How much would you charge a stranger for your contacts, family photos and pin number? $5? $20? It sounds ridiculous, but many businesses and consumers are doing just that when they choose to sell their used phone and tablets to a company based solely on the highest buyback price. It’s important to consider the entire value of the services offered when choosing a mobile revenue recovery and recycling company.

A study by CPP Life Assistance found that 54 percent of cell phones purchased second-hand contained personal data such as emails and bank details from the previous owners. They also purchased 50 SIM cards and 27 of them contained similar private information.

CPP Life Assistance went a step further and asked the original mobile phone owners if they had deleted their personal data prior to selling their device; 81 percent claimed they did.

So how can you ensure your data is protected?

Many will advise you to perform a factory reset, but as this study has shown, that is not always effective in removing all sensitive data from your mobile devices. Partnering with a mobile buyback and recycling company that makes data security a top priority is the only way to ensure your data is protected.

Qualities that indicate a recycler provides effective data security include testing for active lines, an e-Stewards certification, device-specific wiping processes and quality assurance checks. At e-Cycle, we prove our value by providing all these services and more at zero cost. All mobile devices received at our facility go through rigorous, multi-step data deletion procedures and verification testing for quality assurance. Third party, forensic auditors randomly-test our devices and validate our data security processes quarterly. If the e-Cycle data security team is not certain the data on the device it removed (many times due to functionality flaws), the device is shredded onsite to protect your personal and corporate data.

Reselling used mobile phones and tablets for reuse so that the lives of the devices can be extended is an essential part of a responsible wireless recycling plan. However, carefully consider the total value your chosen mobile buyback and recycling partner offers. Is it really worth risking your sensitive data by selecting a less-than-reputable company that offers a few dollars extra per device? Instead, choose a wireless revenue recovery partner such as e-Cycle that offers the total package: highly competitive pricing, industry-leading data security and e-Stewards certified electronics recycling and environmental protection.

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e-Cycle is the trusted wireless mobile buyback and recycling partner for many of the largest organizations in the world. As the first mobile recycling company to achieve e-Stewards certification, we adhere to the highest standards for environmental responsibility and worker health and safety. e-Cycle offers a simple, secure, environmentally responsible and profitable way for businesses to sell and recycle used mobile phones and tablets. Learn more at www.e-Cycle.com.