iPhone 12 Pro Did anyone else get screwed by AT&T with their iPhone 12 trade-in promotion?

[webbga]

Because I've already had to explain this a dozen times to representatives that ever time promised me the situation would be fixed I'll try to keep it brief.

Last September I called AT&T to inquire about the promotion trading in my old iPhone 8+ to receive $800 or $850 credit to be applied monthly to my bill. I was told to be eligible I needed to upgrade to the unlimited plan, which I did, and then to purchase a new iPhone and go to a particular website to do the promotion. I purchased my iphone at Apple and did exactly what the detailed in the promotion guidelines. At NO point was I told I had to purchase this new iphone through AT&T under a payment plan.

Months later I received an odd text stating my wearable device was deactivated. Another text said such deactivation has made me ineligible for the promotion. I NEVER HAD A WEARABLE DEVICE. I started the first of many cases through AT&T, every one of which never got a reply. January I was surprised to see a $140 credit on my bill, but every month since I have been charged the full amount. And every time I called in a spoke to a representative who said they identified the issue (that it was incorrectly 'coded') and that my case was escalated and I would receive a promised call back along with a text that it was resolved. Finally I started checking in after I got texts that said it was resolved but no representative could explain the resolution, they simply told me I would begin to see the credits on my next bill.

I just received my most recent bill, still no credits. I called in for the last time. It was only now explained to me that I needed to purchase this phone under a payment plan. Instead I had paid for it in full. Because there was NEVER anything that stated it needed to be paid with an installment plan.

I demanded my phone back but they said it was sent months ago to Apple and couldn't be returned. I was told the one time $140 was for my phone even though the promotion was for $850. They are simply reading off a script and refuse to budge. I spoke to the supervisor who very much told me there was nothing that could be done.

In this experience I've learned how attrocious customer service is with AT&T. Has anyone else been scammed?

Oh, funny, I randomly received an email update regarding my iPhone trade-in. It says the device is "in transit to AT&T".

This company is so screwed up...

It would be really helpful if AT&T and other companies, when they run promotions, have one box at the beginning of the promotion that clearly spells out, in a bulleted list, what the deal entails. List all of the major points of the deal and then explain each detail in order. I get these offers all of the time and have to search and piece together the salient details. It is frustrating and often during the process of piecing the information together I will hit on deal breaker.

This is the fault of companies and poor communication procedures. A little clarity and clear communication would go a way toward building more confidence between company and consumer.

 

[Spetsgruppa]

It was only now explained to me that I needed to purchase this phone under a payment plan. Instead I had paid for it in full. Because there was NEVER anything that stated it needed to be paid with an installment plan.

same traps here in Indonesia...Except that we dont have trade ins.

 

[macOS Lynx]

Here is the fine print of the promotion from ATT and Best Buy - from back in October.

View attachment 1754489View attachment 1754490View attachment 1754491

My man, at the very bottom of the first image, it says right there that the trade in is done via bill credits

 

[rawdawg]

I changed the title from "scammed" to "screwed" because now that the picture is more clear to me, I do agree I wasn't scammed. But I was clearly mislead by the AT&T representative I was speaking with specifically about what I needed to do to get this promotion. For those who say I should have read the fine print, I still argue at no point did I ever see the fine print because I was never directed to the first part of the promotion which was to purchase the iphone through AT&T under a payment plan. Instead I was directed to "buy the iphone and then trade in the old phone by going directly to the trade-in third party (in which case I never would have known about the first part!)"

 

[firedept]

1Does your wife remember what the website was customers were instructed to go to for the third party company that is used to receive the old trade-in iphone? I still maintain I believe I submitted my iphone (per the customer service person's direction, regardless of that being my fault) without ever digitally signing or even seeing the terms for the contract (which would have been when I bought my new iphone).

What I'm trying to say is, I believe I wasn't even aware of this first step. Instead I proceeded to go directly to the trade-in part which was being handled by the third party. I never signed anything. I was always waiting for my next step./

You would call the trade in department. 1-888-445-6005. At this point AT&T will do nothing for you.. Sorry I wish I had better news for you but my wife deals with this on a daily basis and has told me they will do nothing for you. Your best bet is call the number I posted. No guarantee though.

 

[Azathoth123]

I would also be surprised if there wasn’t a ‘I have read and understand the terms and conditions’ before one is allowed to proceed.

I’ve considered many of these ‘incredible’ deals over the years, but in the end, you’re no better off than buying outright SIM free from Apple and disposing of your old phone as you want. None of these ‘deals’ are anything special, and carriers don’t leave money on the table. If you want payments for SIM free, use a credit card. If the old phone is in good shape you’ll get fair market value for it. The only thing that I go to a carrier for anymore is service.

 

[blairh]

They offer these trade-in deals in order to have you pay for monthly service for a long period of time. That’s the whole point.

 

[jakeuten]

I've personally known 5 people not including myself to do the trade in with iPhones between the 8 and Xs Max without any issue at all.

 

[rawdawg]

I've personally known 5 people not including myself to do the trade in with iPhones between the 8 and Xs Max without any issue at all.

They offer these trade-in deals in order to have you pay for monthly service for a long period of time. That’s the whole point.

You both, and others here, are missing my point. I did not know the terms of this promotion, so I called in and asked a representative. They told me what I had to do, and I did exactly that. Except what they told me was not the entire process. They left off the first part.

I too have successfully traded in older iphones in the past. I too have noticed this usually involves a payment plan. I was surprised to learn after being told that I could buy the phone at an Apple store, but I did what I was told. The representative was wrong, and at no point would I have known this because the second part of the trade-in promotion which I was instructed to go to FIRST never included information about the first part.

So I traded in my phone never having known about the first part.

I'm done talking about this because it's obvious there's nothing that can be done. I appreciate those who replied. And I won't respond to any more people who respond with the usual unhelpful comments.

 

[blairh]

You both, and others here, are missing my point. I did not know the terms of this promotion, so I called in and asked a representative.

Your mistake was to not read the terms online and instead called a rep. Carrier reps are notoriously stupid.