Did you know that you can make money with a little help from a class action lawsuit that Apple is trying to avoid? Your repair shop can make some extra cash thanks to the Apple Nano recall for the iPod Nano 1st Generation and receive a brand new iPod Nano 6th Gen for free! It’s fairly simple, and you can make about $70 profit on each trade-in.
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iPod Nano Recall Background
So what is this all about? Apparently, some Chinese factory manufactured inferior batteries that could become too hot and potentially catch on fire. A few consumers notified Apple years later; this resulted in a recall.
This model is ancient (as far as technology is concerned), so Apple simply doesn’t have any more of the 1st generation Nanos to exchange and will send you an iPod Nano 6th Generation instead. They’ll even send you the prepaid box for you to return your 1st gen Nano in and pick up the FedEx Express return postage tab. They will also pay the cost of sending you the exchanged and refurbished unit via FedEx Express.
After sending in your iPod Nano, you will receive an upgraded iPod Nano 6th generation – for free.
1st Gen Apple Nano Recall Eligibility
Any condition is accepted. That means it could be fully functional or it could have been run over by a car and not be working.
You can check device eligibility by entering the serial number into Apple’s iPod Nano eligibility form on their website.
Again, if you’re worried because it can’t be turned on, has a broken screen, is water damaged or has significant damage – then stop! Apple will accept all devices, as long as they’re in one piece.
Why do they ask for serial numbers then? Simple because the 2nd and 3rd generation iPod Nanos look nearly identical to the 1st Gen and they want to make sure the correct device is being sent in for replacement.
Identifying an iPod Nano 1st Generation
On my very first buyback, I accidentally purchased an iPod Nano 2nd Gen (and lost a little bit of money in the process). Make sure you’re buying the correct model!
- 1st generations have a metallic back housing. They’re the only iPod Nano model that had this feature.
- They also have more of a square rounded housing as opposed to the later curved housing.
- The model number on the back should be A1137.
- The 2nd and 3rd generations have a solid color on the back as well as a curved housing.
- The LCD display is more square than later models, which are more rectangular and larger.
1st generation Nano front and back Pictures:
- Both pictures above are iPod Nano 1st Generations.
Locating iPod Nano 1st Generation for Recall Replacement
To find and buy used iPod Nano 1st Gen for resale, you can post ads on the following local websites:
Many of you are already posting ads for cell phone repair and other service on a daily basis, so it is as simple as adding the offer to your existing ads.
Two of the devices I exchanged were bought from a mother who saw my local city ad on Craigslist. The device belonged to her children, but they had both since moved out and are now in college. The first device was bought for $10 (didn’t power on) and the other for $20 (seemed to be fully functional). She responded within seven days of the original posting of the ad.
It took about 10 more days to get the third one for $20 (fully functional).
On a side note: buying these devices was relatively easy in comparison to buying used iPhones or other flagship models. No one really sees any perceived value in such an old model and the sellers we’re actually surprised that someone wanted to buy them.
How to File an iPod Nano 1st Generation Recall Claim
First you need to check if your Nano can be exchanged.
You can do this with the serial number on Apple’s website. Also, you’ll need to create an Apple login ID if you don’t already have one.
If the metal housing makes it hard to check serial numbers (they’re easily scratched), you can try the following:
- Hook it up to iTunes and get the serial number once connected.
- Open it up and get the serial number off it’s mainboard.
Next, using the Apple login ID, you will be able to submit the claim and they will send you a FedEx Express box(es) for each replacement claim that’ll be used to ship back the device to Apple within a few days.
Important Information:
- Make sure to match the correct serial number to the correct return box.
- You can ask Apple customer support to help with home pickup if needed.
- It will take two to three weeks before you receive your replacement iPod 6th Gen.
Selling iPod Nano 6th Gen Replacements
I was able to get $100 for each one of the replacement devices for a total of $300 on eBay.
I posted all three as a lot on a Buy-It-Now listing and it sold within one day.
After eBay, PayPal and shipping fees, the gross came to about $260. After paying $50 for all three, the profit was about $210! – Pretty darn easy!
eBay Selling Advice:
- Offer free shipping
- Offer to ship internationally to eBay’s fulfillment center. (Using this service, you simply have to ship domestically with the post office and eBay handles the extra shipping charges and liability to the final destination. Your liability is over once delivered to their facility.)
- Take nice pictures.
- Include a data cable and headset you have laying around. They use the same charger and headset as the iPhone 3g, 3gs, 4 and 4s.
- Sell the devices as soon as you get them. Price will eventually go down AND Apple only gives a 30-day warranty on the replacement devices.
- Require immediate payment.
There are not many iPod Nano 1st Generations still out there, but they do exist. However, posting an ad on local free advertisement sites will cause people to look for them. You’re not going to get rich off of this process, but in the end it’s an easy way to make several hundred dollars of extra income each month with just a little bit of effort!
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I’ve been doing this since it began and have sent in dozens. I usually don’t pay more than $2-10 each lol. Just got two new 7th Gens back 🙂 I did like the old ones as they could be used as watches, but the 7th gens are very nice as well.
Any idea for international replacement program? Will they ship overseas? Thanks for the info, sir
Are they still doing the recalls??
I got the notification for this a long time ago but had misplaced my iPod. I recently found it and tried to submit the serial number for verification, but the website won’t do anything. It will allow me to choose my country, but then when it asks to verify the serial number, the thinking wheel appears briefly to the right of the entry box and then nothing happens. If I enter the wrong number, it tells me it is not valid. I’ve tried multiple computers in different locations with three different browsers over several days, and no luck. Any thoughts?
Is this recall no longer in effect? I just located mine and tried to click to the Apple link and it isn’t available. 🙁
Try this link
https://www.apple.com/support/ipodnano_replacement/
It should get you to the main page.
Sorry – to clarify – I’m only having trouble with ONE Nano’s battery failing, and I’m only trying to return that one for recall. When that one didn’t go through, I checked two more of mine out of curiosity, and all were rejected. I have one more stuck away somewhere, and when I dig that one out I will probably check that one too.
Are you sure the items your submitting are iPod Nano 1st generation? 100% of 1st gen will be accepted!
Hi – I am aware of the program, and have kept my 1st gen because I like them too much. The battery has finally begun to not hold a charge long enough to be useful, so I decided to do the recall. I entered my serial number and Apple said mine was not covered. It absolutely is a 1st generation iPod Nano (A1137). I searched and read that only a portion of 1st generation iPods were covered, as they did not all have the defective battery. Is there anything you can add to the information you have already shared to figure this out? Thanks!
I haven’t heard of anyone being refused and through them saying “only a portion were covered” was just a smoke screen to minimize the problem from a consumers perspective.