Aggravating morning yesterday. Actually I’ve had an aggravating time with my entire trade in process with my Apple Watch. I decided to get the series 6 after Apple announced the Apple 7 watch. The biggest differences being a thinner screen and longer battery life, I didn’t need to wait. It was time for me to upgrade my watch so I did. The biggest thing I wanted was to keep my band from my series 5 purchase for my new watch. I like my band. I paid for the upgrade to the Milanese loop which is magnetic. This makes it very easy for me to take it off and on. When I found out I didn’t need to send the band in with the trade in, it was the clincher for my new purchase. My new watch came quickly. I took the band off my series 5 and put it on my series 6. Actually I didn’t, my aide did because I couldn’t press that small button to release the band from the watch lock.

The first issue came when I received a box for to send in my old watch for the trade in. I set it all up and we took it to a Fed-ex location immediately. I received a confirmation email showing proof of my shipment. Two days later, I received a second box to trade in the watch. Of course I got concerned so I called Apple. Why did a second box come? They didn’t have anything on file for the first box I shipped. There was no tracking number. To make things even worse, that email I received as proof I sent the box disappeared. It wasn’t in my email trash, in any of my other email files or anywhere else on my phone. The email just disappeared. I know I didn’t delete the message and I certainly didn’t delete it twice to remove it from my trash file. It was just gone. I was worried that my watch would be lost and I’d loose the trade in value. I sent it back via Fed-ex on a Saturday and it took a full week for it to show up in my account. I made many phone calls to Apple during the week nervous that my watch would be lost.

I think I would have been better lost. I got an email Tuesday morning that my trade in value was adjusted.

Trade-in

Your device: 

Watch Series 5 Aluminum 40MM

Trade-in value: 

$145.00

Revised trade-in value: 

$30.00

Payment method:

Apple Card

Reason:

Band does not lock to Apple Watch

WHAT???? The band was put on my watch the day I got it and was removed the day the series 6 came. I’ve NEVER had any issues with the band. I once again called Apple. I spoke to a very nice gentleman. I explained I never had any issues with my band. I never changed put my band since the day I received it, something isn’t right. After 45 minutes we were able to request a recheck on the initial evaluation with my explanation attached. There was no way my watch was broken. In less than an hour I received a response:

We’re following up on your inquiry concerning the condition of the device you sent using the trade-in kit supplied by Apple. It has been determined that no damage occurred to the device during shipment to Apple, or during its return shipment to you. Therefore, we cannot accept liability where condition of delivery has been confirmed.

My hands were tied. Either my aide broke the watch when she removed the band or they did but I can’t prove anything one way or the other. If I didn’t accept the new trade in value all I would do is get back my series 5 that is now broken. I could try to send back the series 6 (which is now out of the return window of 14 day) but they might not accept it even with the trade in value reason. Even if I got my series 5 back and returned the series 6 I still have a broken watch that I need to now fix. It was just so frustrating. I mean really, what could I do. So I accepted the ridiculous $30 trade in value. At least I still have a new watch with the band I like.

This was the first time I had a really bad experience with Apple. I felt like I really just had to accept what they said and I had no recourse. I felt taken advantage of being in a position that I could do nothing. I like the watch for another form of safety for me in case of a fall. My neurologist even agrees we should all have one. I don’t know what else I could have done to prevent this outcome. However, I did accept this outcome.