Wondering if Apple trade in is a scam

omg they said the EXACT same thing to me! "3 white spots" so they brought it back from $310 to $110.

Yeah 3 white spots my *ss LOL I don't think so. They can send it back and I'll sell it for $500 instead.

You're right: a FAT scam, bad rep for Apple.

I read this thread when pondering how to manage my trade in of 2017 MacBook for new MacBook Pro. I did not want to take the chances of what has been reported here, & finally decided & handled it this way: I decided to push for & finally received a Genius Bar appointment to take in my MacBook. I had to spend quite a bit of time on the phone with Apple Support, going up to the 4th level, but it paid off. I was finally able to convince the 4th level tech person to call & intercede for me with the Apple Store (closed due to Covid, with limited access for on-line pick up of purchases & drop off for repair). She was able to get an appointment scheduled for me, which allowed me to get in front of an Apple person. Keep in mind: I had an inordinate amount of problems with my MacBook, and Apple has a long record of it. It had just been repaired from a mother board failure & I decided that I just needed to let it go & get a new one with the M1 chip. So, it was working perfectly at the moment & I was actually able to get the maximum value for it, which allowed me to move forward. I told several people along the way of why I was so insistent on having an Apple person assess my MacBook in person. Most had no idea that Apple was using a 3rd party company. I don't know if this would work for anyone else, but I was relieved to be able to do it in this way. I wish all of you luck, & be persistent.

garrison84:

Feedback is a 'one-way avenue' to tell or ask Apple, about an issue.

Or to thank them; for a good product, or above average service, etc.

Some leave it at that, and walk away; knowing that path was trod.

Others who do that know they've actually let Apple know.

There are official Apple contact phone numbers, to try too.

• Contact - How to Contact Us - Apple

https://www.apple.com/contact/

• Contact Apple for Support and Service - Apple Support

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201232

..Perhaps you've been too subtle..

While I haven't offered a Cure, maybe if you feel

a need to get attention: avoid self-immolation.

Good poker players haven't need to 'show' cards.

You may also look into 'Shopping Help' at Apple

Store online, to ask questions they may answer.

~ To contact a 'consumer protection agency in your

state or country, and File a Complaint with third-parties

by name, instead of Apple; they can handle this.

Be that phobio or any other, they're run independent.

http://www.apple.com/buy may list some authorized service providers that may be open. These are resellers who make Apple services available at places where Apple does not have their own official stores.

Perhaps instead of adding to this lengthy thread, an idea may be to tell

Apple directly; via their Feedback site. ~ They do read all submissions.

Main "Contact Feedback/Website" issues

Choose from general selections, to send message:

https://www.apple.com/contact/feedback/

• Product Feedback - hardware product/name - Apple

https://www.apple.com/feedback/

"Give feedback on Apple products"

Good luck & happy trails!

🌞🌿⛵️🎣🌻🐢⛄️🌤🌎

@DennisWSanDiego

They are actually super accessible for leaving feedback (whether they will actually do something with it is another ha ha but if a lot of people come with the same complaint; I'm sure they will consider it)

https://www.apple.com/feedback/

But in this case they actually gave me the number of the retail department which I called: 800-692-7753

I did that as well. The third party company has the horrible name of Phobio - https://phobio.com/tradein/apple/status

They sent me a photo of a screen, but it's ridiculous - no context at all, and so many reflections and scratches you can't even tell what they're referring to. Here it is:

There are over-the-counter remedies for pesky things that bite and hang on.

A cure means to resolve an issue: Guess what? You've offered no direct cures.

..More than one yes or no reply ~ & thread (as a Poll) could have been removed..

This is a technical user-to-user support site, not necessarily an endless ramble.

And there are no technical details among speculative replies; nothing to fix.

No point in trying to be nice; for the effort. Single-out the offensive independent

business(es); those 'perpetually source' bait-&-switch. File a Consumer Complaint.

That’s a point, absolutely ridiculous for a company that loads billions of dollars from our “insane” sense of “go with the best” working tools.... this simply relies on the past.

I'll never even try Apple trade in,I got burned once and that's enough ;Phobio should be put out of business.

This is just an end user forum. If this is in fact the trading happening at the Apple Retail Store, ask to speak to the manager and ask them to voice feedback to their manager.

If this is after calling 1-800-MYAPPLE ordering a purchase direct from Apple, you can also call AppleCare and ask to be connected to customer relations.

If this is a company other than apple.com your best point of action is locate the company's home base and complain to the Better Business Bureau. Someone called appletrade.com is not Apple. So be careful who you are dealing with.

Always pay attention to the full website address.

https://www.apple.com/ with the periods in between or something in place of www are secure apple pages.

http://www.apple-trade.com or other similar addresses are not Apple, and should be looked at warily. You can report such instances also to Apple trademark infringement office on https://www.apple.com/legal/more-resources/

All Apple stores in my area are closed except for Genius Bar appts & pick up of on-line orders. I want to trade in my MacBook for new MacBook Air, but I have upgraded memory & that doesn't show when I put the serial number--so I want to show it to someone (a live person). So, what to do?? Can I schedule this as a Genius Bar appt??

TIA-

The same thing happened to me. I decided to go ahead and purchase new MacBookPro 13" after my old one was nearing 6 years old. It was in near perfect condition and I included power adapter cables as well. I received an email saying my laptop had "3 white spots" and that my trade-in was being reduced from $300 to $100l. "Three white spots", what are they talking about, there were not spots on the screen. If they mean three bad pixels out of the whole screen then maybe but I certainly didn't notice them out and they only way to find them would have been with a digital screen scanner. So disappointed in Apple on this one. I've asked for it to be returned as it is certainly worth more than $100 even if it's just a smart TV device.

Well, I guess I should have searched for this topic BEFORE believing Apple would be honorable in assessing my MacBook Air for trade in toward the newest model. After completing the form they indicated we would get $590 for the old machine. We moved forward with the purchase, did all the work to wipe the old machine and sent it off in the padded envelope (I should have photographed every inch of the old one!). Ten days later we get an email indicating a reduced trade-in value ("Display has single hairline crack") of $230, which means they charge another $360 toward the purchase of our already-in-use new MBA. Well, crap. I just rejected the offer, since for $230 we will simply put the old one into use for our 7 year old son. Because there are multiple layers here (we didn't know this was a third party), we certainly don't expect to get any satisfaction. This is so short-sighted on Apple's part, since we are ardent Apple users. In our collection we have many prior Macs and devices that are still in use. They are riding high on their history and throwing their loyal customers to the wolves. I certainly will use the link(s) in this thread to lodge my complaints.

Dennis,

Nothing is stopping you from filing a claim with the company you shipped the machine with. It is entirely possible the crack formed during shipping.

And if you paid with credit card, there may be insurance with that.

Good luck, and I hope you get your reimbursement.