Here's Why You Shouldn't Get Your Apple Devices Engraved
While you can purchase your Apple products from third-party stores, many prefer to purchase them directly from the brand. When purchasing a new iPad or even a simple device like an AirTag from Apple's official website, you can personalize your product for free. This option becomes available once you choose the color, storage, and other details. At the time of writing, you can get an iPad, Apple Pencil (second generation), Apple Pencil Pro, and AirPods case engraved. From getting your favorite emoji combinations to getting your name engraved (or perhaps someone else's if you're purchasing it as a gift), the options are truly limitless.
Considering that Apple allows you to personalize your device completely free of charge, this offer can be incredibly tempting (the writer fell victim to it as well). After all, you're just getting a mix of emojis, numbers, or text engraved on your device –- what's the absolute worst that could happen? However, like the incredibly cliche statement, all that glitters is not gold. Although engraving your devices is a great way to personalize them, stand out from the crowd, and differentiate them from the rest, there are quite a few reasons why you should think twice before doing so. Below, we will explore those reasons to help you decide whether getting your device engraved is worth it.
Trading in or reselling your device can become a pain
Getting your device engraved reduces the chances of a thief being able to sell your device. Since many people tend to get their full names, emails, or contact details engraved on their devices, identifying a device when a thief tries to sell it can become quite simple. Besides, most buyers don't want to purchase an Apple device with someone else's personal details engraved.
While this is undeniably a benefit, reverse the roles and think about it the other way around. If it'd be tougher for a thief to resell your device, it'd be equally as challenging for you to sell your device. While Apple states that engraving your device doesn't impact trade-in values with Apple (unless it's a third-party engraving), the final amount you'd get depends on the condition of your iPad, and there's a chance that Apple may reduce the initial trade-in quote due to the engraving.
In addition, you can't trade in AirPods, AirTags, or an Apple Pencils. In such cases, your only option is to sell your Apple device directly to someone you know or via a platform like Facebook Marketplace. Unfortunately, this would come with its own set of challenges, as most buyers would much rather get a device that isn't engraved.
So, if you're someone who tends to upgrade their devices every time a new one is released, you're better off not getting your device engraved. If you really do want to get it engraved and plan on selling or trading it in, we'd recommend getting something generic engraved instead of your name!
You may have to wait longer for engraved device, and it may be disappointing
You can only get your Apple device engraved if you order it via Apple's official website. You can't engrave a device from Apple once you've placed the order, and you can't get your device engraved by visiting an Apple store in person. So, your only option is to pick the free engraving when you're placing your order.
Depending on where you live, you may have to wait longer for your product to reach you if you decide to get it personalized. Initially, my iPad and second-generation Apple Pencil were estimated to arrive in three days without engraving. However, after deciding to add engraving, the estimated arrival date changed to a week later. So, if you're planning to gift a friend or family member with an engraved device for a special occasion, it would be wise to place your order well in advance or not get it engraved at all in case they decide to not keep the device.
Your personalized device may not even be worth the wait. At times, the engraving on your Apple device can be extremely underwhelming and will make you wonder whether getting it engraved was worth the longer delivery time and the lower resale value. While the engraving on my Apple Pencil is quite noticeable and I'm satisfied with it, the engraving on my iPad was simply disappointing. I wouldn't be exaggerating if I said that most wouldn't even notice that I got "$$$" engraved if I didn't point it out. The engraving was much smaller than I expected; however, I did get a Space Gray iPad, because of which the engraving does get lost a bit.
An exchange may not always be possible
According to Apple's Returns and Refunds page, personalized items, including engraved devices, cannot be exchanged in-store. Instead, such devices can only be returned online, and you will receive a complete refund. While the site does clearly state it, they may refuse to refund your device once it has been shipped. I experienced this firsthand and was unable to refund my iPad and Apple Pencil. Although I was yet to open my package, the website displayed that "Your order is no longer eligible for return" once I clicked the "Check return eligibility" button. This occurred on the same day I received my order, which was within the 14-day period from the date of receipt.
A lot of people do state that Apple may accept an engraved device if there was a defect or hardware issue from its end. So, refunds are probably evaluated on a case-by-case basis. However, if you would like to stay on the safe side and avoid facing such a situation entirely, it may be worth not getting your device engraved altogether.