iPhone 15 Pro Max Returned my iPhone 15 pro max

[Swift]

But disappointed really, spoke to an apple sales agent online to confirm my trade in value for my 11 pro max and made it clear to the sales team it was not an apple battery, but a 3rd party, they explained that was not an issue.

Anyhow my iPhone 15 pro max turns up, start getting comfortable with and then my trade in value email gets confirmed for £0 for having a non apple battery.

It was more principle that I didn’t want to pay out an extra £250 on a phone that was already £50 per month, I didn’t see the value and felt I’d been honest with apple and a reduction in price I’d understand, but to be offered £0 was a shock.

I hope maybe I’ll return to apple on the 16 pro max, but at £1199 here in the UK it’s a steep ask.

Before anyone mentions why don’t you get the 15 or no pro models, because no 120hz screen and the battery life and camera are key things for me on a phone, and I can get this done with a pixel 8 pro with a good reduction discount or similar android device.

Ah well, sorry you won’t get the minutes wasted reading this back.

I got a 0 offer on a phone one time. The XS, I think. I asked for it back and sold it on Gazelle.com. They gave me a substantial offer and I took it.

 

[TechnoMonk]

And I am not talking about dealing with Apple or any other company. That, to my mind is settled. I deal with the terms of the company that I am doing business with.

I am talking about the definition of the word 'mod' as it is commonly understood. That's all.

Commonly understood by whom? Mod can mean different thing depending on device category, device software and so on. It can mean different things even with in a category. Try arguing replacing a Tesla Battery with custom battery as common. You will know when car goes up in flames. Same can be said for Phones with batteries going up in flames. Apple would want none of the liability with that third party battery crap.

 

[eyoungren]

Commonly understood by whom? Mod can mean different thing depending on device category, device software and so on. It can mean different things even with in a category. Try arguing replacing a Tesla Battery with custom battery as common. You will know when car goes up in flames. Same can be said for Phones with batteries going up in flames. Apple would want none of the liability with that third party battery crap.

Again. Not arguing about how Apple or Tesla or any other company defines the word. If I am dealing with them, I deal in their definition.

Here's some questions…If I told you I had modified my PowerMac G4 to use an ATX power supply what would you think? Is that a modification?

But what if I said I had modified it with a standard Apple type PSU made by an aftermarket supplier? Is that a modification?

If you say the ATX is a modification then you understand the general meaning of the word 'mod' and 'modification'. Whereas the second is simply a replacement and the proper way to say it is that I replaced the PSU.

Same logic applies to an iPhone battery in my opinion. A replacement, not a mod, no matter who made the battery. But if I am dealing with Apple then I am using their definition. Elsewhere, I am using the general understanding of the word(s).

 

[TechnoMonk]

L

Again. Not arguing about how Apple or Tesla or any other company defines the word. If I am dealing with them, I deal in their definition.

Here's some questions…If I told you I had modified my PowerMac G4 to use an ATX power supply what would you think? Is that a modification?

But what if I said I had modified it with a standard Apple type PSU made by an aftermarket supplier? Is that a modification?

If you say the ATX is a modification then you understand the general meaning of the word 'mod' and 'modification'. Whereas the second is simply a replacement and the proper way to say it is that I replaced the PSU.

Same logic applies to an iPhone battery in my opinion. A replacement, not a mod, no matter who made the battery. But if I am dealing with Apple then I am using their definition. Elsewhere, I am using the general understanding of the word(s).

that basically proves that there is no common understanding of mod. There is nothing standard what a mod is or not. You will get as many responses on what is common as there are opinions. What may be mod for some may not be mod for others. I used to flash hardware, for me it was common but some considered it too risky and a mod.

 

[TechnoMonk]

i don’t think the actual real life common understanding of what a mod is in regards to a piece of hardware is just a personal opinion

it’s literally the way it’s actually used and it is precisely on this distinction that apple takes the anti consumer stance that had to be OUTLAWED when car manufacturers tried the same thing

Ok let me see the standard understanding/definition of mod, if it is not an opinion.

 

[eyoungren]

L

that basically proves that there is no common understanding of mod. There is nothing standard what a mod is or not. You will get as many responses on what is common as there are opinions. What may be mod for some may not be mod for others. I used to flash hardware, for me it was common but some considered it too risky and a mod.

I can accept that. However, if I tell someone that I modified my iPhone battery, what are most people going to think?

If I meant that I replaced the battery (but non Apple OEM), most people are going to wonder why I didn't just say I 'replaced my iPhone battery'. Because most people are not thinking about what Apple calls a mod and what they do not.

And by 'most people' I mean Apple's average customer, not people on this forum.

 

[TechnoMonk]

I can accept that. However, if I tell someone that I modified my iPhone battery, what are most people going to think?

If I mean't that I replaced the battery (but non Apple OEM), most people are going to wonder why I didn't just say I 'replaced my iPhone battery'. Because most people are thinking about what Apple calls a mod and what they do not.

And by 'most people' I mean Apple's average customer, not people on this forum.

It’s the other way round. Most regular folks think anything that involves opening with specialized tools and after market non oem part as modification. Forget Apple, heck small customization of PS3 and box back in the day would freak out regular folks. The understanding of mod changes with time, there are many who have not seen a battery that used to pop out easily.
I had Apple replace my own HDD in Mac mini under AC after proving the logic board caused the failure. Apple replaced the logic board and HDD. It really depends on the modification.

 

[eyoungren]

It’s the other way round. Most regular folks think anything that involves opening with specialized tools and after market non oem part as modification. Forget Apple, heck small customization of PS3 and box back in the day would freak out regular folks. The understanding of mod changes with time, there are many who have not seen a battery that used to pop out easily.

Then perhaps I am out of touch, which is entirely possible. My history with tech starts in 1980 when I was 10 and to me a modification changes something. A replacement does not. Whoever manufactured the part doesn't make a difference.

And most of the people I've ever dealt with (and some on this forum) see it the same way. I am not claiming that my definition is the only one that is correct (I acknowledge there are other definitions), I am just simply saying that it is commonly understood. Perhaps not here and perhaps not in the company or association of the people you deal with, but certainly in mine.

 

[freeagent]

It’s the other way round. Most regular folks think anything that involves opening with specialized tools and after market non oem part as modification. Forget Apple, heck small customization of PS3 and box back in the day would freak out regular folks. The understanding of mod changes with time, there are many who have not seen a battery that used to pop out easily.
I had Apple replace my own HDD in Mac mini under AC after proving the logic board caused the failure. Apple replaced the logic board and HDD. It really depends on the modification.

Are you listening to yourself?

Put the pipe down dude.

 

[naught@home]

'Modify' means to change something.

Replacing like for like (i.e; a battery) is not a modification because nothing has changed.

 

[Clamjuice65]

How come?

The cameras are better and besides USB-C there’s really no need to upgrade

 

[TechnoMonk]

Then perhaps I am out of touch, which is entirely possible. My history with tech starts in 1980 when I was 10 and to me a modification changes something. A replacement does not. Whoever manufactured the part doesn't make a difference.

And most of the people I've ever dealt with (and some on this forum) see it the same way. I am not claiming that my definition is the only one that is correct (I acknowledge there are other definitions), I am just simply saying that it is commonly understood. Perhaps not here and perhaps not in the company or association of the people you deal with, but certainly in mine.

I am not that different from you. I grew up in the 80s, and 90s fixing TV’s building/fixing computers. I learned to maintain a car by the time I was a teen. Along the way, I realized the devices, cars, and technology became more compact and repairability went down. Some of it is technology, liability from lawsuits, some efficiency, some for profits. But then, each decade Most kids who grew up after me didn’t have same experiences or opinions as me. My kids have not seen a Music CD, heck my younger kid doesn’t know Blue ray. None of the generations I grew up after cared about what I did. I used to carry extra cell phone battery because it was easy to pop one out if it ran out of charge. Anyways, battery is a tricky topic for me now. I see huge liability for Manufacturers if the device goes up in flames and burns a house. I wouldn’t buy a third party battery risking heat or other damages. I havent bought an Apple Desktop/workstation in over a decade. I like the ability to upgrade and fix a desktop or a workstation. I use AMD/Nvidia server workstation, but I use a MBP 64 GB M1 Max. MBP is not upgradeable but it gives me a great laptop on the road in compact form. Different strokes for different people.

 

[joeblack007]

But disappointed really, spoke to an apple sales agent online to confirm my trade in value for my 11 pro max and made it clear to the sales team it was not an apple battery, but a 3rd party, they explained that was not an issue.

Never do an online trade in option. Go directly to an Apple Retail Store and get the ‘full amount’ right there on the spot. If you go to the store, this will never happen. Of course some people won’t have that option.

 

[one more]

OP, right now Backmarket UK offers 214£ for your 11 Pro Max (64GB in a “good” condition), so why not sell it there? Having used their French branch, I have only had a positive experience with them and they certainly would not penalise you for having a third-party battery, as long as it works.

 

[knuta]

But disappointed really, spoke to an apple sales agent online to confirm my trade in value for my 11 pro max and made it clear to the sales team it was not an apple battery, but a 3rd party, they explained that was not an issue

i had the same problem last year! i traded it in with amazon uk, and got way more for my xr than apple was willing to give with a original battery..
free postage!

 

[A Hobo]

Are you listening to yourself?

Put the pipe down dude.

Right? its just waffle.

Mods are mods are mods. This thread is a catastrophe.

Sorry OP that somebody at apple on the phone said your modified iPhone with a third party battery was fine on trade in, sadly it wasn't, and that's caused you some upset. that's completely understandable.

But Apple and the trade in company they work with is right to reduce the value of the product if it's been modified in any way, and their terms on the site speculate that in two different areas. Such as "Why did I receive a revised trade-in value offer?
If the condition of your device is different from what you described, we’ll provide a revised value."
and
"Trade‑in values will vary based on the condition, year, and configuration of your eligible trade‑in device. Not all devices are eligible for credit."

Changing the battery in a portable device does mean its different from stock. Ergo its modified.
That's the crux here; a portable device with a third party battery is also a potential safety risk as there's never ever going to be a guarantee that a non-Apple battery will fail or react or even act in the same way that Apple batteries do. (in my experience, third party batteries I've handled are either reprogrammed-used batteries, or laughably smaller in chemistry, ie.rated 1800Mah but clearly performing like its 850mah) Third party camera's and displays are even worse, i've seen LCD displays on devices that should have OLEDS.. these things ultimately LOWER THE VALUE OF THE DEVICE.

OP, It's also a shame that this meant you gave back your iPhone 15.

Anyways. the other folk in this thread are performing Olympic gold mental gymnastics just to skirt around and increase their post count.

There is a lesson to be had here, if you wish to have you iPhone serviced AND retain its full trade in value please have your iPhone serviced by a qualified technician and only install genuine components, like... at the Apple Store for example. then you know you'll never have this happen again. And if you read this, and scoff at how "it's overpriced" or whatever, remember this is a discussion about money already. Trade in values and all that. quelle surpris.

 

[Al Rukh]

Apple will never entertain a device that has been tampered with by a non-Apple trained tech. Even if someone from Apple says it is fine, I wouldn’t believe him/her. OP, you should have done your due diligence to avoid such disappointments.

 

[msackey]

Always do a trade-in with Apple in person whenever possible.

i agree. Do it in person if possible. If not, just don’t count in the trade in value until you actually receive official results.

 

[eyoungren]

I am not that different from you. I grew up in the 80s, and 90s fixing TV’s building/fixing computers. I learned to maintain a car by the time I was a teen. Along the way, I realized the devices, cars, and technology became more compact and repairability went down. Some of it is technology, liability from lawsuits, some efficiency, some for profits. But then, each decade Most kids who grew up after me didn’t have same experiences or opinions as me. My kids have not seen a Music CD, heck my younger kid doesn’t know Blue ray. None of the generations I grew up after cared about what I did. I used to carry extra cell phone battery because it was easy to pop one out if it ran out of charge. Anyways, battery is a tricky topic for me now. I see huge liability for Manufacturers if the device goes up in flames and burns a house. I wouldn’t buy a third party battery risking heat or other damages. I havent bought an Apple Desktop/workstation in over a decade. I like the ability to upgrade and fix a desktop or a workstation. I use AMD/Nvidia server workstation, but I use a MBP 64 GB M1 Max. MBP is not upgradeable but it gives me a great laptop on the road in compact form. Different strokes for different people.

Yes, we seem to be similar. Any experience I have with tech is because I either have used it or been forced to figure it out on my own. Due to lack of finances I am about 15 years behind the current Mac models. This message is being typed on a 2009 MacPro running Mojave.

My son (born 2003) is a lot like myself. Not completely of course, he's not me. But he'll be in his fourth year of college in 2024 for an IT degree. His first computer was an iBook G4 that I gave him in 2008 when he was five.

I do have newer Macs in the house, but those are work issued and not mine.

 

[eyoungren]

Apple will never entertain a device that has been tampered with by a non-Apple trained tech. Even if someone from Apple says it is fine, I wouldn’t believe him/her. OP, you should have done your due diligence to avoid such disappointments.

And yet, there seem to be a few in this thread that have said Apple accepted devices with third party parts simply because they went in store. Perhaps you meant to say, 'never online'?

 

[Al Rukh]

And yet, there seem to be a few in this thread that have said Apple accepted devices with third party parts simply because they went in store. Perhaps you meant to say, 'never online'?

Definitely not in my country. We have to fill up a questionnaire before giving away our phones to the courier to be taken into the company that partners Apple to do the trade in process. One of the question is in regards to third party parts used.

 

[0339327]

Silliest thing about this nonsense is that Apple typically replaces the battery before they sell it as a refurbishment anyways.

 

[MagicBird]

yes, i assume they think replacing the batteries in a remote is also a modification because they are dictionary doting dullards with no real world experience

No, a remote is designed to have generic, replaceable batteries, an iPhone does not.

Moreover AA batteries are something entirely different to a Li battery which can catch fire if poor quality or mis handled…

 

[MagicBird]

Silliest thing about this nonsense is that Apple typically replaces the battery before they sell it as a refurbishment anyways.

With one of their own and according to a controlled procedure.

They are right not to trust whatever Joe Bloggs might have done with some shady third party cell…

 

[MagicBird]

It depends. I traded in a 13 Pro Max with two cracks in the screen (normally I just sell on Swappa--but not with chips in both the front screen and back glass panel) and got a 15 Plus for $2 a month. But I also had them document everything in person at the Verizon store. Then when I went back to the same store to turn it in, I manually verified everything again with them--including the glass chips in the screen. So that worked great. But you definitely have to babysit the process and you can't do that over the internet.

You do realize that a trade in in the Apple Store is likely different from one in a carrier store, right?

Both companies will likely have different quality measures and recycling/refurb partners…