Wondering if Apple trade in is a scam

I too have had a very poor experience with the apple trade in program. After buying a new MacBook Air I decided to trade in my 2015 version for the price of $250. I boxed up the laptop and sent it off but only got a lowball offer of $120 due to a few scratches on the underside of the laptop. Deciding this was a ridiculous offer and I could put it too good use for my young son I rejected the offer and had it returned. Upon receiving the laptop back it now won't start up - A folder with a flashing question mark means that your startup disk is no longer available or doesn't contain a working Mac operating system. This was. a perfectly good laptop prior to sending it off for a trade in and I can only feel that this entire process is a scam that's been endorsed by apple. Im very disappointed and expected a lot better from apple.(

I had two negative experiences with the so-called Apple trade-in. The first was my son's Air, which was supposed to yield something like $350. We packaged it up and they sent us an e-mail saying they'd give us something ridiculous like $70 because of some made up problems. The same thing happened a few months later when I went to trade-in my Notebook Pro. They promised nearly $700, yet, the same thing happened. They adjusted the amount to less than half claiming there was an issue with the graphics card and a dent in the case. I had used the laptop up to the day I traded it in and neither issue existed. In both cases I had them ship it back, so now we have a few extra Macs lying around.

Got my iPhone back, perfect condition. Guess they just hope people will take the lower number and let them have it. Will try elsewhere in person, no more Apple for trade ins...

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.

They told me I would get $250 as trade in for my iPhone X, after I described the condition. And then I got the trade-in offer email which adjusted and offered $63. Definitely bait and switch. I have the same reason “hairline fracture”

They said my iPhone had a cracked screen and was a different carrier, neither of which were true. Just made up reasons to get you to take less money. Complete scam. Apple is a different company now, too bad.

Previously I posted that I had an unreasonable claim by the repair company that my MacBookPro 13" had white spots. After calling them they sent me an email which didn't prove anything. After looking at my screen again I saw some faint stress marks on the lower left part of the screen that had nothing to do with the pixels or picture quality and hadn't even noticed until they said there was "something wrong."

The follow-up is that I had sent in the power adapter, power cube, and the long chord with my laptop. When I talked to the agent and said I didn't get the long chord back she said she would put in another order to return my chord. Never got it.

Bad experience all together.

Yep, it certainly is not up to usual Apple standards! When the "problem" can't be noticed except with a digital scanning device it certainly doesn't seem like it should affect the resale value. Will make me think twice about next time I upgrade, at least the timing since my older laptop was perfectly fine and could have last a couple of more years easily.

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:

If I had just bothered to search the web for comments I would have found the negative comments.

however, all I am out is the effort to drop off their mailer packet and the feeling that APPLE is not to be trusted.

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.

I too just got mislead on a laptop trade in. My trade in credit was reduced from $260 to $90 as they reportedly found some "white spots" on the display. This display was excellent and not the reason I decided to upgrade. I declined the revised offer as it seemed to be a "bate and switch" for a fully functioning laptop. I will redeploy this laptop. Very disappointed with the process and will not forget this experience on my next equipment purchase. This is not the way to treat previously loyal Apple users.

And on my side I sent a phone with initial estimates price of £310 rejected for small crack on camera glass, upon having the device sent back to me it appeared with another “new” defect of a scratch the full length from one corner to another. Almost as if it was opened using a blade.

Total scam - first time I have used the trade-in option - never again. Traded in my 8 plus - really good condition - always been in a protective case, no scratches on screen, no scratches on case - even sent it back in the original box. Was advised of a $290 trade in - get an email last night due to scratches on back it has a value of $79. The back has never seen the light of day.

I would not have bought another apple if the trade in value was not attractive - this is just a scam. Rejected the offer and this will be my last iphone - if you can't trust the service provider, I won't continue to do business with them.