Swappa

Swappa, a marketplace for used and refurbished tech

Swappa is an online marketplace dedicated to buying and selling used and refurbished tech devices. The platform was founded by Ben Edwards and launched in December 2010, when buying second-hand phones meant dealing with scams, unreliable devices, and shady sellers. The company says its approach has remained focused on safety, transparency, and savings for users, and that after fifteen years it still keeps fees low, prices low, and human review of listings before they go live. What began with the sale of a single Motorola Droid has become, according to its own presentation, a marketplace handling hundreds of millions of dollars in used tech.

Categories and listing volume

The catalog is organized around major product families, each with a number of approved listings that the site highlights:

• Phones: 11,471 approved listings
• Laptops: 2,850 approved listings
• Tablets: 1,423 approved listings
• Watches: 910 approved listings

In addition to these main categories, the platform covers computers and graphics cards, headphones and audio, gaming consoles, cameras and lenses, home tech, drones, and fitness and cycling gear. Among the best-selling products the site listed were the Apple iPhone 13, the iPhone 15 Pro Max, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and the Galaxy S25 Ultra, along with the 13-inch MacBook Air 2022 (M2), the 15.6-inch Lenovo Ideapad 3, the ninth- and seventh-generation iPad, the Samsung Galaxy Watch7, and the 49mm Apple Watch Ultra 2.

Peer-to-peer buying and selling model

The process is based on a direct relationship between buyer and seller, with no middleman, which according to the company allows for better prices and greater value. Marketplace payments are made directly from buyer to seller, with protection for both parties, and fees are 3% per side. The platform also offers a trade-in service to sell devices with less hassle, free shipping, and protection through PayPal. For sellers, the site publishes guides on how to sell and maintains seller accounts with specific terms.

Listing verification and moderation

Listings are reviewed by expert staff before they go live, with the goal of ensuring they meet the platform's strict requirements. Moderation uses AI tools to fight fraud and make things harder for scammers. The company presents this combination of human review and technology as one of its distinguishing features compared with other second-hand marketplaces.

Customer support and additional services

Support is provided by real people, and the typical response time for help requests is around 20 minutes, according to data published by the company itself. The site offers buying guides by category, IMEI checks, comparisons with eBay, a blog, a partner program, and a downloadable app. It also has a Spanish version and international shipping through a trusted partner, which allows products to be purchased from different countries.

Team and track record

Alongside founder and CEO Ben Edwards, the company details the tenure of several executives: the chief of staff and support lead, with thirteen years at the company; the CTO, with twelve; and the director of business development, with eleven. The firm operates as Swappa, LLC and has been active since 2010.

Location and contact

6324 N Chatham Ave, #309, Kansas City, MO 64151