Gazelle Decides Not to End Device Trade-In Program After All

[MacRumors]

Gazelle, a company that buys old iPhones, iPads, and Macs, has reinstated its device trade-in program after initially ending it in February.

Back in December, Gazelle announced plans to end its trade-in program in 2021, and said that it would shut down trade-in options on February 1, 2021. Gazelle stopped taking trade-ins at that time, but has since reversed course on the decision.

As of April 5, Gazelle is once again accepting online trade-ins for smartphones and tablets. In an email to customers that was also shared with The Verge, Gazelle said that trade-ins were reinstated after feedback from consumers.

Earlier this year, we announced that we will no longer be offering our trade-in option on Gazelle. After careful consideration, including feedback from customers like you, we have decided to keep Gazelle Trade-In going. Today, we are happy to say, 'We're back, baby!' Gazelle Trade-In is a pioneer of the electronics trade-in space and we are happy to continue building on our legacy by offering a simple process and immediate payouts for those unwanted devices.

When initially announcing that its online trade-in program was ending, Gazelle said that it would instead focus on its in-store ecoATM kiosks, which are designed to offer instant cash for devices.

Gazelle operates more than 4,000 ecoATM units across the United States and has collected more than 25 million devices.

Article Link: Gazelle Decides Not to End Device Trade-In Program After All

 

[dohspc]

The king of device trade in ripoffs!

 

[moabal]

Good! How else am I going to get free boxes so I can use them with other trade in services?

 

[icerabbit]

What else were they going to do?
If this trade-in / recycling thing was their primary business?

 

[snebes]

What else were they going to do?
If this trade-in / recycling thing was their primary business?

They would read the whole article before commenting.

Gazelle runs an ecoATM business.

 

[Surfer13134]

I used them one time and that is the last time I will ever use them. This was about 3 years ago and traded in my iPhone 6 I think. I was quoted to get around $500 for it in Amazon Gift Cards. It was in PERFECT condition, I get an email from the company saying they revised my offer and only wanted to give me $25 for it saying the phone was damaged. My heart sunk thinking I got ripped off. Thankfully from the advice on here from others I recorded EVERYTHING and took all types of photos, I replied to the email with the links to video and photos and I called in and the rep on the phone put me on hold and came back and apologized and told me they were issuing me the full credit and a $25 extra for the inconvenience and the rep said the warehouse worker accidentally scanned the wrong phone in my account.

If I didnt have the images and videos who the hell knows what they would of done. After that I vowed to never use them again.

 

[lcseds]

They are crooks. You will have less grief throwing it in the trash. I hope Gazelle goes out of business.....and soon.

 

[RedWing512]

I used them one time and that is the last time I will ever use them. This was about 3 years ago and traded in my iPhone 6 I think. I was quoted to get around $500 for it in Amazon Gift Cards. It was in PERFECT condition, I get an email from the company saying they revised my offer and only wanted to give me $25 for it saying the phone was damaged. My heart sunk thinking I got ripped off. Thankfully from the advice on here from others I recorded EVERYTHING and took all types of photos, I replied to the email with the links to video and photos and I called in and the rep on the phone put me on hold and came back and apologized and told me they were issuing me the full credit and a $25 extra for the inconvenience and the rep said the warehouse worker accidentally scanned the wrong phone in my account.

If I didnt have the images and videos who the hell knows what they would of done. After that I vowed to never use them again.

Had a similar-ish thing happen to me. I sent in what I think was a phone (can’t remember exactly), and they lowered my offer because they said it had less storage than what I claimed it had. Needless to say, I was pissed. Called customer service and the put a note on my claim so the warehouse would double-check it. They did and lo-and-behold, I ended up getting my original offer.

Also, I placed an order one time on their used device store for a MacBook Air that they claimed was in perfect condition. When it arrived, it had dents and scratches in just about every corner. Took photos and sent them to customer service, and they took it back, but still.

I don’t know who exactly they have working in their warehouse checking these devices, but they are a bunch of morons. Stopped using them after those two incidents and haven’t looked back.

 

[Costino1]

They are crooks and give you 50% less than you'd get via eBay, however they are easy. I don't have time to deal with scammers or messages or disputes on eBay so my loss < my time. I used them often. Get a box. Throw the phone in the box. Slap a sticker in. Get $$$.

 

[now i see it]

"Feedback from customers"
Translated: nobody went into stores & malls to visit the kiosks

 

[revelcos]

I used them one time and that is the last time I will ever use them. This was about 3 years ago and traded in my iPhone 6 I think. I was quoted to get around $500 for it in Amazon Gift Cards. It was in PERFECT condition, I get an email from the company saying they revised my offer and only wanted to give me $25 for it saying the phone was damaged. My heart sunk thinking I got ripped off. Thankfully from the advice on here from others I recorded EVERYTHING and took all types of photos, I replied to the email with the links to video and photos and I called in and the rep on the phone put me on hold and came back and apologized and told me they were issuing me the full credit and a $25 extra for the inconvenience and the rep said the warehouse worker accidentally scanned the wrong phone in my account.

If I didnt have the images and videos who the hell knows what they would of done. After that I vowed to never use them again.

That's quite a story.

 

[stars_fan]

That's quite a story.

Not much of a reason to doubt them. I sent in a working MacBook and had a very similar issue. The sent pictures of a MacBook with a cracked screen. I sent it in with a sticker cover on the back and they cracked the screen taking it off.

Fortunately for me the Apple store manager was all too familiar with these trade in issues and adjusted the price of my new MacBook Pro accordingly.

 

[Jeweller]

Had a similarly horrible experience with Gazelle. Sent a pristine iPhone 6+ in after being quoted x amount. Did the same as others by taking pics prior to sending it. They then did what they do and said the phone didn't meet my "excellent condition" description and emailed me pics of someone else's phone full of scratches and a cracked screen. Fortunately it was a regular, smaller iPhone 6, not to mention a different color, so I responded with all the pics of the actual phone I sent in. Took them about a week for them to locate it, for which no apology was ever given, and when they did they still said they were going to have to deduct x percentage from the original offer for whatever bs reason. At which point I said screw this just return it to me. Long story short, when I got the phone back some random person (probably someone in their warehouse) had set it up as a new device and effectively locked me out of restoring with my Apple ID. Apple store couldn't do anything because they won't circumvent a phone that's been set up under someone else's Apple ID, regardless of the fact that I could prove that I originally purchased it. Sent a perfectly good phone to Gazelle, got back a paper wight which I did in fact throw in the trash at said Apple store. So yeah F Gazelle and sucks to here they're going to continue with their blatant scamming.

 

[tivoboy]

I think what is actually happening is that RAM, DRAM and CPU prices have gone up a lot due to production shortages around the world. so, staying in the business of getting device flow, that can be harvested most likely is probably going to still prove profitable for a while yet. Even Apple has raised prices on device trade ins for now.

 

[gene731]

I used them one time and that is the last time I will ever use them. This was about 3 years ago and traded in my iPhone 6 I think. I was quoted to get around $500 for it in Amazon Gift Cards. It was in PERFECT condition, I get an email from the company saying they revised my offer and only wanted to give me $25 for it saying the phone was damaged. My heart sunk thinking I got ripped off. Thankfully from the advice on here from others I recorded EVERYTHING and took all types of photos, I replied to the email with the links to video and photos and I called in and the rep on the phone put me on hold and came back and apologized and told me they were issuing me the full credit and a $25 extra for the inconvenience and the rep said the warehouse worker accidentally scanned the wrong phone in my account.

If I didnt have the images and videos who the hell knows what they would of done. After that I vowed to never use them again.

Good for you for listening to other peoples advice and having a lot of pictures so you could prove otherwise. We just got rid of DirecTV and we did the same with the receivers and remotes. Lots of pictures for just in case.

 

[Rafterman]

I've never seen one of their ATM's anywhere.

 

[sw1tcher]

The king of device trade in ripoffs!

I think you misread post. This is about Gazelle, not Apple.

 

[Octopuss]

I wish we had a decent trade-in in Australia other then FB market

 

[saudor]

Why is this even news? They're famous for being the greatest rip offs of all time

 

[MarioPhone96]

My god... sometimes I just go on their website to get a good chuckle. $447 for an excellent iPhone 12 Pro? HA!🤣

 

[Johnny907]

I just got this email an hour ago and had a good chuckle. Could here Mel Brooks voice saying “just kidding!”
Gazelle’s trade in offers are only slightly more insulting than Apple’s.

 

[The Incendiary]

I used them one time and that is the last time I will ever use them. This was about 3 years ago and traded in my iPhone 6 I think. I was quoted to get around $500 for it in Amazon Gift Cards. It was in PERFECT condition, I get an email from the company saying they revised my offer and only wanted to give me $25 for it saying the phone was damaged. My heart sunk thinking I got ripped off. Thankfully from the advice on here from others I recorded EVERYTHING and took all types of photos, I replied to the email with the links to video and photos and I called in and the rep on the phone put me on hold and came back and apologized and told me they were issuing me the full credit and a $25 extra for the inconvenience and the rep said the warehouse worker accidentally scanned the wrong phone in my account.

If I didnt have the images and videos who the hell knows what they would of done. After that I vowed to never use them again.

I couldn’t read this without replying. I can’t understand how they could make a mistake like this. Don’t they catalog each device by its IMEI? Or was there a printed barcode sticker you had to place on the phone? Either way, I can’t understand how someone could screw it up.

Had you not documented the device’s condition I’m sure you would have had a hard time making them go back to re-evaluate the device and correct the mistake

 

[The Incendiary]

Had a similar-ish thing happen to me. I sent in what I think was a phone (can’t remember exactly), and they lowered my offer because they said it had less storage than what I claimed it had. Needless to say, I was pissed. Called customer service and the put a note on my claim so the warehouse would double-check it. They did and lo-and-behold, I ended up getting my original offer.

Also, I placed an order one time on their used device store for a MacBook Air that they claimed was in perfect condition. When it arrived, it had dents and scratches in just about every corner. Took photos and sent them to customer service, and they took it back, but still.

I don’t know who exactly they have working in their warehouse checking these devices, but they are a bunch of morons. Stopped using them after those two incidents and haven’t looked back.

Funny how they were happy to miraculously lower the supposed condition of your device and send a device of their own which was in worse shape than described. And I bet they didn’t lose any sleep over it at all

 

[The Incendiary]

Had a similarly horrible experience with Gazelle. Sent a pristine iPhone 6+ in after being quoted x amount. Did the same as others by taking pics prior to sending it. They then did what they do and said the phone didn't meet my "excellent condition" description and emailed me pics of someone else's phone full of scratches and a cracked screen. Fortunately it was a regular, smaller iPhone 6, not to mention a different color, so I responded with all the pics of the actual phone I sent in. Took them about a week for them to locate it, for which no apology was ever given, and when they did they still said they were going to have to deduct x percentage from the original offer for whatever bs reason. At which point I said screw this just return it to me. Long story short, when I got the phone back some random person (probably someone in their warehouse) had set it up as a new device and effectively locked me out of restoring with my Apple ID. Apple store couldn't do anything because they won't circumvent a phone that's been set up under someone else's Apple ID, regardless of the fact that I could prove that I originally purchased it. Sent a perfectly good phone to Gazelle, got back a paper wight which I did in fact throw in the trash at said Apple store. So yeah F Gazelle and sucks to here they're going to continue with their blatant scamming.

Unbelievable. Why would they set up the device for their use anyway? The pessimist in me would say they might have done that in retaliation for giving them a “hard time” and knew you would have a snowball’s chance in getting the account removed

 

[brofkand]

I think the comments of people sharing the problems they've had with the mail-in service are why Gazelle was trying to move more toward the ecoATM paradigm. With the ecoATM, the phone is assessed and you get cash on the spot. No warehouse (likely not even run by Gazelle) to cause problems.

I have used the ecoATM to sell old phones that weren't worth much, I got my cash and I was reasonably happy. Would have liked more money but it is what it is.