My iMac for trade in was totally destroyed in transit to who is responsible for the claim?

Did you trade-in your iMac using Apple's GiveBack program? If so, Apple uses Brightstar to perform this service. Brightstar would have sent you the proper shipping container to pack your iMac in, along with a set of instructions. Brightstar works in conjunction with FedEx and those instructions would have you drop off this container at your local FedEx shipping location. At that point, you would be provided a tracking receipt.

What you show in the images is NOT what I would have expected that Brightstar would have sent you which would make me believe that you packaged your iMac yourself. Is that the case here? If so, and as others have already mentioned, did you not obtain insurance to cover any potential shipping damage?

It is always the carrier that is responsible. You need to immediately contact FedEx. I am not sure which 3rd party Apple would refer you to unless it was their insurance company or something, but it's vital you contact FedEx immediately.

You didn't insure the shipping for whatever this iMac is worth?

I am really not sure if you have a claim or not if the item wasn't insured for a specified amount at the time it was shipped through the shipping company you used.

I just caught that I misread your original post so I am going to correct what I should have said.

Apple's recycling partner I assume is the 3rd-party company you mentioned you were referred to. It is true that Apple is not involved in the transaction if you look at the fine print buried when you do the trade-in, and the deal is between you and that company, not Apple. It's unclear but it sounds like the damage happened between you shipping to them? If so they presumably took pictures of how they received your trade-in as I believe that is standard for them. I don't know if that will help you with FedEx or not.

But all in all this sounds like a very tough and I suspect un-winnable situation. I would imagine both the recycler and FedEx are going to blame everyone else (you and the other party) which makes this difficult for anyone to accept responsibility since the recycler can blame fedex or you (saying it was already broken) and fedex can say the same thing that it was you, or that the recycler accepted deliver without noting any physical damage.

This is just awful all the way around my friend.

Where did you get that cheap-o shipping box from?

Personally I would have never shipped any Mac in such a flimsy box, that did not provide better padding and crush protection. Plus sadly, you could have gotten more for it by selling it instead of trading it in.

You need to contact FedEx Straight away, If it happened in transit then its their fault. There is not excuse for something like that a dent is one thing but screen nearly falling out and completely smashed is another. I truly hope this is resolved as I can't begin to imagine what that was like receiving that in the post. Also the fact that it clearly states "Fragile and handle with care on it"

Whoever packed the iMac for shipment is at fault.

FedEx shipping guidelines specify fragile items need to be double-boxed with 3" thick padding on all sides.

https://www.fedex.com/content/dam/fedex/us-united-states/services/GrlPkgGuidelines_fxcom.pdf

Realistically I've never seen anything packed to that standard, but the iMac should still have been at least bubble wrapped if the original packing foam was lost.

That was also my very first thought. The screen is literally right up against the inside of the box. That's just begging for it to get broken.

Insuring it for its value would have been the thing to do.

Do you know if that is the same company doing the same service in the UK? That company has a horrible reputation of accepting what were undamaged devices and suddenly, upon receipt, they claim they are dented or have some other damage. They also have the reputation of offering only a small percentage of the original trade in amount offered because of the sudden damage.

Honestly, I don't know. I'm in the US. I just traded in my Mac mini 2014 for a 2018 and Brightstar was the third-party that was involved. Interestingly, I received a shipping box that was designed for a notebook, but the mini fit perfectly and there was no issues with it getting to Brightstar undamaged via FedEx. I received the full amount that they estimated as a credit to my online Apple Store purchase.

Could I have gotten a better deal by trying to sell my old mini myself? Possibly, but it would have introduced additional "hassles" that I was not interested in dealing with. As you know there are a number of other similar services, like Gazelle. So, it pays to shop around.

Must not be the same company then; personally, I have always sold them myself, but if I were to have to mail it, I would certainly insure it and take pics. Otherwise there is no way to prove anything.

and while in transit FedEx destroyed my computer.

If they did it they're responsible.

...

You can try contacting FedEX, but if this was never insured for, at least, its trade-in value, I don't really see you winning out on a damage claim, but you never know.

Best of Luck to You!