iPhone 12 Pro Max Wipe if clean before returning?

[Ladybug]

I am still waiting for my trade-in kit to arrive. I got the new phone on 9/24. They say it may take up to 10 days.

That’s probably a possibility, I’m thinking with all the trade ins going on right now that they are likely some delays. If you still don’t have a shipping notice around the 8 day mark I’d give them a call. I’m sure they can extend the amount of time you have to mail it off. Hope you get it soon.

 

[yukari]

I am thinking of going into the AT&T store tomorrow to return my trade-in.

 

[daddyd302]

I traded in my 11 PM, 12 PM and Ipad 11" and never once wiped it down. Unless it's filthy, why bother? They're gonna clean it for you anyways.

 

[ZipZap]

The kit comes with instructions but Find My is not in them so be sure its off.

 

[MisterSavage]

I traded in my 11 PM, 12 PM and Ipad 11" and never once wiped it down. Unless it's filthy, why bother? They're gonna clean it for you anyways.

It literally takes less than 2 minutes to erase a phone that can have a treasure trove of data that could be used for identity theft or worse. Plus they specifically tell you to erase the phone in the instructions for trade in.

 

[BrettDS]

well you don't have to do it _right_ after

if you don't you can just go back to settings and the clean up option is still there.

Funny story: this past year for some reason I used Safari browser tabs as sort of a book mark. I'd see something, open it in a new tab, etc....anyway after I setup the new phone and wiped the other I noticed my tabs were GONE!

Doh, turns our they were private tabs and like apple says, they don't track or sync... here I thought it was just dark mode....stupid me....

A little off topic here, but definitely look into the tab groups in iOS 15. I used the beta all summer, but ignored the tab groups option for months. I got bored one day and played around with it and I discovered that I absolutely love them. Not only can you organize your “always open” tabs a bit (for example, I have one group for the forums I frequent) but the tabs are synchronized across your devices. So if I go to my forums tab group and open another tab for a different forum on my iPad, then the next time I check that tab group on my iPhone the new forum will be there as well.

 

[eoblaed]

Thanks, this is for Europe but I will assume it is the same. So pretty much, on the old phone (12 Pro Max):

Make sure you transfer any 2FA/MFA tokens to your new phone before you wipe your old one, otherwise you'll be in for a world of frustration.

 

[LarryJoe33]

Make sure you transfer any 2FA/MFA tokens to your new phone before you wipe your old one, otherwise you'll be in for a world of frustration.

Already did the phone to phone transferred. New iPhone 13 Pro Max is working fine.

 

[daddyd302]

It literally takes less than 2 minutes to erase a phone that can have a treasure trove of data that could be used for identity theft or worse. Plus they specifically tell you to erase the phone in the instructions for trade in.

Oh I thought he meant clean it, no factory reset lol. I always do a factory reset.

 

[LarryJoe33]

I got mine 2 days after I called. With so many trading in phones perhaps shipping takes longer? I hope you receive it soon.

I am going to return to the store today if that is possible, As I said, last time they turned me away and told me that since it was a mail trade in they could not process it. My OCD is off the charts, lol!

 

[LarryJoe33]

Oh I thought he meant clean it, no factory reset lol. I always do a factory reset.

Now that is funny and made my day. Haha, wipe it clean = reset. But I will be sure to polish it up too

 

[yukari]

I am going to return to the store today if that is possible, As I said, last time they turned me away and told me that since it was a mail trade in they could not process it. My OCD is off the charts, lol!

I went into an AT&T store to return my trade-in b/c I couldn’t wait for the mail trade-in box to come in.
They took it w/o any hassle. Actually I felt a lot better as they checked the phone right in front of me and gave me the full credit value.

 

[LarryJoe33]

I went into an AT&T store to return my trade-in b/c I couldn’t wait for the mail trade-in box to come in.
They took it w/o any hassle. Actually I felt a lot better as they checked the phone right in front of me and gave me the full credit value.

Hopefully Apple Store will produce the same result. I am going at lunch today. I am also returning the silicone blue case I got and trying the golden brown leather. May as well make the trip worth my while. I'll report back.

 

[MisterSavage]

Oh I thought he meant clean it, no factory reset lol. I always do a factory reset.

Lol, ok then we do the same. They're getting my grimy old phone!

 

[BrettDS]

I am going to return to the store today if that is possible, As I said, last time they turned me away and told me that since it was a mail trade in they could not process it. My OCD is off the charts, lol!

I don’t think you’ll have any luck with this. I had the same issue (as well as a few issues with my trade in) and I wound up on the phone with a senior advisor the other day and I asked her about trading in store. She said that once it is set up for a mail in trade then the store is no longer able to take it. She did say that the store could process it as a new stand alone trade, where they would give me a gift card for my trade in value, so that might work for if you’re ok with a gift card. But if you want the refund to your original payment method for the trade amount then I think you’re stuck mailing it in.

 

[LarryJoe33]

I don’t think you’ll have any luck with this. I had the same issue (as well as a few issues with my trade in) and I wound up on the phone with a senior advisor the other day and I asked her about trading in store. She said that once it is set up for a mail in trade then the store is no longer able to take it. She did say that the store could process it as a new stand alone trade, where they would give me a gift card for my trade in value, so that might work for if you’re ok with a gift card. But if you want the refund to your original payment method for the trade amount then I think you’re stuck mailing it in.

Thanks. This was my experience in the past as well. I’m waiting at the store right now. We will see. I called Apple first and they said I could do this but we all know how bad Apples customer service is these days and how they virtually know nothing about anything.

 

[LarryJoe33]

No luck. No can do at the store. Got to wait for the box.

 

[BrettDS]

No luck. No can do at the store. Got to wait for the box.

Yeah, I was afraid that was what you were going to see. I’d give you a box if I could. I got two delivered yesterday and another is scheduled to be delivered tomorrow. Apparently among all the issues I had they seemed to have deployed at least three boxes to me.

 

[LarryJoe33]

Yeah, I was afraid that was what you were going to see. I’d give you a box if I could. I got two delivered yesterday and another is scheduled to be delivered tomorrow. Apparently among all the issues I had they seemed to have deployed at least three boxes to me.

The guy tried and he almost screwed things up for me. The loan on the trade in phone came up as 0 balance for him, which is not the case, it is on hold awaiting the return, but it still has the remaining balance. The other choice was to give me credit, which he almost did, but that would have really screwed things up and would have resulted in two loans and $790 in my pocket, which yeah, I could just pay off the loan myself, but an unnecessary step.

Thanks for the offer and the help. I have a tracking number on the trade in box, but it has not moved out of Apple to UPS yet, and it is ground service. Hopefully next week.

 

[Rugburn]

Here is my experience...

LAST YEAR: I traded in an XS iPhone to AT&T in-store (vs mailing it in) for a $800 credit. The rep at the store gave it the OK. And then it sat forever in their backroom, not getting shipped out. Regularly I would get texts reminding me to turn in my XS. Finally, their 3rd party received it but decided it was activation locked, (it wasn't) so they deducted the monthly credits they said they would give me. Spent months trying to follow up and prove with my worthless in-store receipt that it wasn't activation locked. No luck. Can I have it back? No. Finally I gave up.

THIS YEAR: trading in a different phone for the $999 AT&T credits. Bought my phone through Apple so the trade in would be through Apple. They say you can have the phone returned to you if you dont accept the offer. So already a better deal than my AT&T experience last year.

The only source of worry, is that I have the tiniest chip on the bezel of my 11Pro. Screen looks great, back looks flawless, just a super tiny chip on the bezel. Because the Apple condition survey asks any "major" chips or cracks, I said "no" to qualify for the full $999.

It comes time to return the 11Pro by mail, but on Tuesday I decide to try my luck at the Apple Store. They say YES! We'll accept your return instead of mailing it in. Then 2 different managers examine the chip on the bezel and say it will make my credit be deducted to $700. I leave, and take my chances by mailing it in Tuesday afternoon.

Today Thursday I get the email that my trade-in is complete. And they gave me the full $999 credit.

MORAL OF THE STORY:
Turning in the phone "in person" may not be the easiest route after all. For me it was a disaster at AT&T and a disappointment at Apple Store. But in less than 48 hours from mailing it off, I got a full price offer... no headaches!

 

[LarryJoe33]

Here is my experience...

LAST YEAR: I traded in an XS iPhone to AT&T in-store (vs mailing it in) for a $800 credit. The rep at the store gave it the OK. And then it sat forever in their backroom, not getting shipped out. Regularly I would get texts reminding me to turn in my XS. Finally, their 3rd party received it but decided it was activation locked, (it wasn't) so they deducted the monthly credits they said they would give me. Spent months trying to follow up and prove with my worthless in-store receipt that it wasn't activation locked. No luck. Can I have it back? No. Finally I gave up.

THIS YEAR: trading in a different phone for the $999 AT&T credits. Bought my phone through Apple so the trade in would be through Apple. They say you can have the phone returned to you if you dont accept the offer. So already a better deal than my AT&T experience last year.

The only source of worry, is that I have the tiniest chip on the bezel of my 11Pro. Screen looks great, back looks flawless, just a super tiny chip on the bezel. Because the Apple condition survey asks any "major" chips or cracks, I said "no" to qualify for the full $999.

It comes time to return the 11Pro by mail, but on Tuesday I decide to try my luck at the Apple Store. They say YES! We'll accept your return instead of mailing it in. Then 2 different managers examine the chip on the bezel and say it will make my credit be deducted to $700. I leave, and take my chances by mailing it in Tuesday afternoon.

Today Thursday I get the email that my trade-in is complete. And they gave me the full $999 credit.

MORAL OF THE STORY:
Turning in the phone "in person" may not be the easiest route after all. For me it was a disaster at AT&T and a disappointment at Apple Store. But in less than 48 hours from mailing it off, I got a full price offer... no headaches!

I do think the easiest route is going through Apple vs. an AT&T store. The current generation of Apple "geniuses" aren't what they used to be, but as an AT&T customer, the people in those stores aren't even less bright. The thing about the Apple Annual Upgrade Program is the requirement that you get Apple Care+. So if you turn it in with a chip or crack on the screen, it's $29 bucks. If the phone damaged severely or dead, it's only $129.

Apple definitely is not as easy and as seamless as it used to be from a lot of perspectives. You can never trust what they say on the phone. They told me this morning I could bring it into a store for return. It was clear some kid just making it up as he goes. In his defense, you would think you could do this, right? But Apple is still better than cell phone stores or god forbid Best Buy, which is just a temple of frustration and stress. The old Apple service model would have me with a trade in box in hand right now.

Speaking of, what the hell is wrong with the box it came in for a return? Such an eco friendly company, you would think there would be a return label with the new phone and then just drop it in the square the new one came out of.

 

[deeddawg]

I haven't received my trade in box yet, but from the emails with instructions, there is no mention of shutting off find my phone or wiping it clean? I am pretty sure I always had to do both when returning in-store?

Thoughts?

Do you need someone to tell you to turn off Find My and to Erase All Content and Settings

Kinda like emptying the console and glove box and trunk and so forth when trading in a car. It's just what you do, and you needn't be told to do these things.

 

[LarryJoe33]

Do you need someone to tell you to turn off Find My and to Erase All Content and Settings

Kinda like emptying the console and glove box and trunk and so forth when trading in a car. It's just what you do, and you needn't be told to do these things.

Nope, thanks for the input Dawg