Equipment leasing companies often acquire ultrasound equipment at the end of its lease, which is not ideal for maximizing return. Unwanted capital, shipping fees, and other hassles are often also acquired along with the equipment. This lost time in productivity boils down to less potential for higher capital elsewhere. We realize that pricing ultrasound equipment with little knowledge on the topic can also be time-consuming, so this article will help you get the most for your used equipment!

Common Mistakes

The most common mistake companies make is marketing the ultrasound equipment to as many customers as possible, which can be costly to your bottom line. When multiple dealers are offered the same piece of ultrasound equipment, they often market it before purchasing. This begins the avalanche effect: one person reaches out to four people, those four each contact four more, and suddenly it appears as if the market is flooded with your piece of equipment. This, in turn, devalues the equipment due to an increase in supply.

Do not accidentally misrepresent your product. Knowing the date of manufacture, the removal process of the ultrasound equipment, who to call in case of questions, etc, can greatly reduce confusion and in turn speed up the process of transition for both parties.

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The Best Next Step: Determine What It’s Worth

To maximize your return on used ultrasound equipment, it would be worth first determining its fair market value (FMV), or the average asking price in comparison to equivalent systems at the time of the appraisal. Determining the FMV will help you decide whether to keep the equipment and determine what it may sell for. Fair market value can cover a broad range of pricing, so here are some additional terms that will be helpful to you in determining FMV:

  • Orderly Liquidation Value: This is an estimate of what the product would be expected to bring in an auction, with the understanding that the seller needs to unload the assets on an "as-is, where-is," basis.
  • Replacement Value: What a company would need to pay to replace an item at the current cost of the item.
  • In-Place Valuation: An estimated value of the gross dollar amount (before any sale expenses) which the asset could bring if a price is negotiated over a period of time, generally six to nine months.

What Can I Do To Get The Best Price?   

Would you buy a car before asking about the engine, gas mileage, or color? Likely not, and the same principle applies in ultrasound. The first step in maximizing your return on the ultrasound equipment is to have as much information on the piece as possible. The bullet points below are helpful in determining the value of the equipment.

For Systems

  • The original sale quotation or order specifications
  • Photos of the whole piece
  • Photos of serial numbers
  • Knowing the cart level/BT level/software level
  • Photo of the machine plugged in and turned on
  • Year of manufacture, model, date it went into service, the location of the equipment, the duration it has been under contract since initial installation

For Probes

  • The original sale quotation or order specifications
  • Photo of the whole probe
  • Photo of the serial numbers
  • Photo of the air scans from each probe

Try to provide as many of the bullet points above as possible. The more of these items you have, the less uncertainty there is, which leads to a better price point.

What to Consider When Choosing a Buyer

  • Did the company give you consistent, fair prices?
  • Did they take care of the freight costs and planning?
  • Are they quick to respond to your questions and requests?
  • Is their business conducted ethically?

How Probo Medical Can Help!

You need a trustworthy outlet that can transform unwanted capital into operational cash with no uncertainties and no hesitations. Probo Medical can help turn unwanted equipment into practical capital for your company by providing fair prices on a consistent basis. As dealers, we buy back all brands and models of ultrasound equipment, including non-functioning equipment.

Within 24 hours of your first inquiry to us, you will receive a response. Once you are quoted a price, the price is guaranteed for 90 days. Probo Medical also pays for and organizes the pickup and delivery of each piece of equipment, allowing for additional time spent working on the more important aspects of your company.

Above all, Probo Medical stands out from their competitors by living by its core values – Probo, urgency, people matter, smiley face, and relational – to provide you the best experience and market price for your equipment!

We are happy to help with any sort of questions you may have regardless of your situation. Whether you need a price quote or evaluation on a piece of equipment, we are here to help. If you have some remaining questions or would like to follow up, call 866-513-8322 or fill out a form!

Abou the Author

Brian Gill is Probo Medical’s Vice President of Marketing. He has been in the ultrasound industry since 1999. From sales to service to customer support, he has done everything from circuit board repair and on-site service to networking and PACS, to training clinicians on ultrasound equipment. Through the years, Brian has trained more than 500 clinicians on over 100 different ultrasound machines. Currently, Brian is known as the industry expert in evaluating ultrasounds and training users on all makes and models of ultrasound equipment, this includes consulting with manufacturers with equipment evaluations during all stages of product development.