Apple says to 'shop early' for the holidays, extends returns deadlines

Apple's extended return policy is now in effect ahead of the 2021 holiday shopping season, and the company is advising customers to start their shopping early.

According to Apple, most products purchased from November 1 through December 25, 2021 will have a return date of January 8, 2022. The extended holiday shopping return policy is effective in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, and a selection of other regions/.

Any purchases made after December 25 will be subject to Apple's standard return policy. That's 14 calendar days after a customer has received an item.

The company notes that all other terms and conditions in the company's store sales policy still apply.

There are some countries in which the extended return policy is even longer. In Italy and Spain, for example, customers have until January 20 to return their items.

In addition to the holiday extended return window, Apple is now also advising customers to "shop early for the best selection of holiday favorites" in a new banner on the company's homepage.

Ongoing supply constraints could mean fewer Apple products to go around than in most years. During its last earnings call, Apple warned that supply chain problems could have a larger impact on the 2021 holiday shopping season than in previous quarters.