Another Walmart Empty Ipad Box!

[El Kabong]

Got a call from wife who was helping her father open his new iPad 2 3G purchased from Walmart. (Austin, TX) They opened it up and all they saw inside the box was a stack of paper. After calling me a quick Google on the issue brought me here and to this thread (little over 2 wks old): http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1188484

Seems like there's something going on at WalMart with iPad 2's. They've been in touch with the store and we're on our way over there now. We've also contacted the CC company who has made a note but wants us to wait until we try to resolve it at the store level. Also planning a police report to accompany this, not to mention a printout of the cited above post.

Don't know if this is something that is unique to WalMart or is happening everywhere. Anyone? Hopefully Walmart will resolve this quickly.

Anyone else had or heard about this?
Thx,
El Kabong

[ftaok]

You hear about these types of things from time to time. It's not limited to iPads or Walmart. Every so often, you'll get the local news report on someone buying a Wii and they end up with a box of rocks (or paper).

I think in most cases, the device is stolen by an employee and replaced with something that weighs around the same as the device. Then they shrinkwrap the box and put it on the shelf.

[sladester]

I also bought an empty box at wal-mart this weekend. On saturday I went over to pick up a video game, and got home only to have bought a $60 cd case. Luckily, after a good 30 minutes at the store juggling between customer service and the electronics department, i was able to trade my box in for another copy of the game.

[rgarjr]

Originally Posted by sladester

I also bought an empty box at wal-mart this weekend. On saturday I went over to pick up a video game, and got home only to have bought a $60 cd case. Luckily, after a good 30 minutes at the store juggling between customer service and the electronics department, i was able to trade my box in for another copy of the game.

Yeah it's tough at both sides as anyone could buy an iPad, remove it and claim it wasn't inside.

[neonbright]

I am wondering about this, I just put my iPad back in the original box to feel the weight. Then took it out and added paper, just can't see how someone wouldn't be suspicious about how light the box would be with just paper in it.

[LanEvo]

Originally Posted by neonbright

I am wondering about this, I just put my iPad back in the original box to feel the weight. Then took it out and added paper, just can't see how someone wouldn't be suspicious about how light the box would be with just paper in it.

Try it with a stack of white printing paper. Weights add up.

[El Kabong]

Just went over to the WalMart, spoke with the mgr and they were actually very good. No hassles. They got my 83 y/o Father In Law and new one, and even opened it to make sure there was one in there!

Made the exchange, and I even gave them the printout of the other thread that I had found here.

Yes, it was a stack of white printer paper that had been torn at the bottom to fit in. The weight was very close to what's supposed to be in the box. Apparently you can get shrink wrap anywhere, and a hair dryer will do the trick. Amazing. Imagine they can track it via the GUID.

posted the pics on my skydrive in case anyone is interested.
https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=f07ad...F04B829B%21134

Anyway, all's well that ends well.

[LanEvo]

Originally Posted by El Kabong

Just went over to the WalMart, spoke with the mgr and they were actually very good. No hassles. They got my 83 y/o Father In Law and new one, and even opened it to make sure there was one in there!

Made the exchange, and I even gave them the printout of the other thread that I had found here.

Yes, it was a stack of white printer paper that had been torn at the bottom to fit in. The weight was very close to what's supposed to be in the box. Apparently you can get shrink wrap anywhere, and a hair dryer will do the trick. Amazing. Imagine they can track it via the GUID.

posted the pics on my skydrive in case anyone is interested.
https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=f07ad...F04B829B%21134

Anyway, all's well that ends well.

Sounds like a bait and switch thing going on.

[cardinalryan]

Originally Posted by rgarjr

Yeah it's tough at both sides as anyone could buy an iPad, remove it and claim it wasn't inside.

Yes, they could, but it's trackable by serial number, I think they would get caught upon activating the device.

[gertruded]

Maybe Walmart is giving up on selling iPads. I went to 4 Walmart stores within 25 miles of my home to try to find one and none of the stores had any inventory.

They all had the display and the inventory storage area, but no machines.

[El Kabong]

Don't know about the B&S. I went with my F.I.L. to buy the original WiFi version, and we weren't pushed to upgrade. A B&S would probably have to be a little more elegant than scraps of paper, some shrink-wrap and a hair dryer . Plus, he already upgraded before the problem. This was just an even exchange. I suspect it's just a supply chain problem that is likely impacting all distributors. My research for availability didn't have very many good results and we got lucky at the WalMart for the WiFi. Supposedly the chain is filling back up and supply isn't supposed to be as big of an issue. We'll see...
Thanks, all.

[karilynn]

That is so ridiculous. I have no idea how people live with themselves. Can you imagine opening the box to your new iPad all excited and all that's in the box is a stack of papers? Disgusting!

[rdowns]

http://www.cultofmac.com/want-a-free...for-you/108435

Walmart is starting to look like a prime place to nick an iPad.

Recently, a pair of crooks successfully pulled a bait and switch by returning an empty box — now there seems to be a gang targeting Walmarts for iPad thefts with an even simpler ruse.
One of them, described as a young male with long blond hair, goes into the electronics department, tells the clerk he wants two iPads. The employee takes them out of the case.

Once the tablet computers are out from lock and key, the potential buyer asks the clerk to set them aside — ostensibly so he can go finish shopping. Then his accomplice, a young woman, reaches under the counter a few moments later and grabs them.

The accomplice passes them to third person who then stashes the iPads in a handbag and walks out.

In four known thefts in the Arcadia, California area, the trio has stolen about $6,400 in iPads.

[LanEvo]

http://www.cultofmac.com/want-a-free...for-you/108435

This ones even weirder, doesn't Wal-Mart have those magnetic machines that beep when you take something that has not been scanned? I know all my local ones do.

[Ecoh]

I was in a Walmart a few days ago, trying to buy a bottle of contact lens cleaner. The seals on all the boxes were broken. I really needed a bottle, so I opened a box to see if the seal on the bottle inside the box was also broken. I discovered every box of expensive name brand cleaner had been opened and the bottle switched with a cheap store brand cleaner.

[stevenlangley1]

Glad you got your issue resolved. These are some bizarre theft stories.

[swiftbmx]

I quit Walmart 2 years ago when I realized how much better Target is overall. I'm always shocked at the customer service, cleanliness and appearance for such a commercial high volume store. I feel like I need to take a warm bath anytime I visit the Wally World.

[ftaok]

To combat this, Apple should start putting the serial number on the outside of the box or at least have a window that showed the SN on the iPad through the box. Nintendo used to do this with Gameboys.

Short of that, they could use special shrinkwrap that is hard to counterfeit.

[crypticlineage]

Originally Posted by ftaok

To combat this, Apple should start putting the serial number on the outside of the box or at least have a window that showed the SN on the iPad through the box. Nintendo used to do this with Gameboys.

Short of that, they could use special shrinkwrap that is hard to counterfeit.

Better yet, they should stop selling at Walmart.

[btbrossard]

Glad you got it sorted out.

My wife and I bought a KitchenAid mixer a few years ago at Target that had been swapped with a mixer that looked 20 years old.

The people at the service desk were very nice about the whole thing and it took about 10 minutes to get a new one.

Pretty sad what people will do these days to rip other people off.

[LanEvo]

Originally Posted by btbrossard

Glad you got it sorted out.

My wife and I bought a KitchenAid mixer a few years ago at Target that had been swapped with a mixer that looked 20 years old.

The people at the service desk were very nice about the whole thing and it took about 10 minutes to get a new one.

Pretty sad what people will do these days to rip other people off.

Only in the USA, other countries have no returns, period.

[sehnsucht77]

wow, swapping paper for an ipad? sad, stealing bastards....bunch of savages, i tell ya.

[eastercat]

I should make a crack that this is how Wal-Mart has such low prices.
People should stop buying from Wal-Mart.
They force people to work unpaid overtime, treat their employees poorly and contribute to the trade deficit between us and China.

Originally Posted by crypticlineage

Better yet, they should stop selling at Walmart.

[LanEvo]

Originally Posted by eastercat

I should make a crack that this is how Wal-Mart has such low prices.
People should stop buying from Wal-Mart.
They force people to work unpaid overtime, treat their employees poorly and contribute to the trade deficit between us and China.

Without China you wouldn't even have an iPad 2, and if you did you'd be paying over $1K. Can't blame China on this, USA has just become too dependent on others, especially oil.

[Abazigal]

And this is why I always check my purchases before leaving the store, especially big ticket items like my imac.

I am amazed you managed to wait till you reached home. I would have torn the box open the moment I left the shop!