u/meiggs

Important: You must use this link for the 15% discount to work: https://angara.sjv.io/c/400404/2600454/30753?subId1=reddit&CUSTOM=afl&adtype=Generic

Kept seeing Angara ads and wanted to figure out if Angara is legit before spending money on fine jewelry online. Ended up ordering. Here's my honest Angara jewelry review in case it helps someone else on the fence.

Short answer: yes, it's legit. It's a real company (based in LA, been around since 2005) that sells colored gemstone and diamond fine jewelry. I got my piece, it matched the listing, and it came with certification. Not a scam.

What I actually liked:

• The colored gemstone selection is the best I've found online. If you want something that isn't just another plain diamond, this is where they shine (sapphire, emerald, morganite, birthstones, etc).
• You can customize the metal, stone, and size on most pieces. I changed the band metal on mine.
• Way cheaper than a mall jeweler for comparable stones. Same rock, no showroom markup.
• Came with a certificate and appraisal, which matters if you ever insure it.

A few things to know before you order:

• A lot of pieces are made to order, so shipping takes a little longer. Mine took about 2 weeks. If you need it by a certain date, order early.
• Measure your ring size carefully the first time. Getting it right up front saves you the exchange step.
• It's an online jeweler, so plan on email for questions rather than walking into a store.

Is the quality good? For the price, yes. It's not Tiffany, but you're also not paying Tiffany prices. The stones are real and certified. Just go in knowing it's "great value fine jewelry," not luxury-house craftsmanship.

The discount: if you do order, use this link and you get 15% off: https://angara.sjv.io/c/400404/2600454/30753?subId1=reddit&CUSTOM=afl&adtype=Generic

Anyone else bought from Angara? Curious what you got and how the sizing worked out for you.

Had a couple phones in a drawer plus the one I just upgraded from, so I finally tried an ecoATM kiosk to sell my phones. Writing this up because I looked for a real review I could trust first and mostly found fluff. Short answer, yes it's legit, and here's how it actually went.

Before I even drove anywhere I checked what my phones were worth online. That's the move, honestly. You punch in the model and condition, it gives you the offer, and then you decide if it's worth the trip. I almost didn't bother with one of them until I saw the number.

Now, it is really the fastest way I've found to turn an old phone into cash… and I used to flip iPhones back in the day as a side hustle.

So ecoATM has a bunch of  kiosks (usually inside Walmart and grocery stores) that buy used phones, tablets and smartwatches on the spot. They’re fully automated, so you just walk up and start selling.

You set the device in, it scans the model and checks the condition, and it hands you a cash offer in about 7 minutes.

The price scales with the device, so a newer phone you just upgraded from is worth real money, not pennies. I'd check your offer online first so you know the number before you drive anywhere. But even those older phones you have clogging up your junk drawer can be recycled, so bring them along.

On the legit question, it pays the price it quotes, no bait and switch, and the kiosk matched what I saw online. It scans your ID and snaps a photo, which is just theft prevention, and the machines sit in monitored stores so it feels safe. It even takes cracked, locked or dead phones.

Versus a carrier trade-in that locks you into a contract credit, or haggling with strangers on Facebook, this was cash in hand and done.

Got a phone or two collecting dust? See what they're worth here before you toss them.