E-MagazineAttero’s Selsmart partners with Helium to bring appliance exchange to online AC purchases: How it works
Exchange old ACs, refrigerators, washing machines and coolers while purchasing a new Helium AC.
Customers can exchange old ACs, refrigerators, washing machines and coolers while buying a new Helium AC.
Selsmart arranges doorstep pickup, payment and recycling of collected appliances through Attero’s authorised facility.
Getting rid of an old appliance is not always as straightforward as buying a new one. An old air conditioner, refrigerator or washing machine often ends up sitting in a corner, gets sold to a local scrap dealer or is handed over to someone who may not dispose of it responsibly. The process can also involve negotiating a price, arranging transportation and figuring out what the appliance is actually worth.
Attero’s consumer-facing take-back platform, Selsmart, is attempting to simplify this process through a partnership with direct-to-consumer air conditioner brand Helium. The collaboration brings an appliance exchange option directly to Helium’s online store, allowing customers purchasing a new AC to exchange an old air conditioner, refrigerator, washing machine or air cooler.
The idea is to make appliance disposal part of the purchase itself rather than something customers have to figure out separately after upgrading.
How does the appliance exchange process work?
Customers purchasing an AC from Helium’s website can access the Selsmart trade-in calculator on the product or cart page. They need to enter details about their old appliance, following which the calculator displays an instant estimated exchange value.
If they are happy with the quoted amount, they can add the new AC to their cart with the exchange applied and complete the purchase.
The process does not end with the online transaction, though. Selsmart arranges a doorstep pickup of the old appliance and its team inspects the product at the customer’s address. Once the appliance passes inspection, the exchange amount is settled through doorstep digital payment. The collected appliance is then sent for recycling.
This means customers do not have to independently arrange transportation or find a scrap dealer to dispose of their old appliance. However, the final exchange settlement is linked to the doorstep inspection, so buyers should pay attention to the condition and details entered into the calculator.
What happens to the old appliances?
The other part of this arrangement is what happens after the old appliance leaves the customer’s home.
According to Attero, appliances collected through Selsmart are channelled to its CPCB-authorised recycling facility in Roorkee. The company specialises in recovering materials from end-of-life electronics and lithium-ion batteries through its proprietary recycling processes.
This is relevant because discarded appliances are not simply metal or plastic waste. They contain different materials that can potentially be recovered and reused. Refrigerators and air conditioners, for instance, also require appropriate handling during disposal, particularly because of their refrigerants and other components.
Sending these products through an organised recycling channel is preferable to allowing them to enter informal disposal networks where the handling and recovery of materials may not always follow appropriate practices.
Why is this partnership relevant to appliance buyers?
One of the more interesting aspects of this partnership is that Selsmart’s exchange service is integrated into a brand’s own online shopping experience. Customers do not have to visit a separate exchange platform or look for a local buyer after purchasing a new appliance.
For Helium, the integration adds an exchange option to its direct-to-consumer sales channel. For Attero, it provides another way to bring discarded appliances into its organised collection network.
Selsmart currently operates across more than 25 cities and has served over four lakh customers, according to the company.
The partnership also raises the possibility of similar integrations with other digital-first appliance brands. If that happens, exchanging an old appliance could become a more regular part of buying a new one online.
For consumers, the immediate benefit is convenience. They can check an estimated exchange value while shopping, arrange a doorstep collection and receive payment without having to manage the disposal process themselves. The larger benefit, provided the collected products are processed through the stated recycling channels, is that more discarded appliances could find their way into formal recycling systems.
