Mac mini locked by iCloud unsolicited - Apple wants $350 to replace the logic board

andremoraes · Nov 29, 2012

Hi there.

I would like to share that I've created a small claims and hope to use the free mediation service here in Houston to solve my issue with Apple that ITS VERY ALARMING

I've RECEIVED an UNSOLICITED LOCK - find my iPhone service in my MAC MINI

yes that right, in my mac mini that was safe and running in my home.

I never asked to lock my mini or any other device. Anyhow I called apple one time and they said that would not solve the issue since my mac mini 2011 was more then 90 days without warranty. According to the operator I could go to the store to have the issue fixed.

I gave some tough and called again using the stand by call feature in apple support.

After identify myself and give the serial number and after apple acknowledge the fact that I received the email and lock, they were not able to unlock or give me the unknown code to unlock my mini (since I was not the originator of the lock, the 6 digits code is not know)

anyway the lady in the phone said to me to just go to an apple store and she even schedule the time for me to go the store nearby and she said that the apple genius bar will just check my ID and fix my error message (asking for a PIN number - and an alert from apple)

After spend 1 hour in the store, I finally agree to have them to format the machine and do whatever it takes to have my machine operational again (by the way I've a TOP of the line mac mini with I7 and dedicated graphics card)

Next 48 hours goes by I return to the store and they SAY THAT I'VE to PAY about $350 to REPLACE the LOGIC BOARD because APPLE apparently does't store the PIN number that a given person uses to lock a device.

I check the macrumors forum and many users complain that after installing mountain lion, sometimes this BUG happen. perhaps that's why apple doesn't have the information, point is that this is not an end user PROBLEM and Apple should fix the problem.

IMAGINE the panic if all apple users have to pay a lot of money because the apple server sent an lock to the devices and apple can't fix the problem

how can a software cause a hardware to be exchange.

That's the worse thing ever. I've removed all my devices from the cloud FIND my phone feature.

By the way, in the iCLOUD terms and when you click in lock a device, it doesn't say that if you forget your PIN number you'll have to pay to replace the logic board.

Thanks, Andre Moraes

portishead · Nov 29, 2012

I don't understand. Is it stolen?

thekev · Nov 30, 2012

How did it get locked if it wasn't stolen and you weren't the one to do it?

philipma1957 · Nov 30, 2012

giving the op the benefit of the doubt sounds like he was hacked. i would have to guess if i hacked into your apple id i might be able to lock your computer. I have quite a few apple store purchases listed everyone has the computers serial number.
I would prefer that the op is trolling or that the person that did it had a personal agenda against the op. I will look into my passwords for my apple accounts as this would be a really bad problem if someone locked up my machines purchased at the apple store.

andremoraes · Nov 30, 2012

portishead said:
I don't understand. Is it stolen?

thanks for the reply, no the mac mini was safe and sound at home.
I did not did the lock. I doubt that my account was hacked because I'd 6 others devices and just one was locked.

If a hack got access to my account, why not lock all devices?

I've received the email from apple to notify that the lock was performed, so it was not a BUG in the mac mini by itself.

I just fell that my wallet is about to be $350 short. I hope that the small claim court and the representative from apple agree to at least cover 50%

----------

thekev said:
How did it get locked if it wasn't stolen and you weren't the one to do it?

good question, I guess it was an error from the server.

and how come you need to replace the logic board, I mean why apple doesn't have a secret program or number to fix this issue without need to replace the hardware. I paid almost $900 in this mini in August of last year. I guess from now on, I'll never be out of the applecare. No wonder apple is one of the companies out there with more cash in hand.
That mini was my first apple desktop computer. My wife has a macbook air.
I'm not sure what direction to take, but my trust in apple fall a lot after this unfair treatment

----------

philipma1957 said:
giving the op the benefit of the doubt sounds like he was hacked. i would have to guess if i hacked into your apple id i might be able to lock your computer. I have quite a few apple store purchases listed everyone has the computers serial number.
I would prefer that the op is trolling or that the person that did it had a personal agenda against the op. I will look into my passwords for my apple accounts as this would be a really bad problem if someone locked up my machines purchased at the apple store.

Philip, I guess that's possible, but apple never said where the lock originated from. because if they did that it might have helped to prove my point that I was not the initiator of the lock.
I was at work and driving back from it when this happen. Now do you feel safe to still use the find my mac feature, knowing that if by any reason you get locked and even if you have performed the lock and forgot the 6 digits number, that you need to replace the logic board?
Or imagine that if you got your account hacked, imagine that someone lock your computer and ipad and iphone and from nothing you need to pay I guess $1000 to get it fixed?

I just removed all my devices from the cloud - lost my device feature.

If you can lock your computer there, knowing your apple id and password, why can't you also unlock?

very frustrating

----------

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS4006

this says in the lock part of it that any apple store can unlock your computer, but it doesn't say that you need to replace the logic board to do so

anyone can confirm that the logic board replacement is mandatory or perhaps it's only when the lock was caused by a server error?

Dduval · Nov 30, 2012

I wish I could help you and I feel bad this happened to you. It's ridiculous they want to charge you to fix this.

portishead · Nov 30, 2012

Sounds like it wasn't your fault. You really should try to talk to someone higher up at Apple if you can. Did you take it to the genius bar or anything? Did you buy it used, and the old user had access to it or something?

thekev · Nov 30, 2012

andremoraes said:
I just removed all my devices from the cloud - lost my device feature.

If you can lock your computer there, knowing your apple id and password, why can't you also unlock?

very frustrating

I can understand that. You can probably search on this one. I recall a similar thread where someone mentioned removing a stick of ram and doing something else to unbrick the device. As a disclaimer I can't remember the name of the thread, and I don't know whether it works.

andremoraes · Nov 30, 2012

portishead said:
Sounds like it wasn't your fault. You really should try to talk to someone higher up at Apple if you can. Did you take it to the genius bar or anything? Did you buy it used, and the old user had access to it or something?

nope, bought brand new from apple store back in August 2011, today I regret to have not buy the applecare

----------

thekev said:
I can understand that. You can probably search on this one. I recall a similar thread where someone mentioned removing a stick of ram and doing something else to unbrick the device. As a disclaimer I can't remember the name of the thread, and I don't know whether it works.

I understand that this might work in pre 2011 computers, I brought the mini to the store and genius bar. I guess one of the points of the tread is to all the others mac mini users be aware of the issue and perhaps IMHO since lost my mac is not really needed for a mini, once I fix my mini, I will never enable that option again ;-)

calvol · Dec 1, 2012

There must be some secret hardware reset code to clear the lockout... I would pursue this without paying Apple for a new logic board.

philipma1957 · Dec 2, 2012

I would send emails to apple. I would link this thread.

http://www.apple.com/contact/feedback.html

https://ssl.apple.com/support/feedback/

http://store.apple.com/us/help/contact

the thumbnail below shows they are out of date about internet services . they still list mobileMe and don't list iCloud. I would point that out. I would tell them they make billions of dollars while you only make thousands. I would say to them that your pointing out that the support page is out of date is worth at least 350 if not a new mini entirely. I would also say that your services in finding this flaw will save them from potential litigation .

OH one last thing a clever hacker would only hack one device out of six just to eff with the system

xlii · Dec 2, 2012

Worth a try... good luck

Be sure to read the entire thread first...

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3260436?start=0&tstart=0

It it doesn't work... call apple...it shouldn't take a new logic board to fix. Bring proof that you own the machine. The proof should be in your apple account. If that store doesn't want to reset your machine you will need to call corporate apple... go higher up... until you get satisfaction.

poloponies · Dec 2, 2012

calvol said:
There must be some secret hardware reset code to clear the lockout... I would pursue this without paying Apple for a new logic board.

There's much to this post that doesn't make sense. However, Apple can unlock any locked device by resetting the EFI firmware.

andremoraes · Dec 4, 2012

poloponies said:
There's much to this post that doesn't make sense. However, Apple can unlock any locked device by resetting the EFI firmware.

Poloponies, I'm without my mini for about 3 weeks now, do you think that The resetting firmware is a easy procedure? Because it might be the case that apple doesn't want to do because will take time and there's a risk.

I wish I could make sense of all this too.

----------

philipma1957 said:
I would send emails to apple. I would link this thread.

http://www.apple.com/contact/feedback.html
...

[/B]

Make sense, I'll try thanks chief

ActionableMango · Dec 6, 2012

This is terrible, I feel bad for you.

Did you buy your Mac with a credit card? If so, the $350 repair is probably covered. Most credit cards double the warranty of the purchase. Many people do not know this. Basically the 1 year Apple warranty is extended to 2 years by your credit card.

http://usa.visa.com/personal/visa-signature/benefits/warranty-manager.jsp#anchor_6a

My iPhone power button broke about 14 months into owning it. Apple warranty was over. I paid $200 at the Apple Store to have it fixed, then made a claim with Visa. They needed the original receipt to prove the date of purchase (Apple Store reprinted it for me), they needed the repair receipt to prove the amount to refund (Apple provided), and they needed a copy of the original warranty to know that the repair occurred after the original warranty was over but before the credit card's extension had expired (I printed from Apple.com). It was a little bit of work, but Visa refunded me the $200.

On a different note, isn't Find My Mac disabled by default? You must have turned it on then? I know with all my iOS devices it is disabled by default. Most of the complaints I see about Find My Mac are the opposite--someone had their Mac stolen, they try to use Find My Mac, only to find out they cannot because they hadn't enabled it.

I'm not sure you will succeed in court. You'd have to prove that Apple did this. Without proof you have no case. Apple will float the theory that a hacker did it or you did it accidentally and forgot your code, or your kid did it, or your cat. Your only hope is that Apple doesn't bother to show up and you get summary judgement. Even then, it's not like the court hands you check and bills Apple. You will still have to collect the money yourself. This is a long hard road with little chance of success.

andremoraes · Dec 6, 2012

ActionableMango said:
This is terrible, I feel bad for you.

Thanks for the tips ActionableMango, I checked but I cancel the credit card and I think that United Airlines MasterCard did not have that option :-(

Good point I guess I turned on the lock once I activate the cloud.
Apple did not respond the small claims mediation court. So I'll try other store or just try the guy in eBay from CA.
Better pay him than Apple.

andremoraes · Feb 11, 2013

fixed

Gave another try in other Apple Store and problem was solved with no sweat

thank you APPLE

cjgonzales1900 · Feb 11, 2013

Wow bashing apple throughout this entire post and now he is happy because apple replaced/fixed his computer. Come on Apple is a great company and makes great computers. The customer will almost always get his way if they go high enough. As long as your within reason.

CausticPuppy · Feb 12, 2013

andremoraes said:
Hi there.

I would like to share that I've created a small claims and hope to use the free mediation service here in Houston to solve my issue with Apple that ITS VERY ALARMING

I've RECEIVED an UNSOLICITED LOCK - find my iPhone service in my MAC MINI

yes that right, in my mac mini that was safe and running in my home.

I never asked to lock my mini or any other device. Anyhow I called apple one time and they said that would not solve the issue since my mac mini 2011 was more then 90 days without warranty. According to the operator I could go to the store to have the issue fixed.

I gave some tough and called again using the stand by call feature in apple support.

After identify myself and give the serial number and after apple acknowledge the fact that I received the email and lock, they were not able to unlock or give me the unknown code to unlock my mini (since I was not the originator of the lock, the 6 digits code is not know)

anyway… the lady in the phone said to me to just go to an apple store and she even schedule the time for me to go the store nearby and she said that the apple genius bar will just check my ID and fix my error message (asking for a PIN number - and an alert from apple)

After spend 1 hour in the store, I finally agree to have them to format the machine and do whatever it takes to have my machine operational again (by the way I've a TOP of the line mac mini with I7 and dedicated graphics card)

Next 48 hours goes by I return to the store and they SAY THAT I'VE to PAY about $350 to REPLACE the LOGIC BOARD because APPLE apparently does't store the PIN number that a given person uses to lock a device.

I check the macrumors forum and many users complain that after installing mountain lion, sometimes this BUG happen. perhaps that's why apple doesn't have the information, point is that this is not an end user PROBLEM and Apple should fix the problem.

IMAGINE the panic if all apple users have to pay a lot of money because the apple server sent an lock to the devices and apple can't fix the problem

how can a software cause a hardware to be exchange.

That's the worse thing ever. I've removed all my devices from the cloud FIND my phone feature.

By the way, in the iCLOUD terms and when you click in lock a device, it doesn't say that if you forget your PIN number you'll have to pay to replace the logic board.

Thanks, Andre Moraes

If you didn't lock your Mac Mini yourself, that means somebody else did-- and you now have bigger problems. The VERY first thing you should do is change your iCloud password and all of your security info (secret questions, etc).

famous600 · Feb 12, 2013

CausticPuppy said:
If you didn't lock your Mac Mini yourself, that means somebody else did-- and you now have bigger problems. The VERY first thing you should do is change your iCloud password and all of your security info (secret questions, etc).

I'm inclined to agree with you. OP said it himself with SIX other devices. I'd bet someone got ahold of one possibly even a family member and locked it on accident. I really can't picture Apple randomly locking devices.

samcraig · Feb 12, 2013

cjgonzales1900 said:
Wow bashing apple throughout this entire post and now he is happy because apple replaced/fixed his computer. Come on Apple is a great company and makes great computers. The customer will almost always get his way if they go high enough. As long as your within reason.

Wow - are you aware that a thread happens in "real time" and that someone can complain about the response they are getting and THEN finally get a response they are happy with.

Apple isn't always a great company. They are better than most - but to suggest they are infallible is silly.

Count Blah · Feb 15, 2013

cjgonzales1900 said:
Wow bashing apple throughout this entire post and now he is happy because apple replaced/fixed his computer. Come on Apple is a great company and makes great computers. The customer will almost always get his way if they go high enough. As long as your within reason.

Yes, on the 5th attempt(multiple attempts and two visits) it was fixed!!! If you expect people to keep a cool head when getting rebuffed and told to pay $350 dollars to fix something like this, then you simply do not understand what it is to be human.

famous600 · Feb 15, 2013

Count Blah said:
Yes, on the 5th attempt(multiple attempts and two visits) it was fixed!!! If you expect people to keep a cool head when getting rebuffed and told to pay $350 dollars to fix something like this, then you simply do not understand what it is to be human.

I'm glad you got it fixed but really?! You walk into an apple store and say Apple locked your computer at complete random and you don't expect and apple employee to question that? Not to mention the fact that you have 6 other devices that could have locked your computer for any number of reasons whether it was you or someone else. It's just a logical thought and if you don't think that then you do not understand what it is to be human and question someone's intent.

iSayuSay · Apr 28, 2013

cjgonzales1900 said:
Wow bashing apple throughout this entire post and now he is happy because apple replaced/fixed his computer. Come on Apple is a great company and makes great computers. The customer will almost always get his way if they go high enough. As long as your within reason.

If you can go high enough, everything can be solved. If you know Tim well enough, chances are you also can get free any of Apple products every year you don't even need warranty.
It's mere mortals like us who should be worried, and in a few cases, Apple can be disappointing. You only read the good news, wait until you read a "real" complain about them. Two side of the coins, man.

Mac mini locked by iCloud unsolicited - Apple wants $350 to replace the logic board

macrumors newbie

macrumors 65816

macrumors 604

macrumors 603

macrumors newbie

macrumors regular

macrumors 65816

macrumors 604

macrumors newbie

macrumors 6502a

macrumors 603

Attachments

macrumors 68000

Suspended

macrumors newbie

macrumors G3

macrumors newbie

macrumors newbie

macrumors 6502

macrumors 68000

macrumors 6502a

macrumors P6

macrumors 68040

macrumors 6502a

macrumors 68040

Our Staff