Apple 2022 MacBook Air Laptop

If I could give zero stars, I would! I thought I was getting an amazing deal on a slightly older model, but new MacBook Air from the Apple Store. My laptop arrived seemingly brand new right out of the box. I plugged it in and began setting it up. Within about 15 minutes, the screen started glitching so I left it charging and put the laptop aside. Over the next three days, the laptop wouldn't hold a charge. The amber light on the charger would light up for a few seconds, the laptop would automatically restart, and it would shut down again. I tried using different outlets, surge protectors, chargers, and even charging ports. Nothing worked! I went immediately to an Apple Store to have them look at the laptop. This is where the red flags started to appear. I was told that if the laptop was defective, they could replace it...until they found out I bought it from the Apple Store on Amazon. I was told that buying Apple products from 3rd party vendors like Amazon is "really dangerous". I waited to talk to a technician. What I learned is that Amazon buys products from Apple and then re-sells them. My warranty, which is usually good for a year, had only 38 days left. And the computer had a hardware issue. If I asked them to repair the laptop, it would void what little warranty I had left. I immediately tried to initiate a return. I could not return the item without speaking to Amazon customer support. After repeatedly chatting and talking with two separate agents, neither of whom could easily assist me, I finally had the return approved. I happened to be sitting outside an Amazon pick-up/return counter at Whole Foods, but I soon learned that they could not process the return. I needed to re-pack the laptop, print and place a mailing label, and take it to USPS. When I went to USPS, I realized that I needed to pay $24.80 in shipping costs. And since I don't live in the continental U.S., it is now being sent via cargo ship. It will take at least 3 weeks to arrive. I will then need to wait 14-30 days before receiving my refund...if the package is not damaged. And after the three weeks it will take for the package to get sent back to Amazon, the return window will have closed. Meanwhile, I purchased a newer model version of the same laptop directly from Apple. It is refurbished, but will come with a warranty and tech support. I will pick up my new laptop in two days...for less than the entire cost of receiving a defective laptop and mailing back the return at my own expense from Amazon.