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You may be craving the new iPad, but your wallet has a different idea. Acquiring new tech is an expensive habit so finding a site to make the process more affordable can be an exciting discovery.
Glyde, developed by the Simon Rothman, the founder of eBay Motors, is a site that could help you afford an iPad. Whether you’re looking to sell your old iPad to help you afford a new one or you’re interested in buying an earlier model, Glyde may make owning an iPad within reach.
I recently spoke with Drew Lieberman, CEO of Glyde, about the services the website provides. “Glyde is designed to make buying and selling very easy on the Web, taking the friction out of selling and buying a product. You don’t need to be an expert to use Glyde.”
Glyde is a peer-to-peer marketplace, but Glyde restricts its listings to electronics and books. Glyde emphasizes ease of use, value and a pleasant user experience. The site is clean and uncluttered with straight-forward listings giving you the basic information about the product, the price and the condition.
Buying
“For the buyer, Glyde produces a clean and intuitive, almost curated buying experience. A buyer can find a product very quickly and easily and see it at a very good price,” explains Lieberman.
If you’re looking to buy a device, such as an iPad, searching on Glyde gives you a choice of available models. You can search by device name or by other terms such as “AT&T” to find devices compatible with your carrier. The supply of iPads is abundant now so you should find all models available:
- original iPad and iPad 2
- 16, 32 and 64 GB
- Wi-Fi only and Wi-Fi plus 3G
- AT&T and Verizon
- black and white
You can also choose what condition you would like the device to be in: Excellent, Good or Acceptable.
Prices are set, there’s no bidding on items, and can vary significantly between models. You may have your heart set on a white 16 GB Wi-Fi iPad in Excellent condition, but by exploring Glyde a bit you might discover that the black 32 GB Wi-Fi iPad in Good condition is much less expensive. Or maybe you decide to save even more money and get an original iPad for less than $300.
Glyde doesn’t sell only iPads. You can also find other tablets, iPhones, a variety of Android phones, ereaders, iPods, video games and books. If you’re looking for a specific model of device and Glyde doesn’t have it, check back in a few days to see if it pops up.
Selling
Selling on Glyde is designed to be simple and streamlined. When you sell an item on Glyde, you are asked for the model and the condition. Glyde suggests a sales price for the item, but you can raise or lower the price. You are also shown how much you will be paid by Glyde if the item sells at that price. You don’t pay anything to list an item, if you sell it, Glyde takes a cut.
You don’t need to add a description or photo of your item, Glyde takes care of that for you. Glyde also helps you with the shipping process. “Glyde takes all of the pain points of other sites out. We do the work for the individual,” says Lieberman.
After your item sells, you’re sent a pre-paid, pre-addressed mailer. You put your item in the package and mail it directly to the buyer. After the buyer receives the item, Glyde releases the money into your account, arranges for an electronic transfer of funds to your bank account or mails you a check. There is no Paypal option for payment. “The vast majority of our products sell within four to seven days,” says Lieberman.
Speed Sale
Glyde recently introduced a Speed Sale feature that will guarantee you a price and pay you more quickly than a regular Glyde sale. The trade-off is that the sale price for a Speed Sale is lower than for a regular sale. “Speed Sale is based on feedback from our customers who said that in some cases they would be willing to trade a few dollars for immediacy and certainty of the sale going through,” explains Lieberman.
Glyde vs. Other Resale Sites
I asked Lieberman the difference between selling on Glyde versus other resale sites. “Typically our sellers see a premium versus other trade-in sites. In our standard marketplace offering, it averages between 30-60%. It takes a couple more days so you may be trading in a little bit of time, but you get a 30, 50 or 60% premium in price which could mean real money. Even our Speed Sales are about a 20% premium versus other trade-in options. We’re as easy as other trade-in sites with even more value.”
I compared the prices on Gazelle versus Glyde for selling an original iPad 64 GB Wi-Fi plus 3G in Excellent/Flawless condition. The price offered on Gazelle was $180, with payment via an Amazon gift card (with a 5% bonus), check or PayPal payment. Glyde’s suggested sale price is $320, with the seller getting $286.90. The Speed Sale price from Glyde for the iPad was $240. (Note that Gazelle locks in its price for 30 days without an obligation to sell your item and promises to increase the sale price if it determines your device is worth more than was quoted.)
Bottom Line
If you’re looking to buy a used electronic device, check out Glyde to see if you can get a deal on the item of your choice. Try to be flexible with the model you want to see if you can get a better price.
If you’re selling an item, compare prices you can get on Glyde with other resale sites. Weigh the benefits of both and consider how quickly you would like the money to be paid.
Between buying and selling on Glyde, you may just be able to afford the iPad you covet. Or, if you want to get a second iPad for your kids, Glyde could make that purchase much less expensive.
Are you craving an iPad but your budget is a bit tight? Would buying an original iPad or iPad 2 at a discount be enticing? Are you looking for an easy way to sell your iPad or other device? Let us know in the Comments section below!
* Child with iPad image by Mike Licht
Informative indeed Carolyn!
Glyde seems to the answer to those who have a tight budget yet want to go in for the latest electronic devices! It well seems to be the right place to check out, and if you have kids, just as you have mentioned and especially those who keep craving for the latest devices, it well may be the answer your you!
I would surely be going ahead and checking it out right away, hoping that it works Internationally as well. We do have similar sites at our end, though I wonder if they offer that much of a premium as Glyde. Nonetheless, I feel its worth checking out!
Loved the info Carolyn, and thanks so much for sharing about yet another wonderful site with all of us 🙂
Hi Harleena, You’re right, it’s important to check out the many site offering resale options, whether you’re a buyer or a seller. Glyde offers many advantages such as convenience and a premium price if you’re a seller. 🙂
And yes, forget to mention that I loved that image of the girl with the iPad- perfect for the post- how did you manage to hunt for the right one!!
Harleena, hunting for just the right picture is a very pleasant task for me. I love trying to find appropriate and beautiful pictures! 🙂
i Prefer to sell the gadgets on ebay than any other 🙂 recently i sold my ipad 2 32gb wifi + 3g at 580$ tats a good deal 🙂 So direct selling via ebay is always better and profitable .
Thanks
suresh
Hi Suresh, Great job selling your iPad on eBay! You got a great price for it. I’m a big fan of eBay too, but selling on eBay can be a hassle. Plus, if you don’t have a history with eBay, you won’t have the positive feedback that buyers rely upon to make their purchase decisions. With Glyde the selling is easy and it doesn’t matter if you’re a first time seller, you will get the same price as everyone else.
I hope you enjoy your new iPad, Suresh! 🙂
I sold the first item is “ipad 2” , generally you don’t need any feedback at alll. If u provide at best prices as well as good communication people love to grab it asap. Thanks for blogging about glyde i will give my try sooner 🙂
Hey you pre ordered your ipad?
I’m thinking it must be different for each buyer. I prefer to buy from eBay sellers who have a lot of positive feedback. I have bought from eBay sellers who were new and had good luck but also have been burned a couple of times (though did get refunds). Now I buy from eBay sellers with loads of positive feedback.
I have to check this Glyde out. I desperately want to upgrade my iPad Gen 1. Lately the battery life has been quirky, and it’s just slow. I would love to get myself a new iPad and turn this one over to my youngest, but I know I can’t afford the newest and greatest iPad. Thanks for providing this great site.
Hi Carol, I was excited when I found out about this site because you can both buy and sell on the site easily. I think you’ll find just what you’re looking for if you choose to upgrade to an iPad 2.
With your current iPad, make sure that you close your apps to speed up your iPad and extend the battery life! 🙂
Hey Carolyn Nice article but we still didn’t rely on online sell and purchase.
Hi Rizwan, I understand that some people are reluctant to purchase online still. But once you start to trust online services, you may find yourself hooked. I find myself buying more and more online because of convenience and saving money. 🙂
Hi Carolyn,
I’m not a great fan of this sort of site after getting ripped off a couple of times on The Uk version of EBay.
One of the students that I talk to in China is getting a Xiaomi phone and that looks good for an Android phone. It’s the latest hot gadget in China now. She comes to the UK to study in August and so it should come in handy. The university has free wifi and so she can communicate with her phone or laptop. I’m going to try to get her a SIM that will give cheap called and inclusive internet.
My blog on photography this week might interest you. 🙂
Hi Mike, I was swindled once on eBay UK when I lived there, but eBay has a great guarantee policy there and I got my account refunded very quickly by eBay. I give them a lot of credit for standing behind their sales.
It sounds as if your Chinese student will be well set up with her Android phone when she arrives in the UK. Just be sure that her phone runs on GSM networks, not CDMA. If she has a CDMA phone, then it won’t work in the UK.
I will definitely be by your blog. I never miss your NeoDigital posts! I’ve just been a bit overwhelmed at catching up this week after my weekend away but I will stop by soon. 🙂
This sounds like a really cool site Carolyn. Much better for these types of products then eBay. I hate eBay and I hate having to bid on products. Of course the majority of products I’ve ever wanted to purchase didn’t have the direct purchase price option.
It’s good to know that if you’re searching for something used but yet in good condition you can get it here. I’ll have to just check it out just for the heck of it.
As always, Carolyn’s back with even more good stuff. Just love what you keep sharing with us Carolyn.
Hi Adrienne, Yes, some people love the thrill of bidding on items in eBay auctions while others would prefer a simpler approach. As you fall in the latter camp, you will really like Glyde. The site is very simple and easy to use, eliminating the need to bid on items. Have fun exploring Glyde, Adrienne! 🙂
Glyde sounds awesome. I’m always fascinated when I hear about new websites that reminds me of either eBay or Craigslist, and the courage of people who are trying to compete with them. The thing is, they need to be different and focused on a different market. That’s what works, at least in my mind 🙂
When it comes to computers, and especially Apple, I probably won’t buy anything used or an old model. Even if I didn’t have the money, I would just wait until I have it. I’m not sure why, but I want the latest and the greatest 🙂
Hi Jens, I can understand why you want the latest and the greatest, you are certainly not alone! But if you’re considering getting a spare one for your loved ones who may not care as much about their tech being cutting edge, Glyde may be a great choice! 🙂
I am intrigued by it, but have to admit that I have some hesitation about purchasing used electronics. However that is something that would concern me on any site, eBay, Amazon, Glyde etc.
Still I appreciate the review- can’t hurt to look.
Hi Jack, I can understand how you want new electronics. The life cycle of new tech is very short these days so a lot of people want to trade in their gently used devices to get the latest and greatest. If you don’t care about getting the latest and the greatest, getting a used device can be a great way to save some money! 🙂
Hi Carolyn,
Have you used Glyde to buy stuff and if so, whats been your experience. I’m personally uncomfortable buying electronic stuff online.
Hi Adeline, Great question! I have not used Glyde, I have my own electronics recycling service right in my home with three daughters who eagerly anticipate my upgrading my devices. My upgrades mean they get my gently used tech.
I have bought used electronics online successfully. My first smartphone, my beloved Palm Treo 750, was purchased used from a seller on eBay UK when I lived in England. I have bought a lot of other used electronic devices online and have never had a problem.
I was looking on this site and was confused why a 32 gb iPad 2 was more expensive at $440 than the 64 gb iPad 2 at $425, and are both in the same condition. Is this because the sellers are competing?
Hi Liz, Sounds as if you found a good deal. It’s a matter of supply and demand. If Glyde has more people trade in 64 GB iPads than it can sell quickly, it lowers the price of those devices.
You were very smart to check both sizes of iPad. You should check both colors too just to be sure you’re getting the best deal.