Cracked screens welcome? Leak says T-Mobile is changing its trade-in rules

Don’t get rid of that damaged or broken phone, as it might have some value toward your next trade-in at T-Mobile. The carrier is reportedly making some changes to its trade-in promotions.

According to leaked documents obtained by The Mobile Report, T-Mobile will start accepting damaged and broken handsets for promotions. In those documents, three key points are outlined for what’s changing: Damage-based promo value, trade-in value-based eligibility, and IMEI usage on network requirement.

The first bullet point explains that damaged devices, such as those with cracked screens or liquid damage, are still eligible for trade-in. However, they’ll be eligible at a reduced value. It seems that broken devices and devices with liquid damage that still power on will receive 50% of the value they would have received if they were in good condition. Meanwhile, devices that don’t turn on or have Find My enabled will receive nothing. The table in the screenshot below helps break down how the payouts will work.

You’ll also notice that a tier system appears to be in place, which will determine your payout. What tier you fit into is likely based on your plan. For example, if you’re on the highest plan, Experience Beyond, you would fall under tier 1. If you’re on the Experience More plan, then you can expect a tier 2 payout.

It’s not quite clear what T-Mobile means with “trade-in value-based eligibility.” Presumably, this second bullet point indicates that devices not on the pre-approved list of eligible devices can still receive some of the promotional value. As the outlet points out, T-Mobile currently only offers the inherent value of the device if it’s not on the eligible list.

The final bullet point details a requirement you’ll need to meet before handing off your broken or damaged trade-in. Your device is reportedly required to have been used on the carrier’s network within the last 12 months, for at least 30 days. This requirement is likely to prevent fraud.

If T-Mobile does implement these changes, it looks like we won’t have to wait long to see them. The documents show that the company will reportedly launch two new promotions starting on October 2. One promotion will take in damaged and broken devices toward a Google Pixel flagship, while the other will take damaged and broken devices toward a Motorola flagship. Both promotions qualify for $1,000 off with an eligible trade-in, which means you could get $500 with your broken phone.

We have reached out to T-Mobile for comment. We will update this article with new information if we receive a response.