Garmin does not have a published trade-in program. But, read on because we may help you actually get decent upgrade from your old Garmin to a new Garmin smartwatch.
What is a trade-in program?
A trade-in program allows you to bring in an old Garmin smartwatch and exchange it for a new or refurbished smartwatch at heavily discounted prices.
Understandably, no smart manufacturer may advertise the trade-in program for obvious reasons. And, Garmin is no less different.
How to go about exchanging old Garmin smartwatch?
Garmin has its own set of committed users. And, Garmin smartwatches are elite, premium and costlier than other competing brands.
So, it would be prudent to consider some sort of Garmin support in exchanging an old Garmin smartwatch with a new Garmin watch.
For this to happen, we would suggest contact customer support team of Garmin. And, the contact must be made through phone.
Talk to the Garmin customer support on the line. Normally, the support team of Garmin smartwatches are extremely helpful. I would say that the intent of the Garmin customer support team is to always help the customer in achieving the desired goals.
Explain to the Garmin support about your intention to exchange an old Garmin watch with a new one.
From time to time, Garmin would have inventory they are willing to clear.
So, take a factual example. Right now, Garmin Fenix 8 is the contemporary smartwatch model in the Fenix series. However, Garmin does have Fenix 6 smartwatches in the inventory.
So, if you are willing to get an older variant backed with warranty, you could actually get the smartwatch at a hugely discounted price.
Why am I saying this? Can I back my claim or statement above with a certifiable proof?
Yes.
Here is a reddit thread about a user who succeeded in exchanging an old Garmin with a new one.
- The user contacted Garmin customer support team
- His Garmin watch was not working.
- He sought information about Garmin repair services for the non-working watch.
- Garmin support offered him Garmin Fenix 6 Sapphire edition (refurbished) in exchange of the old watch. He had to make an additional payment of $170.
- So, the user got his non-working Garmin smartwatch exchanged with a refurbished Garmin Fenix 6 by paying an additional sum of $170.
- Just to clarify, the user returned his non-functioning smartwatch to Garmin as part of the exchange.
You can refer to the Reddit thread that discusses the entire exchange on this page.
Why would you exchange for a refurbished program?
Some Garmin users may feel that the exchange with a refurbished smartwatch may not be a wise idea.
But, each customer has his or her own decision making process. In the case discussed above, the user was happy to get a Fenix 6 Sapphire for $170. Here are the actual comments left by the user on the thread.
As a potential Fenix user, you have an option to get a new Fenix 8 for close to $1000. Or, if you are happy (like this user), you could get a Fenix 6 Sapphire edition smartwatch (albeit refurbished) for $170. The choice rests with the user.
Is this available outside the US?
We are reasonably sure that the exchange offers are country-specific. The type of offer you would get in the US is unlikely to be available in another country. This can be partly explained on account of Garmin’s share of the smartwatch market in the United States.
It does not hurt to contact the customer support of Garmin in your country. You never know what may be offered to you.