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How does trading in an iMac work?
- Thread starter Benz63amg
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Apple offers both options. In June 2020, Apple launched in-store trade ins for Macs. Previously it was only for mobile devices. https://www.macrumors.com/2020/06/18/apple-launches-mac-trade-in-us-canada-stores/.
And apparently that new policy is still in place, but you probably want to contact a specific store to ask. A member here posted they called the local store's manager who said they weren't accepting Mac trade-ins. Except for the closed stores, of course, Apple hasn't put out a statement that the open stores aren't accepting Macs trade ins.
You can find out if your Mac is eligible to trade in and what Apple will offer by using the tool on the Apple site: https://www.apple.com/shop/trade-in.
You can send your Mac by mail to Apple's trade-in partner, Phobio, but there are many stories from members on MacRumors about bad experiences and lowball counteroffers.
There are other Mac trade-in sites with good reputations that may offer more than Apple. A couple to consider are CashForYourMac.com and MacMeAnOffer.com. You can search forums here for feedback from members about both. You can also try selling your Mac outright using a service like Swappa.com. You've got options if you don't want to do an Apple trade in.
And apparently that new policy is still in place, but you probably want to contact a specific store to ask. A member here posted they called the local store's manager who said they weren't accepting Mac trade-ins. Except for the closed stores, of course, Apple hasn't put out a statement that the open stores aren't accepting Macs trade ins.
You can find out if your Mac is eligible to trade in and what Apple will offer by using the tool on the Apple site: https://www.apple.com/shop/trade-in.
You can send your Mac by mail to Apple's trade-in partner, Phobio, but there are many stories from members on MacRumors about bad experiences and lowball counteroffers.
There are other Mac trade-in sites with good reputations that may offer more than Apple. A couple to consider are CashForYourMac.com and MacMeAnOffer.com. You can search forums here for feedback from members about both. You can also try selling your Mac outright using a service like Swappa.com. You've got options if you don't want to do an Apple trade in.
I have decided to trade mine to CashForYourMac. My Mid 2017 i5 BTO with 1 TB SSD and AMD Pro 580 was valued at only $950 by Apple vs $1421 by CFYM if I include my Extended Keyboard with Number Pad and Magic Mouse. That's a huge difference. They pay for free 2 way shipping should you not like their revised value if there is a discrepancy between the quote and actual assessed value. I'm sending mine in today.
I've used Apple Trade-In twice over the past two months and the process is smooth, though Apple uses a third-party company to handle everything.
I'd be interested to hear how your process goes once it's all done.
I have the 2019 2299$ 27 inch iMac (Not BTO) and apple is offering me $1060 on their website for it.. Wtf? That’s less than half of what I paid for it and the thing isn’t even a year old. Makes no sense to trade it in
$1180 for the my 2019 i9 V48 1TB SSD version... so don't feel bad and that also means throwing away Apple Care I purchased for it
Are you trading yours in? i think at this point in time it makes no sense in losing so much and taking such a loss trading in a 2019 27 inch iMac. I’m going to personally keep my 27 inch 2019 iMac for several years and by then the Apple silicone ones will be standard and would make more sense to upgrade to
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Agreed! I too went this route in the past and my MBP was assessed for full value despite a scratch on the chassis. Maybe that’s because they replace the keyboard with the glued in battery before resale so it wouldn’t have mattered on the MBP.
But I will post back once I hear back from CFYM.
No. I have no need of a new iMac. At this point I may buy a 2020 refurb if the Arm Macs do not deliver on promised compatibility with existing software. I use my iMac for surfing, video, and gaming. If the Arm Macs do not support the games I play I will just ignore them.
OK. I just got my confirmation email from CFYM and they gave me the FULL trade in value! I had installed 32 Gb of 3rd party RAM and my OEM box was mangled so I shipped my unit with the Apple Trade In box they sent me when I wanted to originally go through Apple before learning about CFYM. Interestingly, they also sell an approved box for your iMac for $50 if you lost or threw away your original one. I did call customer service once and a real human picked up. Very friendly and prompt service is what I would say about my whole experience. Folks, do NOT trade in to Apple. You're leaving money on the table....
So to recap...
2017 27" iMac with 3.8 GHz i5 BTO with 1 TB SSD, 32 Gb of Aftermarket RAM, Extended Keyboard w/Number Pad, Magic Mouse in PRISTINE condition with power cord and iMac Box (not OEM)
- Apple's Offer: $950 with or without any accessories
- CFYM's Offer: $1421 with Extended Keyboard w/ Number Pad and Magic Mouse in Pristine Used Condition
- Difference: $471 (Good enough for upgrade from Tier 3 base 5500XT GPU to 5700XT, which I did with my new BTO)
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