I bought a replacement left AirPod 4 for $69 about a week ago, and the original partially broken earbud was taken in as part of the replacement process. Now that AirPods 5 are available, I decided to order a complete set instead and would rather put the $69 toward that purchase. Since I no longer need the replacement AirPod, is it possible to return it for a refund, or is the transaction treated as a repair rather than a regular product purchase?
2 Answers
You can certainly ask customer service, especially since it was only a week ago, but the official policy is likely to deny the refund. Returning the replacement would not automatically restore the original damaged earbud, so it isn't treated like returning an unopened accessory or regular purchase.
Probably not. A replacement earbud is generally processed as a repair service, meaning you paid to resolve the problem with your original pair rather than purchasing a normally returnable standalone product. Since the replacement was provided and the original earbud was surrendered, the store may not be able to reverse the transaction just because a newer model became available.
That makes sense. I was hoping I could simply hand the replacement back, but I learned that the transaction is officially classified as a repair, so a refund isn't available.