Because of an isolated experience, then they "used" to be good?
Sounds like maybe you're just ticked because you tried to scam them and they caught you.
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Warning- Do not use GAZELLE to sell your iPhone
- Thread starter zub3qin
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Because of an isolated experience, then they "used" to be good?
Sounds like maybe you're just ticked because you tried to scam them and they caught you.
Companies like Gazelle are rip-offs. They play a lot of games and do not live up to their promises. Rarely are you getting a good deal by using them.
I used them once and sent them a 12 year old Dell LCD monitor and got a $39 Costco card (the program ran through Costco so not Gazelle directly which is probably why they didn't screw me). In this case, I feel like I got the better end of the deal. I could not sell that monitor for $40 even on Craigslist and Gazelle paid for the shipping (20 LBS). But yeah stay away from them. I listen to a Leo Laporte's podcasts and was sorry to hear him doing ads for Gazelle. He might as well do ads for Go Daddyand Cash for Gold if he is endorsing this POS company.
I used them once and sent them a 12 year old Dell LCD monitor and got a $39 Costco card (the program ran through Costco so not Gazelle directly which is probably why they didn't screw me). In this case, I feel like I got the better end of the deal. I could not sell that monitor for $40 even on Craigslist and Gazelle paid for the shipping (20 LBS). But yeah stay away from them. I listen to a Leo Laporte's podcasts and was sorry to hear him doing ads for Gazelle. He might as well do ads for Go Daddyand Cash for Gold if he is endorsing this POS company.
How did i scam them? Are you Mr. gazelle? It isn't isolated experience either. Hundreds of others have posted similar problems with them.
I hope you lucked out and had a good experience.....but if you did, i think it was just that....luck.
It was strange how they sent me email indicating they "hadn't received my phone yet" twice, yet when they did finally receive it, their evaluation period took about a week.
Most everyone who grades their own items over grade the quality they are in. You see it in cars all the time.
Clearly you guys disagreed on the condition your phone was in. It was not a bait and switch. Some people have gotten the agreed upon value. They offer you that value based on the idea that you are providing a fair and accurate evaluation of the condition of your phone.
Saying it is sort of good with some scuff marks on it may not be good enough for them. They offered you a price for a phone in the condition you stated your phone was in. They got the phone and disagreed with your appraisal. It does not make them deceptive.
If they did this to everyone it would be one thing, but I know of many people who have gotten their offer price with their phone.
Clearly you guys disagreed on the condition your phone was in. It was not a bait and switch. Some people have gotten the agreed upon value. They offer you that value based on the idea that you are providing a fair and accurate evaluation of the condition of your phone.
Saying it is sort of good with some scuff marks on it may not be good enough for them. They offered you a price for a phone in the condition you stated your phone was in. They got the phone and disagreed with your appraisal. It does not make them deceptive.
If they did this to everyone it would be one thing, but I know of many people who have gotten their offer price with their phone.
Last week Leo mentioned on one of his other shows that he had been getting complaints about Gazelle, and essentially called the people who contacted him
"whiners".
I've listened to and watched Leo since he was on Tech TV in the late 90s and this was the first time I ever hear him slight his listeners in favor of a sponsor.
I was actually very surprised and disappointed to hear him say that and I hope he changes his mind about addressing his audience that way.
So you over value the condition of your phone and fill a BBB report?
Did you check with the BBB before using Gazelle? Do you see how pointless that is?
When people grade something they are trying to sell they almost always over-rate it by one level, sometimes more. So be more honest with them up front and you should not be problems. I suspect given how their system works, it encourages people to over qualify their device to try and get the most money. I suspect they would never get a device and pay more for it, which is too bad, because if they did that, they might not get every person trying to over-rate their phone for top dollar.
Did you even read my post? Their easement of the phone matched their definition of good, yet they still downgraded it. As far as I'm concerned, that is failure to make due on services. The BBB agreed and is investigating the matter, what ever that means.
I recently sent my 3GS to gazelle. I was expecting them to downgrade the condition I reported (good). But it worked out great. They put the quoted amount in my paypal account earlier this week.
My guess is that it just depends on who at gazelle evaluates your hardware as well as how well the seller's opinion on the condition matches reality (or gazelle's reality).
Some of their inspectors are probably a lot pickier than others.
My guess is that it just depends on who at gazelle evaluates your hardware as well as how well the seller's opinion on the condition matches reality (or gazelle's reality).
Some of their inspectors are probably a lot pickier than others.
I agree - I sent in a 3G 8GB and got what I expected given the condition of the phone. If you don't like what they offer, have them send it back and try your luck somewhere else.
Oh - Gazelle is a sponsor? I don't always get to listen to him and had just heard that he thought they were a good company. I agree with you, that doesn't sound very nice of Leo.
My take on the company at this point is that it's very much the luck of the draw of your evaluator. Some people have had good experiences and others poor ones. I do think the large numbers of people turning in phones in preparation for the 4 made the evaluators lean toward the lower side. My phone was spotless. The hard part was that there was no way to email someone to ask for a second evaluation.
If you're lazy, Gazelle. If you want the best price, Craigslist or Ebay.
CExchange almost lowballed me too. They had a quote for $335 for "lighter wear" on my 32GB iPhone 3GS and they evaluated it as "lighter wear," yet offered me $222 for it. I sent them an email calling them out on this bs, and they proceeded to give me the full original appraisal amount. Works for me, the check is in the mail soon.
If i ever did this id literally wait for the delivery guy to pick my iphone up, when i hear the door ring, turn on my video camera, quickly film the iphone, put it in to the parcel box and film myself giving it to the delivery guy while stating the date/time and which delivery courier im sending with.Then BOOM irrefutable video evidence.
This is all true. They did this to two of my phones: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/964200/
The short story: they downgraded the 3G phone Apple had done a warranty replacement on so it was brand new.
Then they downgraded the 3GS to poor because of light scratches and scuffs--their "word for word" description of Good. I asked them to look at it again and they said th sheen was scratched off but they would send it back if I wanted. I searched online and found that when people heard this from them the people usually were mailed back phone with a different SN than their own. I took the money and ran.
I am the process of notifying both the consumer protection/economic crime divisons of the NC and FL AG because I sent each phone from a different state.
If I were in your shoes I would notify your state's AG. This company seems to systematically defrauding people and they think they can hid behind "well you accepted the offer."
Sorry, the law doesn't exactly work that way.
The short story: they downgraded the 3G phone Apple had done a warranty replacement on so it was brand new.
Then they downgraded the 3GS to poor because of light scratches and scuffs--their "word for word" description of Good. I asked them to look at it again and they said th sheen was scratched off but they would send it back if I wanted. I searched online and found that when people heard this from them the people usually were mailed back phone with a different SN than their own. I took the money and ran.
I am the process of notifying both the consumer protection/economic crime divisons of the NC and FL AG because I sent each phone from a different state.
If I were in your shoes I would notify your state's AG. This company seems to systematically defrauding people and they think they can hid behind "well you accepted the offer."
Sorry, the law doesn't exactly work that way.
Wrong. Unless you believe Apple is in the process of providing Warrenty Replacements that are not in good condition.
No you are wrong.
They agreed to give you a price if your phone met their criteria. You simply misjudged it. The fact that you got it as a warranty replacement from Apple is irrelevant.
How did they defraud you? They will just send the phones back to you if you don't like the price. The offer was conditional. They don't just make offers and guarantee them based on the owner's assessment, that would be stupid.
Like I said, I know of enough people who have gotten exactly what they were offered to believe people having a problem with them are simply over-valuing their phone trying to get more money. Some might consider that fraud.
You are trying to vouch for a condition of a phone you have not even owned and that someone else did own previously to you, and make a judgment it is "good" or whatever criteria they have...
It is nice you have free time to waste the AG's time in two states, but you are in the wrong here.
The deal is what it is. If you don't like the final offer they make, they send it back. There is no fraud. Again read your original offer, it was entirely conditional and based on THEIR appraisal, not on your appraisal. Their appraisal was simply a guideline to let you know what it would be worth if you accurately could appraise it. Seems you are not good at that.
I like selling my old Apple products on eBay. That way I have some semblance of control and can set my own reserve or "buy it now" price. I recently purchased an iPhone 4, and to help alleviate the cost, I sold my 3GS on ebay. I set a buy it now price of $360.00. Didn't know if anyone would go for it, but it sold in under an hour.
Look, regardless of how often it has occurred in he past I do not come here to school posters are consumer law. Sufice to say: if they systematically undervalue phones and cite nonexistent scratches, they are violating implied covenant of fair dealing implicit in any commercial dealing. This violation is compounded by the fluid nature of value of this good, which could, possibly, make them liable for the oppertuity cost lost because of their system (assuming immediate mitigation--another sale).
Individual consumers aren't going to follow up because each loss is too small, a class action or a state AG lawsuit is the normal way this type of loss is remedied. Look up what happened to Altell with Mr. Rescue fees (4.99 a month).
This service is very different from a traditional, in person, sale because of the limited duration that the goods hold their values. I highly doubt they are legally protected.
Good experience with Gazelle. I used Gazelle last month for a old digital camera I had stored away. I do take care of my stuff and had all accessories and manuals to go with the camera. I did rate it perfect condition. They inspected the camera, said it was better than they expected (better than perfect?) and sent $30 more then the agreed upon price. So my one experience with them has been very good. I am sending them my old 3g this week so I guess I will see if these complaints hold water, but I suspect people are over rating their items.
Yeah, this is major BS probably from someone at Gazelle.
You registered just to post that supposedly Gazelle is fair and decided to give you an extra $30 than the rated condition that you agreed to?
Tell us another one
Hundreds? Cmon. Even if it is in the hundreds in reality, there are plenty more that are satisfied Just read this thread - more people are reporting a good experience.
It's strange that people who aren't happy call them a rip off. Just because you think your phone is in better condition than they do doesn't make them a rip off. Just tell them you don't accept the deal and they'll send it back. And it won't take two months to get it, like I've heard that some other companies will do.
And they won't give you the best deal that you could possibly get either - that's not part of the program. It's a trade off for getting less vs dealing with ebay or CL.
From Gazelle's site:
"Overall Condition Poor: The item functions well, and has major scratches, cracks, dents, or other cosmetic issues.
Fair: The item functions perfectly but has obvious cosmetic issues.
Good: The item has evidence of normal use, such as light scratches, nicks, and scuffs, but is otherwise in 100% functional condition.
Perfect: The item is like new and in perfect condition with no scratches, scuffs or signs of use."
By their definition my phone is GOOD.
POOR is far from GOOD.