Here’s How Apple’s iPhone ‘Reuse and Recycle’ Trade-In Program Will Work

Yesterday, we reported that Apple has started training its retail store employees for its upcoming iPhone trade-in program. Today, the folks over at 9to5Mac have detailed how the trade-in program will allow an iPhone user to exchange an older iPhone model for a new one at a discounted price, once it begins rolling out in select Apple Stores on August 30th.

Trade

Marketed as the “iPhone Reuse and Recycle Program”, Apple will launch its iPhone trade-in program this Friday. The program, a larger scale rollout of which will commence during the month of September, applies to standard as well as business iPhone customers that want to purchase a newer model iPhone.

Here’s how the iPhone trade-in program will work:

  1. A customer tells an Apple Store employee that he/she would like to purchase a new iPhone and trade-in his/her older model. The new iPhone must be an on-contract phone and it must be activated on scene.
  2. The Apple Store representative enters information about the customer’s iPhone into an application installed on their mobile EasyPay devices. The EasyPay is normally the device that you will see Apple Store employees carrying around in order to facilitate purchases.
  3. Based on the information inputted into the EasyPay, a value for the old iPhone will be provided to the customer. The value will be created based on the following specifics about the old iPhone: Display quality, button quality, overall hardware damage, engraving, liquid damage, and being able to be powered on and used normally.
  4. The Apple Store employee will then tell the customer that his/her phone could not be given back once they agree to the provided terms and conditions.
  5. However, the customer will be given the opportunity to backup his/her iPhone before turning it in.
  6. The Apple Store employee will then provide the customer with their new iPhone, a gift card with the value amount to be paid towards the new iPhone, and a plastic bag. The gift card must be used at that time towards the new phone and it cannot be used toward other products.
  7. The Apple Store employee will then process the transaction for the new iPhone and place the old iPhone in the plastic bag.
  8. The old SIM card will be given to the customer and the Apple Store employee will offer to setup the new iPhone.

The source notes that the traded in iPhones will be packed up into large cardboard boxes to be shipped to BrightStar for processing. As part of promoting its dedication to the United States, Apple will recycle these iPhones for use in the United States only.

Furrthermore, devices eligible for both the trade-in and recycling aspects of the program include iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, and iPhone 5. The program will be supported in the United States first, and may also reach international markets, including Canada, in the near future.

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