CashForSmartphones.com based in Sparks, Nevada --Should have checked reviews first! Sparks, Nevada

In the past, I used Gazelle to re-sell my used smartphone, but this time their website was down, so I checked around and got a few quotes from several other used smartphone buyers. The bid from  CashForSmartphones was slightly higher than the others, so I went with them without doing a check of reviews, etc.  This, because I had had such a good experience with Gazelle.  The CashForSmartphones site looks good, has blurbs from CNET, Wall Street Journal, and PR Newswire (which I DIDN'T take time to read, alas).  The quote they gave me online was $89.  The mailer they offered to provide arrived fairly quickly, but I did some padding/packaging of my own because the mailer they sent seemed flimsy.

I live in central Texas.  The shipment carrier, Newgistics, provided a tracking number that showed the item traveling all the way to Washington DC before heading back to Nevada, where CashForSmartphones is located.  I mailed the item on March 31st, and it didn't arrive in Sparks until April 9th.  I had been promised an confirmation email when it arrived, which email never came.  I sent an email complaint on April 15th and received a reply saying my phone had just been inspected, and to expect a call this week.  The firm's CSR just called, with an overly familiar, overly friendly attitude, and informed me (with the implication that they were reeeally doing me a favor) that, based on the phone's condition and the current market, they would be sending me a check for $50.  I pointed out the $89 quote, but didn't make an issue of it; $50 is better than nothing.

I plan to notify both the FTC and the Better Business Bureau offices in my area and in Sparks, NV that this company is essentially conducting a bait and switch operation.  Beware.