Anyone recommend trading in old phone at Apple? Is the trade-in value reasonable? I have an iPhone X.
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Other Trade-in experience at Apple?
- Thread starter applefan19
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You make more selling it yourself. It's also a credit towards the new phone or a gift card. I never do it and just sell it myself for about $100 to $200 more than what they offer.
Trade-in with Apple can be low but the trade off for many is the fact it is quick.
You can see the trade-in value on Apple's website, select a new iPhone and choose trade-in and it will immediately list the value. The only upside is that if you go to an Apple Store in person for the trade-in they complete it right there and then and you know how much money (on a gift card - never cash) you receive.
It's usually considerably less than what the device would be worth selling it someplace else but it takes no effort. Depending on how much you want for it and how much free time you have for selling it, this can be an acceptable deal or it can be a really bad deal. I used it once when the value was just fine for me and I couldn't find anyone on craigslist who was willing to pay more.
The big downside is you have to use the trade-in credit with Apple, doesn't have to be a new iPhone, but you have to order through Apple. In the end that might be a bad deal as well, unless you want an iPhone 15 that costs the same everywhere with the previous gen models you'll be much better off buying one at a retailer at a significant discount. And some models like the 14 Pro aren't even available directly via Apple anymore.
And your device needs to be functinally flawless with no deep scratches in the display. Otherwise it's not worth a dime to Apple.
It's usually considerably less than what the device would be worth selling it someplace else but it takes no effort. Depending on how much you want for it and how much free time you have for selling it, this can be an acceptable deal or it can be a really bad deal. I used it once when the value was just fine for me and I couldn't find anyone on craigslist who was willing to pay more.
The big downside is you have to use the trade-in credit with Apple, doesn't have to be a new iPhone, but you have to order through Apple. In the end that might be a bad deal as well, unless you want an iPhone 15 that costs the same everywhere with the previous gen models you'll be much better off buying one at a retailer at a significant discount. And some models like the 14 Pro aren't even available directly via Apple anymore.
And your device needs to be functinally flawless with no deep scratches in the display. Otherwise it's not worth a dime to Apple.
It’s worth it to me, especially in-store trade in when doing an in-store pickup.
I’d rather get a little less money instead of spending my time and energy dealing with the general public for a private party sale.
Fair enough, just be aware that sometimes the trade-in value can be literally half of what it's actually worth. Especially with older hardware, anything more than a year or two old, Apple often either offers to recycle it for free or offers 100 bucks or so.
I always check when buying a new iPhone - and then always sell the old one on ebay.
What you get from Apple is ridiculous, compared to a private sale. iPhones do have an amazingly high resale value.
I always wondered why anybody would do that, and only got this feedback when asking: they either either didn't know that one could get much more on ebay, or didn't know how to sell on ebay, or they knew but preferred speed and a hassle free transaction with Apple.
What you get from Apple is ridiculous, compared to a private sale. iPhones do have an amazingly high resale value.
I always wondered why anybody would do that, and only got this feedback when asking: they either either didn't know that one could get much more on ebay, or didn't know how to sell on ebay, or they knew but preferred speed and a hassle free transaction with Apple.
Depends what matters to you. If you’d rather get maximum value back regardless of effort/predictability, trade in or sell elsewhere. If you’d rather sacrifice some trade in value for ease and time, then absolutely go with Apple.
Trade-in value at Apple is the lowest value I have seen, but it is compensated with the convenience and safety of trading last year phone in at store. Since I upgrade my phone yearly, trade-in value is not that bad for me.
I traded in my 14PM towards my 15PM. The offer I received was $200 less than the Delucttr offer I received but I was hesitant to send my phone through the mail, so I accepted the offer Apple offered. I took my 14PM to the Apple Store and they applied the credit to the card I use for purchase. It was an easy and seamless transaction. I bank with a credit union so my refund was deposited into my account the next day even though my trade in was processed last Saturday evening.
It's beyond worth it for me. Like others have said I just don't want to deal with the General public at large. Dealing with low ballers, potentially getting mugged for it(even in a public place, that no longer seems a viable safety measure as much as it used to be given the brazen crimes scene in countless youtube vid in places like SF). That and I'd trust Apple smidge more to secure erase my phone again than John Q Public. Also if something does happen I can hold a corporation more accountable then some random person I can't easily track down after.
Question: does the Apple Store require you to hand in your trade-in right then and there? Or do they give you the option of mailing it back?
I purchased a 14 Pro last year to replace my 11 Pro, and ordered it through Apple, but financed it through AT&T in order to get their credits. I received a little box in the mail to mail back my trade-in, which was really nice: it allowed me to set up the 14 Pro at home while having the 11 Pro still with me.
I was really hoping that option still exists (mailing back your trade-in, instead of handing it over immediately) if you pick up your phone from the Apple Store. Thanks!
I ordered my iPhone 15 Plus online and arranged for my trade-in when placing the order. I picked up the new phone in the store a few days later. But because I ordered online, a trade-in shipping kit was sent to me. I’m sending it off tomorrow. I’ve done this before (although the trade-in was with my carrier, not Apple) with no hitches.
I’ve had problems with mailing in trade-ins before, so this year I traded in my old iPhone XS at the same time I picked up a new iPhone 15 Pro. Extremely convenient. No worry about the trade in shipment getting lost, trade in credit spread over years, or mysterious claims of damage where none existed. Based on my experience this year, I’ll be doing future Apple device pickups and trade-ins at the Apple Store from now on. The days where I absolutely had to have the latest Apple trinket exactly on launch day are over for me I think.
I always had all kinds of issues with Verizon's upgrade program, so I switched to Apple's and have never had issues again.
Can you opt for trade-in credit after phone purchase? Apple Store said I could within 14 days, but don’t see how to do that online.
You have a few options:
- you can trade in on the spot (some folks set up their new phones in the store and trade in their old one when done)
- you can request a trade-in kit to ship back to them. Even if you do this, you can still opt to trade in at a store. In fact, I prefer trading in at the store since you’re dealing with Apple directly rather than their trade in partner, and you can address any issues that might negatively impact trade in value.
- you can trade in a device even outside of a purchase and get its value as an Apple Card
Folks who plan to use Apple Card Monthly Installments may prefer options 1 or 2 since Apple automatically deducts the trade in from your purchase at checkout rather than applying it free receiving the device.
Also worth noting is that you have two weeks to trade in your device once you’ve picked up the new one.
If folks really want to maximize their trade in credit at Apple and don’t plan on using Apple Cars Monthly Installments, you can always start the trade in process the day before a new iPhone announcement. This will provide you a quote that is likely slightly higher than the one you’ll be provided after new phones are announced (for reference, my iPhone 12 Pro Max’s value went down by $10 after the 15 was announced. I suspect it was significantly more for newer generations.) And since you have two weeks to turn it in, the new phones should be available and delivered before you have to hand in your old one. This requires slightly more effort, but might be worth it to some folks.
Try selling it on eBay but make sure it's not a new seller or someone overseas. I usually sell my iPhone each year on eBay I was thinking of joining the upgrade program this year but it doesn't look like a smart financial decision when I did the math. Wouldn't it be better to just buy the 15 Pro for $999 and trade it in each year and only have to pay $429 instead of leasing the phone for $50 a month which is $684 per year with tax?
As a victim of Apple's trade in system I recommend Googling Apple Trade-in problems before you consider using them.
-kp
I traded my 14PM in for my 15PM and ended up paying $793.94, which isn’t bad for 512GB.
I took the phone back to Apple Store the next day and asked for a post purchase trade it. I had the credit applied back to my credit card.
The only thing is Apple doesn’t care about how many GB you have from what I heard as long as it’s a Pro max.
Yup that’s the only thing. I may reconsider whether I trade in or sell to Decluttr, although Apple is much easier.