When you’re getting ready to sell IT assets, there are a number of things to keep in mind. If you have a decent volume of equipment, then just a few missteps could cost you thousands in the sales process. In this article we’ll go over a few of the most important tips to maximize the return on your investment and ensure the IT asset resale process goes smoothly.
Shipping
One of the most important mishaps to avoid is improper shipping.
Processors, hard drives, memory modules, and even whole server chassis can be completely destroyed if they are not packed properly in transit.
You’ll want to order processor packing trays, hard drive boxes, memory module trays, or any number of custom foam inserts for chassis, GPUs, etc.
Make sure you’ve packed everything tight enough that there is no wobbling or shaking around inside the packaging.
Wrap everything tighter than you would think is necessary; IT equipment gets damaged extremely often.
Don’t Limit Yourself to One Vendor
When you have a lot of IT assets it’s crucial to know your equipment and explore your options. For those with bulk quantity, you are probably gonna want to sell your equipment to an ITAD vendor instead of trying to sell it on eBay, Amazon, Reddit, or any of the other potential outlets. They’re just better suited to bulk sales. With a company that specializes in repurposing IT equipment they will also follow certified processes for wiping data and protecting your company from unwanted third parties recovering valuable data.
Make sure to contact multiple ITAD vendors, as each operation tends to have different pricing structures for the same equipment based on what they can do with it after purchasing it. If you don’t contact multiple companies and have a significant amount of equipment you could be leaving money on the table.
Make sure to ask them about shipping. Will they pay for packaging or shipping, or will you? This is an important thing to understand and incorporate into quotes to make sure you are adjusting accordingly.
Also it’s helpful to have a vendor that is using standardized, certified processes. It can make your life a lot easier, and for you to have less chance of having to deal with potential disputes or misunderstandings. ITAD companies buy and sell equipment every day, so they know exactly what to do with what equipment, how to test its condition to estimate value appropriately, and how to scrap, recycle, or remarket afterwards.
Take Detailed Pictures
If you can, take pictures of every piece of your hardware from all different angles. For example, you’ll want the back plate and all of the tags from each server like so:
If using a mobile phone, it can be helpful to reduce file sizes, as the several MB images can take a long time to load on desktops.
You can link to pictures of each of the systems/components in your inventory spreadsheet as shown below.
Make an IT Asset Resale Spreadsheet
This is an example of a well done spreadsheet. They’ve included the type of hardware, the brand, service tags, model numbers, serial numbers, drives, memory capacity, processor specs, and links to detailed images of every piece of hardware.
For each of the main components you’ll also want the following info:
Hard Drives:
- Hard Drive Model Numbers: ST1000DM003, OR
- HD Densities: 1TB
- Connectors: SATA
- Spindle Speeds: 7200 RPM
- Conditions: refurbished
CPUs:
- Processor Model Number(s): Intel i7 7700K, AMD Opteron 4386 SE, Intel Xeon E5 2690 V4, etc
- Quantity
- Conditions: Refurbished, broken cap, missing pad, used, new, etc
Memory:
- OEM Part Number: HP, Dell, IBM, etc.
- Mfg Part Number: Samsung, Hynix, Micron
- Quantity and condition
If an IT asset buyer were to come across a spreadsheet like this, they’re much more likely to put a good offer in quickly because it provides them with all of the information they need to know.
Don’t Strip Your Systems for Parts
If you pull all of the components out to ease resale, you’ll kill the resale potential for the whole systems. Nobody wants an empty chassis. Additionally, the full system is almost always worth more than the sum of its parts.
How Long Will it Take to get Paid after I sell IT Equipment?
IT asset disposition vendors know that it’s critical for people to get their money as soon as possible, especially in this day and age. They usually work hard on getting IT equipment through their process so you can get your money within one to two weeks, max.
Finally, if you would like an IT asset resale quote, reach out today.
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