I'm planning to visit an Apple Store on Friday to trade in my current phone and immediately upgrade to the 18 Pro Max. I started the trade-in process for an Apple gift card on September 6, when my 16 Pro Max was quoted at $720. The trade-in kit arrived on September 10, and the email says the quoted value is valid for 14 days after delivery, which should put the deadline at September 24. However, Apple Support told me the current value is only $610, so I'm getting conflicting answers. Has anyone dealt with this situation? Will the store honor the original $720 quote if I bring the device in before the stated deadline?
3 Answers
Be aware that online mail-in trade-ins and in-store trade-ins may be handled differently. Some people report that the online quote doesn’t automatically lock in a price for an in-store transaction, so the store could potentially use the current $610 value instead. It would be worth confirming with the store before relying on the higher amount.
If the trade-in email specifically says the value is valid for 14 days after the kit arrives, you should be covered as long as the phone is submitted before that deadline. Bring the email and your trade-in order number so the store can verify the original quote.
The safest approach is to go in before the 14-day period ends and clearly explain that the trade-in was initiated before the price dropped. Show the original $720 valuation and ask an employee to check it against the existing trade-in record. The written terms are more useful than a general support answer about today’s price.
I’ll do that and make sure they check the existing trade-in record instead of starting a new quote.
That makes sense. I’ll make sure I have the email and order number ready when I go in.