I've used Apple Trade-In twice before. Both times it went fine. This time, I lost a phone worth $360-580 on the open market and got nothing back.
In March 2026, I bought two new iPhones and decided to trade in my old ones: an iPhone 13 Pro 256GB (Graphite, estimated $240) and an iPhone 13 256GB (Blue, estimated $195). I went through the usual process -- logged out of iCloud, erased the devices, and packed them into the FedEx trade-in kits Apple sent me.
Here's the first problem: Apple sent me two identical, unmarked FedEx kits. No label saying which box was for which phone. No instructions. Just two identical padded envelopes. I put the phones in and shipped them both on March 17. Both were delivered to Apple's trade-in facility in Elk Grove, CA on March 18.
Nine days later, on March 27, I got the results:
- iPhone 13 Pro trade-in: serial mismatch, revised refund $195
- iPhone 13 trade-in: serial mismatch, revised refund $0.00
Read that again. The iPhone 13 Pro box got a $195 refund -- which is the iPhone 13's value. That means Apple received the iPhone 13 in that box, correctly identified it, and paid the right amount for it. The phones simply ended up in the wrong boxes because Apple didn't label them.
So the iPhone 13 Pro was in the other box. Apple had it. They knew what it was. And instead of paying its $240 value, they gave me $0 with these reasons:
- Incorrect product description or serial number
- No functioning external ports
- Data erasure unsuccessful
They identified the iPhone 13 correctly and paid $195. But when they got the iPhone 13 Pro -- a more valuable phone -- in the other box, suddenly it had "no functioning ports" and "unsuccessful data erasure"? Both phones were working and reset the same way, shipped the same day, delivered together.
So what really happened?
Maybe Apple's system is so rigid that putting phones in the wrong unmarked box -- a mistake their own packaging caused -- gives them grounds to reject the trade-in entirely and keep your phone for free. Maybe someone along the FedEx route or at the processing facility pocketed the more valuable phone, and the box swap gave them cover.
I'm not the only one this has happened to. A user on r/iphone sent in a working iPhone, got revised to $0, accidentally hit Accept just like I did, and Apple refused to reverse it. Another on r/apple had Phobio (Apple's trade-in partner) drop their phone from $370 to $0 over a disputed "cracked lens" claim. Apple's own Community forums have multiple threads asking "why did my device get $0?" The pattern is clear: working phones go in, $0 assessments come out, and there's almost nothing you can do about it.
It doesn't matter which scenario it is. Apple had both my phones, correctly identified at least one of them, and chose to pay $0 on the other.
My mistake
When I saw the $0 assessment, I was so baffled that I accidentally tapped "Accept" instead of "Reject -- ship the phone back." That was the fatal error. If I had rejected it, they would have been forced to return whatever phone they had, and I could have verified whether it was actually mine. By accepting, I gave up that right.
I also didn't take any photos or video of the phone before shipping. No proof it was working, no proof of the serial number, no proof it went into the box. Without documentation, it's my word against theirs -- and they have the phone (or whatever phone they claim is mine).
My advice to anyone thinking about using this service:
Don't. Just use eBay.
eBay gives you seller's protection, a verifiable transaction trail, and you'll get significantly more money. Right now on eBay, a used iPhone 13 Pro 256GB sells for $360-580 depending on condition and carrier -- even a "Fair" condition unlocked unit goes for $360. A refurbished one fetches $386. A phone that doesn't even have working Face ID sold for $470. Apple offered me $240 for a fully working one, then decided it was worth $0. eBay would have paid me 50-140% more than Apple's original offer, with actual buyer/seller protections backing the transaction.
But if you must use Apple Trade-In:
1. Trade in at the store.
When I picked up the new iPhones, the Genius at the Apple Store kept pushing me to trade in right there. I said no because I'd always mailed them in before. He was right. An in-store trade-in is inspected in front of you, the value is confirmed on the spot, and there's no chain of custody to worry about.
2. If you must mail it, document everything.
Before sealing the box, record a video showing:
- The phone powered on, home screen visible
- Settings > General > About (serial number and IMEI on screen)
- All ports working (plug in a charge cable)
- The phone being placed into the FedEx kit and the envelope being sealed
Keep that video until the refund posts to your account.
3. If it goes wrong, escalate -- but know what you're in for.
I'm currently trying to dispute this through Apple Support. It is a pain in the ass and incredibly time-consuming. You call, get transferred, explain the whole story again, get told someone will follow up, and then nothing happens. I don't know if anything will come of it. That's the reality: Apple's escalation process is designed to exhaust you into giving up. Do it anyway -- file the complaint, reference the trade-in order number, request the inspection report, ask for a senior advisor, mention the FTC and your state's consumer protection office. But go in with realistic expectations. The system is not built in your favor.
The bottom line
Apple Trade-In works great until it doesn't. And when it doesn't, you have almost no recourse. The process is opaque, the evaluation is done by a third party you never interact with, the packaging isn't tamper-proof, and the dispute mechanism is designed to make you give up.
I didn't lose a $240 phone. Apple's trade-in offer was $240, but the phone is worth $360-580 on eBay. That's what I actually lost -- a phone worth two to three times what Apple claimed, for a refund of zero dollars. Don't make the same mistake. Sell on eBay, trade in at the store, or at the very least, document everything before you seal that envelope.
