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Apple Cuts Trade-In Value of iPhone, Mac, Apple Watch, and iPad Models

TTTedP said:
13058E0E-3384-4320-BCE0-7288FCD69117.jpeg

My guess is they dropped it when unpacking and tried to stick you with it. Who knows. Thats a shame.
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I think the root of the issue is that they gave me the wrong box. I’m pretty sure they gave me a box which refurb 12/13 units come in, when they should have sent a box with a plastic seal that holds the phone in place.

I ended up sending it back in the same box, and shoved tiny strips of bubble wrap in there to keep it snug, since they didn’t send any other packaging or instructions.
 
Apple uses several third party vendor for trade-ins. Bright Star, PCS and Phobio from what I remember.
 
JPack said:
What’s awesome is Apple kept the M1 Air at $999, yet trade-in prices plunged. It makes sense only to Apple.
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Continued decreasing trade in prices is a sign that Apple’s refurb process is in serious trouble. Likely they aren’t moving these refurbs very fast anymore. For example if you spent $2000 on a Mac computer and they only offer $600 a year later for trade in, yet Apple offers the refurb for $1600. They are making more money off the consumer then a new product.
 
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Am I the only one who noticed that iPhone 7 and 7 Plus are not listed?
 
JCCL said:
If you have common sense you can see the red flags of getting scammed. But hey, your devices, your choice. These trade in prices are ridiculous compared to market, I’d rather keep in a drawer or as backup than trading in for this
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That's what I ended up doing with my iPad Air (1st gen, from 2013). Speaking of which...
  • iPad Air: Up to $275, down from $290
  • iPad: Up to $180, down from $190
... Dare I ask how far these go? I have a 1st gen iPad Air, but does this program even take in hardware from nearly a decade ago? As for the regular iPad, I have a 9th gen iPad that's serving me well. Only reason I'd turn it in is to get one with 256 GB storage, but even then, still iffy on whether I'd really need that or not.
 
I find this trend of reducing trade in prices close to the launch of a new product interesting and counter intuitive, and especially in the current inflationary market trend. If Apple want you to trade, it would be in their interest to increase trade in values, not decrease them. Also 2nd hand computers are now worth more than they were before, because new ones are difficult to purchase (Look at trying to buy a Mac Studio plus Studio Display to replace your 27'" iMac. Even if you wanted to do this you cannot buy them without a 3 to 6 month wait). I was horrified to note that Apple offered me $1350 for my 2020 27'iMac with i9, 128GB of memory and 4TB of SSD and then had it in their refurbished store for ~$4250 or so. So their refurb stock has not dropped in price but their trade in on your machine has... Something does not add up here.

If Apple wanted you to upgrade they seem to be doing their best to make it unworkable and also starving the used market of older but perfectly workable machines (I think that maybe the point but is irresponsible in the current climate where parts and new machines are difficult to come by). Maybe they hope to prevent used machines getting into the market so they sell more new machines, but only to people with very old machines (with no trade-in value and no used market) or new Apple purchasers. Existing users of 2 to 3 year old machines can keep their existing machines and can wait for their upgrades, for another 5 to 7 years?

I am sure they have done their numbers, balancing refurbished sales against new sales and ability to supply new product. Bottom line is that if you are an owner of a 2 to 3 year old machine, you might as well wait, which is maybe what they are hoping, assuming you will not jump ship, which is also supremely arrogant.
 
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whitby said:
I find this trend of reducing trade in prices close to the launch of a new product interesting and counter intuitive, and especially in the current inflationary market trend. If Apple want you to trade, it would be in their interest to increase trade in values, not decrease them. Also 2nd hand computers are now worth more than they were before, because new ones are difficult to purchase (Look at trying to buy a Mac Studio plus Studio Display to replace your 27'" iMac. Even if you wanted to do this you cannot buy them without a 3 to 6 month wait). I was horrified to note that Apple offered me $1350 for my 2020 27'iMac with i9, 128GB of memory and 4TB of SSD and then had it in their refurbished store for ~$4250 or so. So their refurb stock has not dropped in price but their trade in on your machine has... Something does not add up here.
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It used to be in Northern Calif you had an Apple facility in south Sacramento receiving all the trade-ins locally. If Apple still has this 2 or 3 days limitation effecting workers to work on-site because of Covid safety going on, then it makes sense that they are not able to turn around trade-ins to refurb process in a timely manner.
 
This is why I take advantage of my carrier trade in values. Just 2 months ago traded in my daughters iPhone XR for $799 towards a new iPhone 13. I understand this is over a 36 month period, but I have zero plans of changing my carrier due to coverage in my area. And if I do decided to trade that phone in before the 3 year term I still would have gotten way more than the $160 Apple offers up.

No brainer for those of us who are happy with our cellular carrier.
 
Freeangel1 said:
NICE APPLE.

Cut Trade in Values.

And increase your prices on NEW products.
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DocMitchell said:
In times of inflation used sale prices should also go up. I don‘t understand this service anyway. You will always get more money just selling it to everyone but Apple.
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Prices or values don't/shouldn't always go up in times of inflation e.g., a new iPhone 12 from Apple is $100 cheaper today than when it launched in 2020. If its value can go down, why shouldn't used values?
 
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My thought, if I trade it in to Apple, they will just recycle it. I usually find someone who needs a device. Sometimes, it is someone who does not have a lot of money. Other times, it's just someone that would prefer a used device to prevent waste.
 
webkit said:
Prices or values don't/shouldn't always go up in times of inflation e.g., a new iPhone 12 from Apple is $100 cheaper today than when it launched in 2020. If its value can go down, why shouldn't used
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Yeah, values of some goods can decrease compared to others. However pricing on new products go up, also regarding Apple‘s productline. Thus a weaker currency should reflect on used prices as well.
 
mrat93 said:
My situation was — probably almost literally — a one-in-a-million scenario.

Am I supposed to transform my entire digital lifestyle because of a logistical nightmare? In the end, this cost me 5 hours of time (while I was doing other things) and $35. It cost Apple well more than $35 in labor costs, plus the cost to fix their broken phone.

So yeah, I should have really gone full ham and started the multi-week process of switching platforms, getting new devices, etc. That would show TIM!!!

Lol grow up.
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Nope my brother dealt with this last year. Well actually worse. Just came back and said serial number didn't match and they don't have anything to send back. My brother spend a month on and off the phone to get it resolved. Third-party finally said they made a "mistake". Search the forums for many more stories.
 
Stromos said:
Nope my brother dealt with this last year. Well actually worse. Just came back and said serial number didn't match and they don't have anything to send back. My brother spend a month on and off the phone to get it resolved. Third-party finally said they made a "mistake". Search the forums for many more stories.
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Interesting — while I see how that scenario would be the result of a third party, I’m wondering if others had issues with Apple sending the wrong box.
 
DocMitchell said:
Yeah, values of some goods can decrease compared to others. However pricing on new products go up, also regarding Apple‘s productline. Thus a weaker currency should reflect on used prices as well.
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Since the price of a new iPhone 12 has dropped $100 since launch, it's only logical to expect used iPhone 12 values to drop as well which will have a domino effect on older iPhones.
 
sniffies said:
Are these reductions permanent? Or do they increase values around major new product launches?
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From my experience, it's just the opposite. Apple drops the trade-in value price at the launch of a new product. That's what happened with my Iphone 11, 2020 Imac and the M1 Macbook Air I have... Apple is making me keep my Air...
 
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