April 11, 2008

Going Green Turns Into Sales Opportunity for Business

There was a time when the only thing that was green was your lawn and for some of us, even that was questionable. However, there is a movement around the globe to go green. Simply put, that means to use devices and practices that are gentle on the environment and conserve energy.

With all of the electronic gadgets on the market out there one has to wonder what happens to them once they are no longer usuable. In steps Customer Service Cos. and there new ecoNEW program. Normally they provide extended warranties for the likes of Best Buy and Wal-mart.

According to Antony Brune of Billboard, "Participating retailers (which have not yet been announced) simply advertise that customers can return any electronics products they own--even if they weren't purchased at the store--to the program and in return receive an in-store credit gift card for a predetermined amount based on the type and condition of the device. EcoNEW handles all the collection and evaluation details and issues the gift cards directly."

Statistics on other similar businesses are showing a 12% conversion rate on rediscovered devices and nearly 70% of all the devices recovered under this type of plan are returned for the agreed upon fee.

Currently there are four companies that handle this type of program. They are Techforward, EcoNEW, Apple and Recycle Reward.

Each have their own specifications on how the buy back works and varying clients so doing a Google search on any of the companies should give you a better understanding of how they work.

For example, Techforward says, "Customers buy the plan at point of purchase for a guaranteed rate, then return the item using the program's free packaging and shipping." As for ecoNEW, "Customers fill out an online survey detailing what devices they want to get rid of and the condition of the product, and ecoNEW provides an estimate for the buyback, as well as free shipping." Apple offers to customers discounts on new products for returning older ones.

These types of buy back programs are wonderful opportunities for everyone to do their part in going green.


About the Author
Mr. Garcia is the electronics editor for www.Indocquent.com, an online advertising and social network medium where businesses can advertise their products and services without pay-per-click prices and auction fees. Don't forget to download Indocquent's free social bookmark utility by CLICKING HERE

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