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TG1

macrumors 6502a
Feb 21, 2011
591
50
I just finished up a chat with Apple and according to the specialist’ “because the phone was purchased online despite it being an in store pick up, it can only be traded in online by using the trade in kit” I guess we shall see what the actual story is on Friday.

This was my experience in-store last year. They outright refused to take my trade-in and told me to wait for the kit in the mail.
 

Jay3197

macrumors member
Sep 16, 2015
63
33
This was my experience in-store last year. They outright refused to take my trade-in and told me to wait for the kit in the mail.
Did you complete the trade in online?

Will placing a in store pick up without trade attached allow you to trade in store ?
 

VineRider

macrumors 65816
May 24, 2018
1,273
1,073
Did you complete the trade in online?

Will placing a in store pick up without trade attached allow you to trade in store ?
That’s what I’m going to find out on Friday. I didn’t attach a trade in to my order but will attempt to trade in my 14 Pro when I pick up my 15 Pro
 

jcp007

macrumors 6502
Nov 6, 2020
404
232
Third Rock From the Sun
I just pre-ordered two iPhone 15 Pro Max 512GB Natural Titanium on AT&T on the Best Buy website. Pick up Date 10/6. Trade-in when picking up the new iPhone 15 Pro Max.
 

CosmoPilot

macrumors 68000
Nov 8, 2010
1,537
371
South Carolina
I can only go by my experience which matches Apple’s public documentation on the issue. Please Click here to read Apple’s own educational website on their trade-in program. You can absolutely trade/in your iPhone at an Apple Store…Period!

If I had an employee at an Apple Store refuse my trade-in, I’d kindly ask for the store manager…I’d show him or her Apple’s website, and ask for them to show me where it states I have to mail it in to a third party vendor (the mail in location is not an Apple Store).
 

Golf7-R

macrumors member
Jul 3, 2017
53
101
Frankfurt
I can only go by my experience which matches Apple’s public documentation on the issue. Please Click here to read Apple’s own educational website on their trade-in program. You can absolutely trade/in your iPhone at an Apple Store…Period!

If I had an employee at an Apple Store refuse my trade-in, I’d kindly ask for the store manager…I’d show him or her Apple’s website, and ask for them to show me where it states I have to mail it in to a third party vendor (the mail in location is not an Apple Store).
Thanks for the idea. I just looked at the German Apple website as well and it also offers in-store trade-in. I will do the same this Friday if they should refuse my trade-in. I also could not find anything on my order that says I cannot trade-in at the Apple Store.
After reading online about issues with online trade-ins, I really don't want to send it via mail :/
 

contacos

macrumors 68040
Nov 11, 2020
3,828
14,792
Mexico City living in Berlin
I’ll go pick up my 15 Plus on Friday and will simply not mention that I also ordered a trade in kit. I’ll act dumb like „oh by the way I saw online that you offer trade in at the store and it estimated something like 420€. Can I do it now?“
 

dstew201

macrumors 6502a
Jan 6, 2016
997
955
Strange … 2 weeks ago I went to my Apple Store to trade in a 13PM for a gift card to use for the 15PM. The Apple rep. initially asked me if I wanted to use the credit for the 14PM I had in my hand.

So based on that interaction I guess it’s ok to trade in, in-store for credit towards a new purchase (?).

I’m in the US,btw.
 

geoff5093

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Sep 16, 2014
2,251
2,564
Dover, NH
Did you complete the trade in online?

Will placing a in store pick up without trade attached allow you to trade in store ?

That’s what I’m going to find out on Friday. I didn’t attach a trade in to my order but will attempt to trade in my 14 Pro when I pick up my 15 Pro
The Apple website says you can trade in a device at any time, and if you aren't ready to make a purchase they will give you a gift card for the balance. So at a minimum I think you'll just have an Apple gift card for the difference.
 
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Jay3197

macrumors member
Sep 16, 2015
63
33
Just got an email that my “trade in kit” has shipped. Also has a link to “track” my trade in. I truly hope the store can override this trade in online method.
 

MarkNewton2023

macrumors 6502
Sep 17, 2023
250
287
Just got an email that my “trade in kit” has shipped. Also has a link to “track” my trade in. I truly hope the store can override this trade in online method.
No, the store cannot override mail trade in process. The store system is not designed to do so. At least from my past experience and what I was told.

It happened to me last year. I had to mail it since I ordered the phone shipped to me and received trade in kit.

The year before they did it and gave the trade in value instead of processing it with Citizens. Hence, I had to keep paying the loan with the trade in value which was less than the amount for closing Citizen loan.

Apple Store, Citizens and trade in mailing process have different independent systems that cannot be used to override each other.

So, that was it for me to use Apple Upgrade Program and deal with mailing trade in.

If you pick up your phone at the store and no mail trade in set, you can turn in your previous phone directly.

If you have new phone shipped and trade in box shipped set, you are out of luck to the store overriding trade in mailing shipment.

You can try ;) and let us know how it goes. Good luck 😁
 
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Jay3197

macrumors member
Sep 16, 2015
63
33
I actually have two preorders, both for in store pick up. One is with a trade in attached, the other does not. I was holding on trying to decide which order I Should cancel since others have stated they have been able to get around the trade in kit in store. However, it sounds like I’ll be cancelling the preorder with the trade in attached and I’ll just pick up the other one so I can trade in store.
 

ShadowGuardian87

macrumors 6502a
Sep 23, 2020
701
1,200
Virginia
Yeah this is a big deal for me. I am doing a walk in ( hopefully tomorrow) and want to trade my 14 pro max. So I am hoping I hear from others about their experience trading in store.
 

dranakin

macrumors 6502
Mar 6, 2005
452
47
one thing I didn’t see discussed is if people trading in-store are also financing with the promotion on a carrier. If I trade-in in-store based on a in-store pick up order, can I still receive the promotional device trade-in value when financing through a carrier?
 

jcp007

macrumors 6502
Nov 6, 2020
404
232
Third Rock From the Sun
one thing I didn’t see discussed is if people trading in-store are also financing with the promotion on a carrier. If I trade-in in-store based on a in-store pick up order, can I still receive the promotional device trade-in value when financing through a carrier?
We pre-ordered our 15 Pro Max 512GB in Natural Titanium on AT&T from Best Buy on 9/18 trading in an 11 Pro Max 256GB Space Gray and a 14 Pro Max 512GB in Graphite and had the choice of financing over 30 months or one-time payment options. We chose the one-time option. Our order status is showing a 10/6 in-store pick-up date.
 

dranakin

macrumors 6502
Mar 6, 2005
452
47
We pre-ordered our 15 Pro Max 512GB in Natural Titanium on AT&T from Best Buy on 9/18 trading in an 11 Pro Max 256GB Space Gray and a 14 Pro Max 512GB in Graphite and had the choice of financing over 30 months or one-time payment options. We chose the one-time option. Our order status is showing a 10/6 in-store pick-up date.

Thanks for sharing, but I was specifically asking about Apple Store orders where we said we are doing a trade in but try bringing the phone into store when we pick up our iPhone orders at the same time, on a carrier financing deal.
 

VineRider

macrumors 65816
May 24, 2018
1,273
1,073
So, here is my report.

I ordered my iPhone 15 Pro from Apple on pre order day with NO trade in attached to the order.
The 15 Pro was paid in full and I did not select a carrier and chose the connect to carrier later option
I selected pick up in store.

I went into the Apple Store today to pick up my phone and asked the associate if I could trade in a phone and that I had not attached a trade in when I placed the order. She said certainly and proceeded to trade in my old phone. The trade in value was refunded to my original purchase method.

I did ask her about if the trade in had been selected at pre order and she said that they could do an in store trade as long as the trade in kit had not been delivered.

In summary, I was able to trade in a phone with an in store pickup and did not select a trade in at pre order time.


Hope this helps others
 

Jay3197

macrumors member
Sep 16, 2015
63
33
So, here is my report.

I ordered my iPhone 15 Pro from Apple on pre order day with NO trade in attached to the order.
The 15 Pro was paid in full and I did not select a carrier and chose the connect to carrier later option
I selected pick up in store.

I went into the Apple Store today to pick up my phone and asked the associate if I could trade in a phone and that I had not attached a trade in when I placed the order. She said certainly and proceeded to trade in my old phone. The trade in value was refunded to my original purchase method.

I did ask her about if the trade in had been selected at pre order and she said that they could do an in store trade as long as the trade in kit had not been delivered.

In summary, I was able to trade in a phone with an in store pickup and did not select a trade in at pre order time.


Hope this helps others
Excellent, I went ahead and cancelled my preorder in store pick up with trade in attached. I had another phone preordered without a trade in. I’m not sure why they try to force trade in kits for those who pre ordered last week with no option to opt out.
 
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HOTBOBA

macrumors member
Sep 26, 2018
54
60
I selected trade in when I ordered for pickup this morning, hopefully I can still trade it in at the store.
 
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JonMPLS

macrumors 68000
May 23, 2010
1,604
159
MN
Interesting. I found what I wanted locally (Black Pro Max 512) and bought it, but they are sending me a trade-in kit. I will check when I pick it up to see if they can do the trade-in in person.

Not ideal, but at least I get to see my new phone before leaving the store. (Last time I bought via pre-order on line and it arrived with a pretty glaring cosmetic defect)
 
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DDustiNN

macrumors 68020
Jan 27, 2011
2,338
1,233
Thanks, do you not get charged until you complete the pickup process?
You will get charged with you pick up the phone. But you don’t have to trade in the old phone yet. Take them both home, do your transfer, make sure you’re satisfied, then take your old phone to the store for trade-in. They will issue you a refund for the trade-in amount.

This is for Apple Store, of course. Not carrier stores.
 
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