Selling Your IT Equipment? What to Look Out for

If you are looking to sell your IT equipment, it’s important to keep an eye out for a buyer with a strong reputation, necessary accreditations around both data security and sustainability, and someone that can offer a competitive price.

Across the planet, there are countless businesses that have money caught up in surplus and redundant IT hardware. As you are reading this blog you may have identified an opportunity to sell your surplus equipment, but what now? What are the next steps? Is there anything that you should be wary of when searching for a potential buyer?

Who should I Sell My Hardware to?

The acceptance of refurbished IT equipment has been continuously growing, and with research finding refurbished hardware can often equal the performance of new equipment for just a quarter of the cost. This means that when it comes to deciding who to sell your IT equipment to, there are a huge range of options.

Refurbished Hardware Specialists

There is a market of refurbished hardware specialists that would gladly purchase your used IT equipment. A refurbished hardware specialist will purchase your equipment with the intention of taking your used equipment, performing any maintenance that may be needed to ensure it can perform to the best of its ability, and reselling it.

Refurbished Hardware Specialists may also offer a trade-in program, in which you provide your IT equipment in return for a discounted price on any other hardware you may need. This is a fantastic way to maximise your IT budget.

The main benefits of choosing a refurbished hardware specialist are convenience and speed. At Techbuyer, refurbished hardware is at the very core of what we do. Our team can provide a free quote, collection, and guaranteed data erasure.

IT Asset Disposition (ITAD)

The purpose of an ITAD is to help businesses securely and sustainably dispose of their IT equipment to a high standard. The process provides complete data sanitisation to any data bearing equipment, meaning that these devices can then be put back into circulation on the secondary market where possible.

The process hinges on its security and can be tailored to the specific needs of each client. Security measures include transportation in marked vehicles to a secure facility, numerous accreditations to prove best practice, and even on-site data sanitisation or destruction if needed.

ITAD is also a sustainable option as it reduces the amount of electronic equipment from being marked as ‘end of life’. You can find out more about how an ITAD works here.

Techbuyer’s ITAD service offers a high security, sustainability focused option to your business that not only provides you piece of mind, but also potential value recovery from your IT equipment. Our team will collect, audit, and sanitise your data centre hardware with the goal of returning it to market, in turn potentially providing you with a rebate. You can find out about our ITAD service here.

Online marketplaces

If you are looking to get rid of a low volume of equipment, then online marketplaces such as Backmarket or eBay could be an option for you. For consumer goods, this can be an effective option, however for your business’ IT hardware it could prove more troublesome than what it is worth.

What IT Equipment Can I Sell?

The simple answer is whatever IT equipment you have! However, we will run through some specific hardware. It is also important to take into account the condition and age of the devices or components you are looking to sell, as these are key factors in what you can expect to get in return.

Servers and Server Parts

Servers make the business world go round. A server can be found at the heart of any organisation, whether on the premises or in a data centre. The utility and ability of servers can vary wildly, but the more powerful and more capable your server, the more money you can expect from it. If your server is less efficient or in an undesirable condition, there is also the option of selling the individual parts. This is a fantastic way of extracting value from a device that otherwise would not have been as in demand from buyers or resellers.

Networking Equipment

Servers aren’t the only back-end hardware in demand on the refurbished market. Networking equipment includes switches and routers and are sought after by businesses looking to expand their data infrastructure, as well as those just looking to make an upgrade.

Storage Devices

Storage devices cover solid state drives (SSDs), hard disk drives (HDDs), MSA controllers and more. Due to the personal nature of storage devices, many businesses are not so willing to put this equipment on resale. However, there is no need to be concerned about potential data leaks from your devices. No matter how you sell your equipment to Techbuyer, any data sensitive device will go through complete data sanitisation giving you piece of mind.

Peripherals and Accessories

Anything from monitors to keyboards can hold value. When it comes to this sort of equipment, however it can also be worth looking at alternatives such as donations. High quality monitors in particular can provide a worthwhile return.

Computers and Laptops

When it comes to selling IT hardware, this is likely your first thought. Providing that the equipment is in an acceptable condition, selling laptops and computers is an excellent choice. Donating laptops and computers to schools or charities is also an option that may not provide you with a financial reward but has a an immeasurably positive impact on those that need it most.

At Techbuyer we often donate equipment that does not meet our resale criteria, but still has life left in it. This helps to extend the lifecycle of the product as well as change the lives of others. One of our long-standing charity partnerships is with ITSA Digital Trust.

What Should I Look Out for When Selling IT Equipment?

Reputation

To ensure you receive the best value possible for your IT hardware it is important to know who you are selling to. The reputation of a business can say a lot about the experience you will have before contact is even made. Make sure to read recent reviews and look for testimonials and case studies to learn about the experience of other customers.

Data Security

Your data is one of, if not the most important assets of your business, so data security regarding selling technology is vital.

Fortunately, there are accreditations to look out for that signify your potential partner is being held to the highest standards of data security. Keep an eye out for accreditations such as Cyber Essentials, and ISO 27001, as these all indicate high levels of security meaning you can rest assured your data will be handled responsibly.

Environmental Compliance

Your responsibility to the environment does not just stop at your own practices, it also includes the behaviour of who you choose to be partnered with.

Make sure to work with a business with environmental accreditations to their name such as R2v3. As with data security, these accreditations act as proof that a business is holding themselves to a specific standard. An example of an environmental accreditation that we have at Techbuyer is our EcoVadis rating, in which we have scored in the top 15% of all businesses on the framework for our sustainability practices.

Selling IT Hardware With Techbuyer

No matter what you are looking for when it comes to selling your IT equipment, Techbuyer has you covered.

Looking to simply offload unwanted hardware? Our team can get a quote to you within 24 hours, offer market leading prices, and even collect your equipment.

Do you need documentation of the decommissioning and data sanitising process? Our ITAD service gives you complete confidence that any sensitive data will be securely erased in compliance with data protections regulations, as well as ensuring that your IT hardware will not go on to harm the planet.