
Her iPad was stolen at a grocery store in 2015. That's exactly what happened to Carol Riggs in North Carolina. "You could be at a store, a big box store or something like that, snatch somebody's phone and before they even react to it - even get a chance to call police - you dump it in there and you're gone with $50, $60, $100, whatever it is," Ramos said. Ramos says that's an even bigger temptation for criminals. "With the manufacturers releasing devices at such a rapid pace, as soon some consumers get the new one they trade it in within a few months," said Freeman. We were surprised to see the option to sell the brand new iPhone 11, but ecoATM says 60 days after any new device is released, their kiosks are ready to receive.
Cash for cells kiosc plus#
It offers $4 for an old iPod touch and when we try an iPhone 6, plus it gives an estimate of $25-$50. We put the process to the test and saw that immediately a safety warning pops up telling us about the two-step I.D.
Cash for cells kiosc license#
The company tells us their machines are one of the worst places a thief can come to try to unload a stolen phone, and that's because of the security measures they have in place including cameras taking your picture from multiple angles and the requirement to put in a driver's license and leave a thumbprint. "Well, I don't think any system out there to that end is bulletproof but what I will tell you is we're very on top of every transaction." "Is your system bulletproof?" we asked Chase Freeman. I mean, it's an easy, quick way for bad guys to make money," said retired Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department detective Phil Ramos. "It's a great, convenient thing for a legitimate consumer, but it really invites crime.

They've only been in Las Vegas for two and a half years.Īnd that's after the machines were banned in Baltimore, MD and in Riverside, CA due to backlash from law enforcement. "We've diverted over 23 million devices from landfills to date in the past 10 years as a company." "It could be recycled altogether or we could find new use for the parts, but I think first and foremost it's ensuring that it doesn't end up in landfills," said ecoATM Spokesperson Chase Freeman.

They were designed to be an easy, eco-friendly way to reduce electronic waste. There are 16 ecoATM machines in the Las Vegas area, all located just inside the front door of either a Walmart or Smith's grocery store. Then, she saw the man with all the phones at Walmart and wondered whether the machines were inviting crimes like the one Becca and her friends fell victim to. Youngson reported the stolen phone to police but knew there was little chance of getting it back. Her daughter Rebecca's iPhone was one of many that had been stolen days before at Wet'n'Wild.

"I had gone to Walmart and saw this man putting a lot of phones into a machine." Heather Youngson was on high alert the August day she took the photo that sparked this story. LAS VEGAS (KTNV) - A new-age way to recycle your cell phones is meant to be good for the environment and a good way for you to make a little money… but some worry the real winners could be thieves.
