Whether Canadians are looking to find a new home for another vase from Aunt Millie or an easy way to sell their old smartphone as they charge up their new one, getting rid of an unwanted item on eBay can take less than a minute.

Approximately four-in-10 Canadians receive at least one unwanted item during the holiday season, with some worth more than $200. Three-quarters of Canadians, however, don’t plan to recoup the value of unwanted holiday gifts by selling them. Canadians could be getting cash for unwanted items in less time than it takes to move them from under the tree to the back corner of the basement as the average eBay mobile item listing takes only 38 seconds from start to finish using the popular eBay mobile app.

“I’m predicting that eBay’s mobile app will be a big enabler of couch commerce this holiday season,” said Andrea Stairs, country manager, eBay Canada. “As Canadians enjoy some downtime, relaxing with their new tablets or checking their phones to confirm New Year’s plans, they can sell their unwanted items in the comfort of their own homes this holiday season.”

According to the US Consumer Reports National Research Centre, nearly half of adults shop between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. This gives Canadians the perfect chance to unload unwanted gifts with potential buyers at home and abroad who are looking for deals over the holidays.

eBay’s Instant Sale arrives in Canada

If you find a new iPhone or iPad under the tree this year, eBay’s Instant Sale program offers a smart way to get rid of your old one, and make some money at the same time. Available in Canada starting today, eBay’s Instant Sale program is a convenient way for Canadians to sell their used electronics.

Using Instant Sale, Canadians can get instant cash offers of up to $300 for iPads, smartphones, iPods, GPS units and other electronics. With a catalogue of more than 200 devices accepted by the Instant Sale program, it is free for Canadians and takes less than a minute to complete with only three easy steps:

Find your device using eBay’s Instant Sale search engine at: http://instantsale.ebay.ca/
Print off your free shipping label
Mail in your device
Once a device has been received and assessed, the money will be deposited into the owner’s designated PayPal account within five business days.

eBay Canada has partnered with Staples Canada to ensure that all personal data is removed from devices before they are reconditioned or refurbished. Devices that are beyond repair will be responsibly recycled.

To date, eBay’s Instant Sale has generated more than 6.3-million offers on used electronics globally, with smartphones, iPads and iPods among the most popularly-traded-in items. In total, more than $100-billion worth of used, refurbished, or pre-owned goods have been sold on eBay worldwide.