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uhslax24

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jul 21, 2012
350
73
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania USA
I'm planning to upgrade to the 11 Pro Max, but I'd like to sell my father in law my XS Max. Is there a good way to do this? The best I have been able to think of is to not return the phone and pay off the balance of last years loan...
 

pawtracks

macrumors regular
Dec 11, 2009
170
67
Seattle, WA
Call citizens and pay remaining balance.
If you pay off your old phone prior to Friday, you're now out of the upgrade program.
I posted what I did (and what I did after I learned my lesson) in another thread here:
I'm hoping progress has been made to fix this, but who knows yet.

https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...hone-in-before-i-order.2197077/#post-27706170

A word of caution (my past experience)
If you want to BOTH upgrade to a new one AND keep your old one, do this:
Upgrade, just as most will, go through the process, get pre-approved (hopefully they do this again), get the upgrade phone ordered, shipped and on the way to you.

Once the new one has arrived (in your hands), we're talking a week from order to arrival for most (those worried about making the next monthly payment, your loan is placed on a hold as soon as you upgrade), call Apple (my process required many calls to Apple to find the right person) and get them to cancel the turn-in order for you to return your old phone. This is admittedly (by those I spoke to @ Apple & Citizens) a broken process, maybe they fix it this year?? Once the turn in order is cancelled, give it a business day or two and call Citizens to pay it off. Without that return cancelled, Citizens CSR are unable to touch your loan file, it is locked.

IF you call Citizens and request a payoff PRIOR to ordering your upgrade phone, you are now out of the upgrade program. I made that mistake two years ago. This means you can NOT do the easy paced pre-approval at your leisure, then have your new 2019 phone in your cart, ready to checkout at 0-dark:30, half asleep, racing for your favorite color before it is sold out... It also will mean, a new full hard inquiry to your credit report to apply again (the END of the world for many here based on past threads ;) My wife is on her 3rd or 4th year of the upgrade program and has only had one hard inquiry on her credit report, I have two (my first year and the year I accidentally left the program for a few days).

We are both on the upgrade program separately, so we can (if needed) order up to 4 phones each year (kids & family).

I have never tried an in store upgrade/keep old one (other than when it was required to go to the store, 1st year, I did a pickup only - hand over the old one). I would suspect issues - Apple genius blank stare, no way to get pay-off since that is Citizens lane, etc...

Hope that helps
 

uhslax24

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jul 21, 2012
350
73
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania USA
If you pay off your old phone prior to Friday, you're now out of the upgrade program.
I posted what I did (and what I did after I learned my lesson) in another thread here:
I'm hoping progress has been made to fix this, but who knows yet.

https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...hone-in-before-i-order.2197077/#post-27706170

A word of caution (my past experience)
If you want to BOTH upgrade to a new one AND keep your old one, do this:
Upgrade, just as most will, go through the process, get pre-approved (hopefully they do this again), get the upgrade phone ordered, shipped and on the way to you.

Once the new one has arrived (in your hands), we're talking a week from order to arrival for most (those worried about making the next monthly payment, your loan is placed on a hold as soon as you upgrade), call Apple (my process required many calls to Apple to find the right person) and get them to cancel the turn-in order for you to return your old phone. This is admittedly (by those I spoke to @ Apple & Citizens) a broken process, maybe they fix it this year?? Once the turn in order is cancelled, give it a business day or two and call Citizens to pay it off. Without that return cancelled, Citizens CSR are unable to touch your loan file, it is locked.

IF you call Citizens and request a payoff PRIOR to ordering your upgrade phone, you are now out of the upgrade program. I made that mistake two years ago. This means you can NOT do the easy paced pre-approval at your leisure, then have your new 2019 phone in your cart, ready to checkout at 0-dark:30, half asleep, racing for your favorite color before it is sold out... It also will mean, a new full hard inquiry to your credit report to apply again (the END of the world for many here based on past threads ;) My wife is on her 3rd or 4th year of the upgrade program and has only had one hard inquiry on her credit report, I have two (my first year and the year I accidentally left the program for a few days).

We are both on the upgrade program separately, so we can (if needed) order up to 4 phones each year (kids & family).

I have never tried an in store upgrade/keep old one (other than when it was required to go to the store, 1st year, I did a pickup only - hand over the old one). I would suspect issues - Apple genius blank stare, no way to get pay-off since that is Citizens lane, etc...

Hope that helps

Thanks! This is exactly what I was looking for. Can I upgrade without the old device in my possession? I already set it up for my FIL...
 

pawtracks

macrumors regular
Dec 11, 2009
170
67
Seattle, WA
Thanks! This is exactly what I was looking for. Can I upgrade without the old device in my possession? I already set it up for my FIL...
I'd think so.
Bottom line, all that Citizens cares about is (1) getting the phone back or (2) the loan is paid in full.
The hoops of fire you need to jump through to keep a phone is all triggered from the lock Apple places on the loan to keep customers from having to make an extra loan payment during the upgrade process.

I don't think either side has their hooks in deep enough to see who's AppleID is being used on the device.
 

bpd115

macrumors 6502a
Feb 4, 2003
823
87
Pennsylvania
A bit convoluted. I have one payment of 52 dollars left on my X.

Apple wanted me to “send my phone in”

uhhhh no.

Tried talking with the reps and they were just as clueless.

What I did was went through the pre-approval but I had an option to simply open a new iPhone upgrade program loan, skipping all the nonsense and keeping my current loan active.
 

newellj

macrumors G3
Oct 15, 2014
8,154
3,047
East of Eden
Isn't that sort of by definition impossible, unless you go to the store and tell them you've had a change of heart and keep the IUP phone and either keep paying
A bit convoluted. I have one payment of 52 dollars left on my X.

Apple wanted me to “send my phone in”

uhhhh no.

Tried talking with the reps and they were just as clueless.

What I did was went through the pre-approval but I had an option to simply open a new iPhone upgrade program loan, skipping all the nonsense and keeping my current loan active.

I think that was the only way it could happen. You either hand them the old phone and the loan is cancelled, or you keep it and pay off the loan.
 

pawtracks

macrumors regular
Dec 11, 2009
170
67
Seattle, WA
I just kept the old phone and kept paying monthly for it...maybe it was a glitch, but somehow I was able to do that. The last payment for the phone is actually this month

The Citizen's rep I talked to told me "eventually" after your old phone doesn't arrive back, they will try to either send you a bill (full amount left), continue with old payments (if your card still works), or put a mark in your "permanent record" that you violated the sacred Apple upgrade program terms & conditions :)

She admitted it was a guess on her part, all she knew for sure, was I could not pay off the loan until my upgrade lock was removed by Apple.
 

Starbucker

macrumors member
Apr 18, 2010
33
0
Thanks all!

Doing some research, it seems I need to initiate the upgrade from the original device, so I'll be keeping his phone overnight to pre-qual and order at 8am EST.
Same boat here. And I also completed
the process last time. Here is what I did/am doing:

Complete the upgrade process via the Apple store app (for me that’s 2 separate phones each with 1 payment left with Citizens)

Wait until arrival of new phones.

Once I have them in hand call Citizens and attempt to payoff the loans. If they can’t at that moment due to the account lock, wait until it’s unlocked and pay it off.

Keep a total of 4 phones (two new ones and 2 hand me downs to the kids).

This worked for me last time. I messaged Apple this time and that’s what they advised me to do, no penalty.

Best of luck.
 

MBHockey

macrumors 601
Oct 4, 2003
4,055
303
Connecticut
If you don’t mind having another monthly payment you can simply keep your old phone and keep paying. no phone calls required. just don’t send it back.
 

ggibson913

macrumors 65816
Sep 11, 2006
1,119
643
Thanks, I was wondering how the loan thing works. Makes my decision a bit easier knowing that I won't have to make a 13th payment.
 

bpd115

macrumors 6502a
Feb 4, 2003
823
87
Pennsylvania
What you need to do is not follow the “upgrade” process.

I initially did. Then I backed out and just selected the phone as if I didn’t own one and was ordering new.
[doublepost=1568301230][/doublepost]Seems the “upgrade” program is either

a) you pay it off and keep the device.
b) you send the device back and upgrade (even if there is one payment left)

If you want to do option A, (because why would I send this phone back with one payment left) you essentially start a new iPhone upgrade program payment plan under a new loan.
 

olliedent

macrumors newbie
Dec 8, 2009
14
5
I am looking to try and order a phone to collect in store. Does anyone know whether I will be able to choose to pick the phone up in store on the Saturday rather than the Friday?
 

jokerz126

macrumors 6502
Oct 26, 2010
310
64
I am looking to try and order a phone to collect in store. Does anyone know whether I will be able to choose to pick the phone up in store on the Saturday rather than the Friday?


This process is totally broken and Apple needs to get it together....had same issues as others...
Ended up opening a new loan and keeping existing xs max as is...

question: We are on T-Mobile...when I signed up for the new phone preapproval, I chose T-Mobile....does anyone know if the phone we get directly from Apple in this program will be a “world” phone?...I’m concerned because there are multiple versions of these phones internationally and I want the one that is best for traveling...not one that works great in USA but is sub-par abroad....any thoughts?
 

AndyDandy1

macrumors 6502
Mar 6, 2018
285
88
A question about this. I’m eligible for an upgrade with 12 payments left on Apple upgrade. Can I give this phone to my mom while continue paying for it with loan payments and get the new phone on Verizon with their monthly plan on my number?

Or should I pay it off for full on citenzen first?
 

jokerz126

macrumors 6502
Oct 26, 2010
310
64
A question about this. I’m eligible for an upgrade with 12 payments left on Apple upgrade. Can I give this phone to my mom while continue paying for it with loan payments and get the new phone on Verizon with their monthly plan on my number?

Or should I pay it off for full on citenzen first?
Sounds like you’d be opening a new loan and maintaining the existing one and making payments on it...that’s what I’m doing...just swap SIM cards I believe.
 

AndyDandy1

macrumors 6502
Mar 6, 2018
285
88
Sounds like you’d be opening a new loan and maintaining the existing one and making payments on it...that’s what I’m doing...just swap SIM cards I believe.
I don’t think Verizon constitutes a loan.
[doublepost=1568304844][/doublepost]
Sounds like you’d be opening a new loan and maintaining the existing one and making payments on it...that’s what I’m doing...just swap SIM cards I believe.
Who is your provider?
 

newellj

macrumors G3
Oct 15, 2014
8,154
3,047
East of Eden
I just kept the old phone and kept paying monthly for it...maybe it was a glitch, but somehow I was able to do that. The last payment for the phone is actually this month

Same boat here. And I also completed
the process last time. Here is what I did/am doing:

Complete the upgrade process via the Apple store app (for me that’s 2 separate phones each with 1 payment left with Citizens)

Wait until arrival of new phones.

Once I have them in hand call Citizens and attempt to payoff the loans. If they can’t at that moment due to the account lock, wait until it’s unlocked and pay it off.

Keep a total of 4 phones (two new ones and 2 hand me downs to the kids).

This worked for me last time. I messaged Apple this time and that’s what they advised me to do, no penalty.

Best of luck.

Just for clarity, the new phone(s) you bought were at full price, which is what would happen anyway, but instead of Apple and Citizens forgiving the prior loan in exchange for the old phone, you kept the phone and kept paying the loan - is that right?

What you need to do is not follow the “upgrade” process.

I initially did. Then I backed out and just selected the phone as if I didn’t own one and was ordering new.
[doublepost=1568301230][/doublepost]Seems the “upgrade” program is either

a) you pay it off and keep the device.
b) you send the device back and upgrade (even if there is one payment left)

If you want to do option A, (because why would I send this phone back with one payment left) you essentially start a new iPhone upgrade program payment plan under a new loan.

I think you always wind up with a new loan when you upgrade via the IUP. It's not that different from leasing a new car every two years and giving the old car back to the dealer, I think - at least it's a reasonable analogy.
 

ZhenyaF

macrumors 6502
Mar 28, 2008
497
71
Brooklyn, NY
Just for clarity, the new phone(s) you bought were at full price, which is what would happen anyway, but instead of Apple and Citizens forgiving the prior loan in exchange for the old phone, you kept the phone and kept paying the loan - is that right?



I think you always wind up with a new loan when you upgrade via the IUP. It's not that different from leasing a new car every two years and giving the old car back to the dealer, I think - at least it's a reasonable analogy.

The new phone I bought was via IUP program, just like the previous one...I received an email to send mine back, and when I didn't they unlocked the account and I kept paying for both.
 

MBHockey

macrumors 601
Oct 4, 2003
4,055
303
Connecticut
It's not a difficult concept.

Citizen offers an interest free loan. If you make 12 payments and send it back, you stop paying the loan, but you start a new loan for the new phone. If you keep the old phone, and order the new phone, you will now have two payments to make each month until the old one is paid off.

I do this every year. I give the old phone to my mom instead of sending it back. My mom currently has my old iPhone X which has 1 or 2 payments left. I will give her my current XS when I upgrade to the 11 Pro. I will then fully own the iPhone X after the remaining payments, and will sell it off on Swappa. Then I will have 12 more months of payments to go on her XS.
 
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