Factory reset before return to VZ for trade-in?

[kgilbertsen]

All set to send the beloved Note9 in to VZ after receiving the new phone. Do I perform a factory reset or what? I ask because the Verizon site says...

"Remove any activation locks on your old device, including Find My iPhone and Factory Reset, before you send it to us."

 

[Mooncatt]

Yes, you need to do this so they can re-purpose the phone. Sign out of all Google accounts first, then initiate a factory reset from the main settings menu to ensure factory reset protection isn't triggered. If you don't reset it, or reset from recovery without signing out of any Google accounts, you'll effectively be sending them an unusable brick that's not worth much.

 

[mustang7757]

Go to settings>general management>reset>factory reset and your done

 

[Laura Knotek]

Since it's a Samsung device, you will also need to sign out of your Samsung account prior to the Factory Data Reset.

 

[kgilbertsen]

Thanks.
I called Verizon and they told me BASICALLY the same thing. Except they said that signing out of the accounts wasn't necessary. I hope I didn't send back a bricked phone and lose $679 in trade-in... ****!

 

[mustang7757]

Thanks.
I called Verizon and they told me BASICALLY the same thing. Except they said that signing out of the accounts wasn't necessary. I hope I didn't send back a bricked phone and lose $679 in trade-in... ****!

Yeah you should be good to go with factory reset in settings

 

[kgilbertsen]

Yeah you should be good to go with factory reset in settings

That's good to hear! Thanks

 

[B. Diddy]

If possible, I would also see if you can bring your trade-in phone to an actual Verizon store and have them take care of sending the phone. I just recently dealt with an annoying headache on T-Mobile where I traded in my daughter's iPhone 8 for an iPhone 12, but since they didn't have the 12 in stock at the time, we waited for it to be shipped to us at home. Then I reset the iPhone 8, packed it up securely, and sent it via UPS using the mailing label they gave me. Everything seemed fine until I suddenly noticed I wasn't getting the bill credits for the new phone, and found out that the T-Mobile receiving facility was claiming that the phone screen didn't work, and therefore the trade-in promotion was void. Fortunately, after some wrangling on the phone, the T-Mobile rep said that the receiving facility could not produce photo evidence of the phone not working, and so they agreed to give me the original bill credits from the promo.

The important thing they told me is that if the trade-in phone had been sent by the T-Mobile store themselves (i.e., if they had the iPhone 12 in stock at the time and I could've finished the transaction when I brought the phone in the first time, proving to the store rep that the phone was working), then it wouldn't have been my responsibility at all if the receiving facility claimed the phone wasn't working (since it was working when I showed it to the store rep).

If you don't have any other choice than to mail your trade-in device, then I recommend taking multiple photos or a video of the phone's display working right before you pack it, and also show how secure your packing is. Then you could show that proof if they claimed that the phone was mishandled by you at some point.

 

[kgilbertsen]

If possible, I would also see if you can bring your trade-in phone to an actual Verizon store and have them take care of sending the phone. I just recently dealt with an annoying headache on T-Mobile where I traded in my daughter's iPhone 8 for an iPhone 12, but since they didn't have the 12 in stock at the time, we waited for it to be shipped to us at home. Then I reset the iPhone 8, packed it up securely, and sent it via UPS using the mailing label they gave me. Everything seemed fine until I suddenly noticed I wasn't getting the bill credits for the new phone, and found out that the T-Mobile receiving facility was claiming that the phone screen didn't work, and therefore the trade-in promotion was void. Fortunately, after some wrangling on the phone, the T-Mobile rep said that the receiving facility could not produce photo evidence of the phone not working, and so they agreed to give me the original bill credits from the promo.

The important thing they told me is that if the trade-in phone had been sent by the T-Mobile store themselves (i.e., if they had the iPhone 12 in stock at the time and I could've finished the transaction when I brought the phone in the first time, proving to the store rep that the phone was working), then it wouldn't have been my responsibility at all if the receiving facility claimed the phone wasn't working (since it was working when I showed it to the store rep).

If you don't have any other choice than to mail your trade-in device, then I recommend taking multiple photos or a video of the phone's display working right before you pack it, and also show how secure your packing is. Then you could show that proof if they claimed that the phone was mishandled by you at some point.

A very good recommendation. I'll see if I can drop it at the local store tomorrow. Thanks.

 

[kgilbertsen]

Local store wouldn't take on the responsibility. so it went via UPS - VZ received it and signed off on the full trade-in value as agreed so all is good .