A major part of this is the initial return inspection. Apple has some problems right now with what seems like third party contractors claiming people are return

A major part of this is the initial return inspection. Apple has some problems right now with what seems like third party contractors claiming people are returning empty boxes, or damaged devices. Customers are having to appeal to customer service repeatedly and often things are fixed with no explanation. There’s a long thread on Mcarumors about the most recent iPhone upgrade program, for example. I think it is a mix of crooked third party device inspection companies and outsized incentives to reject warranty claims.