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tommiy

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Dec 11, 2015
412
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With the new announcement, I thought I would look at trading in my mid 2017 maxed out MBP. It cost just short of $4000AUD just that short time ago. Imagine my amazement at filling in the Apple trade-in calculator to be informed that the trade-in value is now $0 but I can freely send it in to be recycled and that they would send me an envelope to provide the machine to them. I'm not sure why I would now invest in a new machine that obviously holds such little value in retention after a short 3 years. It feels like I'm supposed to be impressed that Apple is happy to take this obvious clunker off my hands at their cost.
 
That's Apple's perspective.

Last time I check, they didn't control the entire used market.

My current city has at least two independent Mac resellers that have stacks of MacBooks and iMac and they hold their value quite well.
 
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That's Apple's perspective.

Last time I check, they didn't control the entire used market.

My current city has at least two independent Mac resellers that have stacks of MacBooks and iMac and they hold their value quite well.

That's fine, but I certainly wouldn't buy a used computer that old.
 
That value probably comes from a third party company and not Apple, and the value itself may be based on trade volume. If it is, the $0 figure could be an outcome of how many trades they have already gotten as they have likely gotten quite a surge.

There are other companies (and independent sellers) that purchase Macs as well besides the third party company that purchases them from Apple's website.
 
It makes no sense for Apple to buy your 2017 MBP, especially since the yesterday's announcement. They can't resell it. Why can't you sell it privately?
 
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eBay in the UK has 2017 MBPs selling for around £1300, so clearly a better route than Apple's trade in scheme, which has always offered terrible prices and stinks of greenwashing.
 
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One of the reasons I buy Apple is that they hold their value so well.

It's not that your machine has zero value, it's that they (either Apple or a 3rd party) don't want to buy it and so has zero value to them.

Every MBP I've owned I've sold on for a considerable sum after 3 or 4 years. A quick search on eBay for sold listings shows what 2017 machines are going for (UK pricing)...

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Just do a bit of homework and the money is there....
 
Still using the first revision Retina MBP 15", which I maxed out when I got it.
Not sure what Apple thinks it is worth by now, but then I have no intention to sell it yet.
 
I'm not sure why I would now invest in a new machine that obviously holds such little value in retention after a short 3 years. It feels like I'm supposed to be impressed that Apple is happy to take this obvious clunker off my hands at their cost.

Actually, you're right. Go and buy a Windows machine from Dell, HP etc......I reckon you'd get what.....75% of the value back from those guys after 3 years.

Damn Apple and their failure to support their customers!! 😂😂😂.
 
With the new announcement, I thought I would look at trading in my mid 2017 maxed out MBP. It cost just short of $4000AUD just that short time ago. Imagine my amazement at filling in the Apple trade-in calculator to be informed that the trade-in value is now $0 but I can freely send it in to be recycled and that they would send me an envelope to provide the machine to them. I'm not sure why I would now invest in a new machine that obviously holds such little value in retention after a short 3 years. It feels like I'm supposed to be impressed that Apple is happy to take this obvious clunker off my hands at their cost.
That doesn’t make sense, even from Apple. For comparison, I put my base level 2017 Air and was shown $310 trade in value. Yours should be much more than that. But as others have said — you may fare better selling directly (especially if Apple is only offering zero!)
 
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I was quoted $160 on my 2013 13” MBP from Apple’s trade in page.
 
With the new announcement, I thought I would look at trading in my mid 2017 maxed out MBP. It cost just short of $4000AUD just that short time ago. Imagine my amazement at filling in the Apple trade-in calculator to be informed that the trade-in value is now $0 but I can freely send it in to be recycled and that they would send me an envelope to provide the machine to them. I'm not sure why I would now invest in a new machine that obviously holds such little value in retention after a short 3 years. It feels like I'm supposed to be impressed that Apple is happy to take this obvious clunker off my hands at their cost.

That seems wrong and maybe they updated things recently. Several months ago I was looking too trade in my 2015 MacBook Pro and the trade in calculator told me that it was worth $610. I ended up selling privately for more but hard to understand why they are giving you that price.
 
Were trade-in values adjusted yesterday? I got $710 locked in for my 2016 rMBP (512GB SSD, 16GB RAM) right after pre-orders went live.

Did you perhaps accidentally say 'No' to the question about the enclosure being free from warping and swelling, or something?
 
I must live in an alternate reality. My laptop is almost 9 years old. I'm still not buying a new one. You could definitely get something if you sell it private market. Apple just has its own ideas on what they are worth.

Something that old is no longer supported and no longer runs the latest version of macOS, making it of zero use to myself and many others.
 
If your current computer is 5 years older than these are and you can’t afford anything new I bet you would at least look.

If it can't run the latest version of macOS, it's of no use to me.

Five year-old machines can, but they will be slower doing so.
 
I don't know what's going on with Apple in Australia, but they are willing to give me £100 for my 2012 21.5" iMac and £380 for my 2016 MacBook Pro 13".
 
Were trade-in values adjusted yesterday? I got $710 locked in for my 2016 rMBP (512GB SSD, 16GB RAM) right after pre-orders went live.

Did you perhaps accidentally say 'No' to the question about the enclosure being free from warping and swelling, or something?

The amount being offered is likely actively adjusted based on stock. If they get a surge of certain models, the amount they offer may decrease.
 
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