Hey guys! Hope everyone is doing well. After seeing the thread posted by Philippe, I noticed a plethora of comments saying if their device was going to work even though its “x” years old or a certain model. For those that aren’t familiar there are alternatives if your device does not make the cut of devices listed in the link provided in that thread.
The point of this thread is to give those who don’t know a work around of their current issue if the so desire to pursue getting a new/used device. I will list two websites that I’ve worked with as a customer. As an Apple diehard, I can assure you that both of these companies are not scams and were highly recommended by multiple Apple personnel.
The first website called Gazelle, specializes in Trade-In Cell Phones and other Electronics for cash. Again, I have only traded in Apple devices so I will only speak in terms of what I know and have experienced. The website is pretty self explanatory. You select that you want to Sell your device. What this means is that you are not selling it to an individual but rather to the company who will either refurbish your device and sell it back on their website for profit or they will scrap it based on the condition that the device is in and use it for parts. I will drop a link below for easy access if this is something that you wish to pursue. When I traded in my iPad 4 a little more than 2 months ago I got $90 for it. Once I sent it out to their facility, through following their detailed instructions, it took between 2-3 weeks to get an emailed Apple Store (In-Store) gift card. Keep in mind that this is not an iTunes or App Store gift card.
Link to Gazelle
The next site is directly from Apple. Very similar process to Gazelle, except this is strictly for Apple devices. iPads, iPods, iPhones, and Macs. I sent in an old 2013 MacBook Pro through the link provided on the Apple site, and got $390 in return. Again this monetary value was sent in the form of an electronic gift card emailed to me about 3 weeks after sending it in the mail. Similar to Gazelle, the device(s) is either refurbished to be put back on the market if the condition is as you say or better, or the device will be scrapped for parts/materials. If you are redirected to either of these companies: Brightstar, Phobio, or Sims Recycling Solutions, you are on the right track. Those three companies have contracts with Apple.
Link to Apple
Hopefully this will give some relief to those that are worried about their device not making the cut. Keep in mind you can sell back as many devices you wish to “trade-in”. After I completed these transactions, I ended up getting myself an iPad Pro 10.5" for about 1/2 the cost of what it would normally cost. Now you don’t have to get the 10.5" as I was using that as my personal example, but you could essentially get a brand new 2017 iPad for free by trading in old devices sitting around the house.
I am not responsible for you trading in your parents phones, tablets, or computers. 😁