Apple sends erroneous emails canceling trade-ins already processed

For some strange reason, some consumers who used a trade-in toward the purchase of a new iPhone model are receiving emailed notifications that their trade-ins have been cancelled even though they were processed months ago. According to a tweet from an "X" subscriber named Quinn (via MacRumors), he received the e-mail which has a heading from the iPhone Upgrade Program and in big print, the email says, "We never received your iPhone." It goes on to say, "Because you didn't trade-in your iPhone, we are unable to complete the trade-in process. The associated loan on this iPhone will resume."

Quinn's tweet, which includes a screenshot of the email along with other images, shows that the trade-in of his iPhone 14 Pro was completed. In addition to showing the images, Quinn wrote, "No but actually what is going on @Apple@AppleSupport? I got an email saying my trade-in from September was canceled and your Apple Store app is showing that too in one place, but not everywhere. Receipt of returned iPhone 14 Pro is below. I think there’s been a glitch."

No but actually what is going on @Apple@AppleSupport? I got an email saying my trade-in from September was canceled and your Apple Store app is showing that too in one place, but not everywhere. Receipt of returned iPhone 14 Pro is below. I think there’s been a glitch. https://t.co/VXnpg5I13spic.twitter.com/H2LtcHwijl

— Quinn (@quinneverett) April 25, 2024

Others who traded-in an iPhone toward the purchase of a new iPhone 15 series model also received similar emails from Apple. Most of them had sent in the device that they traded-in to Apple in September more than seven months ago. The Apple customers who received this email either handed in their older device in person at an Apple Store or shipped the phone directly to the tech giant. 

Apple requires that a device being traded-in be sent to the company by the customer within 14 days after he/she receives the new iPhone. With these emails being received now by customers who sent in their trades starting in mid-September, it surely feels like something went haywire on the tech giant's end. If you received one of these emails, make sure that you still have some proof that Apple received and credited you for the trade-in.

We would expect Apple to issue a statement about these erroneous emails pretty soon.