Apple recycle dataserv issue

Hi guys

I have a problem with dataserv and am looking for some advice on how to resolve it.

I used the Apple reuse & recycle scheme to recycle 2 iPhone 4s phones for the quoted price of £110. I initially thought they where unlocked but after dataserv received them they informed me that they where locked to O2 and therefore the price would come down to £32. No problem I thought, I'll get my phone back. Turns out they want a £20 admin fee to return it! I called Apple to complain but they just said it was up to dataserv and gave me a contact number, I called that and was told that I would need to email their German branch!

Any ideas on what I can do to remove the £20 fee as it wasn't made clear that this what would happen if I didn't give the correct details for the phone?

Thanks in advance

Comments

  • Sorry to say this but you don't have a leg to stand on. I suspect a large chunk of the £20 'admin' fee covers the cost of shipping from Germany to UK. Consider this a painful lesson...
  • W1zz
    W1zz Posts: 621 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts Combo Breaker
    I considered recycling with Apple (Dataserv) as they were offering £210 for my iphone 5, where O2 were only offering £170.

    After a bit of research on Dataserv, I noticed the £20 admin fee to return a phone and that people reported they were offered much lower offers than the original quote. Dataserv often claims the phone is scratched (when users claim it was not). But if you do pay up the £20 to get your phone back, the phone does eventually come back with scratches. That weren't there when you sent it.

    In the end, I put my recycle in with O2 who's quote stood for 2 weeks, so I hung on to my phone as long as I could. They even sent me an email after about 10 days offering to extend the quote for a 3rd week, still at £170.

    I sent my phone off and received payment of £170 direct into my bank within 3 days of posting it.
  • jb66
    jb66 Posts: 1,705 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    They said my phone was locked, i emailed them and told them hey made a mistake and they then offered me full price
  • Maybe they have made a mistake with me. Was your phone previously on contract or bought sim unlocked?
  • jb66
    jb66 Posts: 1,705 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    It was locked to o2 but i asked o2 to unlock it
  • Well, I'm glad I didn't let this one lie! After complaining to Apple support they agreed that I was mislead and sent me an iPod shuffle as a gesture of goodwill. I called dataserv up for a second time and they agreed that they would send my phones back free of charge! :beer:
    I will definitely be more careful in the future but as far as I could tell the £20 return fee was hidden in the terms and conditions where as the disclaimer that they had the right to reduce the quote, based on incorrect information being received, was more obvious. Anyway alls well that ends well!
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