Apple Store Exchanges

TidBITS Talk
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Good afternoon!

Do Apple Stores allow you to exchange current, sealed Apple products for full store credit even if the product was not originally purchased from an Apple Store?

I’m thinking about getting an Apple Watch. My employer has given me a batch of “points” that have to be spent through a proprietary interface to Amazon that provides only a limited subset of items. A couple of Apple Watches are listed, but not what I want as far as cell capability, color, band, etc… I’d be happy to just get one of those if I could exchange it for credit on a watch I’d really want, but I don’t know if that’s possible.

On the one hand, I could see Apple being afraid of someone using an exchange like that to launder a stolen device. On the other, I assume that if your grandma sends you an Apple Watch for Christmas that isn’t exactly what you want, Apple wouldn’t want you to have to run the exchange through Grandma.

And if anyone tries to sell you on using AwardCo for employee recognition, run away.

Dave

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I don’t have any insider information about Apple Store policies but I wouldn’t be surprised if Apple has become more strict about accepting non-Apple Store-purchased merchandise for exchanges and returns because of scams like this:

Also, if the corporate rewards supplier has bought Apple products in bulk, it is possible its offerings have special serial numbers that could limit Apple’s willingness to follow its “usual” customer service practices.

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The U.S. Standard Return Policy says:

Only items that have been purchased directly from Apple, either online or at an Apple Retail Store, can be returned to Apple. Apple products purchased through other retailers must be returned in accordance with their respective returns and refunds policy.

And it says the same thing in the U.S. Sales and Refund Policy:

Apple products purchased through other retailers must be returned to those retailers in accordance with their returns and refunds policies.

So the answer is a resounding No.

You may want to investigate whether you can trade or get credit from Amazon. For example, there’s an Amazon Trade-in program.

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Given what @mschmitt looked up, if I were in the same situation as the OP I would buy some other item that I currently need with the points and buy the watch I want from Apple. Since money is fungible, I would end up in the same place financially without all the (potentially unsucessful) complex maneuvers involved with exchanging an item purchased through an incentives program.

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