Gift Card & Return of a Max Base + Order of a Max Built to Order

[F-Train]

I intend to discuss the issue raised in this post with Apple, but I'm interested to know whether anyone else has had to deal with the same question and, if so, how it turned out.

On April 1st, I returned my Max base, which I purchased on launch day from a New York City Apple store and returned to a NY Apple store, and ordered a Max built to order (see my signature). The question was how to do the exchange. After a brief discussion with the Apple store employee who dealt with the return about a store credit or a gift card, the purchase price of the Max base (US$2400) was converted to gift cards, which were immediately used to pay for a built to order Max, and the balance (the built to order is obviously more expensive) was paid by credit card. It's still not clear to me whether this could have been done as a store credit (the store employee didn't appear to know), and for currency conversion reasons a refund to my credit card may not have been optimal.

B&H, which is local to me, currently has three Maxes in stock that are base+ configurations. It's possible that it will have the configuration in my signature before Apple delivers my order, currently estimated as June 27-July 11. I want to determine how easy/difficult it would be to cancel my Apple order and get a refund equal to the amount of the gift cards ($2400).

As I understand it, Apple does not normally issue refunds for gift cards obtained in New York State. It does for gift cards obtained in New Jersey, which is about a 20 minute drive from me, but that's not where I did the transaction.

If I have to stick with the Apple order, it isn't a big deal, and I don't even know whether B&H will have the configuration that I want in the next while, but I'd like to know whether I can buy from B&H without winding up holding $2400 in Apple gift cards

Thoughts?

P.S. There's no need to talk about B&H vs Apple as retailers. I've dealt with both for years, and I'm aware of B&H's no-return policy on computers.

 

[enricoclaudio]

If you paid with Apple GC, you will get the refund in the form of another Apple GC, there is no other way around.

 

[F-Train]

If you paid with Apple GC, you will get the refund in the form of another Apple GC, there is no other way around.

Apple already refunds gift cards from a number of states, apparently including the one a short drive from me, so it obviously can do it if it wants to. This situation is unusual in terms of the purpose and use of the cards. They had nothing to do with a gift. They were simply a vehicle for an exchange. Also, the store said nothing about the cards locking my funds to Apple purchases.

As I said at the beginning of my post, I'm interested in hearing from any others who have been in similar circumstances, and how it was resolved, preparatory to speaking with Apple. You don't say that you've been in similar circumstances, and it sounds like you're just repeating what you've read about Apple's policy. I'd like to think that it's obvious that I've already read Apple's policy.

As I also said, it isn't a major issue for me either way.

 

[enricoclaudio]

I said what I said because it happened to me just 3 months ago. I purchased an iPad mini 6 with an Apple Gift card and decided to return it so I asked for a cash refund or credit to my Apple Card and Apple Store said not possible. So I was issued a new Apple GC. At least that’s how it works here in Texas.

 

[F-Train]

I said what I said because it happened to me just 3 months ago. I purchased an iPad mini 6 with an Apple Gift card and decided to return it so I asked for a cash refund or credit to my Apple Card and Apple Store said not possible. So I was issued a new Apple GC. At least that’s how it works here in Texas.

But that's not at all the same thing. You made the original purchase with an Apple gift card, presumably given to you as a gift, and Apple declined to give you a cash refund when you returned it.

I paid for the base Max with my credit card. The gift cards (it took several, because the amount apparently exceeded their maximum value several times over) were just a vehicle used in-store to return the base Max and buy a more expensive Max. It could also have been done with a store credit (the employee was new and didn't know anything about store credits), or via a refund to my credit card followed immediately by a debit to my credit card.

 

[Aboo]

But that's not at all the same thing. You made the original purchase with an Apple gift card, presumably given to you as a gift, and Apple declined to give you a cash refund when you returned it.

I paid for the base Max with my credit card. The gift cards (it took several, because the amount apparently exceeded their maximum value several times over) were just a vehicle used in-store to return the base Max and buy a more expensive Max. It could also have been done with a store credit (the employee was new and didn't know anything about store credits), or via a refund to my credit card followed immediately by a debit to my credit card.

The way the employee should have processed your exchange was by taking the return and processing the new sale in the same transaction and that would have allowed you to pay just the difference via a credit card. Instead it sounds like they refunded the original return to a gift card and then processed the sale. The only reason I can think of for doing it this way is if they wanted to prevent going over the credit card limit with two purchases as if they refunded the card initially, it will take a few days for it to post back as a refund on the card and if the cardholder had a low limit, a second high value purchase may not have gone through.

In any case it sounds like only apple can resolve this for you. I would go back to the store and speak with a a manager. If you have your receipt trail, I can’t imagine why this wouldn’t be possible to trace the funds back to your original payment method and refund you, but somehow I feel like this may not be systematically possible in their system.

 

[F-Train]

The way the employee should have processed your exchange was by taking the return and processing the new sale in the same transaction and that would have allowed you to pay just the difference via a credit card. Instead it sounds like they refunded the original return to a gift card and then processed the sale. The only reason I can think of for doing it this way is if they wanted to prevent going over the credit card limit with two purchases as if they refunded the card initially, it will take a few days for it to post back as a refund on the card and if the cardholder had a low limit, a second high value purchase may not have gone through.

In any case it sounds like only apple can resolve this for you. I would go back to the store and speak with a a manager. If you have your receipt trail, I can’t imagine why this wouldn’t be possible to trace the funds back to your original payment method and refund you, but somehow I feel like this may not be systematically possible in their system.

Your first sentence is what I think should have happened, and normally would, and your second sentence is what did happen. I was dealing with a new employee, which may have been part of the problem. I just wanted to get the transaction done, because someone was waiting for me in a car

Thanks, I'll follow up with Apple and see what they say.

 

[Aboo]

Your first sentence is what I think should have happened, and normally would, and your second sentence is what did happen. I was dealing with a new employee, which may have been part of the problem.

Thanks, I'll follow up with Apple and see what they say.

Hopefully a manager can get this sorted for you. I know they have a mechanism to request a corporate check for refunds in which they can’t return back to the original credit card or method of payment. This happened to me once when my original card account was closed by me before the annual fee hit and they ended up processing a refund with a corporate check. It took a few days to get back to me, but it eventually did. Hopefully they can work out the refund to the original method of payment as you should be able to get your money back and not be stuck with several thousands worth of apple gift cards. If the store manager can’t help, since it’s an online order from the store, I would give apple customer service a call and speak with a management representative. They have back office people that can audit the finance trail and manually process a refund.