It's been rumored for weeks and tested in some stores, but on
Friday Apple officially launched its in-store trade in program for used
iPhones. Under the program called "iPhone Reuse and Recycling
Program," Apple will offer an in-store credit for used iPhones good
towards the purchase of a new one.
CNBC broke the story, but Wired reported that
Apple is working the program through BrightStar, a
services company specializing in the mobile market. Apple Store retail
employees will enter details about your iPhone into an Apple app on their
iPhones and get a real-time quote from BrightStar.
If you accept the deal, your iPhone will be wiped on the spot in
front of you. If you don't like the price, no harm and no foul, and you're free
to leave and take your iPhone with you.
9to5Mac noted that current prices—and realize that these prices will
fluctuate according to market conditions—are thus:
·
$120-$140 for a GSM 8GB iPhone 4
·
$80 for the CDMA version of the same phone
Apple's program launches just a few weeks ahead of Apple's
rumored launch of the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C. This gives Apple's retail staff
time to get familiar with the program before being inundated with trade-in
demand for the new devices.
One note: I've seen several pieces questioning
whether or not Apple can be successful with this program considering the
crowded space—Gazelle, Amazon, Verizon, AT&T, Best
Buy, and many others offer similar services.
The problem is that those questions are idiotic. Apple is going
to quickly become the biggest player in this market for two reasons.
The first is that we're talking about Apple, but the biggest
reason is Apple's line of retail stores. Those retail stores see a ton of foot
traffic already. On average, those customers will be far, far more comfortable trading in their iPhones in
an Apple Store than they would be with any of the mail-centered operations.
No questions, no wondering, and no waiting. That's the makings
of a solid customer experience.
This isn't to say that Gazelle can't continue to do well or that Amazon will be chased away, but Apple is going to
do a very brisk business in these trade-in devices. More specifically, it will
dwarf these competitors in little or no time.
Source:http://www.macobserver.com
Except the other sites give you cash (so you can buy a real phone) and the genius bar/apple store will keep its blood suckers attached until you file for bankruptcy and your family leaves you.
ReplyDeleteWise up. Get an Android.
Nexus 4 - $200 new from the Google Play Store.
I'm using a Samsung Galaxy Note 2