Denied Next Up upgrade

I was denied an upgrade through next up because I was told AT&T changed the terms and that phone had to be in brand new condition for the upgrade. The only damage on the phone is normal wear on the Plastic piece that frames the camera lenses. No damage to the phone itself or any part of the camera lenses, nothing. How could this be denied for an upgrade with Next Up? 

Hi @Reckless, we understand where your coming from and, let's get the help you need.

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I didn't think it was account specific necessarily, but device specific as I'm needing clarification on device upgrade based on condition. If there's nothing beyond the scope of AT&T outlined conditions, then what others damage or problems would apply? Is this a qualifying condition for trade in?

In order to upgrade early at the 50% Mark. You have to return your previous phone to AT&T and essentially pristine condition and working well.

Your photo alone shows that it is not. You may consider it normal wear and tear, AT&T apparently does not. 

Just looking at it, to me, that is one pretty beat up camera lens. If there's any other defect with its performance, that would disallow the return of that phone. If you upgrade and turn it in, AT&T would charge you the remaining installments on the phone on the next bill once they evaluate the phone and decide that it is not in good condition. 

The damage is on the camera bezel, not the camera lenses. There not another mark on this phone. It's had a case and screen protector from AT&T since the day it left the store. Apple considers damage to these to be normal wear and tear. No where does it say marks on the bezel disqualifies it for Next Up. 

What apple say.

Hi there, after reviewing your concern and trying to resolve through the Community Forums, it looks like you may need more account specific support.  To assist you best, we encourage you to review our Contact Us page (http://sm.att.com/6839ace6) to identify what method you’d prefer to reach out for this account level help.  You can call, chat, or reach out via social media, and we can review your specific issue and provide you support.  We’re sorry we weren’t able to resolve your concern directly in the forums, but let us know if we can assist with anything else.

We want to ensure the problem is resolved, and that is our top priority, and we are here to help until we do so.

Thank you for contacting AT&T Community Forums.

Rachel, AT&T Community Specialist.