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Apple launches its in-store trade-in program for Macs
You can now trade in your old Mac at the Apple Store rather than through the mail.
Sonos kills its device-bricking 'recycle mode'
Sonos has been under fire lately for the way it has handled a few decisions around its oldest products. Last fall, the company introduced a "trade up" program -- if you owned one of Sonos' oldest products, you could send it in to the company and get 30 percent off new gear. However, to get the discount, you had to put your old products in "recycle mode," a setting that would permanently make them unable to connect to a network or work with other Sonos gear. Today, the company is reversing course. A Sonos spokesperson confirmed that the Trade Up program will continue, but recycling mode is no more. If you want to get the 30 percent discount, you just need to prove you own one of the eligible "legacy" products by validating its serial number. Once that's done, you can apply the discount to anything Sonos is currently selling at its online store. Indeed, the "Trade Up" name isn't exactly accurate, because you can continue using the legacy hardware as long as you want. Sonos says you can give it to a friend, keep using it yourself, sell it, recycle it, send it to them -- it doesn't matter. Unfortunately, if you've already set some products to recycle mode, you can't reverse it, but said customers in that situation should contact its customer service team.
Walmart is offering up to $450 back on flagship Apple and Samsung phones
In exchange for buying a new phone, Walmart is offering customers up to $450 in eGift cards this Black Friday. You can get up to another $250 in eGift cards with a qualifying trade in.
Sonos offers its early adopters a 30 percent trade-in offer on new speakers
If you've been hanging onto an old Sonos speaker for forever but have been interested in switching to a recent model such as Move, One or Port, the company might tempt you further with its Trade Up program. If you have an eligible speaker, you can claim 30 percent off a new one and recycle your existing product.
Samsung opens up Galaxy Note 10 reservations before official reveal
Samsung has opened up Galaxy Note 10 reservations a couple of weeks ahead of officially revealing the phone at its Unpacked event on August 7th. You can submit your name and contact details to make sure you have early access to pre-orders, and if you do reserve a spot by August 7th, you'll receive $50 credit towards certain devices and accessories.
GoPro's latest trade-in program will take any digital camera
GoPro really needs you to buy its action cameras, and it's trying an uncommon take on a familiar strategy to make that happen. The company has introduced a TradeUp program in the US that gives you a discount of $50 on a Hero 6 Black or $100 on a Fusion if you trade in your old digital camera... no matter who made it. So long as the camera was worth at least $99.99 when new, you'll get that same discount. You'll clearly get more value out of this by trading in a point-and-shoot or early GoPro instead of a DSLR, but it's a good way to get rid of a device that would otherwise gather dust in the closet.
Redbox owner buys phone trade-in company to get away from DVDs
If you owned Redbox and faced a slowly declining disc-based movie rental business, what would you do? Diversify so that you're not rendered obsolete by internet video? If so, you're not alone. Outerwall (Redbox's parent company) has bought the phone trade-in firm Gazelle for a relatively modest $18 million. The deal gives it an online counterpart to EcoATM, its kiosk-based trade-in outfit -- the hope is that it'll catch those customers who'd rather not leave home to sell an old device. The shift in strategy may seem odd at first blush, but it makes sense given that Outerwall didn't have much success dragging Redbox into the streaming era.
T-Mobile trade-in promo gets you an iPhone 6s for $5 per month
You can be sure that carriers will be trying hard to get your iPhone 6s purchase when the device launches on September 25th, but T-Mobile may be trying harder than most. It's launching a promotion that day which will drop the cost of an iPhone 6s when you trade in your old iPhone and go with the network's Jump On Demand upgrade program. If you hand in an iPhone 6, you'll pay as little as $5 per month for the new handset; turn in that 'old' iPhone 5s and you'll get the 6s for a still-reasonable $10 per month. Giving up any other device will lower the payments to $15 per month. You can pay more if you want something beyond the base model, of course. While you'll likely want to look at Apple's own installment plan if you insist on a factory-unlocked iPhone, the rate is low enough that it may well lure you away from Sprint and other providers with Apple-specific deals.
Microsoft will give you cash to ditch your old Surface for a new one
Haven't had much luck offloading your older Surface to help pay for a Surface 3? Microsoft thinks it can help. Similar to its Surface Pro-oriented effort from a few months ago, it's launching a US trade-in program that will give you up to $150 toward a Surface 3 if you turn in a Surface RT or Surface 2. The discount likely won't compare to what you'll get if you drive a hard bargain on Craigslist or eBay, but it's guaranteed cash -- if you're only concerned with upgrading to the latest tablet as painlessly as possible, it might do the trick. Just be sure to decide quickly, since you have to give up your old device by May 31st.
Apple lets you trade in some of its rivals' smartphones
Yes, the rumors of Apple expanding its trade-in program were true -- the company's stores (both online and retail) are now willing to take your competing smartphone in return for credit toward a new iPhone. If you live in Canada, France, Italy, the UK or the US, you can trade in certain Android, BlackBerry and Windows Phone devices (the BlackBerry Z10, Lumia 1020 and Nexus 5 are among the examples). We can't imagine that you'll be too eager to use this option -- you may either remain loyal to a platform, or can find a buyer who'll offer more -- but it could be useful if you're determined to ditch an old phone in an eco-friendly way. Just be sure to call if you're going to try this soon. We've reached out to a number of stores, and only a few were aware that non-iPhone trade-ins were live. It could take some time before every store is up to speed. Photo by Will Lipman.
Bloomberg: Apple will let Foxconn buy and resell used iPhones in China
Thanks to the consistently high local demand, the iPhone resell business is rather lucrative in China, to the point where even the company who actually manufactures the devices wants in as well. According to Bloomberg, Apple is about to launch an iPhone trade-in program in China (we're surprised that it's taken this long, to be honest), but it'll be Foxconn on the receiving end. Basically, the OEM giant will buy the used iPhones directly, before refurbishing and then reselling them on its own online stores plus Taobao, China's popular eBay-like platform. Bloomberg's source added that the chain may extend to physical stores as well.
Apple's trade-in policy may soon include gift cards for rival devices
Apple's not exactly new to courting Android fans, but a reported change to its trade-in policy could finally get owners of other smartphones pledging allegiance to Cupertino. The usual slew of unnamed sources told 9to5Mac that Apple will soon allow customers to swap non-Apple smartphones for gift cards in-store, just like people can currently do with old iPhones, iPads and Macs. If 9to5's report holds true, retail employees are already being trained on the particulars of the process now, and you'll be able to ditch your old gear in one of the company's well-lit glass shrines in the coming weeks.
Microsoft is offering money for your old Surface (if you buy a new one)
Still have a Surface RT that you relegated to the closet after you realized that it couldn't run "real" Windows apps? Don't send that tablet to the recyclers just yet -- it might just get you some credit toward a much more useful model. Microsoft is running a US promotion that will let you trade in any Surface by March 8th and get cash toward the purchase of a Surface Pro 3. So long as the outgoing device is in good working order, you'll get as much as $650 off a shiny new slate -- if it's one of the more recent ones.
BlackBerry offers up to $550 if you ditch your iPhone for a Passport
If the industry based its grades solely on effort, there's no doubt BlackBerry would be among the first top spots. Now, whether or not those efforts are actually effective, well, that's a completely different story. Since its notable decline, the Canadian company's had to get creative to try and bring back customers it lost, namely to other competitors in the mobile space like Google and Apple. With that in mind, BlackBerry has a introduced the Trade-Up Program, which it intends to use to convince iPhone users to trade in their device for its flagship smartphone, the Passport.
Amazon's iPhone trade-in program is tough to beat
If history is any indication, the Apple masses sometime in late September will begin lining up at Apple retail stores around the globe in order to get their hands on the iPhone 6. And like clockwork, once a new iPhone is unveiled, consumers begin clamoring for ways to sell or trade-in their current device for cash. While Gazelle is perhaps the most well-known outlet for users to trade in their old devices, folks interested in getting the most bang for their iPhone might want to consider Amazon's trade-in program. As opposed to some places which off you straight up cold hard cash, Amazon offers users -- surprise surprise -- Amazon gift cards. But seeing as how one can purchase anything under the sun from Amazon, it's arguably just as beneficial as cash. The Wall Street Journal today ran a piece detailing where users can get the most out of their older model iPhones and Amazon, almost across the board, came out on top every time. As an illustrative example, an absolutely flawless and pristine 16GB iPhone 5 on AT&T will net you $170 from Gazelle whereas the same model in "Good" condition will net you about $160. In contrast, take a look at what you can get from Amazon: $191 if the phone is like new and $174 if the phone is in "good" condition. You'll be hard pressed to find a better deal. Now if you're dead set on receiving cash, you might want to consider, in addition to Gazelle, Next Worth and Glyde. Amazon's trade-in page for iPhones can be accessed here.
GameStop confirms new four-tiered trade-in pricing policy
GameStop announced a new trade-in pricing policy today, which simplifies the company's current pre-owned purchasing structure. Set to launch August 18, the program will enforce four price points "depending on whether a customer chooses cash or in-store credit for their items and whether they are a PowerUp Rewards Pro member," the announcement states. The announcement serves as a confirmation of last week's report of an incoming change to GameStop's trade-in program, which stated that the flat rates for traded goods would rise by 20 percent, on average. As an example, GameStop noted that a game valued at $20 would be bumped to $22 for PowerUp Rewards Pro members that opt to receive in-store credit and drop to $16 for non-members only seeking cash for their games. GameStop's senior VP for pre-owned business Jason Cochran said the previous trade-in structure included 10 different price points. [Image: GameStop]
Report: GameStop to revamp 'complex' trade-in program
Hot on the heels of word that fewer than half of the people who walk into GameStop are aware of the company's lucrative game trading program comes word that the ubiquitous video game retailer is looking to make that program less complicated and more generous. According to documents obtained by Kotaku, come August 18, GameStop plans to strip out its deluge of trade-in promotions in favor of a flat rate that is, on average, 20 percent higher than what the store was offering customers previously. The store's Power Up Rewards card will continue to offer users a 10 percent bonus on trade transactions (whether cash or store credit), but pre-orders and extraneous services such as Game Informer subscriptions will no longer offer a trade-in bonus. "By eliminating the higher end price of products we buy and raising the lower end, we are able to raise the overall value the customers will receive," explains one of the internal documents cited by Kotaku. "With this program, we will not have complex multi-tiered trade promotions for the associates to remember and less math for the customer to understand what they are getting for their games." [Image: GameStop]
GameStop now offers 20 percent more cash for your old titles
Between pre-orders, promotions and credit offers, it feels as if you need a PhD in economics just to trade-in used games. Thankfully, GameStop has decided to simplify its arcane pricing structure and, best of all, increase the price of each trade by 20 percent. According to documents leaked to Kotaku, you'll get the "optimal value" for each title, the only difference being if you take credit and/or have a Power Up Rewards subscription. In the example, an untitled game that you could swap for $29 in cash would be worth $37.70 if you took credit and were part of the rewards program. According to the slides, the new rules will start on August 18th, and you'll know the staff have been given the new details if they ask you "when's the last time we bought some of your items?" The correct answer, of course, is to wink, pause a moment and then say "In London, April is a spring month."
Fewer than half of GameStop customers know about trades
If you're a regular shopper at GameStop, you've probably heard it more times than you can count. If you've worked there, you might know the line by heart. "Thank you for choosing GameStop, where we buy and sell used games, how can I help you?" Although that phrase - and slight variants - might feel to us like they get repeated ad nauseum, GameStop president Tony Bartel told VentureBeat that only 40 percent of the retailer's customers know they can trade in their old products for in-store credit or cash. Bartel says even fewer know they can trade in mobile devices like phones and tablets. Despite fewer than half of its customers knowing about trade-in options, VentureBeat reports that GameStop saw $1.2 billion in trade credit spent in-store annually, with Bartel claiming that 70 percent of trade credit goes toward purchasing new games. Hey, that reminds us: The Last of Us Remastered is coming out on Tuesday, and GameStop is offering 50 percent off when you trade in a PS3 copy of The Last of Us. You know you can trade in your old games, right? [Image: GameStop]
Apple brings official iPhone trade-in to Italy
Apple's iPhone trade-in program is officially coming to Italy. The service is now being advertised on the company's official Apple Store app, though notice has apparently not hit its websites yet. Under Apple's trade-in program users can exchange an old iPhone -- going back to the 3G -- for credit towards the purchase of a current model iPhone. The iPhone trade-in program is currently only available in the US, Canada, Spain, Germany, France, and the UK. The expansion of the program into Italy could signal that Apple will be bringing it to more countries in the near future.
