Amazon Trade-In Program is that you can exchange your old electronics with an Amazon gift card. Various items are eligible. Most of them are electronics but there are many videos games, books, and more. You can check if your item is eligible for the trade-in by clicking this link, scrolling down, and click “+, Find more item.” A window with a search box will pop up. Enter the name of your item to see if it’s eligible.
Although it’s described that your item will be exchanged with Amazon gift card, Amazon doesn’t send a physical gift card or digital claim code. Instead, they will add the amount to a gift card balance in your Amazon account. So, you can’t sell or give it to someone else.
An item you send for the trade-in has to match the exact version of the product in the search result. After you make sure it’s the right item, you need to describe the condition of your item. It’s not bothersome or complicated at all. Just choose yes or no on some questions such as “Does the device power on?” or “Are there any damage on the screen?” A number of questions vary by items.
When you answer the questions, a trade-in value display on the window. You also need to choose to accept or return, in case Amazon determine your item is in a lower condition than you described. For example, in the picture below, you think your tablet is worth $30 in trade-in value. If you click accept here, Amazon may give you only $5, which is the lowest possible payment for this item.
After your confirmation, Amazon issue a free shipping label. You need to pack it up yourself. If you want to do it later, you can access the shipping label to print out anytime in Your Trade-in page. You have 7 or 14 days (depending on items) to send the item from the day of submission.
Once amazon received the item, it will take 2 business days to issue a gift card if the item is accepted and meet the condition criteria you described. Some items are eligible for Instant Payment. You can receive the payment at the time of submission. Of course, you will have to send the item with a timeline Amazon specifies. Otherwise, Amazon will cancel the trade-in and withdraw the payment from your account.
There is a possibility that Amazon rejects the item. The reason for rejection will be seen in Your Trade-In page on your account. The item will be returned to you for free of charge.
As mentioned above, there is also a possibility that the item is eligible for the trade-in but downgrade due to the lower condition than you described. In this case, you automatically received a lower payment or have the item returned for free, whichever you chose when you submitted the trade-in.
Don’t forget to deregister items like smartphones, tablet, and smart speakers. A new owner has to register the item to his or her own account. If it’s already registered to someone else’s account, both you and the new owner may experience some issues. Here are the links for apple, android, amazon for deregistering.
Reportedly, some people experienced an issue related to the item’s condition. For example, a smartphone was sent to amazon for trade-in. The item was fully functional. But, when Amazon received and inspected it, they said it had severe damages and didn’t even meet the lowest condition criteria. He or she assumed it damaged during shipping and asked them to return it. The item was back. He or she checked the item and found out it had no damage at all. It was the same condition as one when it was sent out.
The same kind of issue may happen to your item. It may be wise to choose “Return it for free” when you send the item with the high trade-in value. If you choose “Accept the price”, you may end up receiving the lowest possible price.
If you upgrade the Amazon device, you should check if there is an extra offer. You may find the limited time offer to upgrade your Amazon device with a discount. For example, you have a deal of 25% off when you buy a current version of Amazon Kindle when you trade-in your older device. If your target is an expensive item like this one, a discount will be great. Click here to see more details.
Amazon Trade-in program is reliable and fast. There is no cost for shipping, returning or any kind of fee. Be aware that the payment will be directly added to your gift card in your Amazon account. So, you can’t transfer or give it to someone else. Don’t forget to deregister from your account if you sell electronics. When you upgrade your Amazon device, you may want to check an additional offer with trade-in to get a great discount.