Helio letting new subs trade in old gadgets

In one of the more innovative promotions we've seen lately, MVNO Helio has begun offering recent subscribers up to 30-days to send in their old gadgets in return for not a service credit, but cold, hard cash (in the form of a check mailed two to three months later). The so-called Trade-Up program, developed in conjunction with Market Velocity, lets new subs sign up online and get the trade-in value for some of the more popular cellphones, PDAs, digital cameras, and gaming consoles from yesterday and today -- although since the quotes are based on your own unprofessional evaluation of your gear's condition, the actual amount of loot you receive may vastly differ from what you were expecting. The prices Helio is willing to pay range from 10 to 20 bucks for older devices in disrepair to several hundred dollars for meticulously cared-for smartphones and high-end digital cameras -- they'll even give you $26 if you've somehow managed to keep your first-gen Gameboy maintained for all these years. The only real losers in this program are the proud few who've chosen to say "iDon't," because Helio will happily take your old iPod off your hands, but want nothing to do with players from SanDisk, Creative, and friends.

[Pete Avila @ Jun 19th 2006 5:11PM]

That takes me back....

[chris @ Jun 19th 2006 5:15PM]

they takin N64's ..... or L64's hahah

[freshiam @ Jun 19th 2006 5:30PM]

come on now do you think its realy worth it, i mean unless you realy realy realy realy realy realy realy realy need the money now, cause im sure that someone up at 'helio' is not just saying mmm... im goin to recycle these into our new phones, i think your better of just keeping that old gameboy, nintendo, or ipod and wait a couple of years when they become collector items, i know im not sending in my dreamcast or pocket gameboy for just at most 25$ to me i see that as a rip off!

[stev @ Jun 19th 2006 5:43PM]

dont worry my wonderful gameboy original
i wont sell you to those bad men
ill never let you go
**hug my wonderful brick**

[rickm @ Jun 19th 2006 6:17PM]

They're going to gather it all and sell it to Apple as part of their "inner city computing" program with 50 cent.

[Elmo @ Jun 19th 2006 7:32PM]

Why would Helio pay people for DAPs that no one would buy. You know that they plan on re-selling them through Ebay or some other auction site.

[Kevin Fox @ Jun 19th 2006 8:40PM]

They're paying $50 for an original 5Gig first-generation ipod. Wow...

[AceMilo @ Jun 19th 2006 8:41PM]

"they'll even give you $26 if you've somehow managed to keep your first-gen Gameboy maintained for all these years."

I still have my first gen gameboy, and not only that, it still works perfectly and I even have that little port cover for the link cable. I didn't buy a replacement for the cover, I still have the one that I got with it when I was about 8 years old (xmas 88 when it came out). How many others can say that?

[SpoonDogSVT @ Jun 20th 2006 12:03AM]

"How many others can say that?"

Well, me for one... including the original Tetris game, cartridge protector, and Link Cable! :)

[alek @ Jun 20th 2006 12:12AM]

many people can say that.. we're all proud of you for not losing the port cover! im sure most of us have ours as well. righteeo

[Citizen Insane @ Jun 20th 2006 10:04AM]

AceMilo - I can say that. I also have a pristine original GB. I also got it for Xmas when I was 8 (you're also a child of '86?) and it was my favorite toy for years, Zelda being my favorite game. There is no way I'd sell it for $26!!

[Alex F. @ Jun 20th 2006 4:22PM]

What F***** would cell their original game boy 4 $26 dollars.

[OAD @ Jul 26th 2006 1:25PM]

Get discounts on Helio through your employer! Call 310-806-0579 to see if your company is signed up and you are eligible.