That is if you are naive to think pictures with shipping label and in box are altered by time stamps. Always take pics on how it was sent along with shipping label.
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Ultra 2 Trade-In Damaged by Apple
- Thread starter chicagofan00
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Unless the box sent to you was addressed directly from Apple, you are going to be out a loss. Apple uses a third party to handle mail-in trades.
Yikes yours is the nightmare scenario and a very expensive lesson to learn. I wonder: did you send the watch back in its original box? Did they return it to you in that same box?
I never throw-away my iGizmo boxes, and indeed used our original iPhone 8 boxes to do a trade-in to Spectrum/Assurant recently.
You forgot to include the part where you show the serial number on the screen and the serial number engraved on the device (if it has one).
For #3, what does this prove? Unless you're doing one long uncut video recording session from start to finish, how do we know the box wasn't dropped in the meantime...or that you took the device out of the box...or that you swapped the device with a broken one (if you didn't capture the serial number)?
Along these lines....I work for a large institution that frequently sends in Apple products (mostly Macs) for warranty repair. While the vast majority get returned successfully repaired and in working order...we occasionally get the hardware back that is clearly not functioning, or, something else is broken. I can only speculate as to why, but it must be something along the lines of:
1. The contract company is paid a flat rate fee for a repair, so they their interest is in speed, not quality.
2. If the repair fails or is incomplete, the repair company eats the further repair/replacement, but somehow they avoid costs by trying to hide the mistake by sending the "repaired" device back to the user.
Based on this, I would wonder if the repair tech ran into a problem/failure, and decided to damage the device to hide the problem, knowing that it is very difficult to prove the condition of the device once shipped. For us, the device goes back again for repair (as it is under warranty) which is a huge inconvenience but does end in resolution, but all bets are off for a trade-in.
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Apple, or likely the third party, sends a box that you put just the watch itself (no bands or chargers) in, tape it up, and send it in with the prepaid shipping label. That box, while not overly larger or protective does have a spot you put the watch in that is covered by a plastic wrap that holds it securely in place in the box. The box they sent the watch back to me in is similar except the watch was loose in the box and rattling around, however, there was zero damage to the box it was shipped in. Additionally they claim that the watches arrived broken and they have photos of it during the inspection process. However, I would think if it truly did arrive broken they would also take photos of the box it was shipped in as well as the fact that their reason for changing the trade-in amount to zero would have been due to damage and not a “data erasure failure”.
For #3: you show the same seals as when you sealed the box, and an undamaged box. 100% Proof? No, but it does make for a very strong case if there ever is a dispute.
i would email tcook@apple.com. it gets escalated to their executive team and they may give you a better outcome.
People roasted me for trading in my U2 in-store but stories like yours are exactly why I did so.
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I bought and iPhone XR new from Apple $930 including tax. Screen was defective as there was a recall on those displays a year after my purchase. They replaced the screen in store, panel was defective too. Then there was the Covid lockdown and had to ship my phone back to Apple as my phone was still defective. The shipping company scratched my display, that resulted in Apple shipping it back to me. Anyhow it went back in forth from there. At the end of it, apple shipped me a refurbished iPhone XR , which I gave away to a family member. That’s a nice way to treat a customer that’s been using Apple products since my G3 iMac .🤣🤣🤣 So, at the end of it I lost $930!
Thanks I didn't know that/have never done a trade-in to Apple before.
That’s some BS right there. I had something similar happen last year trading in an iPhone with Apple, but they eventually made it right after I was persistent about not accepting their BS answers. Made me leery of ever doing a trade-in again that wasn’t in person. Too bad my nearest Apple Store is an hour away.
Did that yesterday morning. No response so far but it’s not like my email is the only one they get in a day. 😂
Did you just keep calling into Apple Support or did you escalate in other ways?
Apple needs to rethink the idea of shipping the trade in to a third party. The whole process is ripe for abuse by nefarious actors. Buy a bunch of damaged goods for next to nothing and turn it into trade in value by simply mailing it in. Who ever thought this would be a good idea should have their performance reviewed. All it does is force Apple to make bad decisions that annoy and discourage their good and honest customers.
This happened to a friend with an iPad. They sent it back saying it was bent. It was definitely not bent when it went. The packaging they ship out at least here is TERRIBLE. Apple Support are hopeless there.
He bent it back, sold it on eBay and will never use trade in again.
He bent it back, sold it on eBay and will never use trade in again.
I suppose with a mirror or two it might be possible to take a photo of the device that has the SN onscreen and shows the backside and edges, before it's packed & shipped. Apple/provider would in turn want to use an AI or Photoshop detector to make sure they're real.
All this stuff about filming videos presumes that the other party has any interest in watching them in the first place. They can just as well say that they have no interest in watching them regardless of what is shown.
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Had a similar thing happen to my MacBook (scratched screen during unrelated repair). It was resolved after discussing with upper tier resolution team and explaining any scratches would/should have been noted on the repair order.
Similarly, there's no explanation that the case damage wasn't noted on the turn-in sheet other than it was damaged after they received it. Per their policy, it would have been denied trade-in value because of the damage and noted as such explicitly. These are the facts that are undeniable per Apple's own policies and procedures and can be brought to bear in a small claims case (no lawyer necessary...but also unnecessary to threaten; simply file the case if you're at that point).
It's not your word vs. theirs with or without video evidence. Last resort will be to remind the team that eventually discusses this with you is that Apple's behavior is not matching the expectation set by policy/CSR/whomever. There are, for lack of better explanation, two different pathways of resolution: the first being the obvious "you broke my device, please replace/credit me the value," which may be more trouble than its worth. But the second pathway goes through customer service/retention, which has more latitude to resolve issues in less obvious ways. My scratched screen was eventually replaced with a new MacBook Pro.
This isn't an Apple-specific thing, either. I learned it from a Compaq decades ago when they were a customer-facing company. My laptop was sent back in two pieces and the CSR was explaining they couldn't do anything under the warranty...but essentially said under his breath that if it was a customer service issue, instead, he had a checkbook in front of him to resolve *those* kinds of issues with relatively minimal hassle. So what he *really* wanted to know was whether I was an unhappy customers, which I was most certainly, and a new laptop was sent out that afternoon.
Similarly, there's no explanation that the case damage wasn't noted on the turn-in sheet other than it was damaged after they received it. Per their policy, it would have been denied trade-in value because of the damage and noted as such explicitly. These are the facts that are undeniable per Apple's own policies and procedures and can be brought to bear in a small claims case (no lawyer necessary...but also unnecessary to threaten; simply file the case if you're at that point).
It's not your word vs. theirs with or without video evidence. Last resort will be to remind the team that eventually discusses this with you is that Apple's behavior is not matching the expectation set by policy/CSR/whomever. There are, for lack of better explanation, two different pathways of resolution: the first being the obvious "you broke my device, please replace/credit me the value," which may be more trouble than its worth. But the second pathway goes through customer service/retention, which has more latitude to resolve issues in less obvious ways. My scratched screen was eventually replaced with a new MacBook Pro.
This isn't an Apple-specific thing, either. I learned it from a Compaq decades ago when they were a customer-facing company. My laptop was sent back in two pieces and the CSR was explaining they couldn't do anything under the warranty...but essentially said under his breath that if it was a customer service issue, instead, he had a checkbook in front of him to resolve *those* kinds of issues with relatively minimal hassle. So what he *really* wanted to know was whether I was an unhappy customers, which I was most certainly, and a new laptop was sent out that afternoon.
Glad they made it right with regards to the MacBook.
I spoke to an individual after having sent an email to Mr. Cook and now waiting for them to finish their review of my case. Hopefully should be hearing back from them sometime later this week.
I have had a near identical experience returning an AW for AppleCare repair a few years ago. The watch was pristine but not working. I received an email with a photo of a watch with a smashed screen, like it had been hit with a hammer.
As for you it was my word against Apple's. After a protracted exchange in which I invoked my long history of Apple purchases etc they eventually replaced it.
It was very upsetting to effectively be called a liar by Apple, and I was getting ready to sever all connection with Apple.
I had my watch go in for a replacement and I made the specialist take pics of the condition and she wrote their was no scratches, chips or other damage to the watch in the service order. If it turned up smashed to the repair center I don't really see how they could say it showed up that way. Of course I would never ship the watch to the repair center, I take it to the Apple store..
Received a call from Apple today and after further investigation and speaking with those involved in the trade in process they are confident that the damage did not occur during shipping nor did it occur in their possession…so essentially told me I’m a liar and **** out of luck. However they will give me a credit for half the value as a gesture of goodwill.
Not happy at all given that this damage absolutely did not occur while the watch was in my possession but at this point I don’t see what else I can do. 🤷🏻♂️😔
Not happy at all given that this damage absolutely did not occur while the watch was in my possession but at this point I don’t see what else I can do. 🤷🏻♂️😔