Defeat the Holiday Tech Shortages by Re-gifting Your Used Tech
By: Brian Wallace
This year, holiday tech shortages are hindering holiday shopping, and shopping early isn’t the only way to get what you need. Holiday shipping windows are getting smaller with a 30% slowdown anticipated for first-class mail. Freight deliveries are also taking longer with 83% longer shipping times from China to the U.S.
50% of people have encountered many of their wanted items being out of stock both in stores and online while online retailers’ out-of-stock products are expected to increase 360% from two years ago, with electronics one of the most affected categories. Ongoing chip shortages are causing electronics to be more expensive as the price for a single gadget has reached as much as $50. Many even expect chip costs to increase by 30% through 2022.
Supply chain costs are also affecting the tech industry. Cargo rates of flying products from Asia to the U.S. are already up 40% from just a few months ago and the cost of sending containers from Asia to the U.S. has increased 14 times more than what it did two years ago. Unfortunately, hard-to-find tech that is most likely to sell out is topping people’s wish lists.
However, consumers can still satisfy their tech needs this holiday season by repairing and gifting used tech. Some might be skeptical of regifting old devices, but tech repair can restore devices to like-new condition and even add years to a gadget’s lifespan.
Other benefits include circumventing the supply chain, reducing electronic waste, and saving money. Repairing instead of replacing devices could actually save Americans more than $40 billion every year. It doesn’t even take a lot to repair old devices. Almost 10% of tech tune-ups involve fixing the charging port, which can often be cleaned for free. Upgrading hard drives significantly improves the storage and performance of devices, especially game consoles, and replacing batteries can increase the device’s lifespan. Replacements can cost hundreds of dollars less than buying a new electronic, making it a cheaper choice for those who want to save money and time.
Don’t know who to go to get your tech repaired? There are very likely qualified professionals in your neighborhood that can provide free diagnostics and a day limited warranty to help you receive the fix you need, even at your front door. You can trust them to repair all devices from phones to game consoles.
Win this holiday by putting your used tech to good use.
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