About a month ago my two year Verizon wireless contract ended and they had a special trade-in offer. Trade in any iPhone 4 or higher and you could get up to a $200 gift card. I thought this seemed like a decent offer and up until this point I have been satisfied with Verizon.
I filled out the information on 4 iPhones, all in great condition by the way. Removed activation lock and did a full factory reset on each, then sent them off. Tonight I was sent an email with the value of the first phone. They gave me not $200, not $100, not even $50. A $36 credit!
I am upset and just thinking about the run around I’m going to have to go through makes my blood boil.
Apparently, I’m not the only one either.
What also surprises me is that I follow a lot of Apple bloggers and I haven’t heard mention of this.
Eric L. Barnes 
I sent in my perfectly fine iPhone 4S which was appraised at $200 and also received a gift card for $36. I have spent hours on the phone this week with Verizon and they told me that if the “professionals” at the trade-in center said it doesn’t work…then it doesn’t work. I am told it won’t power on. Hmmmm…. is it possible the battery is just dead since it took you a month to send me the envelope to return it? No I am told….they check that. I get so mad I call the trade-in place because at this point I am just going to tell them to send the phone back. The girl takes my submission id # and says I will probably be getting the rest of my refund because they are going to be going back and checking the phones that wouldn’t power on. When they got them they were too busy to plug them in so if they didn’t power on they just said they didn’t work…but now they are going to actually check to see if the battery is dead. I still don’t believe I will get my refund. Filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. Will probably end up going to AT&T and letting them buy out my contracts. I’m sure they will be happy to have my 8 phones.
LikeLike
Thanks for the comment. That is pretty much my experience since posting this. I remember sending two still turned on and two turned off. Both the ones I left on I received a $36 gift card. Both that I turned off gave me $200.
Something is very wrong on the phone checking end. I’m still working on getting all mine straightened out and my fingers are still crossed that I get the full amount.
LikeLike
I thought if I was super annoying and called a few times a day they would cave in and just give me my refund so I would go away. They won’t budge. I really can’t believe they’re willing to lose customers over this. I spoke to a supervisor who looked at my account and verify that the phone was used on my daughters line up until the day I received my iPhone 6 in the mail. She told me as long as they could verify that the phone I sent in was the same phone that was used on that line they would issue the refund immediately. She said I would hear back from her by 7 o’clock on Friday. Two days later I haven’t heard from her. I sent them a fully functional phone and they’re trying to rip me off. Today I went online and disputed that portion of the charge on my credit card. I also emailed the regional Vice President. This feels like such a waste of my time and energy but now I am doing it based on principle. I’m not going to let them get away with this.
LikeLike
This is exactly what is happening to me! They tell me my perfectly good phone wouldn’t power on when they received it. After I argued they said they would have someone from the technical department call me within 7-10 days (really?) and 14 days later no call. Surprise. I was gearing up for another fight today but know I won’t get anywhere with them on the phone. They act like I’m the only one who has called. Obviously now that I have checked the Internet I am one of thousands so that makes me feel better in some ways but worse in that they obviously will not be taking time out of their busy day to help me resolve this! $36 is all I have to show for it…
LikeLike
I have the exact story. 36 bucks for a PERFECTLY working iPhone 4.
Contact your state attorney general’s office.
This program is a complete fraud.
LikeLike
Just an update… Filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau and someone from Verizon’s corporate office contacted me and I explained the situation and he credited my account the remaining $164. I shouldn’t have had to go through this hassle. Will never do any type of trade-in again with Verizon. Still have no faith in them,
LikeLike
Thanks for the follow up. Such a bizarre situation!
LikeLike
Same situation here, but after two hours on the phone today, I received the remaining $164. I traded my 5c in for a 6 on Black Friday and tomorrow I have to mail it in. I’m scared to death to let it go. I plan to video the working 5c, hold a newspaper up with the date, show myself taping it closed securely and the post mark date at the post office. I’m sure they will have some other hoop I managed to leave out.
LikeLike