If you’re the type that upgrades your phone every couple of years, it’s not a bad idea to trade-in your old device before you do. This can help offset some of the new device’s costs. Plus, it helps you from cluttering up your room or drawer with old phones. Now, most carriers offer trade-in deals, but T-Mobile is making changes to theirs that might be worth checking out.
T-Mobile changes its trade-in deals
According to The Mobile Report, it obtained some leaked documents which suggest changes are coming to T-Mobile trade-in promos. One of those changes is that T-Mobile will start accepting broken devices. This includes phones with cracked screens or liquid damage. Obviously the overall value will not be the same as a non-damaged phone, but it’s better than nothing.
In the past, T-Mobile only accepted trade-ins for damaged devices from the low-end “free” 5G phone range. This change suggests that it will now accept damaged devices regardless of model. It also appears that damaged devices will only get 50% of the value compared to if it were in good condition.
But as always, there is a catch. For starters, the leaked document mentions something about “value-based eligibility.” It is unclear what this is referring to, but The Mobile Report speculates that it means devices not on a pre-approved list could still get you a promotional value. Secondly, the document suggests that the device needs to be used on T-Mobile’s network for at least 30 days over the last 12 months.
This means that the device you’re trying to trade in cannot be a super old device. We’re sure some of you might have a drawer of old and broken phones. This new requirement means that you can use the carrier’s promo to get rid of these devices, especially if you’ve not used them for more than a year.
Finally catching up
We’re not sure why it took T-Mobile this long, but its competitors like AT&T and Verizon have long accepted broken devices for trade-ins. Plus, their trade-in requirements aren’t as convoluted. For example, AT&T requires that a trade-in device’s inherent value be of a certain minimum. This is regardless of whether the device is damaged or not.
For Verizon, the carrier accepts trade-ins for damaged devices. It even gives full value towards the new device. The only catch is that it has to be on-network for 60 days, which is double T-Mobile’s 30-day requirement. Either way, if you’re a loyal T-Mobile customer, these upcoming changes could make your next smartphone purchase a little cheaper.
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