iPhone 11 Pro iPhone Trade in - Apple Store Experience?

[Coffee50]

Planning on trading in my iPhone X in in person at an Apple Store. This will be my first time trading something in, so just wanted to ask how quick or easy this process is.

I'll remove the Sim card & reset to factory settings, but beyond that....I'm assuming I don't have to set an appointment or start the process online of anything for a trade in?

 

[BugeyeSTI]

Planning on trading in my iPhone X in in person at an Apple Store. This will be my first time trading something in, so just wanted to ask how quick or easy this process is.

I'll remove the Sim card & reset to factory settings, but beyond that....I'm assuming I don't have to set an appointment or start the process online of anything for a trade in?

I'd make an appointment just so you won't wait around if the store is busy but, yes it's not a complicated process

 

[now i see it]

Make an appointment

 

[Five_Oh]

Just did this. Easy, smooth experience.

In fact, I purchased online to pick up at the store, so I wouldn't have to make an appointment but could still trade the phone rather than mail it in (been burned doing that with a carrier in the past). However, after completing the purchase, I was informed I would HAVE to mail it in and could not trade it in person.

Somewhat irritated, I brought the phone to the store when I was notified the new one was ready. I asked the employee why I couldn't trade the phone in person, and he said "you can, no problem". I had already wiped and turned off find my iPhone. He verified this, and I was out the door in less than five minutes. He just told me to ignore the mailer I would be receiving from Apple. In fact, I asked him about AirPods pros and he offered to let me test drive them, even though the store was crazy.

Awesome customer service, like I always get at the Apple store. I don't know about all these reports I've been seeing about bad experiences there. Never happened for me.

Yet...

 

[Coffee50]

Just did this. Easy, smooth experience.

In fact, I purchased online to pick up at the store, so I wouldn't have to make an appointment but could still trade the phone rather than mail it in (been burned doing that with a carrier in the past). However, after completing the purchase, I was informed I would HAVE to mail it in and could not trade it in person.

Somewhat irritated, I brought the phone to the store when I was notified the new one was ready. I asked the employee why I couldn't trade the phone in person, and he said "you can, no problem". I had already wiped and turned off find my iPhone. He verified this, and I was out the door in less than five minutes. He just told me to ignore the mailer I would be receiving from Apple. In fact, I asked him about AirPods pros and he offered to let me test drive them, even though the store was crazy.

Awesome customer service, like I always get at the Apple store. I don't know about all these reports I've been seeing about bad experiences there. Never happened for me.

Yet...

Cool! Glad it worked out. That's what I'm hoping. I already purchased my new phone a little over a week ago, but was holding on to my X just in case... The rep told me if I traded in my phone within the 2 week return period, I could get the trade in value applied as a monetary "refund"....after 2 weeks, I'd just get a credit / gift card.

This is my last week during my return period, so wanted to do in store instead of mailing. Good to hear the process was fairly quick & easy

 

[Shadowbech]

I don't think it's necessary to have an appointment just for a simple trade in. At least I never had to. Simply talk to On-Point and they can either hook you up with one of the sales, or if the express check out lane (if your local Apple Store has one, I believe most Apple Store has an express check out lane) is available then they may ask you to go there.

 

[Relentless Power]

Planning on trading in my iPhone X in in person at an Apple Store. This will be my first time trading something in, so just wanted to ask how quick or easy this process is.

I'll remove the Sim card & reset to factory settings, but beyond that....I'm assuming I don't have to set an appointment or start the process online of anything for a trade in?

It Depends. If you’re frequenting a store that is relatively heavy with foot traffic, then you will need appointment versus a ‘walk-in’. If it’s a store that isn’t as busy as some of the more ‘centralized city stores’, you could try just walking in, with the hope of addressing the issue right away without an appointment.

 

[CTHarrryH]

I have done this a couple of times - they removed SIM and wiped the phone in my presence after making sure the restore worked fine on new phone.

 

[VineRider]

I have done in store trade in and mail in trade in. I have had a great experience both ways. Didn't make an appointment for the in store, and the mail in was flawless (pretty amazing as it was during 11 pro launch time).

 

[stephenschimpf]

I bought my iPhone 11 Pro Max a week and a half ago, unplanned, when I went along with my girlfriend to pick up a phone she'd bought for mother. I said I'd like to trade in my iPhone X but don't want them to set up my new phone, I'd do that myself at home, and was told I'd have 14 days to bring the phone in.

I'd traded in several iPhone using a kit I'd received when I bought a new iPhone online, and that works well, but you get the trade in value as a gift card. When I brought my iPhone X to the Apple Store last weekend, they gave me the $400 right away, but had trouble putting the money back on my Apple Card, so they added it to another credit card I have.

 

[26139]

I did this two weeks ago with my SE for an iPhone Pro.
I backed up all my stuff on both iCloud and my laptop, then walked into the store.
I waited about five minutes, then they took and wiped my SE while applying the $45 (!!!) to the tax I needed to pay for my new phone.
Very pleasant experience.

 

[Coffee50]

Thanks everyone for your responses!! I went to the store (without an appt.) and was in & out in about 5 minutes. A very quick & easy experience!