Apple Reduces Refund Times in Effort to Boost Online Sales and Customer Satisfaction

Apple has improved its return policy, offering faster refunds for customers who purchase items online, reports Reuters. Apple was able to shorten the refund processing time from 10 days to less than a week by using an expedited shipping method to send devices back to the company for return.

apple-online-store
According to retail-intelligence firm StellaService, Apple switched to FedEx 2Day service last November during the holiday shopping season and has continued to use the service, despite the greater upfront cost associated with the faster shipping method. Customers will not incur any additional costs for Apple's decision to use FedEx, notes a source "with knowledge of the new procedure."

StellaService researchers first noted the improvement in refund processing times in November, but chalked it up to a temporary measure for the busy holiday season. The company, which orders items from Apple's website several times a day for research purposes, also discovered that packages were stamped with FedEx 2Day, rather than a Newgistics prepaid label.

Apple is going against the grain by investing in the returns process, an area that companies often trim because it does not help their bottom line. CEO Tim Cook has repeatedly said Apple does not have a profits-first policy, but instead prides itself on delivering a quality experience to its customers.

This focus on the overall experience benefits Apple's brand reputation among consumers as the company routinely leads its competitors in customer satisfaction. Apple recently reclaimed its spot as the highest ranked tablet manufacturer in J.D. Power's latest U.S. tablet customer satisfaction study, earning a 5-star rating and edging out rival Samsung.

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
iphone 17 dummies sonny dickson

iPhone 17 Air Almost as Thin as Its Buttons, New Images Show

Thursday April 24, 2025 2:14 am PDT by
If you missed the video showing dummy models of Apple's all-new super thin iPhone 17 Air that's expected later this year, Sonny Dickson this morning shared some further images of the device in close alignment with the other dummy models in the iPhone 17 lineup, indicating just how thin it is likely to be in comparison. The iPhone 17 Air is expected to be around 5.5mm thick – with a thicker ...
iphone 17 air dummy unbox therapy

iPhone 17 Air's Extreme Thinness Demoed in New Video

Tuesday April 22, 2025 10:22 am PDT by
Apple plans to release an all-new super thin iPhone this year, debuting it alongside the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. We've seen pictures of dummy models, cases, and renders with the design, but Lewis Hilsenteger of Unbox Therapy today showed off newer dummy models that give us a better idea of just how thin the "iPhone 17 Air" will be. The iPhone 17 Air is expected to be ...
AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Friday April 18, 2025 5:16 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Air Launching Later This Year With These 16 New Features

Thursday April 24, 2025 8:24 am PDT by
While the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" is not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the ultra-thin device. Overall, the iPhone 17 Air sounds like a mixed bag. While the device is expected to have an impressively thin and light design, rumors indicate it will have some compromises compared to iPhone 17 Pro models, including only a single rear camera, a...
ipad air windows 11 arm

M2 iPad Air Runs Windows 11 ARM via Emulation, Thanks to EU Rules

Tuesday April 22, 2025 5:01 am PDT by
A developer has demonstrated Windows 11 ARM running on an M2 iPad Air using emulation, which has become much easier since the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) regulations came into effect. As spotted by Windows Latest, NTDev shared an instance of the emulation on social media and posted a video on YouTube (embedded below) demonstrating it in action. The achievement relies on new EU regulatory...
Global Close Your Rings Day Pin

Apple Stores Giving Away a Limited-Edition Pin For Free Today

Thursday April 24, 2025 10:15 am PDT by
Starting today, April 24, Apple Stores around the world are giving away a special pin for free to customers who request one, while supplies last. Photo Credit: Filip Chudzinski The enamel pin's design is inspired by the Global Close Your Rings Day award in the Activity app, which Apple Watch users can receive by closing all three Activity rings today. The limited-edition pin is the physical...
Apple Logo Spotlight Blue

White House Hits Back at Apple's Massive EU Fine

Thursday April 24, 2025 5:57 am PDT by
Apple's $570 million fine from the EU has triggered a sharp rebuke from the White House, which called the fine a form of economic extortion, Reuters reports. The fine was announced on Wednesday by the European Commission, following a formal investigation into Apple's compliance with the bloc's Digital Markets Act (DMA), a landmark piece of legislation aimed at curbing the market dominance of ...
ipad air magic keyboard feature

iPadOS 19 Rumored to Show Mac-Like Menu Bar When Connected to Magic Keyboard

Thursday April 24, 2025 12:09 pm PDT by
When an iPad running iPadOS 19 is connected to a Magic Keyboard, a macOS-like menu bar will appear on the screen, according to the leaker Majin Bu. This change would further blur the lines between the iPad and the Mac. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously claimed that iPadOS 19 will be "more like macOS," with unspecified improvements to productivity, multitasking, and app window management,...

Top Rated Comments

noisycats Avatar
143 months ago
Amazon are a pain when it comes to returning. I always try to go else where.

Well than I must be doing something wrong with Amazon returns. I log into my account, go to recent purchases, select return, select item, choose a reason, print the free return label, slap it on the item, place it outside my door. Generally get an email in less than a day that my refund has been issued.

I don't talk to anyone. I don't see anyone. I don't drive anywhere. I can't imagine an easier return process.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
maflynn Avatar
143 months ago
Amazon are a pain when it comes to returning. I always try to go else where.

I never had a problem with Amazon. Very easy, no issues.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Chupa Chupa Avatar
143 months ago

Other brands should take note (specifically Amazon, which made me jump through so many hoops to try and sort out a recent problem I gave up in the end).

Amazon are a pain when it comes to returning. I always try to go else where.

Surprised because Amazon (that is products sold BY Amazon, not sold ON Amazon; i.e., 3rd P reseller) has always be the epitome of customer service for me.

Refunds: log in, check off the product being returned, state reason, print out prepaid UPS label, drop off at a UPS Store. If the return is due to Amazon's fault or its clothes it ships back free. Refund come anywhere between instantly and 3 days.

Item not rec'd when expected (lost): Amazon ships out another one via next day air.

Now for items sold by 3rd parties on Amazon, yes, avoid those at all cost. They are not part of Amazon and Amazon can't do much for you until X amont of days pass.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
FreakinEurekan Avatar
143 months ago
Amazon are a pain when it comes to returning. I always try to go else where.

Seriously? I've returned a few items and it's always been incredibly simple. They create a shipping label that I print, and as often as not I see the credit issued as soon as tracking shows I sent the return - before they even receive it!

Caveat, I tend to only buy items that are Amazon Prime which means sold or fulfilled by Amazon directly. If you're buying stuff shipped by the 3rd party seller directly, it's basically like eBay or Craigslist, you never know what you'll get.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
goodcow Avatar
143 months ago
Amazon are a pain when it comes to returning. I always try to go else where.

Amazon returns have always been smooth and painless for me.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bushido Avatar
143 months ago
Anyone who returns an Apple product is a disloyal customer and Apple should not make any effort to satisfy them.

spoken like a true fanboy
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)