Trade in - gift card or refund?

PART 2:

Had I known earlier, in this case, I could have done the trade-in and had the refund apply towards the purchase of my newest iPadPro. As it was, instead, I received an Apple gift card which, much to my chagrin, was only usable at the Apple Store. I’d not be able to use it at the App Store, as I thought I might. It comes from the third-party trade-in company, partnering with Apple, and those are their rules.

So, I now have an Apple gift card that’ll be sitting around for about 3 years or so ‘till the next update of my iPadPro or for another keyboard which is much more likely. Using my tablet, as one uses a laptop — it’s my only device — I wear out keyboards very rapidly. Thankfully, Logitech keyboard are now sold at the Apple Store, too. So, it’s likely I’ll use my gift card for a Logitech keyboard, replacing the Apple keyboard, when that times comes. When I wear thru the keys on Apple’s keyboard, I hit the wires under the surface, and that’s it. With Logitech which is my preference (or Zagg, who’s in disfavor), I wear holes in the keys, but the keyboard is still serviceable.

Meanwhile, it’s a nuisance. I’ve had to set reminders for about a year to update the gift card link I’m given — as it expires within a year, while the credit does not. The gift card has no expiration date. However, one receives a virtual card and not a physical card which I hadn’t realized. But, when the time comes, it’ll spend the same. But it was much handier and preferable to have the Amazon credit.

Not sure how things work in the UK or how the third-party trade-in partner works there, either. It was my preference, however, to retain my tablet ‘till the new one came so that I could do the transfer, clean-up and sale/shipment more at my leisure. Being without an iPadPro in order to take advantage of it’s trade-in being creditable now, just wasn’t as important. It the USA, for me, it came down to choice.

My recommendation — as you seem to want to keep your device, during the transaction, too — would be to purchase your new one, do your transfer, and than trade-in your device with Amazon or another trade-in company who’d both give you a better trade-in value or give your a more easily usable credit. You might check Amazon, however, to see what their buy-back value is if you shop there before making your decision.

Just be aware that values your see, now — vs. later — could change, as the value quoted, unless locked in, goes up and down all the time, and that, one a quote is accepted, you have a specific amount of time in order to get your device where it’s going. Additionally, if you use Amazon, they must have an exact listing as your device, including color, storage, size, etc..

Hope you find this helpful!

My reply exceeded the allowable characters, so I’ll have to split it into two separate postings.

PART 1:

I’ve had similar dilemmas. I’m on my 4th iPad. Each time, you, I wanted the new device to be here so I could do the transfer from the old to the new very easily. However, done that way, my trade-in with Apple would be too late to affect my purchase, and I’d be left with an Apple gift card that I wouldn’t need and would often be for less than if I traded in my tablet elsewhere. I wasn’t interested in trying to sell my table via other means...

What worked best for me in the first two instances was to keep it ‘till the new one came, as I wished — to take my time with both the transfer and for cleaning it up and shipping it out — and to, then, trade them in to Amazon who gave the best price and, also, gave me an Amazon credit which I knew would be immediately useful. I purchase from Amazon all the time. My credit would get used up almost instantly. Also, shipping it to Amazon was never a problem, as I’d had the original box and all the original shipping materials. The only important thing was to be sure my specific, identical device was found on an existing Amazon page or it couldn't’ be done.

This last upgrade for a second iPadPro was different. This time, I had a friend who wanted my 1st generation iPadPro, so I did my purchase, transfer and shipment, as previously, sending my tablet, instead to her, vs. Amazon. Getting payment from her, later, helped defray my credit card bill.

However, this time I had had an iMac that I learned was obsolete, too. Having purchased it at the same time as one of the iPads, some time back — and learning I never used it anymore, as the iPadPro was used for everything — I hadn’t realized it had become obsolete in that the latest OS X software could no longer be updated ‘till I wanted to use iTunes on it in order to update iOS on my tablet. Might as well sell it, while it still had some value, vs. it just sitting there collecting dust.

But how to ship it — I didn’t have the original packaging materials, and I thought I’d have to purchase them — became the issue. When I learned buying the materials would cost nearly $100, Apple’s offer seemed attractive. I just wanted the iMac gone and out of here. Only, by the time I’d learned that I could use Apple’s Trade-In program — and get a free box sent to me — albeit while less of a refund, I’d already purchased my 3rd generation iPadPro. 

PS You can also call the Apple Store (Sales) for advice, which, ultimately, this time, I did.

you trade it in and then receive an online give card to buy a new Mac.

An additional thought: please do a search here in the forums; if you are in the UK, there are dozens of complaints about the company handling the trade-ins in that country with their claim that the product was bent or otherwise damaged upon receipt. Personally, I would not use that service in the UK.

You should check with Apple in your region/country as to the exact process because in some areas Apple uses “partner” companies who will receive the device and the amount may not be what you were quoted initially. If you go that way, take pics of your device before sending it in.

Aside from that, you will get a lower price than if you were to sell it yourself, which would give you the time to do it the way you want.

If you go the trade in route, you could just clone or time machine backup your entire system to an external hard drive and use that when you get the new one.

I would personally sell it myself, I have never had a problem with that. Just make sure you follow this, especially the total erase and reinstall your original OS to disassociate the device from your Apple ID.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201065