Office Depot Helps Customers Turn Trash Into Cash With Technology Trade-In Program
DELRAY BEACH, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 4, 2008--Office Depot (R) (NYSE:ODP), a leading global provider of office products and services, and N.E.W. Customer Service Companies, Inc. (NEW), announced that Office Depot has launched the Office Depot Tech Trade-In program, an electronics trade-in and recycling service that helps customers get money back by clearing out their old, small- to medium-size electronics -- all through a free, environmentally-friendly solution. The Office Depot Tech Trade-In program is powered by ecoNEW, a program administered by N.E.W.
Office Depot customers may trade in their old electronics for an Office Depot gift card which is determined by a recycle trade-in value generated through the website, www.officedepot.com/techtradein. Office Depot's Tech Trade-In program accepts LCD monitors, LCD TVs, digital cameras, desktop and laptop computers, gaming systems, MP3 players, camcorders, Smartphones/PDAs, and printers.
"In the wake of a tough economy, Office Depot is excited to help customers clean out their old technology, and provide them with a store credit in the process," said Randy Wick, Vice President of Merchandising for Office Depot. "This is also a great opportunity for small business customers to upgrade their outdated office equipment without breaking the bank."
The Office Depot Tech Trade-In program is simple to use:
- Access it online - at www.officedepot.com/techtradein
- Enter product information - use the online form to enter information about the electronic item, including condition details and whether or not all the cords and original packaging are available. Based on input, the screen will instantly calculate what the estimated trade-in value will be;
- Enter contact information - enter contact information to receive the Office Depot gift card for the value of the item;
- Free shipping - once a customer confirms that they want to proceed with the transaction, a free shipping label is generated;
- Receive gift card - once the recycling center receives the item and verifies the information submitted is correct, an Office Depot gift card for the recycled value is sent back to the customer via standard mail.
"We are excited to be partnering with Office Depot to give customers a great new way to trade-in old electronics," said Tony Nader, President and CEO of NEW. "Given the growing demand for green programs, along with a tough economy, this service delivers a strong win-win scenario for both retailers and their customers."
The Office Depot Tech Trade-In program has a "no export and no landfill" guarantee. Electronic equipment received will either be reconditioned or recycled. Some items may be sold into the secondary or used marketplace in whole machine form or disassembled and sold off as usable service parts. Recycled equipment and parts will then be broken down into raw material and used to produce new materials. The parts may become part of NEW's service repair network that supports more than 150 million customers across the nation.
"Office Depot has an environmental vision to increasingly buy green, be green and sell green," said Yalmaz Siddiqui, Director of Environmental Strategy for Office Depot. "As part of this commitment, we are focused on providing green products as well as solutions such as the Tech Trade-In program. Office Depot customers now have another simple and effective option to keep e-waste out of landfills."
About Office Depot
Every day, Office Depot is Taking Care of Business for millions of customers around the globe. For the local corner store as well as Fortune 500 companies, Office Depot provides products and services to its customers through 1,680 worldwide retail stores, a dedicated sales force, top-rated catalogs and a $5.0 billion e-commerce operation. Office Depot has annual sales of approximately $15.4 billion, and employs about 49,000 associates around the world. The Company provides more office products and services to more customers in more countries than any other company, and currently sells to customers directly or through affiliates in 44 countries.
Office Depot's common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol ODP and is included in the S&P 500 Index. Additional press information can be found at: http://mediarelations.officedepot.com. Press materials and background specific to Office Depot's environmental initiatives and product offerings is available at http://mediarelations.officedepot.cc/environment.
About N.E.W. Customer Service Companies, Inc. (NEW)
NEW is the leading provider of extended service plans, buyer protection services and product support, providing coverage to more than 150 million consumers worldwide. Founded in 1983, with headquarters in Sterling, Va., NEW provides award-recognized post-sale consumer care for leading retailers, consumer services providers, wireless carriers and financial services firms. NEW has expanded its product offerings and now delivers a comprehensive customer care solution that begins on day one of the product purchase and extends through the end of the product lifecycle. For more information, please visit NEW at www.newcorp.com or call 1-800 WHAT'S NEW (1-800-942-8763).
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