Skip to main content

How to sell your old Amazon Echo devices

If you own an Amazon Echo device, then you know the benefits that come from having one of these smart devices in your home. Good quality speakers, displays, and an excellent voice assistant make Alexa-equipped devices some of the best smart home products around. Ultimately these devices go out of date, but you don’t have to just send them to be recycled. They can help you afford an upgrade, or something else entirely.

If you want to sell your Amazon Echo or other Echo devices , you should know a few things, like how to wipe your device and how much money you can expect. Our guide has the answers to these questions and more, so you can sell an Amazon Echo device as smoothly as possible.

Prepare and wipe your device

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Unlike a computer, an Echo device doesn’t store a lot of permanent data or profile information on its hard drive. However, it does keep some records of your preferences, voice information, and so on — things you definitely want to remove before selling your device. Fortunately, Amazon makes this process quite easy with a quick trip to their website.

Step 1: Go to Amazon’s website and select Manage Your Content and Devices.

Step 2: Log in with your Amazon ID. Make sure the Amazon account you are logging in to is the same one that your Echo devices use.

Step 3: Select the Devices section from the menu at the top of the page. This will show you all your Amazon devices, including Echos, Kindles, and mobile devices connected to the Amazon network. Look for the Echo device you are planning to sell — it will have the name you chose for it. Select this device.

Step 4: Now, look below your list of devices, and you should see several options for managing the device you chose. First, choose Delete voice recordings to remove voice commands associated with this device from your account. Second, choose Deregister. This will remove the device from your account entirely, removing all remaining content from your Echo. Click past the warning, and your device will be deregistered.

Sell through Amazon’s trade-in program

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The easiest way to sell your Echo is to return it to Amazon. Amazon manages its own refurbishment service and will be happy to buy back your Alexa device to eventually sell again — with a few caveats. Amazon’s program is specifically designed to help you pay for a new Echo device. You will get an Amazon gift card from the return, which you can use anywhere on Amazon, plus a 25% discount for any new, qualifying Echo device. This is specifically designed for upgrading to a new Echo, but you can ignore the built-in discount if you want, and use the gift card to help pay for your next Amazon order.

Step 1: Navigate to Amazon’s trade-in page (be prepared to sign in to your account). The first section will show you a list of Echo devices. Choose the Echo device you want to trade in. Note that Amazon isn’t accepting the newest Echo devices at this time, so this usually works best if you have one of the older models.

Step 2: Answer a couple of basic questions about your device to clarify if it works and if there are any external flaws.

Step 3: Amazon gives you a trade-in value, as well as two options in case they can’t offer the trade-in value upon inspection. If they inspect your Echo device and find it’s not in great condition, they can either offer you a lower price (at their discretion, usually down to as little as $5) or return it to you for free. Choose which option you would prefer if things don’t work out, then select Continue.

Step 4: Choose the correct mailing address on your account. Amazon will send you a shipping label. Ship your Echo to Amazon.

The downside of the trade-in program is that Amazon doesn’t offer high prices. If you want to maximize your sale, you need to seek out a third party buyer.

Sell through a third party website like Swappa

Image used with permission by copyright holder

There are many third party websites that allow you to sell your electronics. For a reliable option that’s well-versed in Amazon devices, we recommend Swappa. You can often get a higher price for your device if you’re willing to work through this site.

Step 1: Go to the Sell Home Tech (Amazon) section of the Swappa site. Pick the particular Echo device that you want to sell.

Step 2: Create an account with Swappa and make sure Alexa is still fully functional. You can also see recent average selling prices, so make a note of these. You’ll need to input your PayPal email at this point so you can get paid, as Swappa only uses PayPal.

Step 3: Create a listing. Be ready with a basic description of the Echo’s condition and a few photos — this will help it sell more easily. You can set your price here. Make sure you stick close to the average, but drop a few bucks if you want to sell quickly.

Step 4: Wait for an offer. When you receive and accept an offer, you’ll be paid immediately. Ship the Echo to the address provided by the seller.

Editors' Recommendations

Tyler Lacoma
Former Digital Trends Contributor
If it can be streamed, voice-activated, made better with an app, or beaten by mashing buttons, Tyler's into it. When he's not…
The Best Prime Early Access Amazon Echo Deals for 2022
Prime Day 2022 Amazon Echo deals graphic.

Today and tomorrow are exciting times for anyone keen to save big on technology, with the Prime Early Access sale officially underway. The two-day event is a lot like Prime Day but it's running right now, instead of earlier in July. You can do all your holiday shopping earlier than usual, while saving plenty of cash, too. When it comes to Amazon Echo devices on sale, we're already seeing a ton of amazing Prime Day deals, with more to come. It's the ideal opportunity to shop for any Amazon Echo devices you've been wanting, or would like to gift to friends and family for the holidays.

However you plan on shopping, we're here to help you figure it all out. That includes listing the early deals going on at the moment, as well as looking at whether you should buy now, and what to do if you don't currently have a Prime membership. You'll find all of the best Prime Day Amazon Echo deals you can shop today, listed neatly below!
Get a Prime Free Trial to Shop the Prime Early Access Amazon Echo Deals

Read more
The history of the Amazon Echo
Amazon Echo sitting on a sidetable.

It hasn’t even been a decade since the first Amazon Echo was released, but this Alexa-powered smart speaker line has become popular in homes around the world. As Amazon continues to refine and refocus the Echo, we’re taking a look at the history of the device and how things have changed over the years. Let’s take a trip back in time to see how this smart device has evolved.
The standard Amazon Echo

This Echo is the standard smart speaker first released by Amazon, the flagship model that would define all others and introduce Alexa to the world. It’s also the model that has gone through the most changes.

Read more
How to sell your parents on a smart assistant
The Echo Show 15 is the largest smart display yet.

We all know how discerning, doubtful, and lovingly thick-headed our parents can be, especially when it comes time to adapting new technologies. I'm sure many of us can still hear the arguments about switching to a flatscreen TV buzzing around in our brains ("but the Trinitron still works great!"), which can make the idea of trying to convince mom or dad to start using Alexa a bit of a daunting task.

But the fact is that a digital smart assistant, whether it be Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri, can do a number of things, but chief amongst the myriad of capabilities, these digital companions are designed to add convenience, organization, and a number of peace-of-mind automations to the lives of all who use them.

Read more