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RadioactivePaul

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 26, 2011
42
0
Hi,

I had an issue with my iPhone 4S (sleep button was stuck) and I requested service on the 15th of this month.

I received my prepaid packaging on the 18th and shipped off my 4S on the same day.

Royal Mails Track & Trace service has not budged, nor has Apples repair page:
pPSPa.png

6DhMZ.png



I received a box from Apple about a week later and was really excited to get my phone back, but no, I open it up to fine a bubble packet with a really bad conditioned iPhone 4.

I've been in contact with Margaret Lordan, Executive Relations at Apple Sales International a few times but to be honest, I'm not getting anywhere; according to their technical team I sent an iPhone 4, but I did not - I have mentioned a few times that I wanted my packaging to be inspected but no joy (I can see a lot of articles about this happening prior to delivery of Apple products via Google..)

I'm keeping my cool at the moment because my father took his own life this month and I really don't need any more stress but this is absolutely silly.

I just sent off another email, this time to:
  • CEO of Royal Mail
  • Operations Manager of Royal Mail
  • Head of Data & Information of Royal Mail,
  • Tim Cook
  • Margaret Lordan
  • Chief Executive of The Office of Fair Trading
  • Jonathan Ive
  • Steve Downling
  • Gizmodo, BBC News, Engadget, Mashable, TechCrunch and Wired

I love Apple and I think their customer support is excellent but unfortunately I'm not seeing much of it right now.

Has anyone had a similar experience or has any advice? I'm clueless, I don't even know where I stand right now.

Regards,
 
Last edited:

davidjearly

macrumors 68020
Sep 21, 2006
2,264
371
Glasgow, Scotland
Margaret Lordan is the most unhelpful person at Apple. I have had the pleasure of dealing with her in the past and it is the only time I have ever received shockingly subpar service from Apple. In the end, further emails to Steve got me in touch with someone else at Executive Relations and it was finally resolved.

I feel your pain. I had a case with her that lasted months before I got someone else to investigate it. She is absolutely terrible to deal with.

I'd try to get someone else involved, though she made that as awkward and difficult as possible for me.
 

RadioactivePaul

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 26, 2011
42
0
That sounds ****ed up. Was the iPhone 4 they sent erased or had data on it? Was it badly scratched?
Haven't tried to charge it because it's not my phone so god knows what kind of personal/confidential information is on it, but all I know is that pieces of backplate glass are missing, scratches everywhere and surprise surprise, a stuck in sleep button.

She asked me if I maybe sent an iPhone 4 by mistake, Yes of course I did /sarcasm - I do have an iPhone 4, is it black and scratched? Hell no, it's white and in pristine condition because I actually take care of my possessions.

Margaret Lordan is the most unhelpful person at Apple. I have had the pleasure of dealing with her in the past and it is the only time I have ever received shockingly subpar service from Apple. In the end, further emails to Steve got me in touch with someone else at Executive Relations and it was finally resolved.

I feel your pain. I had a case with her that lasted months before I got someone else to investigate it. She is absolutely terrible to deal with.

I'd try to get someone else involved, though she made that as awkward and difficult as possible for me.
Glad to see someone was in the same situation and you eventually had it resolved, I actually have liked not having a phone recently but it's time I got my iPhone now :rolleyes:
 

Dangerous Theory

macrumors 68000
Jul 28, 2011
1,984
28
UK
They must have crossed your case with someone else's. Sounds like the only thing you can do is keep pressing them.

If unsuccessful, I would add WatchDog to your list of contacts too.
 

RadioactivePaul

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 26, 2011
42
0
They must have crossed your case with someone else's. Sounds like the only thing you can do is keep pressing them.

If unsuccessful, I would add WatchDog to your list of contacts too.
Exactly what I thought, because as I mentioned, Royal Mails tracking page isn't displaying the package as delivered (I understand this is common) but nor is Apples repair page - It still says "Empty box shipped" lol!
 

Dangerous Theory

macrumors 68000
Jul 28, 2011
1,984
28
UK
Exactly what I thought, because as I mentioned, Royal Mails tracking page isn't displaying the package as delivered (I understand this is common) but nor is Apples repair page - It still says "Empty box shipped" lol!

So their repair tracker is still at the first stage, yet they insist on the phone that you sent in an iPhone 4? If they can't even provide consistent information then that's grounds enough to compensate your claim.
 

RadioactivePaul

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 26, 2011
42
0
So their repair tracker is still at the first stage, yet they insist on the phone that you sent in an iPhone 4? If they can't even provide consistent information then that's grounds enough to compensate your claim.
Updated OP to show this.

I also provided Margaret with my postal receipt from Royal Mail and my proof of purchase (contacted a seller on Gumtree as 64GB 4S was sold out by time I got to the Apple store, met him and he provided a receipt for me - Local Microsoft Certified partner)

I guess they could act a bitch about having purchased it from a third party, but it's the fact they are telling me I sent an iPhone 4 with a completely different serial number altogether & basically aren't going to do anything, as implied when Margaret asked me to contact Royal Mail (ahem, your party provided the prepaid packaging? Which is quite a common victim of being slashed open or stolen in transit according to so many threads I can find through Google)
 

RadioactivePaul

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 26, 2011
42
0
Sent yet again another email (Margaret was supposed to get back to me by now) this time to:
Stuart Griffiths - Project Manager at Apple Sales International
Orla O'Donoghue - Quality Operations Manager at Apple Sales International (previous role was Executive Relations Manager)

Here goes nothing!
 

macse30

macrumors regular
Jul 30, 2009
196
0
Let me get this straight. You sent a 4S back to Apple by Royal Mail. Someone intercepted the package and swapped a beat up 4 into the package. Apple gets the package and then rejects it and ships the 4 back to you. Do I have this right? It sounds like your problem is with a thief in Royal Mail.
 

RadioactivePaul

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 26, 2011
42
0
Let me get this straight. You sent a 4S back to Apple by Royal Mail. Someone intercepted the package and swapped a beat up 4 into the package. Apple gets the package and then rejects it and ships the 4 back to you. Do I have this right? It sounds like your problem is with a thief in Royal Mail.
I don't know if it has been intercepted or not, as far as I know, Apple think I sent an iPhone 4, they won't budge on the matter & I have no proof that they received the package to begin with.

I'm now left with a device belonging to someone else.
 

ijohnbro

macrumors regular
Oct 27, 2010
209
0
This is the way it sounds to me. You sent Apple the same phone they sent you back an iPhone 4. You make a big beef about it, write to the editors, hound everybody you can at Apple. And you just hope it's easier for Apple to say " oh maybe we made a mistake" and send you a brand new iPhone 4S that you did not pay for?? Of course you bought the 64G model to yeah mmhmm I did too :)


Apple would not make the kind of mistake you're talking about. If you sent them a brand new iPhone 4S they wouldn't send you some crappy beat up iPhone 4 and nobody at the shipping place or whatever opened your package up and swapped out phones. You want something for nothing and trying to pull a scam it sounds like to me.
 

davidjearly

macrumors 68020
Sep 21, 2006
2,264
371
Glasgow, Scotland
This is the way it sounds to me. You sent Apple the same phone they sent you back an iPhone 4. You make a big beef about it, write to the editors, hound everybody you can at Apple. And you just hope it's easier for Apple to say " oh maybe we made a mistake" and send you a brand new iPhone 4S that you did not pay for?? Of course you bought the 64G model to yeah mmhmm I did too :)


Apple would not make the kind of mistake you're talking about. If you sent them a brand new iPhone 4S they wouldn't send you some crappy beat up iPhone 4 and nobody at the shipping place or whatever opened your package up and swapped out phones. You want something for nothing and trying to pull a scam it sounds like to me.

Slow down there. You might not want to make assumptions like that. There is clearly something fishy going on here in the postal network.

I have no reason to doubt the OP.
 

RadioactivePaul

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 26, 2011
42
0
This is the way it sounds to me. You sent Apple the same phone they sent you back an iPhone 4. You make a big beef about it, write to the editors, hound everybody you can at Apple. And you just hope it's easier for Apple to say " oh maybe we made a mistake" and send you a brand new iPhone 4S that you did not pay for?? Of course you bought the 64G model to yeah mmhmm I did too :)


Apple would not make the kind of mistake you're talking about. If you sent them a brand new iPhone 4S they wouldn't send you some crappy beat up iPhone 4 and nobody at the shipping place or whatever opened your package up and swapped out phones. You want something for nothing and trying to pull a scam it sounds like to me.
Sorry to bust your bubble, but the model number of this iPhone 4 is an AT&T model (MC319LLA)

Do I look as if I live in the US?
 

sjinsjca

macrumors 68020
Oct 30, 2008
2,238
555
Keep climbing the ladder. Get Lordon's supervisor involved. Point them at this thread since Lordon has a reputation that is damaging the brand. Be courteous and professional and calm throughout-- just make it very clear that you intend to persevere.

Very sorry for the loss of your father.
 

RadioactivePaul

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 26, 2011
42
0
Keep climbing the ladder. Get Lordon's supervisor involved. Point them at this thread since Lordon has a reputation that is damaging the brand. Be courteous and professional and calm throughout-- just make it very clear that you intend to persevere.

Very sorry for the loss of your father.
Thank you very much for your condolences.

I am most certainly not pulling the wool over the eyes of anyone here nor Apple - If I was, do you think I'd really take such a risk reporting this incident to the regulatory agencies just for an upgrade which isn't worthwhile, if I already possessed an iPhone 4 as my primary mobile device? Don't be daft.
 

ste1164

macrumors 6502a
Jan 4, 2009
732
3
Ring applecare and see if they can do anything about it? Thats why I like taking mine to an apple store and not sending it off. I had to ring applecare about something once and and was put onto one of the head people at apple who deals with replacements he lives in america. If I can find the name ill send you it.
 

Pravius

macrumors regular
Feb 8, 2011
121
6
MI
This is the way it sounds to me. You sent Apple the same phone they sent you back an iPhone 4. You make a big beef about it, write to the editors, hound everybody you can at Apple. And you just hope it's easier for Apple to say " oh maybe we made a mistake" and send you a brand new iPhone 4S that you did not pay for?? Of course you bought the 64G model to yeah mmhmm I did too :)


Apple would not make the kind of mistake you're talking about. If you sent them a brand new iPhone 4S they wouldn't send you some crappy beat up iPhone 4 and nobody at the shipping place or whatever opened your package up and swapped out phones. You want something for nothing and trying to pull a scam it sounds like to me.

Why in god's name would he/she come on here and post this long ass post as to what is going on. I would think if they are scamming they may not have bothered to make this long ass post explaining in detail what is happening.

I get that in this world you kind of have to think the way you do, but to come on here and flat out accuse someone without knowing for sure of something you think is true, is just flat out ignorant.
 

ijohnbro

macrumors regular
Oct 27, 2010
209
0
Why in god's name would he/she come on here and post this long ass post as to what is going on. I would think if they are scamming they may not have bothered to make this long ass post explaining in detail what is happening.

I get that in this world you kind of have to think the way you do, but to come on here and flat out accuse someone without knowing for sure of something you think is true, is just flat out ignorant.

It was a hunch?
 
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