16 inch MacBook Pro assessed at $0 trade in value

[hky740]

Maybe someone with more experience with Apple's trade-in program has some insight here.

I traded in a 16 inch MacBook Pro (late 2019) for a new 27 inch iMac a few weeks ago. The MBP had an estimated trade-in value of $1260. It's only about nine months old.

After sending it in and having it inspected, the revised trade-in value was $0.00. How can that be?

The reason was "model revision" with no other explanation. I don't even know what that means. I find it hard to believe a 16 inch MBP has zero trade in value after nine months. It's in good condition.

 

[0128672]

If you sent it to Phobio, Apple's trade-in partner, it's a common experience and you can find other threads on MacRumors about the same thing. Ask to get it returned to you and then try more reputable trade-in vendors like CashForYourMac.com and MacMeAnOffer.com. Or if your local Apple Store is taking trades, try there too. Apple announced before summer it was accepting Mac trade-ins in the stores as they do with iOS devices.

Apple Launches In-Store Mac Trade-In Program in the U.S. and Canada

I really hope this becomes the trend and Apple stops working with that crap company Phobio, which is clearly mocking and ripping off customers with so called internal benchmarking! Such a bad experience, don’t even bother doing it online until phobio is taken out of the game!!!

forums.macrumors.com

Bad Phobio trade-in experience. [Merged]

There's a ton of reports of Phobio using this same excuse with customers who claim there was no damage. https://www.bbb.org/us/ga/atlanta/profile/ecommerce/phobio-llc-0443-27756683/complaints

forums.macrumors.com

 

[Mike Boreham]

My guess is that are saying you did not send in a 2019 16" MBP. Probably a simple mistake but should be sortable by reference to serial numbers etc. Presumably when you got the estimate for $1260 you had to supply a serial number which will be in the paperwork.

 

[hky740]

Yes I sent it to Apple's trade in partner.

The data on Apple's website shows:

MacBook Pro Core i7 2.6GHz 15" (2019)
512GB SSD [Serial number here]

But the unit is a 16 inch model.....

My local Apple store remains closed due to the pandemic even though just about everything else is open around here. I don't get that either.

 

[0128672]

Yes I sent it to Apple's trade in partner.

The data on Apple's website shows:

MacBook Pro Core i7 2.6GHz 15" (2019)
512GB SSD [Serial number here]

But the unit is a 16 inch model.....

OK, that's pretty odd. You might want to call or chat with Apple Support to ask more about how to resolve it.

 

[now i see it]

Never mail in anything to any company for a refund valuation assessment. Once they've got the item, they've got the bargaining advantage since most people just want to unload the device for whatever they can get for it.

Sell it on eBay. Ebay has a big market of buyers always looking for used Macs.

 

[TP1992]

I am having the exact experience. I returned my 16" Macbook pro but phobio revised the value to $0. They said that the 16" is not eligible for a return and that the device I listed was a 15" macbook pro. I am not sure why the serial number did not clue them into the fact that it was a 16" model.

 

[hky740]

Does anyone know the reasoning why the latest model of something isn't allowed to be traded in?

 

[0128672]

Does anyone know the reasoning why the latest model of something isn't allowed to be traded in?

I don't know the reason why, but that's always been part of Apple's trade-in program. There are only certain machines/devices that are eligible.