Expect a long wait if you opt to use the mail-in route for and Apple trade-in

[OtinG]

Its been over two weeks now since I called Apple to initiate a trade-in of my iPad Pro 9.7. I asked if I could take it to a nearby Apple Store location and was told no because of COVID-19 restrictions in place at their retail stores in my area. They directed me to their mail-in partner, Phobio. Phobio is the pokiest company I’ve ever dealt with. It took them a week to get me a mail-in kit in which to send them my iPad Pro 9.7. I dropped the same off at a FedEx facility that same day. A week later the shipment shows no movement nor even a deliver date. Calls to Phobio were useless and their attitude crappy as hell. I called FedEx and they said not to worry they had my package and would deliver it. They implied it just takes a long while. Seriously? It was shipping from Fort Worth to another location in Fort Worth about 15 miles away!

So over two weeks after initiating the trade-in process I still have no clue where my iPad Pro 9.7 is, perhaps an alternate universe, nor how much longer this crappy process will continue. Phobio and their attitude sux. And I’m angry that Apple CS lied to me when they said the entire process would take about 5 days to complete. I've read that trade-ins you take directly to an Apple Store are instantaneously. If you have that option, then good. If you have only the Phobio option then expect at least 3 weeks delay before you get the Apple Gift Card.

ETA: I forgot to mention that Phobio put this in their initial email to me: "Your quote is valid for 21 days from March 12, 2021. Please ship in your device soon." Hopefully they count the day it was shipped and not the date it arrives...

[kyteflyer]

What are the trades like over there... here in Oz, Apple “partners” with a third party mob who give terrible trades. I was offered $300 for my 9 month old SE2020, whereas it was $420 from an independent. Needless to say I cancelled the apple trade (I’m getting a 12 mini). My Air 3 is pretty much worthless on a tradein, I’ll sell privately at some point.

Over here the price of the new SE is $679 and in Oz, sales tax (GST) is included in the price because its not state based. That info is for comparison, and all dollar amounts are in AUD.

Originally Posted by OtinG

. I've read that trade-ins you take directly to an Apple Store are instantaneously.

Beginning to wish I had gone down this path, even with the lesser offer. Would have been quicker and easier.

[OtinG]

Here in the USA, you can definitely make more by selling your iThingies to individuals rather than selling them to Apple or other independent buyers who buy then resell them. But I hate using eBay and I refuse to even look at Craigslist. If you sell to an individual and your old device decides to die on them, then you likely will get a lot of push back from the buyer. My iPad Pro 9.7 was so old I just didn’t feel comfortable selling it to an individual. Once Apple buys it back, it becomes their problem if it develops an issue. If nothing else, they could part it out for refurbished items and it would be worth what they are paying for it, which is only $190.

[kyteflyer]

I see your point about later issues with devices you sell. I’ve never had that problem but I know of others who have. I baulked for two reasons, one of which was the difference in offers, and the other was the degree of personal information the Apple “partner” wanted, before it would take on my device. It was seriously intrusive and no matter how much security they declare they have, I am not satisfied with it sufficiently to go with it. If the trade was with Apple itself I would not have hesitated, but it wasn't. Over here, only third parties are involved with phone trades. We can’t even buy refurb phones from Apple, they don’t sell them. The other third party did not ask for ridiculous amounts of personal information, and they offered more for the phone... it was pretty much a no brainer.

[OtinG]

Just a quick update: I dropped my iPad Pro 9.7 off at a FedEx facility on March 17 to have it ship to Phobio for processing the trade-in. Apple uses Phobio for trade-in processing. I gave the package to an actual human who entered it into the FedEx system and I got an immediate email verifying same.

It is now March 26 and for the past nine days the FedEx and Phobio sites both show the package is in the FedEx system but it hs shown no movement and has never been assigned a delivery date. Attempts to get tracking information from FedEx have been frustrated by the fact that Phobio initiated the shipping labels, not me, so FedEx can only give me very limited information. FedEx did tell me off record that they had the package though.

Attempts to get information directly from Phobio have all failed. The best I got was a canned email message and a bit of a snarky attitude.

Today I finally called Apple Support. I spent at least 30 minutes on the phone with them, and some of that time was because they were also communicating with Phobio at the same time trying to resolve the issue. Apple CS rep told me that Phobio was going to investigate, but he also said he told them to resolve this ASAP. He told me that he told Phobio to get the trade-in gift card to me within 3 to 5 days and they said they would.

I guess I’ll have to wait and see what happens now. At least Apple CS seems to be doing their best to resolve this issue.

[John F]

I would guess it's a covid thing. Back in November, we had a package bounce back and forth in New Jersey (I live in CT). We didn't receive the package until after Christmas. It wasn't fedex

And we just had a Christmas card delivered two weeks ago, USPS.

[OtinG]

Originally Posted by John F

I would guess it's a covid thing. Back in November, we had a package bounce back and forth in New Jersey (I live in CT). We didn't receive the package until after Christmas. It wasn't fedex

And we just had a Christmas card delivered two weeks ago, USPS.

No doubt COVID-19 is a big factor in shipping right now. My USPS deliveries seem to be coming into our neighborhood only 4 days a week lately, rather than 6. And of course the local Apple retail centers were closed to most in person traffic, including closed to trade-in traffic, hence why I had to go the FedEx method. But their does seem to be issues with using Phobio. I’ve seen a lot of complaints about them dragging their feet, many of those claims are from pre-COVID-19 era.

I really don’t mind the process taking up to 3 weeks, after all they state that up front, but I do mind the lack of status updates and tracking. I’m still not certain that my iPad Pro 9.7 hasn’t been lost. I assume if FedEx lost it then they have to reimburse Phobio, which assumes Phobio has insured it through the shipping process. Regardless, I should get the money eventually, but I would rather get it within the 3 week time window rather than have to wait for Phobio and FedEx to decide who is at fault. It does sound as though Apple is taking my side though.

[peaceridge]

I talked to an Apple store today - absolutely no trade-ins to stores! You have to go through Phobio. I really wanted to trade my Ipad Pro 11 (1st gen) for an Air (4th gen), but I'm not willing to use Phobio - to many horror stories about them.

[OtinG]

Originally Posted by peaceridge

I talked to an Apple store today - absolutely no trade-ins to stores! You have to go through Phobio. I really wanted to trade my Ipad Pro 11 (1st gen) for an Air (4th gen), but I'm not willing to use Phobio - to many horror stories about them.

Apple won’t do the trades in stores here either due to COVID-19 issues. Probably better to sell it to an individual. You can go online and see what Apple would have given you for it, then sell it for more than that.

I chose to buy my iPad Air 2020 outright, then wait for the trade in money and use it for accessories. Yesterday Phobio sent me an email saying they had approved the trade in and I would get an email with the Apple Gift Card in 3 to 5 days. Seriously? It takes 3 to 5 more days just to send another email? What a crap company...

[OtinG]

Well today, April 5, I finally got the email with my digital Apple Gift Card attached. I initiated the trade in via Phobio on March 12. So it took 24 days to get my trade in gift card! Phobio operates at the speed of snail. (Apparently a very old, sickly, arthritic snail at that! Imagine a snail with a walker.)

Oh well, I used the gift card to order the Logitech Folio Touch iPad Keyboard Case with Trackpad and Smart Connector for my iPad Air (4th Generation)

[OtinG]

It took 24 days for Phobio to process and pay me for my trade in. But it only took about 2 hours for a local Apple Store to process my Logitech keyboard case purchase and deliver it to my house!

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by OtinG

It took 24 days for Phobio to process and pay me for my trade in. But it only took about 2 hours for a local Apple Store to process my Logitech keyboard case purchase and deliver it to my house!

These companies do like to hold on to their money. The times that I've traded in, it's been in the Apple store and I got instant credit on my new device. It's a bit like 3rd party phone insurance where you have to fed ex the phone somewhere and wait to get it back. Thanks, but no thanks.

[OtinG]

Well live and learn! If they bring back the in-store trade ins then I might go that route again someday, but I won't be doing the Phobio mail in trade ins any more. Obviously Phobio wants to hold on to the money as long as possible, and Apple doesn’t really seem to care.

The other bad thing about Apple trade ins is that you get paid with an Apple Gift Card which can only be spent on Apple products, which is okay, but can only be spent at Apple's online or local retail sites. For example, Apple often discounts their products more generously on their Amazon store front than on their on online Apple store, but you cannot use the gift card on Amazon, as far as I can tell, not even when dealing directly with Apple on their Amazon store front. Apple had the Magic Keyboard for $199 on their Amazon store front but sells them for S299 on their Apple Store. I wasn't interested in the Magic Keyboard, but if I had been, I would have had to pay an extra $100 if I used the Gift Card to purchase it.

The whole system just seems designed to dissuade us from using the mail in trade ins option. If you want to buy a new Apple product and you need the trade in money to do so, you are going to have to wait 3 to 4 weeks to make the purchase if you have to use the mail in option. Using the Apple Retail Store option is instantaneous though, from what I’ve read and heard.

BTW, I love my new Logitech Folio Touch iPad Keyboard Case with Trackpad and Smart Connector for iPad Air (4th Generation). It was worth the 3.5 week wait.

[John F]

Originally Posted by OtinG

...

The other bad thing about Apple trade ins is that you get paid with an Apple Gift Card which can only be spent on Apple products, which is okay, but can only be spent at Apple's online or local retail sites. For example, Apple often discounts their products more generously on their Amazon store front than on their on online Apple store, but you cannot use the gift card on Amazon, as far as I can tell, not even when dealing directly with Apple on their Amazon store front. Apple had the Magic Keyboard for $199 on their Amazon store front but sells them for S299 on their Apple Store. I wasn't interested in the Magic Keyboard, but if I had been, I would have had to pay an extra $100 if I used the Gift Card to purchase it.

...

Is it really a"their"/Apple's store front on Amazon? Clicking on a few items, it says shipped from and sold by Amazon. Isn't the Apple Amazon store front just a collection of Apple products that Amazon sells, maybe with some kickbacks from Apple for advertising?

[OtinG]

Originally Posted by John F

Is it really a"their"/Apple's store front on Amazon? Clicking on a few items, it says shipped from and sold by Amazon. Isn't the Apple Amazon store front just a collection of Apple products that Amazon sells, maybe with some kickbacks from Apple for advertising?

Your guess is as good as mine. There is a link that reads Visit the Apple Store next to many of the Apple products. Pressing the link brings up what certainly appears to be an Apple Store front within Amazon.com. It isn’t unusual to see companies like Apple allowing Amazon to sell, warehouse, and ship their products. A lot of companies do that. After all, Amazon is much better at warehousing and propositioning items for fast delivery than most companies like Apple. I guess one would have to hire a battery of lawyers and somehow get them permission to read the Amazon/Apple contracts to know exactly what to call Apple's presence on Amazon. Since that isn't going to happen, it really isn't worth the time to speculate over, IMO.