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How to Return That iPad 2 You Just Bought—Or at Least Get Some Money Back

You bought an iPad 2 last week, and then all of a sudden Apple dropped the price and announced a shiny new model. No fair! Sure, you maybe could've seen it coming, but you shouldn't be penalized. And depending on where and when you bought your suddenly obsolete tablet, you might not be.

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Update on Best Buy's policy below

There are two paths to success here: the full return, and the price guarantee. You're probably familiar with the former; return your iPad 2 with its original materials and the receipt within a specified period of time and you'll get your money back. Easy enough!

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As for the latter, many retailers guarantee that the price of the products they sell will not drop for a period of time after you buy them. If the price drops, they'll credit you the difference. Most of the time, the guarantees are the same as the return window, but they're useful if you want to keep your iPad 2—or in the event that in just a few weeks you've banged it up, lost the receipt, and burned the box for warmth.

So do you qualify for iPad 2 redemption? Here's where you can find out:

Apple
Return policy: 14 days with original receipt and packaging.
Price match: Apple will credit you with the difference within the return window.

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Amazon
Return policy: 30 days with original receipt and packaging.
Price match: None

AT&T
Return policy: 14 days with original receipt and packaging. A 10% restocking fee applies to iPads that aren't shrink-wrapped.
Price match: None

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Best Buy
Return policy: 14 days with original receipt and packaging if purchased before the March 4th, and 30 days if purchased on or after March 4th.
Price match: Best Buy Price Match Guarantee offers a credit for the price difference within the return window, so 14 days.

Radio Shack
Return policy: 30 days with original receipt and packaging.
Price match: None

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Target
Return policy: 45 days with original receipt and packaging.
Price match: 7 days with receipt.

Verizon
Return policy:14 days with original receipt and packaging.
Price match: None

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Update:
Several Best Buy employees emailed me to let me know that Best Buy's policies changed on March 4th. If you purchased your iPad before March 4th, the return window is 14 days. If you purchased your iPad after, the window is 30 days.