After being a longtime Apple user, having literally every kind of Apple product you can think of (Apple watch, MacBook Pro, iPad), I switched from an iPhone 6S to the latest Samsung Galaxy S21. It’s not a total loss though. I profited about $40. Was the switch worth it? Who knows. I’m still trying to figure out how to use an Android. But I’m just happy I got a phone that doesn’t need to charge 3 times a day and made $40 from the upgrade.

Why did I switch to Samsung? Why didn’t I just get the latest iPhone 12? Why couldn’t I have waited for a better deal?

That’s probably what you’re thinking, huh?

Well, every year, AT&T has a promotion to upgrade to a better phone. And usually I can trade in an iPhone to another iPhone. But I had a 4.5 y/o iPhone 6S that was becoming obsolete. So, after hearing Nick relentlessly harp on me to take advantage of this fabulous promotion, I have to trade in my phone now or else it’ll be worth nada the next year

AT&T’s current promotion:

My iPhone had a trade-in value of $35, so I could either get $800 credit for the Samsung S21 and its [what’s the word for other better types] OR I could get $350 credit for select Apple products (which includes the iPhone 12).

Obviously I’m gonna go for the $800 because I’m a miser, a penny-pinching Mr. Krabs and I don’t care so much about switching phones. I’m not the one who has to look at the green text messages (sorry iPhone friends and family). The S21 was $800, so with the $800 credit, the phone was basically free.

But I told you I made $40. 

Costco (gotta love Costco) was honoring AT&T’s promotion AND doing their own promotion on top of it. If you upgrade your phone through Costco, they give you two $50 Costco cards if you do the rebate. So, I bought the phone with them ($800 + $66 in tax) and did the rebate ($100) which came out to me earning about $40.

All I had left to do was trade-in my iPhone within 2 weeks of upgrading which wasn’t a problem… except that I was almost cheated $450.

The promotional code I got from Costco didn’t work, so I had to call Costco and AT&T to help me get my $800 credit. Costco couldn’t do anything about that because they were supposed to print my shipping label for me there, but they didn’t. And when I called AT&T to work it out with them, they told me my phone was only worth $350 EVEN THOUGH I got the Samsung S21.

I talked to two different AT&T reps (one to help me print the label and another to argue with me that my phone was worth $350 regardless). But I didn’t give up. Don’t give up if you are certain that you deserve what you get.

I called again and luckily, a nicer and more helpful lady helped me and looked into my case. When I told her the promotion that was written on their website, she confirmed it with me and gave me my $800 credit. This. We need more customer service folks like these who are willing to help us and not argue.

Moral of the story: be careful of being scammed, read the fine print, and if you know you are right, don’t be afraid to argue back and provide evidence if you can.