How To Determine Value Of Used Garmin Nuvi 350
Sat, 08/23/2014 - 10:25pm
17 years
|
I am just wondering how I can come up with a fair market value of my Garmin Nuvi 350. I am going to list it on Ebay or Craigslist and I want to price it fairly. It has the Lifetime Maps on it for North America. The ads I have seen list them somewhere between $40 and $80. I think most have maps that are way out of date. Anyway, what do you guys think I should list for a price?
I wouldn't expect you'll be
I wouldn't expect you'll be able to get more than $40. It's pretty old - batteries wear out and connectors fail (I have two GPSs that failed in those ways). Brand new GPS's can be had for under $100 with lifetime maps and traffic. If it were me, I'd be happy to get $40.
I agree
If you can get $40 for it you should jump at the deal. GPScity has a 2455LMT for $90 so $40 for a 10 year old GPS is asking a lot IMHO.
The only thing usable that came in my Nuvi 350's box, which I bought new in 2005, is the power adapter which I use to power my other Nuvi's at my desk.
Nuvi 350, 760, 1695LM, 3790LMT, 2460LMT, 3597LMTHD, DriveLuxe 50LMTHD, DriveSmart 61, Garmin Drive 52, Garmin Backup Camera 40 and TomTom XXL540s.
I own a 350 and even if I
I own a 350 and even if I didn't, I wouldn't pay $40. It's too old and not supported anymore.
Garmin nuvi 855, nuvi 1450, and DriveDeluxe 50
My Opinion
A fair price would be what the market would bear.
Since you intend to list on Ebay getting a decent price doesn’t look promising.
Of the current 84 Nuvi 350’s listed only 6 have bids, mostly 1 bid and only one has 8 bids, That one is ending soon and is currently at 20.50 with 8.00 shipping.
There seems to be no demand for them since they’re that old. I think you would be lucky to get 30.00 and that includes shipping, even with the lifetime maps.
You will also have to pay Ebay fees, I think the final price would not be worth your efforts.
If you still intend to list, make sure in the title you indicate it has lifetime maps, that may help you.
Perhaps you can post it on Craigslist, but I’m not sure if your hometown is close to an area Craigslist covers. If it’s too far people won’t come for a small ticket item.
Nuvi 2460LMT 2 Units
eBay - Completed and Sold
A fair price would be what the market would bear.
Since you intend to list on Ebay getting a decent price doesn’t look promising.
Of the current 84 Nuvi 350’s listed only 6 have bids, mostly 1 bid and only one has 8 bids, That one is ending soon and is currently at 20.50 with 8.00 shipping.
There seems to be no demand for them since they’re that old. I think you would be lucky to get 30.00 and that includes shipping, even with the lifetime maps.
You will also have to pay Ebay fees, I think the final price would not be worth your efforts.
If you still intend to list, make sure in the title you indicate it has lifetime maps, that may help you.
Perhaps you can post it on Craigslist, but I’m not sure if your hometown is close to an area Craigslist covers. If it’s too far people won’t come for a small ticket item.
When I am trying to determine the price of an item, I search ebay and do two searches: one for Completed items and one for Sold items. A search for currently offered items is useful to determine the quantity of similar items, but isn't my favorite way to determine a sales price.
Doing a search for nuvi 350 lifetime maps with the Sold filter, I see that only four were sold since June. These four sold items sold (with S&H) for $35-$81. Using the Sold filter and just searching for nuvi 350 brings up a lot more sold items with a large majority sold for under $40 (item + S&H). As muell9k points out, there are ebay fees, PayPal fees, boxing and shipping fees which lower profits. Another issue is the Seller's feedback. For an item like this, I'd only bid or buy from a Seller with lots of Seller feedback (pretty much ignoring overall feedback including the Seller's feedback as a Buyer) and of course, a feedback quality of 99+%
One more question for the folks here. The nuvi 350 was never offered as a 350LM model so lifetime map updates would have been from a separate numaps lifetime purchase. I think that the current policy is that a nuvi xxxxLM(T) can be sold or given to someone other than the owner who registered it with Garmin continuing to honor the lifetime updates for the 2nd owner. But I think I remember that lifetime updates for a Garmin GPS that came from a separate numaps lifetime update purchase, that the lifetime updates were associated with the registered owner and were not transferred to subsequent buyers. Does anyone know the current Garmin policy? The answer may also may determine whether the seller should deregister the device so that the 2nd buyer can register it in his/her name. Here's what I found:
http://www.garmin.com/garmin/cms/cache/offonce/us/maps/numap...
where footnote 1 states:
Your nüMaps Lifetime subscription may not be transferred to another person or another Garmin product.
My fear is that a nuvi 350 (or any other non-LM/non-LMT Garmin GPS) can not transfer the original owner's numaps lifetime subscription and that the only way for a 2nd buyer of the device to update maps would be to be able to access the original owner's Garmin account (complete with username and password).
If the lifetime maps can't be transferred to a 2nd owner, the value of a used nuvi, especially a very old 350, is much less.
In any event, I was quite surprised at some of the sales prices on eBay for the old 350. I would have guessed the prices with S&H would be more around $10-20, especially if the battery is still the original one from Garmin. Either the ebay buyers are folks with a genuine need for the 350 (desire for mp3 player, etc.) or they were uninformed buyers not aware that a new fuller-featured nuviLM can be found for about the same price.
Lifetime Maps Terms & Conditions
On the last line it states "Your nüMaps Lifetime subscription or other lifetime map subscription may not be transferred to another person or another Garmin product." http://www.garmin.com/en-US/legal/lmdisclaimer
Now I also have lifetime maps on both my 255W. When I updated to the latest mapset last week I used Garmin MapUpdater and never had to log in to do the download. If I want to update my softwatre, voices, time zone etc, I fire up WebUpdater and if I want to download a new vehicle I go directly to Garmin garage and download it once again without logging in anywhere.
I realize that on myGarmin in which you have to register and log in there are unlock codes for all the the maps you've previously downloaded but as far as I'm concerned I very rarely log in as I don't have a reason nor need for it.
Therefore....
Nüvi 255WT with nüMaps Lifetime North America born on 602117815 / Nüvi 3597LMTHD born on 805972514 / I love Friday’s except when I’m on holidays ~ canuk
LM update
I have LMT for my 855, the lifetime maps I had to buy. The first couple of times I had to log into my Garmin account, but now all I have to do is to plug the 855 into the computer and then GE or whatever sees the GPS and I can update the maps. It does not seem to be tied into the OWNER NAMED account anymore just the registered GPS.
Nuvi 2797LMT, DriveSmart 50 LMT-HD, Using Windows 10. DashCam A108C with GPS.
Consider This...
I sell quite a bit of used GPS equipment on Ebay and there are several tricks I use to get the best price. If you do decide to list your 350, write a good ad. Explain how the unit was used, why you’re selling it and describe in detail the unit’s condition. Use terms like “functionally and cosmetically perfect”, “Like new” or “Gently Used” but be honest. If you have “Extras” like a spare power cord or carrying case, mention them. Load the latest map set and firmware and mention that as well.
If you purchased the unit new and subsequently added the lifetime map updates, you likely registered the unit with Garmin. Mention in your ad that you are the original owner and that you will unregister it so the new owner can reregister it in their name.
Garmin’s transfer policy regarding lifetime map updates is inconsistent. Although they state the feature isn’t transferrable, I have never had a buyer of any of my GPSr’s denied a map update as long as the unit is reregistered in their name. Subsequently, Garmin keeps track of the serial number which is read by G.E. so logging in to an account is no longer required.
Ebay allows you to upload 6 free pictures for your ad. Use all of them. Include the original packaging, manual, accessories and extras if available. Use a drop cloth background, not the floor or tabletop which can add clutter.
I get the best price for GPS equipment in the spring before vacation season. The prices seem to be lower in the fall and winter when people aren't traveling.
Although Ebay will give the average selling price for your unit, the lower end of the range is what you can realistically expect. I believe Ebay plays games with the way they post these selling prices in order to stimulate listings.
Offer free shipping, no reserve and a low opening bid. This generates interest and stimulates bidding. Yes, you take a chance on selling the unit for less than you think it’s worth but I’ve sold hundreds of items this way and only been burned once.
In my opinion, as mentioned by other posters, you’ll be lucky to get $40 for the 350 right now due to the time of year and number of units currently at auction. This is especially true if the unit isn't in good condition and you don’t have the factory accessories and packaging.
The time and effort required to write the ad and take the photos often isn't worth what you get for the unit. Remember, Ebay gets 10% and PayPal another 5% of the selling price if the buyer pays that way.
If you are planning to replace your 350 with a newer unit, consider buying used on Ebay or a manufacturer’s refurbished unit to keep the price down.
Good luck!
Great suggestions!
I sell quite a bit of used GPS equipment on Ebay and there are several tricks I use to get the best price...If you are planning to replace your 350 with a newer unit, consider buying used on Ebay or a manufacturer’s refurbished unit to keep the price down.
Good luck!
An excellent write-up. In addition to spending time on the listing text and including quality images as you say, your Offer free shipping, no reserve and a low opening bid statement is also very good. I do much better when I offer free S&H, and a low starting bid with no reserve. Ebay also strongly encourages Sellers to also offer a Return Policy to attract more bids.
Registered not good for transfering LTM
…………
If you purchased the unit new and subsequently added the lifetime map updates, you likely registered the unit with Garmin. Mention in your ad that you are the original owner and that you will unregister it so the new owner can reregister it in their name.………
I don’t think that will work:
Because map updates (including the nuMaps Lifetime subscription) do not require registration, they may still be accessed if the device is sold or given away as long as the device has not been registered.
If the device has been registered to a myGarmin account and lifetime updates were purchased separately, removing the device from the account will also remove the lifetime subscription.
Link to the Garmin FAQ
According to that, it would be better if it had not been registered.
EDIT: Drat,I can’t make the link work.
Go here and copy the following into the FAQ search box:
Can I transfer my downloadable content or purchases if I sell or give my automotive device away?
Good Information!
…………
If you purchased the unit new and subsequently added the lifetime map updates, you likely registered the unit with Garmin. Mention in your ad that you are the original owner and that you will unregister it so the new owner can reregister it in their name.………
I don’t think that will work:
Because map updates (including the nuMaps Lifetime subscription) do not require registration, they may still be accessed if the device is sold or given away as long as the device has not been registered.
If the device has been registered to a myGarmin account and lifetime updates were purchased separately, removing the device from the account will also remove the lifetime subscription.
Link to the Garmin FAQ
According to that, it would be better if it had not been registered.
EDIT: Drat,I can’t make the link work.
Go here and copy the following into the FAQ search box:
Can I transfer my downloadable content or purchases if I sell or give my automotive device away?
Thanks for the information Everet. I think this is the link you were referring to:
https://support.garmin.com/support/searchSupport/case.faces?...
I’m not sure why but It appears Garmin chooses to ignore some of their published requirements and restrictions. To date, I have sold six Garmin GPSr’s with lifetime maps on Ebay. Four were purchased with lifetime maps included and two had lifetime maps added at a later date. As per Ebay feedback, five of the buyers were able to reregister the units and download updates. One, a Nuvi 255, was initially denied an online update but was able to resolve the issue at no cost with a phone call to Garmin support.
I realize there is no guarantee this procedure will continue to work however. Thanks again for bringing this issue into the discussion.
I’m curious if any other Ebay sellers here at the factory have had similar experiences.
@bdhsfz6
It is interesting to read about your actual experience. All I can say that the only consistent thing about Garmin is their inconsistency.
BTW I think their rule about not transferring because the original purchaser of the map had registered it is counter-intuitive and would lead to people not registering - how could that be seen by Garmin as a desirable result?
Great advice
There's great advice in this thread from CraigW and bdhsfz6 on how to price and sell an old Nuvi or for that matter anything on eBay.
Many people think their stuff is worth what others on eBay have priced it at, but when many items don't get bids (auctions) or the listings expire or drag on and on unsold (Buy It Now), listing prices are not a reliable indicator of market value.
Sold prices plus shipping costs are the best indication of market value on eBay. And other factors including how well the listing is presented, shipping cost, seller reputation, whether there are two or more people looking at an auction listing who really want it, time of year of an auction end, time of week, and dumb luck also influence selling price.
Buy It Now can be a better way to sell an unusual but somewhat valuable item, but with a common item like a Nuvi 350 where many listings go unsold, auction is the better way to go. If you are a new seller or don't have an established solid eBay reputation, though, your Nuvi may not get the bids it would otherwise get. Buy It Now would only work as an alternative if you were the low price in that condition. Otherwise it will sit there unsold.
JMoo On
Limited Value
My 20 year old son works at a car dealership cleaning up the trade-in cars that get sent to auction. You would not believe how many old GPS devices he finds in these cars. While some people may forget them, the quantity he finds tends to indicate that most people don't give much value to them, and simply choose to leave them with the cars.
He turns them in (along with other found items) to the front office, who call the owners. Few people bother to pick them up.