What the Tech: Amazon trade in

CHARLOTTE – This is for all the “early-adopters” out there. The tech gadget fans are the first to buy the latest tech. In this case, the first Amazon Echo and FireTV Sticks. It’s hard to believe those devices are a decade old now. They probably work just fine, but there are newer and better options. And if you’ve got one of the early editions? Amazon wants it back.

And there are hundreds of millions of Echo Dots in the world, and millions of them are probably gathering dust and aren’t even used anymore.

Don’t throw them in the trash or donate them to charity. They’re worth a little something.

Amazon is giving customers a way to turn their older Echo speakers and other devices into Amazon gift cards and discounts through its Trade-In Program.

The program is designed for people who want to upgrade their smart home setup or just clear out some tech clutter. Customers can send in eligible devices like Echo Dots, Echo Shows, Kindles, Fire tablets, Fire TVs, and even some third-party electronics. If Amazon accepts your trade, you’ll get a gift card for the appraised value and sometimes up to 25 percent off a newer device.

Here’s how it works. Go to Amazon’s Trade-In page and search for the device you want to trade. Alternatively, you can go to your account settings at Amazon.com and scroll down until you can choose “devices”.

You’ll see a list of every Amazon device that is on your account. Choose one and scroll down. If it’s eligible for a trade-in, you’ll see a link that will reveal any Echo, FireStick, or Kindle that can be traded in.

You’ll answer a few questions about its condition—things like whether it powers on and whether it’s damaged. Amazon will give you an initial estimate and a prepaid shipping label, so you don’t pay a dime to send it in. Once they get the device and check it out, you’ll get the final value in an Amazon gift card, usually within two weeks.

During Amazon Prime Days (July 8th-11th), Amazon is also adding a 20% discount on a newer version of Echo devices.

Some users say the values for older devices aren’t always high, but the additional discount on a new Echo or Kindle can make it worth it. Amazon also says the program helps the environment. Devices that still work are cleaned and refurbished for resale through Amazon Warehouse, while broken or outdated devices are responsibly recycled.

You can bundle more than one trade-in to increase your total credit, but promotional discounts are often limited to one per customer per device category each quarter. You can also choose only up to 5 devices to trade in at one time.

A few things to keep in mind: Be honest about the condition of your device. If it doesn’t match what you reported, your value could be reduced. Also, double-check that the discount is applied at checkout. Some users have said they needed to manually select the promotion.

You should be wary of donating any Alexa devices that are tied to your Amazon account. Even if you do a complete factory reset and remove it from your list of devices, there’s still a slight chance your personal information could be left on the device.

Bottom line: if you’ve got an old Alexa gathering dust on a shelf or shoved in a drawer, check to see what it’s worth. You might be able to trade it in for a newer device, save some money, and do something good for the planet at the same time.