As the country with the highest cell-phone penetration rate in Africa, there’s a fair number of unused cell-phones lying around. The question is, - how much can you get for it? Gumtree has created a phone price checker that organises all the data from the site to demonstrate how much second hand cell-phones are being sold for. This is done according to brand, device and model, allowing users to not only sell old phones for what it is worth, but also to determine what phones they can could afford to buy. To view the price checker, click here: http://www.gumtree.co.za/pages/pricechecker/

Claire Cobbledick, Head of Marketing for Gumtree South Africa says that electronics remain one of the most popular categories on the site. “There are at least 17 000 cell-phones being sold on the site every month, and they sell very quickly. Phones sold can range from feature phones to the latest Samsung Galaxy or iPhone. Smartphones are in high demand but very few people can afford to buy them new, particular pay-as-you-go customers.”

A recent study by Havas Worldwide has shown that 43% of 16-35 year olds consider the resale value of a product before they make a purchase; this is why considering the resale value of a cell-phone before purchase may pay dividends. “We do it for other high-value items like cars – why not do it for cell-phones?” says Cobbledick.

The phone price checker is the latest offering in a series of three by the classifieds site, which also boasts a car price checker and a property checker. “These tools are ultimately aimed at helping our customers decide what to purchase and how to determine resale value,” says Cobbledick.

Cobbledick believes that the latent data on the classifieds site can be of good use particularly to retailers and automotive dealerships. “There is no other portal that answers the question, what happens to my product after it’s been sold? It is telling to see, for instance, how quickly certain phones are being sold after purchase or how much value consumers place on one brand as opposed to another.”