Home / Sell your tech / Us vs them
Us vs themWe are not going to tell you we beat everybody on every device, because nobody does and you would catch us out inside a minute. What we will do is set out honestly how each of the big options actually works, what it costs you in money, time and hassle, and then hand you the links to go and check them on your exact device. If one of them beats us on the day, take it. We are not affiliated with any of them.
| Where | How it works | What it costs you | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| VEIL | Price online, we collect free or you walk in, paid cash or transfer on the spot. | Nothing. No postage, no fees, no travel. | Broken and older kit, bulk lots, anyone who wants it gone today. |
| CeX | A shop chain that buys second-hand over the counter and online, and offers you either cash or a voucher worth more than the cash. | Your time getting there and queueing. The voucher is only worth more if you were going to spend it there anyway. | Working, common stock when you are passing a branch. |
| Music Magpie | Postal trade-in. You get a quote online, post it free, they inspect it and confirm or revise the offer. | The wait, and the risk that the confirmed figure is not the quoted one once it has been inspected. | Common working devices when you are not in a hurry. |
| Cash Converters | High-street chain that both buys outright and lends against goods as a pawnbroker. | Travel, and a counter conversation. Pawning costs interest on top. | When you want a loan against it rather than to sell it. |
| Facebook Marketplace | You list it yourself and sell direct to whoever turns up. | Your time, the messages, the no-shows, the haggling, and meeting strangers with cash. | Getting the highest number, if you have the patience and thick skin. |
| Gumtree | Same idea as Marketplace, smaller audience, more local. | Same time cost, fewer buyers, so it usually takes longer. | Bulky items and local pickup. |
| eBay | National audience, buyer protection built in, item posted to the winner. | Packing and postage, and you carry the risk on damage-in-post and not-as-described claims. | Unusual or collectable kit where the right buyer is not local. |
All trade marks belong to their owners. VEIL is independent and not connected to, endorsed by, or acting for any company named here. This table describes how each service is structured, not what any of them will pay you today — that changes daily, which is exactly why you should check it yourself below.
Search your model on CeX and look at the selling price, not the buying price. That is the retail ceiling — no buyer on earth pays you that, because that is the number they need to make their own margin from.
Search your model on eBay and filter to sold listings. Not asking prices — sold. That is the real market value of your exact device, and everything any buyer offers you is a fraction of it.
Our offer sits between those two numbers, closer to the sold price than the trade usually goes, because we have no shop rent and no counter staff. If it does not, tell us and we will explain the number or improve it.
Every device on our valuation tool comes with these two links built into the offer screen, pre-searched for your exact model. We are not hiding from the comparison.
Cracked, dead, water damaged, no power. Most of the trade either refuses it outright or grades it as scrap. We price it properly for parts and tell you the working.
Money today, not after a postal inspection or a fortnight of Marketplace messages. Collection is free and payment happens at the door.
Old shop stock, office fleets, mixed job lots. Postal trade-in cannot handle it and Marketplace means listing it item by item.
The quoted figure is held for fourteen days and honoured on arrival. Nothing gets revised after we have got hold of your device.
And where we do not win: a mint, current, boxed flagship that everybody wants. Those are competitive everywhere and you should shop them around. We will still make an offer, and we will still tell you if somebody else is likely to beat it.
It depends on the device and the day. As a rule of thumb: a mint, current, in-demand handset does well everywhere and you should shop it around. Anything old, cracked, faulty or obscure is where we tend to win, because most of the others either refuse it or price it as scrap.
Because the ones who check come back. If you sell to us without checking, you will always half-wonder. Check first and the decision is actually yours.
If you have a genuine written offer from a comparable buyer, show us and we will either beat it, match it, or tell you honestly to take theirs. We would rather lose one device than have you feel done.
No. VEIL is an independent Essex business. Every name on this page belongs to its owner and is used here only to describe what they do.
Phones, laptops, tablets, consoles, cameras. Working, cracked or dead. Instant price, same-day payment.
Price my device ›We come to you and fix it — screens, batteries, ports, water damage. Message the fault and get a price back.
Book a callout ›Old stock, office fleets, repair-shop spares, house clearances. One visit, one payment, full paperwork.
Bulk buying ›The original trade: paint correction, ceramic coating, PPF, vinyl, remapping and performance work.
Car services ›Ghost immobilisers, trackers, car keys and spares, lock changes and NFC access through VEIL Access Co.
Locks & keys ›Trade rates across everything we do, for garages, dealers, shops and other repairers.
Trade terms ›