Apple Store update highlights return policy; Apple not exhibiting at book expo

Posted:
in iPad edited January 2014
Apple's online store went temporarily offline Wednesday, only to return with a a more visible return policy. Also, contrary to an earlier report, Apple will not be exhibiting at the BookExpo America conference, but will be holding private meetings.



Apple Store downtime yields minor update



Anytime Apple's online store becomes unavailable, it leads to speculation that the company could be adding new products to its lineup. But any hopes for a new product after the latest maintenance update to the storefront were dashed on Wednesday.



Instead, as first discovered by AppleBitch, Apple added a link to "Returns" at the bottom of every page on its store, alongside other links including "Help" and "Contact Us."



The single added link was the only change found on the Web store, as Apple decided to more clearly display its return policy. The "Returns & Refunds" page itself was not modified or changed in any way.



Customers still have up to 14 calendar days from the time they receive their items to return eligible Mac, iPad, iPod and third-party products. Other items, such as opened memory, personalized iPods, and Apple Gift Cards cannot be returned.







Apple not exhibiting at book expo



Following a report on Tuesday that Apple would promote its iBooks digital bookstore at the BookExpo America conference next week, the original of the story at PaidContent.org has been updated with new details. Though the BEA's website lists Apple as an "exhibitor," the iPad maker will not be exhibiting at the show.



Instead, a spokesperson for the event reportedly said that Apple will be meeting with publishers in a private room at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. The expo will be held May 24 through 26.



Major book publishers attending the event include Random House, Hachette, Macmillan, Scholastic, Disney Books, Penguin, Rodale, and Wiley. The change would suggest that Apple will quietly attend the show to strike deals with publishers, rather than publicly promote e-books sold through the iBookstore.







The BEA's site listing for Apple reads: "Private Meeting Room: Publishers, please contact us to reserve a meeting time." Apple will be represented by Scott Simpson of the iBookstore.



The iBooks e-reading application and its accompanying storefront launched last year alongside the iPad, and was later made available for the iPhone and iPod touch. Since, more than 100 million books have been downloaded from the service.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 16
    island hermitisland hermit Posts: 6,217member
    They just wanted everyone to know that Apple does not take returns on Galaxy Tabs and Xooms...
  • Reply 2 of 16
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Just in case it’s not well know yet there is no loner a restocking fee.
  • Reply 3 of 16
    asciiascii Posts: 5,936member
    Holy crap that's awesome how they added a tiny link to the bottom of their website, you should make a news story out of it.
  • Reply 4 of 16
    xsuxsu Posts: 401member
    Don't understand why Apple have to take the site offline just to update it. Couldn't they make all the changes in a separate environment, and copy everything over once they are satisfied with it?
  • Reply 5 of 16
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by xsu View Post


    Don't understand why Apple have to take the site offline just to update it. Couldn't they make all the changes in a separate environment, and copy everything over once they are satisfied with it?



    The site wasn't down, you were just surfing it wrong.
  • Reply 6 of 16
    _hawkeye__hawkeye_ Posts: 139member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    Customers still have up to 14 calendar days from the time they receive their items to return eligible Mac, iPad, iPod and third-party products. Other items, such as opened memory, personalized iPods, and Apple Gift Cards cannot be returned.



    My understanding is that federal law mandates that retailers offer a minimum of 30 days to return any mail-order product.
  • Reply 7 of 16
    OMG really? I don't know what's more newsworthy, the fact that Apple changed a tiny link on their website, or the fact that nobody on the planet except you noticed it...AND WROTE A NEWS STORY ABOUT IT!!!
  • Reply 8 of 16
    shobizshobiz Posts: 207member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by _Hawkeye_ View Post


    My understanding is that federal law mandates that retailers offer a minimum of 30 days to return any mail-order products.



    If true, that would not apply to Apple
  • Reply 9 of 16
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by xsu View Post


    Don't understand why Apple have to take the site offline just to update it. Couldn't they make all the changes in a separate environment, and copy everything over once they are satisfied with it?



    Agreed. They should use the same model used with iPhone firmware upgrades. Just update the sections that need it and...



    Oh. Never mind.
  • Reply 10 of 16
    _hawkeye__hawkeye_ Posts: 139member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by xsu View Post


    Don't understand why Apple have to take the site offline just to update it. Couldn't they make all the changes in a separate environment, and copy everything over once they are satisfied with it?



    You'd think!



    However there may be database syncing issues. Which could account for a short downtime. But i'd expect that only if there were product changes, and not for a simple template change.



    Nonetheless, i imagine even small changes can be a headache for a high traffic commercial site. But in that case, you'd expect them to take the store down during typically low-visit hours (if there is such a thing as that, for Apple's online store).
  • Reply 11 of 16
    poochpooch Posts: 768member
    what, a link? ha! today i changed the background color of my entire website from #CBCBCB to #CBCBCC.



    take that, apple!
  • Reply 12 of 16
    Just a lot of customized stores in a lot of languages to be updated. That can be a good 100 pages to update just for one line of change.
  • Reply 13 of 16
    eulereuler Posts: 81member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by xsu View Post


    Don't understand why Apple have to take the site offline just to update it. Couldn't they make all the changes in a separate environment, and copy everything over once they are satisfied with it?



    I agree too. As someone said perhaps it is db/file replication. Also I would not be surprised if there is not an edict that all new changes must be verified and tested. Maybe?
  • Reply 14 of 16
    bjojadebjojade Posts: 91member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by _Hawkeye_ View Post


    My understanding is that federal law mandates that retailers offer a minimum of 30 days to return any mail-order product.



    There is no federal law that says that. You may be confusing it with the the federal Mail or Telephone Order Merchandise Trade Regulation Rule that requires stores to ship telephone, mail, fax, and Internet orders within 30 days. If the merchant promises an earlier shipment date, it must meet that deadline. If the retailer has a reasonable basis for not getting your order out on time, it must obtain your consent to the delay. And if you don't respond or consent, the merchant must issue a refund.
  • Reply 15 of 16
    cubitcubit Posts: 846member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by bjojade View Post


    There is no federal law that says that. You may be confusing it with the the federal Mail or Telephone Order Merchandise Trade Regulation Rule that requires stores to ship telephone, mail, fax, and Internet orders within 30 days. If the merchant promises an earlier shipment date, it must meet that deadline. If the retailer has a reasonable basis for not getting your order out on time, it must obtain your consent to the delay. And if you don't respond or consent, the merchant must issue a refund.



    And you can be ABSOLUTELY SURE that there will be at least one person out there doing nothing but ordering things and then lurking about to see if the seller will take it back "on time" in hopes of what? "Getting a free one"? Says something about our "free enterprise" system...
  • Reply 16 of 16
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member
    Of course California has it's own "special" laws when it comes to merchandise returns:



    http://ag.ca.gov/consumers/general/refund_policies.php
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