staring at my unopened iPhone 5s box...

[Oui]

From the Apple refunds page: http://store.apple.com/us/help/returns_refund
--
Bring your item to an Apple Store

You can always return the item to any U.S. Apple Retail Store. An Apple Specialist will assist you with your return. Your refund will be processed at that time. To locate an Apple Store in your area, please refer to the Apple Retail Store Locator.

Note: An iPhone purchased on the Apple Online Store is ineligible for return to an Apple Retail Store.

Regardless it can be done with no hassle. I've done it and several people i know have done it.

 

[joeshmo2010]

Regardless it can be done with no hassle. I've done it and several people i know have done it.

Not saying they won't do it, just saying that if they refuse to allow op to return it in the store, it would be foolish for him to complain because of the text of their return policy. So just be prepared.

 

[ABC5S]

From the Apple refunds page: http://store.apple.com/us/help/returns_refund
--
Bring your item to an Apple Store

You can always return the item to any U.S. Apple Retail Store. An Apple Specialist will assist you with your return. Your refund will be processed at that time. To locate an Apple Store in your area, please refer to the Apple Retail Store Locator.

Note: An iPhone purchased on the Apple Online Store is ineligible for return to an Apple Retail Store.

Regardless it can be done with no hassle. I've done it and several people i know have done it.

I just went through this yesterday folks.. I did everything the online return/refund site told me to do, it directed me to a live person who suggested that I bring my online order to an Apple store. I did mention the distance to the rep, so the rep instead gave me a returnable sticker, and away it went to the USPS store

 

[Leonard1818]

Dude been married 25 years open the damn box use it for yourself and just order one for her. Sell your 5 for the expense of hers than sell hers after you get her a silver or gold. Than your both happy and you still took care if your wife. Bonus you'll be the good guy. LOL

Ha Ha, I seriously thought about doing this. I actually looked into it a bit. My hang up is that I've still got a year or so on my AC+ warranty on my 5. Sure, I could sell it and advertise "AppleCare Plus 1 year extension included" but I don't think it would fetch me much more money. I looked on my local craigslists for 64 gig iphone 5 and there were hardly any. I don't think there's a huge demand in my area for 64 gig iPhone 5 models (edit: I don't want to have to ship/sell outside of local) -- expecially if I were to try to get more because it has a warranty. Not to mention the hastle of it all. Nah -- easier to just keep my 5 that is covered under extended warranty and does everything I need it to do.... at least for now

How much is the gas for a round trip hour drive to Apple? And you aren't going to go on that long a trip without stopping by somewhere to eat. If you are making that trip *just* to make that exchange, you aren't saving that much money by exchanging for a lower cost model. If she really wants the other color, fine, but if saving cost is a real consideration, then I wouldn't make that trip.

I like your logical approach to my journey

As I mentioned in an earlier post on this thread "(it would be nice to save a couple hundred) but more that I want her to get the configuration that she wants."

I'm not top-down, screamin out, money aint a thang.... by any means..... I value every cent.

BUT -- we ended up getting $215 back (returned AC+ warranty AND dropped to a 32 gig model) and surely gasoline and our Applebees stop didn't cost *that* much. However, we ended up "making a day of it". We went to Ann Arbor MI and went to Apple, where they just had stock delivered, and made the exchange. We also went to this "world market" place that my wife wanted to go to AND we went to the Tanger outlet mall in Howell, MI.

I told her since we saved some extra money with the exchange that she could do a little shopping while there

I may not have "saved" any money -- I really didn't add it up.... but it was nice to get out of the house on a really nice day (weather-wise) and do something nice for my wife

From the Apple refunds page: http://store.apple.com/us/help/returns_refund
--
Bring your item to an Apple Store

You can always return the item to any U.S. Apple Retail Store. An Apple Specialist will assist you with your return. Your refund will be processed at that time. To locate an Apple Store in your area, please refer to the Apple Retail Store Locator.

Note: An iPhone purchased on the Apple Online Store is ineligible for return to an Apple Retail Store.

Interesting.... I read that at the link but they had zero problem returning a phone purchased online. In fact, it was really THEIR (Apple's) idea for me to go to the store for quickest turnaround.

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With that said, I'm happy to report that we were able to get everything done. It wasn't horribly quick (it wasn't slow either, about what you'd expect) but it was painless. We goet a PRISTINE 32-gig white/silver 5s for my lovely wife. (she and my daughter got a gaggle of other stuff from the aforementioned places). I scored some Great Lakes Wright Pils from the world market.

Thanks for the conversation everyone!!

 

[K3v1n]

I will be staring at my box as well..I don't want to mess with the phone until I can get my screen protectors on it. Unfortunately my phones coming tomorrow, and screen protectors are not coming until wed-friday... I might have to go out and buy another set not sure I can wait.

 

[Night Spring]

I like your logical approach to my journey

My friends call me Mrs Spock.

I may not have "saved" any money -- I really didn't add it up.... but it was nice to get out of the house on a really nice day (weather-wise) and do something nice for my wife

Glad to hear everything worked out, you got the model you wanted, and had a nice outing with family -- as the American Express commercial says, priceless!

 

[phpmaven]

I will be staring at my box as well..I don't want to mess with the phone until I can get my screen protectors on it. Unfortunately my phones coming tomorrow, and screen protectors are not coming until wed-friday... I might have to go out and buy another set not sure I can wait.

Wow, you must be a real terror when it comes to scratching your stuff if you are afraid to even take it out of the box. I've never had a screen protector on any iPhone,iPad and never had a single scratch. I am pretty careful with my stuff though.

 

[walds11]

I am sort of in the same dilemma, but just want to switch silver for space gray. I pulled the trigger at 3:00am on launch day. After seeing space gray at the Apple Store, I want that color! I stopped in the local Apple store this morning. No AT&T iPhone 5S in stock. The cleanest option would be to keep trying the Apple stores(and not send the silver back for a refund, then wait for my upgrade eligibility to be reset, plus my wife has my hand me down iPhone 5 and I used her upgrade eligibility to get the 5S). That would be your best option in my opinion. I have time to play this game until my 30 day return/exchange policy is up. Wish me luck Fortunately I have 2 Apple stores with 15-20 minutes and 1 about 30 minutes away.