Issue with Apple Trade-In: Sent iPhone 15 Pro Max, but Got a Revised Trade-In Value for iPhone 13
Hi everyone,
I wanted to share a frustrating experience I had with Apple’s trade-in program, hoping to get some advice or at least warn others. I recently traded in my iPhone 15 Pro Max (Natural Titanium, 512GB) with a quoted trade-in value of $650, toward the purchase of an iPhone 16 Pro Max.
After receiving my new phone, I carefully erased my old iPhone 15 Pro Max, which was in perfect condition with no scratches, and sent it back in the box Apple provided for the trade-in.
Here’s where things went wrong: After Apple received my device, they revised my trade-in value down to $250, claiming I had sent them an iPhone 13 instead of my iPhone 15 Pro Max. I’ve never owned an iPhone 13, and I’ve always purchased Pro Max models. When I contacted Apple Support, the representatives casually insisted that I had sent them an iPhone 13, which is clearly not the case.
I rejected the revised trade-in offer, and now I’m waiting for them to send my device back. This experience has left me extremely frustrated, and I’ve decided never to use the trade-in service through shipping again. For my previous devices, I opted for Apple gift cards and didn’t encounter any issues, so I’ll stick with that method moving forward.
I’m concerned about what happened—whether it’s a scam, an issue during transit, or possibly something on Apple’s end. I wanted to raise awareness in case anyone else has experienced similar problems. Has anyone else dealt with this kind of mix-up during a trade-in?
I’d appreciate any advice on what to do next. Thanks for your help!
iPhone 16 Pro Max