Be careful including a trade-in with your Google Store purchase because you could get burned
If you have a Pixel 5 that has been sitting inside a desk drawer, the U.K. Google Store will give you a credit of £454 ($618.75) with the purchase of a phone in the Pixel 9 line. That’s pretty good for a phone with a mid-range processor that was released in 2020.
The Google Store U.K. has a special promotion offering buyers of Pixel 9 models higher trade-in values. | Image credit-Google
While the promotion might lead some consumers desiring a new Pixel to take advantage of Google’s largesse, you need to be careful. The company handling this deal for Google is PCS Wireless and it will examine a device sent as part of a trade-in deal. If PCS determines that the true value of the phone is less than 75% of the estimated value, it will send the trade-in back to the buyer and no credit for it will be issued.
On the other hand, should PCS determine that the value of the trade is worth 75% of the estimate but less than 100%, you will have to accept that amount and you’ll be charged for the remaining amount of the phone that you owe. There is no appeal process. The U.S. Google Store also uses PCS Wireless to help with trade-in deals, so keep in mind that if the phone you send in is valued 75%-99% of the estimate, you won’t get your phone back and you’ll be asked to pay the 1% to 25% cost of you new Pixel 9 model that won’t be covered your trade.
