I've never been sent a trade in package or been told I had to wait on one in all the years I've dealt with att. They send the new phone with my trade in paperwork. I sign the paper, I wrap the old phone up in some bubble wrap, and then I put the phone with the paperwork in the brown box . Tape it up, put the label on the box , and I send it. Never had any issues . I'm not trying to prove what the right process is. All I did was answer the question. If that's not the way the op chooses to send their trade in back then they don't have to because I honestly don't care either way. *Shrugs*