# Amazon electronics trade-in experience?



## The Hooded Claw

Has anyone here had good or bad experience with Amazon's electronics trade-in program? The prices they offer are more attractive than most, and my instinct is to expect a good experience from Amazon. But in looking at Internet comments, including those in Amazons own product forum, things don't sound good. I'm trying to avoid dealing with strangers on eBay or Craigslist....


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## Ann in Arlington

I've traded in several items. I probably could have gotten _more_ on ebay or Craigslist, but didn't want that hassle. The Zon makes it easy.

When you set up the trade in, mark it as best possible condition. Include all original packaging if you have it. When it gets there, they may downgrade it and not send you as much, but they may accept it as 'best' and send you the higher amount.

You'll get a label to print and attach and then you just take it to your local UPS within a certain number of days. You can get a tracking number from them so you will know when it gets to the return facility. Within a week of that (usually sooner) you'll get an email confirming condition and how much you'll be paid, and the credit will be applied to your account.

The only time I had a problem, UPS tracking showed it received and signed for but I hadn't heard from them. After a week or so I contacted them and they said they didn't have it. I sent them copies of the UPS confirmation and all and they credited me right then and there for the amount.

So: don't know what the comments are saying, but my experience was certainly good. I've traded several things back to them and would do so again.


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## Mike D. aka jmiked

You might try gazelle.com and see if they can do better. I haven't used them, but got quotes several times. They have a pretty good reputation from what I've heard.


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## Betsy the Quilter

I've been very satisfied with my experiences at Amazon.  It's so easy peasy that I consider it a benefit that offsets any price difference with other sites.  Have I mentioned that I'm really, really, really lazy!

Betsy


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## The Hooded Claw

Gazelle has a good rep and pays cash, but offers about 2/3 of what Amazon does. Since a valid GC is as useful as cash and I'm getting rid of an embarrassing amount of old stuff the difference is a meaningful amount, so I am interested in the experience of others here. Strangers on the Internet tell stories that are hair-raising. Thanks Betsy and Ann! I'm still interested in hearing from others.


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## JetJammer

I've traded in several things and had nothing but good experiences.  One time they even flagged it as HIGHER quality than I had and gave me more than I was expecting, a nice surprise.


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## The Hooded Claw

I added my old paperwhite 1 to things that I am looking to trade in, and was given a $20 credit towards buying a new Kindle. As I understand it I don't get  The credit until my old Kindle is received and accepted. There's nothing better than my Voyage, but I might use the credit to buy a 3G Paperwhite for my mother if she decides she wants Kindle Unlimited.


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## Ann in Arlington

The Hooded Claw said:


> I added my old paperwhite 1 to things that I am looking to trade in, and was given a $20 credit towards buying a new Kindle. As I understand it I don't get The credit until my old Kindle is received and accepted. There's nothing better than my Voyage, but I might use the credit to buy a 3G Paperwhite for my mother if she decides she wants Kindle Unlimited.


Right: the credit will be applied when the item you're returning is received. And the credit is, in general, a store credit . . . so it can really be used for anything Amazon sells.


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## The Hooded Claw

Ann in Arlington said:


> Right: the credit will be applied when the item you're returning is received. And the credit is, in general, a store credit . . . so it can really be used for anything Amazon sells.


Ooh, all the better!


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## KindleGirl

I've traded a couple things in and have also had good experiences.  They do offer less than you can probably get thru other places like ebay, etc. but it is a lot less hassle too. I've done ebay and Amazon and depending on the price difference and how busy life is, I choose the best route. If you are looking at quick and easy, Amazon will be the best bet.


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## Sandpiper

Someone did have a bad experience with Amazon trade-in. (I was simply looking at posts on Amazon's FB page.) It would give me second thoughts about it.



> DO NOT USE AMAZON'S TRADE-IN PROGRAM! I only learned about it recently when I was on your site looking to purchase a new camera that would be wifi compatible. After seeing that there was such a program, i thought...hey, this would be easier than doing it through ebay or craigslist. and i would have the credit to use towards the new camera. Needless to say, this whole process has been a NIGHTMARE!!!!
> 
> I shipped my Canon EOS 600D / Kiss X5 / Rebel T3i (which was in great condition) per the instructions for this trade-in program early last week only to learn via my trade-in account that my camera had been rejected because of it having "fungus in the lens." That being said, I contacted your customer service asking how could such a thing happen and was not given much of an answer other than my camera was being returned back to me. Well my camera has not been returned back to me and after multiple phone calls to your customer service, no one is able to tell me where my camera is. The tracking number provided on your site is incorrect as it shows that something had been delivered back in July 2014!! Mind you.. we are in 2015 not 2014... So when i called the first time, I spoke with a rep named Omar and he said not to worry and that the estimated delivery date would be today, 10/5 (even though he acknowledged that the tracking number was incorrect and wasn't able to provide me a correct one) and that if it didn't show up, to call back today and that a credit memo would be issued for the trade-in value. Well, guess what...the camera has not shown up and I have already spoken to a customer rep as well as a supervisor and both of them did not have a tracking number for me and their solution was for me to wait 30 days before any sort of credit could be issued!
> 
> Here's my issue with this: Your company screwed up by putting the wrong tracking number online and now no one there knows where my camera is and when it will be returned to me (and most importantly whether it will be in the same condition as I sent it...but in this case, I know I should be expecting "fungus in the lens" as an issue which was not how I sent it to your company in the first place). Then I'm told that I have to wait 30 days before anything can be resolved...?! PLEASE TELL ME WHAT KIND OF BULLSHIT POLICY IS THIS?!!!!! I am sooooo unbelievably upset and disappointed in this program. Not only did i not receive a trade-in credit for the camera, I now have no camera which I can sell to a potential buyer I had lined up for this evening because I was told by your reps that the package would be returned back to me today!!!


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## Ann in Arlington

Sandpiper said:


> Someone did have a bad experience with Amazon trade-in. (I was simply looking at posts on Amazon's FB page.) It would give me second thoughts about it.


It strikes me as an outlier sort of experience . . . and the hostility in the write up tells me there's more to this story. But maybe that's just me. I tend to not trust 'rants' against companies or services . . . they always strike me as sounding really defensive: the writer was trying to sneak something by and got caught but, of course, can't admit that.

I'm not saying that there's never going to be a problem. One of my devices I sent back actually got delayed/lost. But when I calmly contacted them about it, I wasn't given any kind of run around or hassle. I was, naturally, concerned, but I remained polite, though firm, in all my correspondence. And, ultimately, I got my credit even though they never could find the package.

I'm much more likely to give weight to a negative story if the writer doesn't sound like a crazed maniac but simply a person who is disappointed, even extremely so, about a service that was not as promised/expected.

But, again, maybe that's just me.


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## Sandpiper

Often when a post is lengthy, it turns out to be a rant.  I don't think so in this case.  Post is well written -- easy to understand.  I'd be unhappy and frustrated if it happened to me.  Anything can happen, but FB poster isn't getting customer service she should.


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## Betsy the Quilter

One complaint wouldn't hold as much weight for me as the testimonials from people I "know" here who have had good experiences...but it's good to know about, and a good reminder to document the condition of the device being sent in.

As for the old tracking number, kind of odd. I have that happen occasionally, though when I checked the tracking on numbers.  In my case, they eventually turned out correctly.

Any word on whether the person ever got a credit?

Betsy


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## The Hooded Claw

There are a significant number of complaints similar to this one out there, even on threads on Amazon's own forum. Sometimes the complaints are limited to having to make a fuss to get the credit applied to the account. That's what prompted me to post here and ask. I've gone ahead and sent off two old iPads, two old Kindles, and the Android phone I just replaced with a fruity phone. I will let everyone know how it goes


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## SandraMiller

I traded in my old Kindle Keyboard after I got my Paperwhite. My experience was great...fast, no hassle at all, and they gave me their top-dollar price, applied right to my account. I would do it again in a heartbeat.


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## DawnB

I've traded in 6 things (at different times) so far, I had 3 go hassle free, 1 that took a couple of phone to get the credit, one that was returned for "being too late" (I was able to prove they received it before the cut off date & got the credit anyway). 

I also had one really bad experience. I sent in a Kindle, with the box & all accessories, they told me it arrived broken & they would return it if I paid to have it sent back to me. First I asked if it was damaged in the shipping process because it was not broken when it left my house, they said the packaging was in great shape & I must have sent it broken. I told them I had date stamped pictures of the Kindle taken the same day it was shipped including a picture of the serial # proving the pictures were of the same device they received, after I sent the pics it took about 45 days or so to get my credit (they gave me the highest trade-in value that was listed the day they received the Kindle) & I was told "it was damaged during the inspection  process" (which probably meant someone dropped it & then tried to say it was received that way). If it wasn't for my pictures I would have been out the money & a working device.

I learned to take the date stamped pictures after a buyer on ebay brought an iPhone then tried to get a refund by returning a different broken iPhone saying the one I sent didn't work. what saved me there was the fact the one they returned to me was unlocked & the one I sold them was not (AT&T only). Ever since then I take shipping day pictures of anything I expensive sell.

I'm not saying Amazon Trade-In service is bad (one of my hassle free trade-ins was after the bad one), I just wanted to share my experience, so others will know how to protect themselves.


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## Sandpiper

DawnB, very good idea to document with photos the item you're sending in.  Hearing that -- there may be more hassle-free trade-ins than not, but your bad experience would stop me from trying it.


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## Ann in Arlington

Sandpiper said:


> DawnB, very good idea to document with photos the item your sending in. Hearing that -- there may be more hassle-free trade-ins than not, but your bad experience would stop me from trying it.


But . . . while it was an _initially_ bad experience, it ended well. I actually think that, even without pictures, if Dawn had escalated to a higher up, she would have gotten the same result. Amazon is pretty customer service oriented, after all. No way of knowing for sure, of course, AND, the suggestion to have documentary evidence of the condition of the item before mailing it is a good one! It's not even hard to do any more now that there are cameras on everything. 

I must confess, however, I don't understand at all how a person can discount multiple very positive experiences and really only put stock in the one that was not so great. I guess it's just a different point of view on the world.


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## DawnB

I may have had a good resolution without the pictures, but before I sent them in Amazon was only willing to give me 50% of the good price, with them I got the full best trade in price & that was from the highest person they would let me talk to.



Ann in Arlington said:


> I must confess, however, I don't understand at all how a person can discount multiple very positive experiences and really only put stock in the one that was not so great. I guess it's just a different point of view on the world.


That is why I traded in again after the bad experience & I would do it again if I had something to trade-in now. No services like this are perfect I've had good & frustrating experiences with all I've used. Each one just shows me how to make the next experience better/safer/easier.


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## The Hooded Claw

One thing that disappointed me is that there is no market for the Fire tablets, either from Amazon or others. Amazon won't take them back at all. Gazelle offers a nominal $5 for HD tablets, nothing for the HDX.


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## SandraMiller

Wow, that's...surprising. Here locally we have a chain called GameXchange, they deal primarily in used video games and systems. But they also buy and sell used tech; phones, ereaders, and tablets. I wonder if they would do better than that on a Fire--I've seen them for sale in their shops before. I wonder if there might be similar stores in areas GameXchange doesn't serve who would buy them.


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## Ann in Arlington

The Hooded Claw said:


> One thing that disappointed me is that there is no market for the Fire tablets, either from Amazon or others. Amazon won't take them back at all. Gazelle offers a nominal $5 for HD tablets, nothing for the HDX.


That's a change: I've traded two different Fire tablets back to Amazon . . . but I guess it speaks to current resale values. Think about it: new Fires are so inexpensive, why would one buy a used one? I realize the new crop have slightly inferior tech specs, but for most people they're good enough. And I think folks who want the super high end stuff probably never went for Fires anyway.


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## The Hooded Claw

A little more than a week ago, I sent in two separate trade in "orders." They both shown as processing for several days, and today I received credit for the smaller of the two orders. I got about $66 Credit for two old Kindles. The larger order, with several iPads and a fairly new Android phone, is still pending.


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## The Hooded Claw

Ann in Arlington said:


> Right: the credit will be applied when the item you're returning is received. And the credit is, in general, a store credit . . . so it can really be used for anything Amazon sells.


I've received the credit now, but alas, it is limited to buying Kindles or a Kindle for Kids Bundle.

My iPads and phone are still "processing", no credit yet.


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## Ann in Arlington

The Hooded Claw said:


> I've received the credit now, but alas, it is limited to buying Kindles or a Kindle for Kids Bundle.
> 
> My iPads and phone are still "processing", no credit yet.


Hmmm. . . . . that seems different. I don't remember there being any restriction on what I could buy with the credits that I got. Maybe it's good also on kindle books? I know they do have some that are restricted to digital/electronic media.

. . . . .

I just looked back at things I'd traded in . . . most recent one was this past Spring. There's definitely nothing indicating the credit is restricted . . .in fact it has a link to the general gift credit page for me. Maybe it mentions kindles but just as encouragement and not as requirement?

If it really is restricted, though, I think I'd contact CS . . . . if it didn't say that when you made the trade, it's kind of not fair.  And I'm not finding anywhere in the Trade In section that indicates anything but 'amazon eGift card'.


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## The Hooded Claw

When I set up the trade in, it said "$20 towards a new Kindle" or words to that effect, so I haven't been ill-used, though from your report I was hoping for broader applicability!  Here are the terms now showing in the trade in page:


Promotion	Status
Congratulations. Your Kindle trade in makes you eligible for a $20 promotional credit toward a new Kindle, Kindle Paperwhite, Kindle Voyage or Kindle for Kids bundle. Once you place the Kindle in your cart, the promotional credit will be automatically applied at checkout. The $20 savings will expire at 11:59 p.m. (Pacific Time) on December 31, 2015

Alas, that is pretty specific!


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## Ann in Arlington

The Hooded Claw said:


> When I set up the trade in, it said "$20 towards a new Kindle" or words to that effect, so I haven't been ill-used, though from your report I was hoping for broader applicability! Here are the terms now showing in the trade in page:
> 
> Promotion	Status
> Congratulations. Your Kindle trade in makes you eligible for a $20 promotional credit toward a new Kindle, Kindle Paperwhite, Kindle Voyage or Kindle for Kids bundle. Once you place the Kindle in your cart, the promotional credit will be automatically applied at checkout. The $20 savings will expire at 11:59 p.m. (Pacific Time) on December 31, 2015
> 
> Alas, that is pretty specific!


Ah! Yes, it is. I don't ever recall seeing anything like that when I traded things in . . . must be a slightly different program. If there isn't a kindle you want to buy before the end of the year you can probably find someone here who wants one and work it out with them.


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## The Hooded Claw

Processing the return order with my Kindles went well. So far, I'm not thrilled with how the second batch, with an iPad 1, iPad 2, original iPad Air, and Galaxy Note 3 is going. The iPads were in decent shape, in their original packaging, with cables. I rated them all as "Good," which I thought was being conservative. I had chosen to have downgraded items returned. The iPad 1 has been accepted and GC credit given. The iPad 2 is rated "unacceptable" and is being returned, the iPad Air is rated "acceptable" and being returned. Now I wish I'd accepted the lower price. I'm mystified at the iPad 2 being rejected entirely, and surprised by the downgrade of the Air.  The phone was in good shape with charger and no box. Based on the iPads, I'm not optimistic that it will be accepted, but we will see. I'm a bit worried about getting back my iPads with accoutrements in the condition I sent them, but will try to be optimistic.


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## The Hooded Claw

And my last item, my phone has been graded acceptable instead of good, and will be returned. I have to say these guys are fussy graders! Of four items in this second order, only one was ranked good. And I am not hard on my stuff. The only remaining drama now is to see that I get my stuff back in condition reasonably similar to how I shipped it. I'm also curious why my iPad 2 was rated unacceptable.


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## Ann in Arlington

The Hooded Claw said:


> And my last item, my phone has been graded acceptable instead of good, and will be returned. I have to say these guys are fussy graders! Of four items in this second order, only one was ranked good. And I am not hard on my stuff. The only remaining drama now is to see that I get my stuff back in condition reasonably similar to how I shipped it. I'm also curious why my iPad 2 was rated unacceptable.


Sorry to hear this, Claw. The only time I've returned stuff, I did each one as a separate trade in. . . . . never put more than one thing in a package. I have traded things other than kindles though -- a XOOM tablet and an ACER tablet+accessories.

Maybe the difference is in WHO is actually getting the items. They say it's third party companies that take the returns. Maybe that's the reason? Perhaps different receiving vendors are more or less 'picky'.

I've also NEVER asked for them to send the device back -- I have only ever done it because I wanted them OUT of the house and that seemed the easiest way. I wasn't as concerned about how much I got as not having them taking up space.


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## The Hooded Claw

I had been concerned that they might have an incentive to downgrade my stuff when it shouldn't be downgraded. I'm more penny pinching than Ann. But it backfired here. I will probably send this stuff right back at the lower grade.


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## Ann in Arlington

The Hooded Claw said:


> I had been concerned that they might have an incentive to downgrade my stuff when it shouldn't be downgraded. I'm more penny pinching than Ann. But it backfired here. I will probably send this stuff right backstage the lower grade.


Ya know! . . . . . . it might go to a different 'vendor' a second time and they won't down grade you.


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## The Hooded Claw

I thought I would give an update here. As mentioned previously, I was shocked that Amazon rejected several of my items as too liberally graded. I had asked them to return items that they wouldn't accept at the condition I'd estimated, so they did. Some of the griping I heard on the web suggested that items were returned with damage that hadn't been there originally, so I was a bit nervous. However I received my stuff back in good condition, with one minor complaint. They had stuck a tag on the original boxes that had permanent sticky stuff on it. I was unable to remove these tags without tearing off some of the print on the original Apple boxes. This annoyed me.

The box score total: I sent two Kindles, one I rated acceptable and one I rated good. They accepted both and gave me Amazon credit after a few days. I sent one smart phone which I graded good and they graded acceptable so they returned it. I sent three[!] iPads, one I rated like new and two I rated good. They accepted one of the goods, rated one of my iPads that I considered like new as acceptable, so they returned it, and one iPad that I rated good, they rated unacceptable! Both returned with only the box sticker issue mentioned above. I received credit for the one iPad they accepted after a few days.

The kicker to the story is that I took the "unacceptable" iPad to Best Buy and traded it in today. I did not say anything about the condition, but the lady in customer service who was evaluating it volunteered that it was in great shape! 

The executive summary is that I had a minor complaint about damage to my boxes, but overall considered the experience acceptable. But I do think they are really PITA evaluators for item condition!


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