A Common Theme?

Having read these reviews and with my own recent experience there seems to be a common theme running through using this company for trading in iPhones. I have to say that I would strongly recommend against using them for trading in this type of handset.

As with other reviewers, I have recently tried to use RPC Recycle to trade in my 2 year old, very well looked after, iPhone 4S having just upgraded. Also in common with other reviewers I find myself in the position of being offered £186 via the website for my phone by this company only for them to claim that the handset did not meet their top valuation condition.

After receiving my phone, they initially offered £130.20 for the handset claiming that the phone was subject to excessive wear and tear and damage to the camera where the camera surround was partially covering the lens. I agree my phone has a couple of slight cosmetic scratches to the glass (of the type where you can spot them if you really look hard enough or the light catches them) but am still mystified about the camera fault they are reporting until I receive the phone back to look at myself (I have photos taken on the phone a week or so before I traded it in which show no issues). I guess transport damage is a possibility that I have to consider but with all the bubblewrap I used to package this I find that unlikely.

My primary issue is that the criteria the company is using to assess my handset do not seem to bear the slightest resemblance to those published on their website. The website states that to receive the full value the phone should be in good cosmetic condition and fully operational. I fail to see how my handset does not meet their published standards unless “good cosmetic condition” means that it should look like it has just left the factory. I also believe that the phone was fully operational with me using all functions of this handset until a week or so ago with no problems.

Having spoken to their customers services this morning and then to a manager, they have increased their offer from the initial £130.20, first to £150 and then finally to £165. I find myself in the position now that, despite the revised figure, I feel I cannot accept this due to the way I feel I have been treated by this company. It is probably going to end up hitting me in the pocket but, out of principal, I would rather not allow this company to make profit from my phone. It feels like this company attract you with the headline figures on their website before offering a significantly lower value hoping that people accept this rather than arguing having already paid out to ship the phone to them.

As with anything I do I had a good search around for the best place to recycle my phone and this company seemed to receive reasonable reviews on the sites I looked at and came out with an offer very slightly higher than the companies I have used previously. How wrong I was to go with this company. I am not often moved to writing reviews for companies unless I receive exceptionally good service or, as in this case, an exceptionally bad experience.