I just received a message from Apple saying that my trade-in value for my iPhone 16 Pro Max went from $700 to $175 because they claim there's 'LCD display burn-in' on it. Honestly, the phone was in perfect shape when I sent it; there were no signs of burn-in or discoloration. The $525 drop in value seems way too steep compared to what a screen replacement would actually cost. Has anyone successfully disputed a trade-in value with Apple like this? Is there a way to request proof, like photos or diagnostic results, to back up their assessment? A few years ago, I managed to get a huge reduction reversed from a third-party trade-in company by pushing back, so I'm hoping there's a similar process with Apple. Any advice or shared experiences would be really helpful!
1 Answer
Honestly, one option is just to sell it privately if you think Apple is being unreasonable. That way, you could possibly get a better price without the hassle of dealing with them. But I get it, you want this sorted out directly with Apple.
I typically do that too, but I’m hoping to avoid selling it myself this time and settle it with Apple instead.