These stories are exactly why I ALWAYS bring it to the store.
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Other Trade-In dropped off @ FedEx. Nervous.......worried!
- Thread starter ZebraDude
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I would be more concerned about them receiving your phone then making up an excuse to cut the trade-in amount in half, or even to zero. That is what happened to me with an iMac trade-in.
I would have just sold it on swappa. 🤷🏻
-kp
dropped my 13PM trade-in for 17PM off with Fedex on Wednesday, got an email an hour or so ago from Apple saying it's all good and got my $320.
I've done several iPhones and watches this way and never had an issue, but YMMV
I've done several iPhones and watches this way and never had an issue, but YMMV
This is sage advice.
Although my personal preference is to process my trade in the store, I have shipped many of the families trades using the kit, or packaging that Apple mails out.
The key is to patiently study the instructions and carefully fold the package. You end up with great protection in a very secure enclosure.
Apple received both our phones on 10/1 per fedex. neither show up as “received” yet by Apple 
I’ve traded in five items: two iPhones, one iPad, two 27” iMacs. All shipped to Apple’s evaluator site in shipping boxes sent to me by Apple. All five received properly, but one of the iPhones had its trade-in price cut for some odd reason I didn’t really understand. I made them send it back, and sold it privately for slightly more than Apple’s first trade in value. All the other 4 worked as promised, easy peasy, each less than a week from shipping date to cash in account.
I have done the iPhone Upgrade Program since 2018 and this is my first time having an issue with my trade-in.Apple received both our phones on 10/1 per fedex. neither show up as “received” yet by Apple
My 16 Pro was delivered on 9/29 but the tracking on Apple.com shows it as never been Shipped to Apple OR Received by them and is still on the "Delivered To You" part of the bar. I've called Apple and they told me there's a backlog of iPhone trade-ins. I'm getting very worried since today 10/6 is the last day for my iPhone to be shipped to them and my lease with them is still open..... ugh.
I think as long as they have it you should be fine. Mines a return and fedex did delivered it last tuesday, 9/30/25 per the tracking and apple still hasn’t processed it yet. Im going to contact them to inquire.
I wouldn't worry about it. You did send it to them before the deadline and there's proof of that.
I shipped two iPhones to Apple for iUP. Both were shipped on the same day, both were delivered to Apple on 9/30. Apple shows them as received, but while my wife's iPhone showed up as inspected and the loan was closed on 10/4. Mine is still pending inspection...
My status is exactly the same and my Citizens portal shows the account still active. I will hear back from Apple by 10/10 but otherwise they have no information for me. Very frustrating
took 8 days for it to show up in my account as received by Apple after fedex delivery. they are now inspecting it. phew.
Don’t “phew” yet. The evaluation is where things can go south in a heartbeat, and you have no control over the outcome.
It's now officially been 2-weeks since my trade in device was delivered.
Info on app still says Delivered to you, with no change. Citizens shows loan closed since Oct-7.
As far as i'm concerned, its done. Not worth reaching out to Apple.
Info on app still says Delivered to you, with no change. Citizens shows loan closed since Oct-7.
As far as i'm concerned, its done. Not worth reaching out to Apple.
Agreed. If your loan shows its closed then you are good.
fedex delivered my trade ins to Apple on 10/1. one was marked as received a couple of days later. the other took ten days to show up as received. the latter one then took another week to be inspected and finally today got the email saying it was all done. the other was done after a couple days.
You can also watch similar videos where UPS drivers treat packages like footballs. It's not like Fedex has this policy to treat parcels like crap, all falls on the delivery humanoid. I'm not gonna defend Fedex because I don't know how delivery is done anywhere else but for me, it is ok.
Oh I've seen these videos. They're built different. Some of these drivers do not care. I've seen drivers just chuck a package 2ft away. Diabolical.
I have mailed back many iPhones using FedEx without an issue (three in 2021 and four in 2023), except this year. I packaged my iPhone 15PM after wiping it (and taking pictures!), dropped it off at FedEx and made sure to get a receipt. The package made it without a problem all the way to Jeffersonville, IN (the trade-in hub) before being stuck in "delivery updated" hell on the day it was supposed to be delivered. After it was scanned in Jeffersonville, it was never scanned again, and never made it to its destination.
I opened a case with FedEx, but assuming they would take forever (and not wanting to risk losing my trade-in value), I opened one with Apple Support as well. Apple "investigated" for around 18 minutes before sending me an email that they have closed the investigation and will honor my trade-in value. I can imagine that I am only one of MANY iPhones that are lost/stolen this time of year. As expected, FedEx took two weeks to investigate (after lying that my package was NOT missing) and lo and behold, it was declared missing. All I have show for it is an email where they immediately asked me to fill out a survey.
TLDR: take pictures of the device, ASK FOR A DROP OFF RECEIPT!! and if it's likely lost, reach out to Apple Support and they'll take care of you.
I opened a case with FedEx, but assuming they would take forever (and not wanting to risk losing my trade-in value), I opened one with Apple Support as well. Apple "investigated" for around 18 minutes before sending me an email that they have closed the investigation and will honor my trade-in value. I can imagine that I am only one of MANY iPhones that are lost/stolen this time of year. As expected, FedEx took two weeks to investigate (after lying that my package was NOT missing) and lo and behold, it was declared missing. All I have show for it is an email where they immediately asked me to fill out a survey.
TLDR: take pictures of the device, ASK FOR A DROP OFF RECEIPT!! and if it's likely lost, reach out to Apple Support and they'll take care of you.