I think Apple has made major cost cutting changes on their repairs and returns department. As recently as a few years ago, Apple was much more liberal about ret

I think Apple has made major cost cutting changes on their repairs and returns department. As recently as a few years ago, Apple was much more liberal about returns and fees for repairs. I've also noticed that the quality of the customer support around returns has gone south. I've seen cases where basic information about the context of the return seems missing and customers are put in long loops dealing with simple problems. I've seen the miserly behavior myself. I've put a lot of cash toward Apple SW, HW and services but that loyalty is not recognized or rewarded in how you're treated by the company. Between this lack of awareness of who their sophisticated customers are and their loyalty and cost cutting measure, I suspect some people have been shocked at how bad the repair / returns experience can be today.