, so when you recycle, you directly prevent further materials ending up in landfill and further damaging the environment.

Why O2 Recycle?

• With an 8.9/10 Trustpilot score over 13,000+ reviews, we’re a top-rated Recycling service. Join the thousands of over O2 Recycle customers who have recycled with us, with confidence. O2 Recycle is the UK’s leading mobile trade in programme.
• No risk. We'll send your phone back for free if you're not 100% happy
• Help the NSPCC. With O2 Recycle, you’re not only doing a good thing for the planet, you’re also raising funds for the NSPCC, an important organisation that looks to keep kids safe online.
• Price Match. We offer a Top Price Promise, where we’ll match a quote you’ve seen offering a better value elsewhere. Terms & conditions apply – full details here.
• Open to everyone. O2 Recycle is open to customers of all UK networks – you don’t need to be an O2 customer to use the service.
• Free postage. We offer completely free postage options, with our pre-paid return packs, providing insurance for up to £100. (Any device over £100, we would recommend using Special Delivery)
• Fast payments. Get paid on the same day we process your device.

How does it work?
It couldn’t be easier! Here’s what to do if you’re looking to recycle with us:

1. Get a price for your phone straight away online, using our grading questions to help you get an accurate price
2. We’ll send you all the packaging & a pre-paid returns label. Just pop your phone in & drop it at the post office.
3. The O2 Recycle team will review the device using the same questions, to ensure the device reflects what you told us about it.
4. If your happy with the price, we pay you the same day. Or, if we find the condition doesn’t match the initial offer, we will send you a revised price. You then have 48 hours to decide if you want to accept that price. If you’re not completely happy with that price, we will send you the device back completely free of charge.

Why might the Price Differ to what I was quoted? 

We only revise a price if the condition is different to the questions online, or if it doesn’t perform as expected. If your device is in perfect working order with no faults or damage, you will always get the full quote. Here’s some tips to look out for when grading your device:

• Screen damage – this includes Screen Burn. This is where an image or icon is permanently burnt onto the screen of the device. Usually a result of having the brightness on the highest setting. White Spots and shading to the screen, are caused in a similar way – these often look like small white areas, often brighter on a portion of the screen, or in the case of shading, darker.
• Screen lifting from device – To test if your screen is coming away from the body of the device, squeeze the corner of the phone between your thumb & forefinger – if it ‘bounces’ or moves, this is starting to come away & could result in a revised price.
• Water Damage –Although some devices are now water proof, water can still make it inside a device, causing damage. Most devices have an indicator inside the device, which will make us aware if it has been damaged previously by water. 

What if my device is damaged in transit?
We’re confident in the protective abilities of the free packaging we send out to our customers. If however, a package arrives with us & it appears like it’s had a rough time – we will flag this on receipt & take images of any disturbed packaging, to assist with any claims that may need to be made by you with Royal Mail.

I’m having issues that aren’t covered here, or in the website FAQ’s
If you need any further help, please feel free to contact our O2 Recycle team directly. You can email us at info@o2recycle.co.uk, or call us on 0345 505 0202. Please include your O2 Recycle order number, if you have one, and our team will get back to you within 24 hours. Our O2 Recycle customer services are open Monday-Friday 9am-8pm and Saturday 9am-5pm.

I’ve used O2 Recycle and I’m very happy with the service
That’s amazing to hear! We really do thank you for recycling with us and hope you consider us for your next gadget or mobile device recycle. Feel free to share your experience down below, and we would really appreciate if you could take a few moments to share a review of your experience here on TrustPilot.

We’re very proud of our O2 Recycle service, and want to continue making it as easy to use, as reliable and as trust worthy as ever for our customers. If you have issues using the service, please contact the O2 Recycle team directly on the details above so we can have an opportunity to fix or explain things first.

[Anonymous]

I use O2 Recycle every time I upgrade & only have had 1 bad experience where I was quoted a price then halved it for no reason 

[jonsie]

What if I have a Hauwei.....

[pgn]

Why not make O2 Recycle available in O2 Shops? That way, you'd get rid of all this blame about postal damage, etc, and operate more like CEX, which would be more acceptable to many, I feel.

Nice write-up, @Chris_K.

[Cleoriff]

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@pgn wrote:
Why not make O2 Recycle available in O2 Shops? That way, you'd get rid of all this blame about postal damage, etc, and operate more like CEX, which would be more acceptable to many, I feel.

Nice write-up, @Chris_K.

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That sounds an excellent idea @pgn @Chris_K .

With CEX, you take a phone in, they test it thoroughly and give you a price within an hour. (or even straightaway). You then have the choice of walking away with your phone and using Amazon or Ebay to sell it. My husband sold his S6, in perfect condition on Ebay.

[Anonymous]

Sounds like a good idea. At the moment when you recycle in an O2 shop. They only look at the outside of a device

[pgn]

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@Anonymous wrote:
Sounds like a good idea. At the moment when you recycle in an O2 shop. They only look at the outside of a device

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I wasn't even aware O2 shops would offer an opinion on a phone for recycling, just that you might be given a bag to send your phone to O2 Recycle... 

Yes, the CEX approach sounds like the better way to do it, if it could be done. 

[Cleoriff]

Oh dear. More training for the shop staff

[Anonymous]

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@Cleoriff wrote:

Oh dear. More training for the shop staff

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Somehow I don’t think that will be on the cards 😂