Trading an older phone for a massive discount on a new Galaxy device is how many Samsung customers upgrade their smartphones regularly without burning a hole in their pockets. Or at least, that is true in markets where Samsung offers decent trade-in values. But there are a few stories about Samsung's trade-in process not going as smoothly as it should and customers being charged extra due to misunderstandings.
Samsung offers different trade-in values for devices in good condition and those with a cracked display or other defects. And as a handful of customers recently shared on the Samsung subreddit, some of the company's process centers may mistake a good-condition device for a cracked one and charge extra. There are quite a few stories about Samsung (and other companies, like Google) doing this, and it could be due to human error or damage that may have occurred during shipping.
As far as Samsung's trade-in program goes, a phone is in “Good condition” if it meets the following criteria:
- The phone turns on and boots normally
- The charging port works for both data transfer and charging
- Software locks are enabled, accounts are removed, and the device is factory reset
- The camera works and the lenses are damage-free
- The screen and body are not cracked
- The phone is not on a banned list
NOTE: If you need to fully factory reset your Galaxy phone and remove your accounts, don't do it through Recovery Mode. Check out our step-by-step guide for more information.
Make sure you keep proof of your trade-in phone's condition
The best way to avoid issues when trading in an older phone for a discount is to keep proof of your device's condition before shipping. Recording an uninterrupted video of the packaging process before sending the trade-in device to Samsung can't hurt. Proof of the phone's condition can be attached to the email destined for Samsung and clear up any confusion promptly.
Some users have said they were charged extra for no reason, but they were lucky enough to clear things up with Samsung without even providing photos or videos as proof. So it seems like Samsung isn't unreasonable if errors during the trade-in process occur.
Nevertheless, it's better to be safe than sorry, so if you plan on getting a massive discount on the Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23+, or Galaxy S23 Ultra (or any other Samsung device) by trading in an older phone, make sure you package it correctly and take a few photos or a video, just in case you need them later on.
