Why is AT&T not responsible for the value of my trade in phone??

Okay, your not understanding. I have no problem paying the full price for the I phone 12.  I ended the contract. That does not mean that ATT just gets to keep the I phone XR.  For them to resell. So now they are getting paid for the 12 and the XR. Third party or not, the guy had an ATT shirt on in an ATT car, so they were clearly representing ATT. I’m paying full price for the 12, they can either return my property or pay me what it’s worth. Att didn’t buy the XR, I did!

Yes, we do understand completely. 

We also understand that every agreement has two parts and you didn't keep your part up. Because you canceled after 4 months you're not entitled to any further credits.  Next time read the deal and understand what happens if you cancel service. 

    AT&T doesn't have it.   When you turned it over, part of that agreement is you don't get the phone back. You signed an agreement to that effect. You also signed an agreement to get credits for as long as you had service, and if you cancelled service you would have to pay off the iPhone 12, and no more credits would be forthcoming from AT&T. 

   You may have initiated the deal with an AT&T person, but they don't keep the phone. The phone is sent directly to a third-party recycler called HYLA.  

  It has absolutely nothing to do with the phone anymore and absolutely everything to do with you not fulfilling your end of the deal. In order to get all of the credits you had to stay with At&t for the full term of the installments and you didn't

    You can fuss all you want but this is how the trade-in deal works. You can take this to arbitration (or small claims) and you will lose because all the documentation that AT&T has proves that you signed and agreed to this deal and they kept up their end to the letter, but you did not keep up yours.  

obviously you do not understand. I'm not asking for credits. Im not saying that i didnt break the contract and i am fully prepared to pay the full price for the phone that ATT gave me. That has nothing to do with I-phone XR that I paid for in full through sprint, that ATT took. the contract is null and void, Im paying for the new phone in full retail. Thats my penalty for breaking the contract. That does not give ATT the right to keep the value of my old phone for free.

PS your not half as smart as you think you are. 

What do you not understand? In order to get the credits the line has to remain active for the duration of the next installment agreement. If you do not fulfill that agreement you forfeit any additional credit, monthly or otherwise. You gave them the phone with the agreement to keep the line active for 30 months and in exchange they would issue you credits for the trade in. You broke the agreement, therefore voiding the promotion.  That give AT&T every right to not provide further credit. Read the terms of the promotion you signed. It is in black and white. 

Oh for gosh sakes, I posted the portion that applies to the situation. It's in black and white. The only way for you to get the value of the phone you traded in back was to stay with AT&T and pay your installments for the full 30 or 36 months.  You didn't.  So you don't. 

Read the entire deal.  

And if you don't believe us,  go pay a lawyer $300 and ask him to read the deal and tell you if you have a leg to stand on.

https://www.att.com/buy/legal/16700011

Key points ⬇️

  Activate/keep postpaid unlimited wireless service (min. $75/mo. for new unlimited customers before discounts).

• If you cancel wireless service, your credits will end and you’ll owe the remaining balance on the installment agreement for the device purchased.