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Pandemic Return Policy Question

J

JamesGoodman

macrumors regular
Original poster
Dec 3, 2015
111
96
Anyone have a firm understanding of the current return policy for MacBooks. Suffering with the butterfly keyboard for all the years since the first 12 MacBook was released (but not needing a 16 inch laptop) I bought the new Air shortly after it was released a few weeks ago. All the Apple Stores in NYC were already closed. Had I known the Pro was going to be released today, I might have waited. It is more than a month since I bought the Air, but I have read that people who bought during the period in which the stores are closed will have two weeks AFTER the stores reopen to return or exchange. Can that possibly be true?

Thanks for anyone who understands the pandemic return policy.
 
Deeddawg is incorrect. You can either mail it back in, OR you can wait until the stores reopen, with which you will have the 14 day return policy to return in store after they reopen. This is right on Apple's Temporary Retail Closure FAQ. "
Q. How can I return an order I bought online while under shelter in place orders?
A: Start a return online at apple.com/orderstatus, where you can create a return shipping label to ship your product from a drop off point or schedule a pickup at your location. You can also return your product to an Apple Store within 14 days of the store's reopening."

I don't know how so many people get this wrong. It's literally on their Retail FAQ, but people keep misstating things.
 
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Cyluks said:
I don't know how so many people get this wrong. It's literally on their Retail FAQ, but people keep misstating things.
Click to expand...

Probably because the Temporary Retail Store Closure FAQ isn't where folks tend to look for online order return policies.

Maybe if Apple updated their online order return policies page too?

Anyway, @JamesGoodman sounds like per @Cyluks info you're clear to order a second computer and wait for a retail store near you to open to return the MBA.
 
Thanks so much, both of you. @deeddawg explained my confusion. I saw the ordinary policy one place and the Temporary Retail Store Closure elsewhere, and wasn't sure if the mail order would qualify me for a store exchange. But it sure looks as if it does.
 
But do you have to initiate a return of an on-line purchase within 14 days of taking delivery? i.e. If you received a MBA 3 weeks ago can you just wait until the stores reopen to take it back, or did you have to fill-out an online return form within 14 days (now too late for that) to return it to a store later?
 
I want to return it to the store not online if i have issues.
What do i do, keep returning and rebuying till the stores reopen so i can get support?
 
PianoPro said:
But do you have to initiate a return of an on-line purchase within 14 days of taking delivery? i.e. If you received a MBA 3 weeks ago can you just wait until the stores reopen to take it back, or did you have to fill-out an online return form within 14 days (now too late for that) to return it to a store later?
Click to expand...

My guess is that you don’t have to fill out the online return form. The “You can also return your product . . . “ suggests to me that this is a second option, not a variety of the first option, as does the “14 days.”. But deeddawg is probably right. To be sure, one of us should ask Apple. There is no urgency on my part since if I can’t return it when the NYC stores open, I likely to keep it until my spouse returns to work at work (as opposed to at home) and she brings her laptop with her. She’d love not to have to carry her computer to and from work each day. The new Air is way more computer than she needs at home.
 
JamesGoodman said:
My guess is that you don’t have to fill out the online return form. The “You can also return your product . . . “ suggests to me that this is a second option, not a variety of the first option, as does the “14 days.”. But deeddawg is probably right. To be sure, one of us should ask Apple. There is no urgency on my part since if I can’t return it when the NYC stores open, I likely to keep it until my spouse returns to work at work (as opposed to at home) and she brings her laptop with her. She’d love not to have to carry her computer to and from work each day. The new Air is way more computer than she needs at home.
Click to expand...
I called Apple today and at first was told I had 14 days to return on online order from the date it was delivered. I was told I only had 14 days because it was purchased online. I'm not sure they initially understood I was talking about returning it to a store, see below.

So I pushed back and cited their web page, and then the answer changed. I was told I could return an MBA ordered on line and delivered about 3 weeks ago within 14 days of the Apple stores opening up again in my area, whenever that happens. They said I do NOT have to initiate a return form online now. I repeated it back to him several times to make sure both of us clearly understood the question and answer. I asked why I got a different answer the first time I asked, and he said he didn't understand I wanted to return it to a store. I'm not sure that was true, or he was using that as an excuse for changing his answer AFTER I cited their web page information.

However, it wouldn't be the first time I got bad information from someone at Apple on the phone, so YMMV. In fact I would encourage others to call and ask the same question to a different person to make sure their answers agree.
 
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PianoPro said:
I called Apple today and was told I could return an MBA ordered on line and delivered about 3 weeks ago within 14 days of the Apple stores opening up again in my area, whenever that happens. They said I do NOT have to initiate a return form online now. I repeated it back to him several times to make sure both of us clearly understood the question and answer. However, it wouldn't be the first time I got bad information from someone at Apple on the phone, so YMMV.
Click to expand...

Where do you live?
Also, ask him to get it in an email.
 
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And I talked to 4 different Apple CS agents who all told me that the policy is for people who bought in store, not for online orders because the online order process is the same whether the stores were open or closed. You would initiate the return online, print the label, drop off/schedule a pickup, and wait for the return to be processed by Apple in order to get your refund.

I was hoping that I would get one rep to tell me otherwise so they could make a note on my order, but nothing for me.

Talk to Apple direct. You don't want to get stuck.
 
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naturalstar said:
And I talked to 4 different Apple CS agents who all told me that the policy is for people who bought in store, not for online orders because the online order process is the same whether the stores were open or closed. You would initiate the return online, print the label, drop off/schedule a pickup, and wait for the return to be processed by Apple in order to get your refund.

I was hoping that I would get one rep to tell me otherwise so they could make a note on my order, but nothing for me.

Talk to Apple direct. You don't want to get stuck.
Click to expand...
So that disagrees with what I was told. See above. Are you sure they understood you wanted to take it back to an Apple store even though it was ordered online. That's what changed the answer I got.
 
PianoPro said:
So that disagrees with what I was told. See above. Are you sure they understood you wanted to take it back to an Apple store even though it was ordered online. That's what changed the answer I got.
Click to expand...

I even said that to the last 2 I spoke with and was told otherwise. They said since I ordered online, the return policy was still 14 days since it was available to me. I'm not disbelieving of your experience, I was just hoping to get someone who understood what I wanted like you were able to. Seems like I've been dealing with the B-team.
 
I bought a MBA 2020 and today is the last day to request its return to Apple. I was considering to return it (eventually) to an Apple Store after they open but since it’s not clear they will accept it back after 14 days, I will request its return on line and keep it for a while, until I decide or not for the new MBP 2020 (depending on the reviews).

Do you guys know if it would be possible to cancel a return request in case I decide later to keep my MBA 2020?

Thanks.
 
My guess is that lots of the phone people simply don't know or understand the pandemic policy. As posted above, it is pretty clear. What's more, if it were fourteen days purchased on line no matter what, there would be absolutely not point in the last line of the following:

"Start a return online at apple.com/orderstatus, where you can create a return shipping label to ship your product from a drop off point or schedule a pickup at your location. You can also return your product to an Apple Store within 14 days of the store's reopening."
 
I had a similar experience in April when returning an iPad and case. I opened a store chat and asked if I could return them to my local store once it reopened, and cited the policy link, but they said the same thing: because you bought it online, you have to initiate an online return within 14 days.

I didn't press the point much further with the rep, but I did give low score feedback in the subsequent survey that the advice I was given didn't seem to match the temporary store closure policy about returns.
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skn said:
Do you guys know if it would be possible to cancel a return request in case I decide later to keep my MBA 2020?
Click to expand...

Yes, it's possible to cancel a return by contacting Apple via store chat or phone.
 
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For those who are interested I've spent some time the last few days on the phone with people at Apple about the question at hand. I bought my Air online at the end of March, after the stores were closed, and I have been assured that one did not/does not have to initiate the return online in order to return it within fourteen days of the NYC stores reopening. He acknowledged that there was some confusion, and also that many Apple people working the phones would not fully understand the policy. I have a phone number for his division and a case number and he told me that if I get any resistance -- he doesn't expect I will and I don't expect I will, for the record I have never had trouble with Apple Customer Service in two decades in continuous and heavy duty use of laptops with Apple Care, including the late and not so great butterfly keyboard -- I should have the people in the store get in touch with his division. He was making a note of our call. He read the policy just as some of here did, an either/or, and he actually said initiating a return online and then returning the computer to the store would probably be confusing for the people at the store.

Here, for those late to this discussion, is the policy:

Q. How can I return an order I bought online while under shelter in place orders?

A: Start a return online at apple.com/orderstatus, where you can create a return shipping label to ship your product from a drop off point or schedule a pickup at your location. You can also return your product to an Apple Store within 14 days of the store's reopening."
 
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James, I've received the same assurance from Apple. You should be fine returning in-store within 14 days of reopening.
 
naturalstar said:
I even said that to the last 2 I spoke with and was told otherwise. They said since I ordered online, the return policy was still 14 days since it was available to me. I'm not disbelieving of your experience, I was just hoping to get someone who understood what I wanted like you were able to. Seems like I've been dealing with the B-team.
Click to expand...

I have played it safe. I ordered a MacBook Air but then decided the 2020 Pro would be better. As luck would have it, the Pro was announced within my return period. Note that as long as you initiate the return within 2 weeks you get an additional 2 weeks from the date you initiate the return to actually return the Mac to Apple through 2-day FedEx (essentially a 12 day extension).
 
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I have spoken with Apple at length about this. They have told me repeatedly that any purchase made after February 20th would be eligible for return 14 days after the stores have reopened. I purchased an iPad Pro for my wife a couple of weeks before the new ones were available and that's what they told me the return policy was for bringing it to the store.
 
JamesGoodman said:
For those who are interested I've spent some time the last few days on the phone with people at Apple about the question at hand. I bought my Air online at the end of March, after the stores were closed, and I have been assured that one did not/does not have to initiate the return online in order to return it within fourteen days of the NYC stores reopening. He acknowledged that there was some confusion, and also that many Apple people working the phones would not fully understand the policy. I have a phone number for his division and a case number and he told me that if I get any resistance -- he doesn't expect I will and I don't expect I will, for the record I have never had trouble with Apple Customer Service in two decades in continuous and heavy duty use of laptops with Apple Care, including the late and not so great butterfly keyboard -- I should have the people in the store get in touch with his division. He was making a note of our call. He read the policy just as some of here did, an either/or, and he actually said initiating a return online and then returning the computer to the store would probably be confusing for the people at the store.

Here, for those late to this discussion, is the policy:

Q. How can I return an order I bought online while under shelter in place orders?

A: Start a return online at apple.com/orderstatus, where you can create a return shipping label to ship your product from a drop off point or schedule a pickup at your location. You can also return your product to an Apple Store within 14 days of the store's reopening."
Click to expand...

Can you give me this phone number to call the gentleman you spoke to? DM me.
 
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