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iPhone 17 Pro Max Is doing a “Walk In Upgrade Trade In” Essentially cheating?

T

TheRealAlex

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Sep 2, 2015
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My strategy for the last 2 upgrade cycles is thus. I’ll buy something minor a charging cable days Before. Then on Launch day they don’t allow people into the store unless they have a reason to go inside. Once the person is processing my return, I’ll ask him or her can You help me Trade this phone in and they are always willing to help. Now I have a Gift card for $600 or whatever the trade in amount is. Then that associate team member will pass me off to another team member that will sell me the new iPhone.

Is this cutting in line ?
 
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TheRealAlex said:
My strategy for the last 2 upgrade cycles is thus. I’ll buy something minor a charging cable days Before. Then on Launch day they don’t allow people into the store unless they have a reason to go inside. Once the person is processing my return, I’ll ask him or her can You help me Trade this phone in and they are always willing to help. Now I have a Gift card for $600 or whatever the trade in amount is. Then that associate team member will pass me off to another team member that will sell me the new iPhone.

Is this cutting in line ?
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I can definitely see how someone could call it that. No issue to/for me.
 
I really don’t have an issue with this. But my luck, they’d tell me to step outside and wait online.
 
Jackbequickly said:
Sorry but I, personally, would not get near an Apple Store on introduction day. I will do like I have been doing and wait for mine to be delivered.
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That’s me too. I’ve gotten it delivered before the store opens, and gone to the store to get the ultra glass protector installed using the fancy machine. It’s like a zoo, a circus, and a Black Friday all rolled into one.
 
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Jackbequickly said:
Sorry but I, personally, would not get near an Apple Store on introduction day. I will do like I have been doing and wait for mine to be delivered.
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Yes, agree - I try to avoid the Apple Store on launch day and since I have a backup ISPU order on the 19th during my lunch hour, I may have to go.....

Depends a lot on the delivery order.....
 
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Jackbequickly said:
Sorry but I, personally, would not get near an Apple Store on introduction day. I will do like I have been doing and wait for mine to be delivered.
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I would do this, but then I would have to stay home all day since Apple requires a Signature for delivery. My UPS and Fedex deliveries are usually between 2p and 7p, but occasionally in the morning.
 
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dmccombs said:
I would do this, but then I would have to stay home all day since Apple requires a Signature for delivery. My UPS and Fedex deliveries are usually between 2p and 7p, but occasionally in the morning.
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You can have your phone directed to a UPS holding facility or Fedex store and pick it up there when it's convenient for you. I've done both.
 
Motionblurrr said:
Economy is in shambles so you should have no problem doing that. They're not going to sell out except maybe the Air
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Going by online availability, the Airs are the only models that aren't selling out. Which is not to say anything about how well any model is or isn't selling. We don't know how much stock they had prepared.
 
TheRealAlex said:
My strategy for the last 2 upgrade cycles is thus. I’ll buy something minor a charging cable days Before. Then on Launch day they don’t allow people into the store unless they have a reason to go inside. Once the person is processing my return, I’ll ask him or her can You help me Trade this phone in and they are always willing to help. Now I have a Gift card for $600 or whatever the trade in amount is. Then that associate team member will pass me off to another team member that will sell me the new iPhone.

Is this cutting in line ?
Click to expand...
Of course it is.
You know that it is.
But Apple doesn't care, so you do you, I guess?
 
TheRealAlex said:
My strategy for the last 2 upgrade cycles is thus. I’ll buy something minor a charging cable days Before. Then on Launch day they don’t allow people into the store unless they have a reason to go inside. Once the person is processing my return, I’ll ask him or her can You help me Trade this phone in and they are always willing to help. Now I have a Gift card for $600 or whatever the trade in amount is. Then that associate team member will pass me off to another team member that will sell me the new iPhone.

Is this cutting in line ?
Click to expand...
"Cheating" might be a strong word, but it's certainly manipulating the system to your advantage.

Is that morally wrong in this case? Well, it's been said that the way to judge something like that is to ask what would happen if everybody did it. If everyone doing it would cause a problem, then one could argue that a few people doing it is still wrong, even if it doesn't technically cause any harm. After all, what gives you the right to do it if everyone can't?

Anyway, I'm not judging. I honestly don't care one way or the other, I just find it to be an interesting and sometimes useful way to evaluate the ethics of an action, which are often subjective. Frankly, I personally wouldn't feel bad about doing it, but I know that it isn't really fair to the people waiting in line.
 
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