Apple speeds up returns and refunds for online sales

As the ecommerce space continues to draw in buyers previously committed to brick-and-mortar stores, exceptional customer service has become ground zero in the battle to win over consumers. Apple has significantly reduced its return and refund times, a move that could ultimately increase its profits by aggressively competing for ecommerce customer loyalty, according to research conducted by Stella Service. 

Apple Inc has cut in half the time it takes to give refunds to online store customers who want to return their iPhones and other gadgets, a small but crucial step to try to get more people to buy direct from its website. The move is a big upfront expense on Apple’s part, but could pay off in the long run if the company can lure online customers away from retailers such as Amazon.com Inc and Best Buy Inc, industry experts say. According to retail-intelligence firm StellaService, customers who buy a product from Apple’s online store can get a refund in under a week, versus 10 days previously. Apple is processing refunds at a faster rate because the company now uses an expedited service, FedEx 2Day, to let customers ship returned items with prepaid labels to its warehouse in three days.