It's very easy and would always recommend people do it this way versus doing it online. Take your Mac into the store and let them know you'd like to trade your current Mac in and use the trade in value to buy a new one. They'll take the serial number, inspect it and then give you a trade in value. If you're happy with it they'll then apply the discount off the cost of your new machine. All in all, the process is simple and it took less than 10 minutes when I last did it in store. Hope that helps! Answer from creative_techguru on reddit.com
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/mac › apple trade-in is truly awful now (normal wear and tear is damage now.)
r/mac on Reddit: Apple Trade-In is Truly Awful Now (normal wear and tear is damage now.)
February 11, 2025 -

I've used Apple's Trade-in program several times over the years, every time with notebooks. The last time was 3 years ago when I traded in an Intel MacBook Air for a M1 Pro MBP, went off perfectly, without a hitch.

I know that the program isn't the best in terms of value, undercutting what could be gotten from other places by hundreds, but it's so simple. Or at least on the surface it's supposed to be. Now, I've heard over the recent years that the Mac trade in program has turned into a hellhole, but I have had good luck with them before so I went that route for the convenience.

How wrong I was to do that. Here's what went down:

Ordered m4 pro MBP on Dec 31 at the Apple Store, and since they didn't have the model I wanted in stock, we had it delivered, but before I left I wanted to cover my bases and had them look at my old MacBook due to the rumors I'd heard, he said it looked great. Jan 6 I got that "today's the day" text and got the trade in sent back Jan 7. Smooth so far. Enjoying the benefits of the newer chip, happy with my purchase. Jan 26th I receive an email, "Your trade in value has changed," immediately my thoughts went back to all of those horror stories I had heard in recent years. Sure enough, $850 in trade in value down to $0 due to "LCD display burn in damage/streaks/discoloration across the screen." Only one problem, there was no discoloration or streaks. The only problem with the Mac in any way is normal grime imprints of the keyboard deck.

So at this point, the logical thing to do was call Apple, which I did. The (lovely) Apple representative looked at the pictures from the trade in agency and agreed that nothing seemed to be wrong. She said she would put in a note and send it through again and everything should be fine. Okay. Cool. A little roadblock, but nothing too bad.

Feb 6th I receive another email, this one stating that they just decided to send the Mac back and charge me the extra grand. Received the trade in Mac back Feb 10. So here I am with my old Mac, I boot it and go to a white screen website to check and sure enough, there's nothing wrong.

So I'm left to conclude that the reason was the normal grime outline of the keyboard deck on the display that is seemingly impossible to prevent. I'm going to include pictures here of the display and the grime outline.

Some astute viewers may notice that on the bottom left and right of the display there is a dimmed portion of the screen. However, that was entirely normal for the 2021 MBPs. I have 4 2021 MBPs in my immediate circle and they all have the same dimmed portions on both sides of the display. I even had mine replaced under warranty and the replaced one had the exact same dimmed areas. Surely the trade in partner for the world's richest company knows that. The guy at the Apple Store sure did.

I had heard horror stories of the Mac trade in partner, but I didn't know it had gotten this bad. I have had Apple's trade in program for the iPhone accept phones that looked like they had been shaken in a bag of nails, and I get turned away for something as small as this.

You can blame the trade in partner as much as you want, but at the end of the day the program has Apple's name on it and, being the biggest company on the planet, they have to take responsibility for it. This is the opposite of what I've come to know from the company and I'm incredibly disappointed that a month and a half later I'm sitting here with a perfectly good MacBook and an $1000 charge on my card for no good reason.

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When I did my trade-in, I brought it personally to my local Apple Store. An Apple employee checked it out on the spot. It took about 15 minutes and everything was super smooth. I walked out with a gift card for the value of the trade-in and applied it to the purchase of my new Mac when I got home. I could've just used the credit at the time of the trade-in but the configuration I wanted was BTO.
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Only do trade-ins in person at a physical Apple Store. If they don't have stock of what you want, you can trade it in for gift card. Use the gift card for your purchase.
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/mac › has anyone traded in their macbook at an apple store? what was the process like?
r/mac on Reddit: Has anyone traded in their MacBook at an Apple Store? What was the process like?
January 4, 2025 -

Hi everyone, I’m planning to trade in my 2020 MacBook pro directly at an Apple Store when buying a new one. Has anyone done this before? Do they inspect the device on the spot, or is there a waiting period? Were there any unexpected issues or delays during the process? Also, was the trade-in value accurate compared to what Apple estimated online? Thank you very much 🫶🏻🫶🏻

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It's very easy and would always recommend people do it this way versus doing it online. Take your Mac into the store and let them know you'd like to trade your current Mac in and use the trade in value to buy a new one. They'll take the serial number, inspect it and then give you a trade in value. If you're happy with it they'll then apply the discount off the cost of your new machine. All in all, the process is simple and it took less than 10 minutes when I last did it in store. Hope that helps!
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i tried. i had a perfectly functional m1 macbook air with minor cosmetic damage (dent/scrape in corner, scratch on underside) that i tried to sell to apple about a year ago. the guy at the apple store said “your air has a dent in it, we can only offer you $150”. i told him to shove it and ended up selling it on ebay for $700.
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/macbookpro › traded in your old macbook pro with apple? how did it go?
r/macbookpro on Reddit: Traded in your old MacBook Pro with Apple? How did it go?
December 22, 2021 -

Did you receive what was estimated? I’m about to send mine in, but am hesitant after reading some posts about people being lowballed after sending their trade in.

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DO NOT send it in. Go to the store and trade it in. I sent my mid-2014 15" MBP to be traded in so that I can get the money deducted from my purchase of my new 2021 16" MBP M1 Pro. Trade in value was on par with what I can sell elsewhere if not more. They offered me $420. Best Buy, a few places that takes Macbook trade ins was offering $150. Selling it online would of gotten me the same as what Apple would have offered. I would have to deal with packing, paying for postage, potential buyers claiming it didnt' work etc. So Apple's 3rd party who handles trade in evaluated the laptop and came to conclusion that it did not hold a charge and my trade in value went from $420 to $0. I said HELL NO and requested them to send it back to me. Upon receiving it, they scrubbed the hard drive completely that it couldn't even recognize a start up disk. So even if I wanted to still use the MPB and have it plugged it, I can't even use it. I ended up having to go to the Apple to find out. Battery was indeed not holding a charge. They are charging me $200 for the battery replacement which I gave them the OK to go ahead with replacement so that it is trade-in eligible. So even with me paying $200 for the battery replacement, the difference in trade-in is now $220. $220 is hell of a lot better than $0 and considering it recycled.
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I ran into this very issue this an hour ago. I initiated my trade in and was quoted $880 for my 2020 I7 MBP and I had 1 small dent, it was the size of a tip of a needle, they claim I had 13 imperfections and that my offer was changed. I was sent a revised trade in for only $175. I denied the trade in offer and It is being sent back to me. My brother told me once I get it back to take it to the Apple store to have them look at instead in person to see if I can get my original trade in quote. Im pretty pissed off about the whole situation, it was a great way to ruin my day.
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/macbookpro › trade in with apple or sell elsewhere?
r/macbookpro on Reddit: trade in with apple or sell elsewhere?
November 26, 2023 -

thinking of getting 14" MBPMax (space black) and trading in my 16" MBPMax 2021 (space gray).

Apple is giving me $1070 for trade in value. curious if I should accept or sell elsewhere for higher price than what apple gives me? well kept computer for basic stuffs, nothing heavy use at all since bought.

just want to get some opinions, thanks !

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Apple trade-in is always a ripoff. M1 Max 16” is brilliant still, and if you aren’t even using it to its potential there’s no point changing. Don’t waste your money or effort going through this rigmarole. Also even with their supposed fancy fingerprint coating, the new (not black) “space black” smudges lots & they stand out more than on the grey and silver models. I have the same MacBook as you, and there is 0 reason for me to do this minor unjustified “upgrade”. Also the sporadic overheating issues being seen a bit with the new M3 models, as said in other comment.
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Sell yourself. Never found the trade in attractive. I offen sell for $100-150 cheaper that others on the used market, and sell in 1-3 days and still get around 40-50% of the new price for a 3-4 years old Mac.
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/macbookpro › has anyone traded in their macbook at an apple store? what was the process like?
r/macbookpro on Reddit: Has anyone traded in their MacBook at an Apple Store? What was the process like?
January 4, 2025 -

Hi everyone, I’m planning to trade in my 2020 MacBook pro directly at an Apple Store when buying a new one. Has anyone done this before? Do they inspect the device on the spot, or is there a waiting period? Were there any unexpected issues or delays during the process? Also, was the trade-in value accurate compared to what Apple estimated online? Thank you very much 🫶🏻🫶🏻

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I have done this several times since I didn’t want to deal with trying to sell it on my own and wanted credit right away. They will inspect the Mac on the spot and apply the store credit to your purchase there in the store. The trade in amount will match the price online assuming you provided an accurate description. The process is very quick and painless as long as you are fine not getting as much for your device as you probably would selling it yourself.
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I traded an iPad recently. Easiest thing I’ve done in my life.
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/apple › apple increases mac trade-in values for a limited time
r/apple on Reddit: Apple Increases Mac Trade-In Values for a Limited Time
December 10, 2024 - I’m getting ¥49,000 through the Apple trade-in program on a m1 512gb 8gb model here in Japan. Not far off online auction prices here, once accounting for shipping and fees. ... Without looking more into this, I assume it only applies to the Macs that are likely to be usurped by the possible imminent MacBook Air update.
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/apple › apple adjusts trade-in values for iphones, ipads, macs, and more (old vs new price comparison)
r/apple on Reddit: Apple Adjusts Trade-In Values for iPhones, iPads, Macs, and More (old vs new price comparison)
November 6, 2025 -

"In addition to the changed values, Apple has stopped accepting 12-inch MacBook trade-ins."

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TL;DR: it's less money
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Old values are not correct. At least for 15 PM
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/macbook › selling my macbook pro locally vs. apple trade-in
r/macbook on Reddit: Selling my Macbook Pro locally vs. Apple Trade-in
October 10, 2023 -

Hi! I've already posted this in another sub-reddit, but I thought posting it here would also help me receive different opinions.
I am thinking about selling my MacBook Pro, which I bought refurbished in 2020. The original price was $1629 AUD.

Just checking what it's worth nowadays?
Model: MacBook Pro 13-inch 2019, two thunderbolt 3 ports
Processor: 1.4 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5
Ram: 8 GB, 2133 MHz LPDDR3
Storage: 256GB
Graphics: Intel Iris Plus Graphics 645 1536 MB

I'm thinking of selling it for around $800–$1000 AUD.

FYI: The Apple Trade-In quote was $460 AUD.

Also, I'm contemplating whether it's better to utilise Apple's trade-in programme or sell my MacBook Pro (2019) second-hand. After some research, I've noticed a significant number of similar MacBook Pros available on the market, which makes me uncertain about finding a buyer for mine. On the other hand, the Apple trade-in process seems hassle-free. What would you recommend?

in the another subreddit, I was recommended to use Apple trade-in because no one would be willing to spend $800-1000 AUD on intel i5 when they can purchase M2 air.

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You will most certainly receive a higher sale price if you sell locally. It may not be as high as you want but it will be higher than what apple will give you. It's just a question of if that hassle is worth it to you.
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OP regardless of how many tell you to sell it on your own rather than trade it in with Apple there are a few things you should keep in mind that make a huge difference when selling it on your own. Adversities in selling: You have to buy your own packing materials if shipping. You have to deal with troll "buyers". You have to deal with a buyer talking your price down because they see another seller with a similar or exact Mac that you have for less money. You may have to refund some cash if your customer says there was some damage after receiving it. You have to either pay for shipping or build the shipping into your asking price which may make your sale less attractive. You close the deal and cash received, but then you have a PIA customer who won't stop emailing you with tons of questions saying he's having problems. You may have to reduce the price further because you have no AppleCare or Warranty included. After all is said and done you may have not made enough on the sale to justify avoiding trading in with Apple. Positives in Trading in with Apple: Apple pays for the shipping and packing materials. They send it to you free of charge whether you change your mind about the trade-in or not. When shipping it back to Apple for inspection if there's any damage during shipping Apple will assume the responsibility. If trading it in at the Apple Store the deal is done instantly and you don't have to wait for your money. You are not required to make a purchase the moment you get the gift card from the trade-in so you can wait until you find the Mac you want. Once Apple inspects your Mac you either get the quoted price online or the amount it's worth if there's any damage. You can decline or accept. If you do the trade-in at the Apple Store you can walk in with your old Mac and walk out with a new one all in the same hour and they will transfer all your files to the new Mac free of charge. You don't have to deal with a reduced trade-in amount simply because you have no AppleCare Plus or no warranty as you would with a private sale. When all is said and done at least you know what you're getting with Apple. With a private sale you have no idea the problems you might incur as well the amount of money you will get. But at the price Apple is selling the AIR at below $1000 it's going to be hard to get any decent amount of money from a private sale, especially if you have no warranty.
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/apple › beware apple trade-in
r/apple on Reddit: Beware Apple Trade-In
February 8, 2022 -

I was trusting that Apple was doing device trade-in, not a third-party. I wish that I had come to Reddit and the internet before I had traded.

I sent a pristine 11 Pro Max that had never left its case. I even took video of it before I sent it. The third-party is claiming that the camera is broken, when it was fully functional before I sent my phone. Now, they’re sending me back a broken phone that was once totally perfect.

Does anyone happen to know if there’s any way to seek legal recourse? This isn’t right.

Either way. ONLY trade in your device in-person. I would never do or recommend this method ever again.

Edit: Thank you to everyone who has solid advice and info. I’m truly glad for the people who had good experiences, because that is what I expected for myself, but I’m also confused at all of the flippant responses and downvotes. I did originally believe that Apple was doing the trade-in in-house, which I will accept as my own oversight. I’m not afraid to drive to trade-in, but my purchase was a gift that I was using my trade-in for and my closest store was sold out of the device. Not only that, many people live hundreds and hundreds of miles away from Apple Stores. It’s definitely up to personal preference and what is available to you; I will ONLY do in-store trades from now on, but may my experience be a cautionary tale to the next person who needs to trade-in online: take photos, videos of functionality, and get your serial number prepared just in case! I am not the first person who has experienced this issue, and I’m sure that I will not be the last. Ounce of prevention, as it were.

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I've tried three times to send Apple a functional device for trade-in value, and each time they've returned it saying it's non-functional in some way. For instance, they said my daughter's phone could not be charged. When they sent it back we plugged it in and it charged right up. I don't think I'll bother trying to trade-in value again. It's a waste of my time.
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Thankfully this is why I do it in person at a Apple store.
Find elsewhere
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/macbookpro › sell vs apple trade-in 2019 16"
r/macbookpro on Reddit: Sell vs Apple Trade-In 2019 16"
November 22, 2024 -

I have a 2019 16" MacBook Pro, 2.4GHz i9, 64GB, 4TB, 5600M GPU (which runs much cooler than the 5500M). Apple will only give me $405 on a trade-in which seems ridiculous. Prices on eBay are all over the place. Does $1500 seem reasonable for this? I plan to sell it locally on craigslist.

Any other reputable places to do a trade-in?

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As an active reseller, Apple Silicon, has completely changed people‘s opinions on buying older Apple computers. I would list it for 900 and if you get that, it is a good price in my humble opinion. Rarely are people spending four digits on a five year old pre-silicon apple laptop - especially one month before the holidays
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trade-in in anything market will always be lower. Best to sell it used locally on craigslist or Facebook Market place.. Just check out prices on there. And price it lower than what people sell it locally so you can get rid of it sooner. Personally I won't even touch your computer even for $400-$900 since I know I rather have an Mx MacBook Pro or Air. Remember your computer is almost 6 years old.
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/macbookpro › the apple trade in. is it reliable and safe?
r/macbookpro on Reddit: The apple trade in. Is it reliable and safe?
October 4, 2019 -

I just got my MacBook Pro in the mail and I’m waiting for my trade in kit. On my google app of course an article with a guy who said the apple trade in lost his trade in. And another guy the third party who handles them made false accusations on the condition of his Mac. Is this just my anxiety seeing the bad or is the apple trade in actually reliable?

Side note: apple offered me $430 for my air trade in but I got an in person offer for $650. If I decide to sell in person all that happens is apple will bill me the $430?

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I’d sell it outright. I tried to trade in a 2019 iMac that was quoted at $1340 and was adjusted down to $375 due to ‘minor display issues’. I rejected the trade and when they sent it back, the Magic Mouse, keyboard and power cord were missing and the OS had been completely removed, rendering it a brick. Thankfully, I have AppleCare on it, so I made an appointment and had it fixed. The diagnostics showed no display issues, but was replaced anyway. Apple also sent me replacement accessories. There are plenty of horror stories about Phobio, the company that runs the trade-in program for Apple. I will never try it again.

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Apple trade ins are usually garbage. Selling local is a way better option, $430 for an Air is trash. $650 for an Air depending on the year is probably pretty good and you should do that instead.

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Reddit
reddit.com › r/macbook › what does apple do with old trade in devices?
r/macbook on Reddit: What does Apple do with old trade in devices?
May 14, 2024 -

Yesterday I traded in my 2018 MBA i5 dual core for a new MacBook Pro. I was pleasantly surprised that they gave me $275(!) back towards the cost of the new machine. I'm wondering where my old device is going, or where it will end up. Does Apple wholesale these to resellers? Do they strip them for parts? I'm just curious as to where my old device may end up and how Apple is able to give me almost $300 for a six year old MacBook Air with outdated technology.

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Scrape and re-sell by volume. For example almost all touch screens of smart fridge are from recycled iPad or android pad
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They use hard drive scanners to rebuild deleted files and keep an internal collection of your name and all the porn you had saved. Then they just toss the machine in the trash.
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/macbookair › macbook air trade in value 65% drop in 1 year?
r/macbookair on Reddit: Macbook Air Trade In Value 65% drop in 1 year?
August 7, 2024 -

As title really. 65% drop from what I paid in one year... is this correct?

15'', M2, 512GB, 24GB upgrades for my MBA one year ago today.

65% DROP!? Surely this is wrong.

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They still hold value. Just not from Apple Store as trade in. You are trading convenience for value. You can probably get $700-800 by restoring and selling yourself. I look at it as a convenience fee.
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It’s just like a trading in a car, the dealer (or in the case of your laptop, Apple) always pays you less than you could get selling it privately. You’re paying for the convenience of just answering a couple questions and sending it to Apple rather than trying to sell it privately. They don’t hold their value less today than before, you just have to get that value by reselling it yourself.
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/macbook › macbook trade in?
r/macbook on Reddit: macbook trade in?
August 13, 2024 -

hey all!

i think i have a macbook air that is from 2015 and i’ve been really wanting a new one lately. i was wondering if it was possible to do a trade in? i’m asking since it is almost a decade old, i’m not sure if it’s entirely possible to do.

it barely has any scratches or dents. still in pretty decent condition. if apple won’t do the trade in, would any other companies do it?

thanks for all the help, i appreciate it!!!

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Check here though I doubt you will get that much for it
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Sell it on ebay
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/macbookpro › anyone here done a macbook pro trade-in @ apple store?
r/macbookpro on Reddit: Anyone here done a Macbook Pro trade-in @ Apple Store?
October 28, 2023 -

This is in Canada. Is the trade-in value for your Macbook Pro capped at a certain value? This screenshot from the apple site implies that the maximum you could get for a Macbook Pro is $1065?

I have a 2021 M1 Max with 64 GB memory that I'm thinking about trading in for a new 14" but that trade-in return seems ridiculously low for my machine. I think I could easily get 1500 or even 2000 CAD on the open market?

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You are always better off selling in the open market. But with trade-in you get your money instantly and it applies to your new purchase, and there is a premium for that. Thats why you are seeing that difference in value.
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I just did a trade in and my recommendation to you is definitely sell it on the open market. I traded in an intel macbook pro 2019 for $905 canadian this weekend and applied it immediately to a m1 macbook pro. For you, if you go for the $1065 for that M1 max, you’re basically setting money on fire. (If you’re tempted to do that, sell it to me for 1065 in vancouver. I’ll give you cash on the spot.) You can get a gauge of how much apple will pay you by going through their shopping cart and setting it as a trade in. They gave me the same amount as their website says. The only reason to use apple trade is to avoid the back and forth of selling it yourself, and to get rid of stuff that you can’t sell yourself. I know my intel macbook pro is worth very little on the open market, so i got a deal by trading it in. Fyi, on the open market, m1 pro 16g ram, 1tb storage is about 2000 canadian, so your estimate is also off. You can sell yours for 2500 or even higher, like 2700 and that would still be a steal for the buyer.
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/apple › trade in value ridiculous 😖
r/apple on Reddit: Trade in value ridiculous 😖
May 23, 2022 -

About 8 months ago I bought a Base Model M1 MacBook Air ($1299 here in Canada + AppleCare= $1550). The laptop has been great and has handled everything I’ve thrown at it especially video editing…so no performance issues to date. I’ve now seen the new 14inch pro and really want it! Also the 8gb ram is fine for now…not sure about the future tho.

Problem is Apple is only giving me $440 trade in value for my Air. It’s a great laptop and is worth way more than $440. And it’s in perfect condition too. Why does Apple do this? Don’t they know they are devaluing their own product…promoting trade in yet ripping people off with the value amount?

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You’re better off selling it on FB marketplace or some other place. Could easily make 900-1000
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please never use the Apple Trade in… you’re better off using literally any other website/local vendor to sell your mac
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/mac › [deleted by user]
Trade in value reduced to $0 : r/mac
October 7, 2023 - In Australia Apple Trade In Value of M1 Mini is zero - NUTS! ... I’ll never understand why people do this. Just sell it on eBay. You’ll get way more for it anyways. ... Had a similar issue a few years ago. I declined their generous 0$ offer, had my MacBook Air returned and simply took it to my local Apple Store and received the original offer.
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/macbookpro › apple trade-in macbook pro m3?
r/macbookpro on Reddit: Apple Trade-In Macbook pro M3?
August 5, 2024 -

I know this might sound nuts but does anyone know if it's possible to trade in a MBP 14" M3 through Apple? On Apple's site I can only go up to an M2 and the price they offered for one with similar specs to mine with M2 was actually decent. I want to go down to the MacBook Air M3, since using my girlfriend's Mac I'm obsessed with the smaller, thinner size and besides the loss of 120 refresh, I see no difference in performance for my needs. And since I'm always on the go, the Air is so much nicer to carry around. I was thinking of just sending it in based on quoted M2 price and roll the dice. I figure worst case scenario they won't accept and send back.

Any thoughts are appreciated!

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Why not just post it for sale at that price? I’m sure someone would love to pick it up for that price.
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They usually only start excepting once the new generation is out
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/macbookpro › apple trade in experience
r/macbookpro on Reddit: Apple trade in experience
December 15, 2024 -

Picked up a new 14" M4 macbook pro. And because I have a lot going on I thought I would try the Apple trade in offer to get rid of my old 2021 macbook pro M1 16". It's a 10-Core CPU and 32-Core GPU with a 2TB SSD. I paid $4300 for it. They offered $1220 and I thought ok fine so I won't have to deal with an eBay auction.

The entire time I had it I babied this thing, putting in padded sleeves and cleaning the screen carefully with the Apple microfiber cloth from my pro display XDR. I would periodically clean the exterior and keyboard etc.

After they received it, they changed the offer to $240. I thought, wait this can't be mine maybe someone at FedEx swapped devices or something because FedEx stole my iPhone when I traded that in. But no, it has "Cosmetic polariser/delamination damage" on the display. So I rejected the offer and they sent it back to me.

When the power is off you can see small dots and rectangle shapes from the keyboard pressing against it. I had never heard of this issue and after googling it's "screengate". Oils and dirt that transfer from your hands to the keyboard get on the screen when closed and attack the anti-reflective coating.

So ok fine, it's a USED laptop for recycling/refurbishing but apparently if it's not 100% perfect shape it's not any value. The thing is, it seems like more of a poor design casualty.

  1. Why can't they leave 1mm of space between the keyboard and screen

  2. Why does the coating get destroyed by oils/dirt from hands

  3. No way to replace only that outer reflective coating apparently

When the screen is on you can't see anything wrong, it looks perfect. I would notice as I do design stuff all day every day. It went from $4300 to $240 after being so careful for 3 years with it. Last time I looked on eBay they were selling for something like $1700 for this well spec'd version. Anyway thanks for nothing apple, will find a reasonable buyer.

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Unfortunately, the worst mistake was sending it via mail. Apple contracts with 3rd parties who complete the inspection. These companies want you to get as little money as possible. It’s truly a bait and switch. Your best bet is to have it returned and take it to a store where they do a quick glance and give you a gift card with the agreed amount. This scenario happened to me trading in a perfectly fine MBA. The contract inspector lied and said the screen was useless and would have to be replaced. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the screen. So I told them to return it and got the full amount at the Apple Store.
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Never do trade in over mail. I always trade in in the store never had any issues. Actually I once gave them an iPad with broken wifi (not connecting to any network), and they didn't even realize and gave me the full amount.
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/applehelp › apple iphone trade in
r/applehelp on Reddit: Apple iPhone Trade in
September 4, 2025 -

Hey all

I’m planning on trading in my 15 pro max for a 17 pro max in the next few weeks or so as and when it’s possible to do so.

Just wondering for trade ins and possibly anyone at Apple who may know… device in good condition. No scratches or marks on the screen or camera and the sides all perfect. The rear glass has some “white” marks near the bottom where dust and debris has gotten in between the case and the phone over the years. No scratches to feel as such just small white markings along the bottom. Is this generally okay? I’m trying to figure out as online it just says major marks or cracks which these are only tiny and only visible in certain lighting.

Should this be okay or would you guys double check in store before trying to order online?

Thanks for any help

Top answer
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Always best to trade in physical store 100%. Its for the peace of mind.
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Physical damage means obvious and large marks, scratches or cracks. Normal use isn’t damage. You should have no trouble getting full value if you’ve described the condition accurately.