Ever noticed how cameras and MP3 players become obsolete almost before they need recharging? Imagine what it’s like over here, then, in a country so dedicated to consumerism that the government occasionally sends its citizens rebate cheques to keep them spending freely.

Tech Forward (www.techforward.com ) is a new Californian company that takes the guilt out of regular upgrading and adds a green gloss. It guarantees to buy back working computers, sat navs, DVD players and televisions at any time within two years of purchase.

A MacBook Pro laptop, for instance, will earn $450 (£240) after six months, falling to $360 (£193) after two years. You have to buy an upgrade policy when you buy the item, and its cost is dependent on the item price. In the case of the MacBook Pro, you pay $59 (£32).

All kit is resold or recycled, and the long-term aim is to reduce the number of old PCs that gather dust in basements - currently 75% of all PCs ever sold, according to the US National Safety Council.

Tech Forward is not the only company doing this. The retail behemoth Wal-Mart has a similar (but free) service that pays store gift cards rather than hard cash. Even Apple will give you 10% off a new iPod against an old one. Reusing and recycling is a good thing, but it’s easy to be sceptical of schemes that are clearly designed to lock consumers into a cycle of spending. The alternative - for working products at least - is an online auction site such as eBay, where well-cared-for gadgets will fetch as much as, if not more than, they do in the Tech Forward or Wal-Mart scheme.

Will Americans opt for this modest payout for a smoother upgrade to the next round of gadgetry? Let’s just say that few companies have lost money by overestimating this nation’s hunger for novelty and convenience.

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