Trade-Ins - Avalon will continue to honor our old customers providing trade-in programs of old generations units, FPGA, and in the future for first generation ASIC modules.
This strongly suggests that the trade-in credit is available only to people who are already Avalon customers.
Do not assume that you can buy someone else's FPGA and trade it in. ASK Avalon.
I know from the BFL policy that you do not need to be the original owner, I assume that avalon are planning the same.
The trade-in is designed to alleviate fears that your new purchase will become obsolete overnight.
If they hung their FPGA owners up to dry then people would be skeptical about ordering ASICs beyond the first few months for fear of a second generation blowing them out of the water soon after.
You can trade in towards an upgrade or you can sell it on the second hand market where the price *should* be near to the trade in value.