Apple to eliminate 30-day return policy on iPhones

Customers that purchased iPhones via the Apple Online Store or in an Apple Retail Store have traditionally enjoyed a 30-day return policy. As of tomorrow, however, the return policy will be slashed to just 14 calendar days according to an internal document from a retail source provided to 9to5Mac.
Up to this point, Apple offered buyers a full month to decide if they wanted to keep a new iPhone. So long as the device was undamaged and included all of the original accessories, it could be returned to Apple.

While a nice gesture from the Cupertino-based company, the policy clashed with wireless retailers that only offered a 14-day return policy. As likely happened quite often, a customer would return an iPhone outside of the 14-day carrier policy but within Apple’s 30-day policy which meant they would still have to pay an early termination fee – assuming of course they didn’t stick with the provider and get a different phone.
The 30-day policy was helpful in that it allowed customers to switch to a different capacity phone or a different color in the event they weren’t satisfied with their first choice.
The change will standardize Apple’s return policy across all product categories and help to eliminate confusion with customers as it relates to wireless carriers. It’s too bad that Apple was unable to get carriers to jump on board with their 30-day return policy, but I digress.
Apple has already updated the iPhone return policy on Apple.com to reflect the change.