Carriers kill the iPad rebate programs they offered but rarely paid out on

T-Mobile logo (Image credit: iMore)

What you need to know

Both T-Mobile and Verizon have canned rebate programs related to iPads.
Customers were previously eligible for a $200 rebate.
Both carriers have had problems with the offer and customers have struggled to get their money.

Carriers T-Mobile and Verizon have canned iPad rebate programs that were supposed to give people money back when they signed up for service. The programs have come in for criticism of late, with customers saying that it simply didn't work and that getting the money was problematic.

Both T-Mobile and Verizon have now canceled the iPad rebate programs, as first spied by MacRumors. Of course, based on previous reports, it's debatable as to whether the programs ever ran in the first place.

In recent weeks, complaints from customers have emerged across social media regarding Verizon's and T-Mobile's rebate programs. If it worked according to plan, the program would give customers up to a $200 rebate when purchasing a cellular ‌iPad‌ and activating through Verizon and T-Mobile. Unfortunately, customers have faced a subpar experience with the program, often reporting being denied for the rebate for unclear reasons.

Far from the best iPad experience, the programs saw customers refused their rebate for various reasons with some finding that the carriers simply had no idea what the offer was, despite it being advertised on Apple's website. Given the poor publicity the deal has been garnering, it isn't immediately clear whether the carriers or Apple are behind the reason for its end.

Removed Ipad Rebate Screenshot (Image credit: MacRumors)

The programs have been running since the launch of the refreshed iPad Pro last year. Apple no longer mentions the rebate programs on its own website.

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.