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jm31828

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Sep 28, 2015
1,394
898
Bothell, Washington
Crazy question, but if I returned a phone to the Apple Store yesterday and decided today or tomorrow I had settled on it actually being the phone I wanted going forward- is it possible to actually go in and ask to buy that phone back? It is it long gone at that point with no real option to buy it back?

I ask because it’s s model that isn’t available fir 3 weeks online, and not available at any of my local Apple stores currently, so the crazy idea crossed my mind. Lol
 
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Crazy question, but if I returned a phone to the Apple Store yesterday and decided today or tomorrow I had settled on it actually being the phone I wanted going forward- is it possible to actually go in and ask to buy that phone back? It is it long gone at that point with no real option to buy it back?

I ask because it’s s model that isn’t available fir 3 weeks online, and not available at any of my local Apple stores currently, so the crazy idea crossed my mind. Lol
Once you return it, you won't be able to get that one back as it's already marked as returned in the system. You'll have to get a new one.
 
Possible if it's swapped immediately - I've done it before when I wanted to switch to another credit card. For any other situation, even if boxed/sealed I believe it's sent back to Apple for inspection.
 
Why did you return it? 14th day?

Yeah, 14th day snd I thought I wanted a different model. After getting the other one home I made up my mind that the one I returned is the one I wanted to go with as my next phone.

I’ll ask them tomorrow, and worst case will just have to order a new one and wait for it, or watch inventory in the coming days at my nearby Apple stores.
 
It’s unlikely it will still be available. As has already been sent it will have probably gone through the return process and at some point end up either as part of the brown box inventory at the Genius Bar or come up on the refurbished section of Apple’s site. It certainly won’t go back into stock for resale.
 
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Yeah, 14th day snd I thought I wanted a different model. After getting the other one home I made up my mind that the one I returned is the one I wanted to go with as my next phone.

I’ll ask them tomorrow, and worst case will just have to order a new one and wait for it, or watch inventory in the coming days at my nearby Apple stores.
I had an ipad at the time, returned it. I regretted it, 1 hour later went back to see if I can repurchase the one I returned. They said nope, unfortunately once it's returned, you'll have to get a new one.

These days there is way but as long as it's unopened, and you return it, they mark those as Closed item so these do goes back on the inventory to be resold. However if marked as "open" item, it unfortunately goes back to the warehouse and turned as a refurbish.

Good luck. I'm sure the one you returned is already boxed up and shipped back to the warehouse already.
 
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Thanks for the responses!
Since it’s been two days already, I didn’t end up asking because they were so busy. I ended up buying another at a different storage capacity that was actually on hand. It all ended up working out.

Thanks for the discussion!
 
If only there was some sort of way to communicate with that specific store... Something like a... Number you could call, and someone would pick-up and would be able to ask these questions.

Guess we still don't have such advanced technology...
 
Thanks for the responses!
Since it’s been two days already, I didn’t end up asking because they were so busy. I ended up buying another at a different storage capacity that was actually on hand. It all ended up working out.

Thanks for the discussion!
Wait - you resolved it before I replied?


Anyway, I was going to say you should go back and buy another one on hand, but at a different storage capacity. Trust me - it will work out!
 
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