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.
