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It may not be ‘competitive’ in terms of the resale market, but I would rather trade into Apple/my carrier versus selling my phone with amount of fraud that’s out there on craigslist, Swappa, eBay, etc. It’s just a ‘safe bet’ for those who are more cautionary, and for some, we don’t need to maximize our profits when trading in the iPhone.
This. Ebay is not an option especially with the 'box arrived empty' scams that are rampant. To some it's worth taking a hit not to have to worry about shipping, being scammed, charge backs, etc.
 
Tim has done a great job maximizing shareholder returns by being able to ignore negative externalities.

Yep!

The "recycling" and "sustainability" narratives from Apple are complete BS and total "greenwashing" of their image.

Call me when they release hardware that is user upgradeable again...
 
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I used the trade in program on my daughters phone. I thought they gave a decent price. And I didn't have to deal with the absolute nightmare of trying to sell it on my own. The scams, the no shows, the idiots who can't read a posting. I don't mind missing out on a few bucks to not have to deal with that.
 
I'd consider it but my X now has a small scratch on the screen (likely would be disqualified after "inspection") and with no 5G I'd rather wait until next year anyway.
 
I want a trade-in program for AirPods. New AirPods "Pro" coming soon? Needs a trade in, otherwise I'm just throwing these garbage ones in the trash.
 
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i was happy i am on the next every year i phone plan they took my i phone XS Max trade in payd off the remaining $700 and i left with a shiny new i Phone 11 pro max with great battery and cool sage green so i was pretty happy.
 
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This. Ebay is not an option especially with the 'box arrived empty' scams that are rampant. To some it's worth taking a hit not to have to worry about shipping, being scammed, charge backs, etc.

There’s some crazy stories out there.( Even from some of the iPhone threads on here), those who purchased their iPhones on eBay, only to find out that the iPhone box had a rock in it. I mean, I’m not taking time out of my day for some dirt bag who tried to fraud me. I’ll take the cut from Apple with the trade in _and_ have my new iPhone in my hand the same day, walk away knowingly someone’s not trying to steal my money/product.
 
I want a trade-in program for AirPods. New AirPods "Pro" coming soon? Needs a trade in, otherwise I'm just throwing these garbage ones in the trash.

That's all they'd do with them also (throw them in the trash)
Why would they give you money to do that?

As an aside - who are the people buying used AirPods?
Dis-Gus-Ting - so so gross..
 
I'd consider it but my X now has a small scratch on the screen (likely would be disqualified after "inspection") and with no 5G I'd rather wait until next year anyway.

Depending on how noticeable the scratch is, you may be able to trade it in without them noticing. Go when it's busy, and they will rush you through the process.
 
When asked whether Apple had a plan to encourage more third-party accessory makers to be more sustainable, Cook suggested that Apple is considering introducing some kind of sticker or label that indicates a particular product meets certain environmental standards, be it an iPhone case or a charging cable.

For iPhone/iPad environmental cases, Apple would need to think about their own line of offerings too. Think about all the Apple silicone and plastic cases/covers that go to waste every year as they refresh their product line. They could easily switch to recycled materials, similar to Pela cases, etc.
 
I'd consider it but my X now has a small scratch on the screen (likely would be disqualified after "inspection") and with no 5G I'd rather wait until next year anyway.
The one I traded in was covered in micro scratches. But they gave me the same amount they said they would online. Didn't even bat an eye. Phone was also shutting down on occasion followed by a massive battery drain. No worries.
 
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Yes, you are trading convenience for a 20% higher trade-in offer. I have had several eBay disasters and now use the Apple trade-in program. I don't have to worry about shipping or packing; they send you the right box with a prepaid label. Drop it off at FedEx and your account is credited in 10-14 days. I'm a 75 blue stars eBay seller with zero negative comments, but I won't go back unless it's a non-Apple transaction.
 
Yep!

The "recycling" and "sustainability" narratives from Apple are complete BS and total "greenwashing" of their image.

Call me when they release hardware that is user upgradeable again...
Apple’s market doesn’t want to upgrade their hardware. They just want to use their phones and move on with their lives.
 
This benefits to nobody but Apple:
- Customers get from Apple less value compared to selling their used devices.
- Apple reduces the used devices market, which is "dangerous" as erodes value on new devices.
- Apple gets more profit.
How does Apple reduce the used devices market? Don’t these trade-ins get refurbished and resold?
 
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I'm waiting to see if they increase the trade-in values around the holidays like they did last year.

The nice thing about dealing directly with Apple is that you don't have to worry about selling to people who play games with you (i.e. they receive your device, report that it's iCloud-locked when it wasn't when it left your hands, and then they send it back to you and it's now iCloud-locked to an account you've never seen before, rendering the device worthless).

I've personally had good luck selling on both eBay and Swappa, but I've heard plenty of seller nightmares over the years.
 
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The trade-in isn't as bad as it used to be.

Example:
They're offering me $300 for my 8+.
I can sell it on swappa for $400, and I'll net around 360-370 after shipping and fees.

The $60 is worth the convenience to some people. You're also avoiding the risk of getting scammed, dealing with returns, and replying to lowballers.

Watch trade-ins are the really insulting one though. $100 for an S4 when it's worth $400 on the used market.
 
I'm not sure what Timmy is trying to say or what he means by 1/3rd, but it's pretty obviously bulls***.

I mean let's say even 100% of iPhone sales were to people trading in, what about all the visitors who are just there to browse? What about all the people buying macs, or iPads or accessories? Those are also Apple store visitors. What about people there for the genius bar and repairs? Apple spent 5 years under the Ahrendts dynasty trying to turn their stores into social hub destinations. Surely they're bringing in plenty of visitors who aren't there to trade in an iPhone.

Who knows what Timmy was trying to say, but the sewage spewing from his mouth has gotten so thick, he doesn't even know how to check if it passes an initial sanity check first.
 
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I have never heard of anyone using the programme but well if he says so so be it.

When we ordered a new iPhone just last week, we got us a quote for trade-in. As the back glass of the iPhone 8 had some little damage at one corner, they would offer us "free disposal". Don't know if the trade-in value is as bad in the US as it is in Germany, but at that offer, that was an easy yeah thanks but no.
 
Could see this being very successful as most people won't go through the trouble of eBaying their phones / hardware.



Guessing they have someone selling stuff on eBay etc. for higher prices. If they break even, they're getting some people to buy phones sooner they might normally. That said I wouldn't be surprised if used XS Max's in good condition are going for ~$900 on eBay. I sell my current model iPhone a month before the next year release on eBay for $100 less than I bought it for (done this yearly since my 4s). It only works on iPhone's though (and only so far), over in Android world Google's Pixel 3XL had lost 3/4th's its value a month before the Pixel 4 came out and the s9 had lost about the same amount as the Pixel.

Almost certainly not. I doubt it would be legal for them to do that in many countries. Probably they recycle them. The advantage to them comes in that they are undermining the second hand market. The folks who are trading in their phones would probably never have sold them on ebay anyhow - most likely they would have given them to relatives or something like that. If instead apple induces those people to 'trade them in' instead, their raltives will jsut hav eto buy their own iphone later.
 
I just sold my XS Max for $785 on eBay, and it wasn't even in mint condition. According to Apple's site, they would have given me at most $550 for it.

This forum seems overly fearful of eBay. Just buy from and sell to reputable users with good feedback and you'll be fine. I rarely ever have bad experiences with it. In fact eBay often has things that Amazon doesn't and at better prices. You can save so much money buying new but open box stuff.
 
This. Ebay is not an option especially with the 'box arrived empty' scams that are rampant. To some it's worth taking a hit not to have to worry about shipping, being scammed, charge backs, etc.
Never used Swappa, but eBay is very dangerous for sellers because of their Money Back Guarantee and their proven willingness to side the buyer in most circumstances. Many a story can be found of honest sellers getting ripped by the buyer due to eBay's Money Back Guarantee policy.

edit - It's a few bad apples that ruin the bunch, but it still happens.
 
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