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iPhone 12 Pro Max FedEx lost / stole my trade in iPhone 12 Pro Max - How screwed am I?

F

frostrambler

macrumors regular
Original poster
Sep 14, 2007
120
60
NYC
Bought a new 13 Pro Max and Apple offered me 790 for my old 12 Pro Max. I got the box, packed the phone into it, and being an idiot… just dropped it in a FedEx Dropbox next to where I work. This was last Tuesday, a week ago. Since then, it has never been scanned in. Package tracking only shows the label was printed.

I’ve spoken to FedEx customer service who claims to have sent a driver to the box, which was empty when they checked it. Driver picked up packages on Tuesday at 6pm last week, but my package was never scanned in. Customer service also confirmed with the local warehouse that my package wasn’t sitting around waiting for ground to grab it from express.

So, I called Apple a few times, and they have opened a shipping investigation, but I’m not holding out hope, FedEx told me it’s lost, but since it wasn’t even scanned in…I have no proof I even dropped it off. Apple promised to call me back in 48 hours, that was yesterday, but I’ve read that Apple can’t help much here. I filed a police report with the NYPD and told my carrier so the phone is blacklisted.

How screwed am I? I’m assuming Apple won’t make an exception and let me keep the credit? What’s worse is I have AppleCare Plus, which covers Theft and Loss, BUT it requires Find my IPhone to be on, and Apple asks for you to turn it off when sending it in as a trade in, so I followed apples instructions and lost my insurance coverage through their insurance…. Oh boy.
 
frostrambler said:
Bought a new 13 Pro Max and Apple offered me 790 for my old 12 Pro Max. I got the box, packed the phone into it, and being an idiot… just dropped it in a FedEx Dropbox next to where I work. This was last Tuesday, a week ago. Since then, it has never been scanned in. Package tracking only shows the label was printed.

I’ve spoken to FedEx customer service who claims to have sent a driver to the box, which was empty when they checked it. Driver picked up packages on Tuesday at 6pm last week, but my package was never scanned in. Customer service also confirmed with the local warehouse that my package wasn’t sitting around waiting for ground to grab it from express.

So, I called Apple a few times, and they have opened a shipping investigation, but I’m not holding out hope, FedEx told me it’s lost, but since it wasn’t even scanned in…I have no proof I even dropped it off. Apple promised to call me back in 48 hours, that was yesterday, but I’ve read that Apple can’t help much here. I filed a police report with the NYPD and told my carrier so the phone is blacklisted.

How screwed am I? I’m assuming Apple won’t make an exception and let me keep the credit? What’s worse is I have AppleCare Plus, which covers Theft and Loss, BUT it requires Find my IPhone to be on, and Apple asks for you to turn it off when sending it in as a trade in, so I followed apples instructions and lost my insurance coverage through their insurance…. Oh boy.
Click to expand...

You’re VERY screwed, but let this be a lesson to always have it scanned into the system at least. You can try but I doubt apple will do much. You might be able to do a claim with your apple care plus.
 
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What a nightmare.
FedEx can pick up a package you want to ship from your home for a couple $ and sometimes free. They scan it before it even gets in the truck.
 
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Yeah … I was at the Apple Store in the Queens mall that Sunday for an issue with my new iPhone 13, I mentioned to the genius that I had the 12 with me and said the box was coming the next day to ship it in. I asked him I could just hand it in right there and he said I should wait for the box since it already was coming as I’d need to make a new reservation and wait in line again if I wanted to trade it in there. Apparently they can’t do two things in one appointment…
 
Are you sure you just have Apple Care +?? Apple Care + does not have theft protection. You meant you have Apple Care + with theft and loss right?? Anyways, I always get a receipt anytime i send anything away just in case something,like this happens.
 
Sorry to hear this, but you are in a vulnerable position. No way around that.

Outside of Apple not offering great trade in credit you also ran into the risk of the shipping carrier knowing what was in the box because of the address it was going to.

I don’t have much to add outside of what’s already been said. File as many reports as possible, but always and I do mean ALWAYS look for local alternatives or resell on places like swappa/eBay to avoid headaches like this.

It requires a bit more work upfront, but if you do everything as stated you have multiple added layers of protection through the marketplaces & services like PayPal looking into this if you print your labels through them.

Hate to hear stories like this. Good luck in getting this all resolved.
 
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I believe OP can keep credit if he speaks with the proper apple rep. Always a good idea to drop off at physical location, worth the extra time.
 
Someone either broke into box or driver seized opportunity to steal themselves knowing if they don’t scan then no proof. If know what’s going on, then knows device has been unlocked. :mad:
 
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Ya that's a drag but don't give up hope yet despite what Fedex says, they have no clue between scans. I recently returned an iphone 12 via an Apple-issued UPS tag, I just dropped it off at my regular UPS Store and didn't bother with the check-in receipt. Having returned other items the same way I was used to getting a ship confirmation pretty much same-day. In this case I got nothing for several days and started freaking that the brand new phone was lost. Lo and behold after 5-6 days I got the "your refund has been issued" email from Apple, so they received it after all despite no UPS confirmations at all.
 
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I wouldn’t give up hope just yet. Our minds tend to go certain places first, such as theft, but often there are other explanations.

Twice since Covid, I mailed off a FedEx package as my town does not have a place to scan. Both times, it took FOREVER to get to it’s destination and each time I thought I was screwed because neither was scanned in. I too was told they were lost. But, eventually they made it to the destination.

FedEx has been a mess. They have part timers emptying the bins who don’t even scan in. As in it’s not required. So cross your fingers someone sees it and checks it in.
 
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frostrambler said:
Yeah … I was at the Apple Store in the Queens mall that Sunday for an issue with my new iPhone 13, I mentioned to the genius that I had the 12 with me and said the box was coming the next day to ship it in. I asked him I could just hand it in right there and he said I should wait for the box since it already was coming as I’d need to make a new reservation and wait in line again if I wanted to trade it in there. Apparently they can’t do two things in one appointment…
Click to expand...

That "genius" at the Apple Store is a straight up jerk.
 
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Ouch. Sorry to hear about your situation. I guess all you can do is wait and see what Apple will do. For all you know maybe the package just got misplaced or fell somewhere where it’s been missed — which has happened to me before.

I hope the best for you. Remember next time to get a receipt that you’ve dropped it off that way it lays responsibility on the shipper and no longer you since it’s out of your hands.
 
Sorry to hear about this.

We commonly hand low value return packages to UPS and FedEx drivers, but do not do this with iPhone upgrade program.

We even considered handing the two 12 pros to a fedex driver this time. But the liability is just too high.

It’s the only kind of drop off package I’ve specifically waited in line for so I could get the receipt
 
I always drop off directly and have them give me a receipt. Even my cheap Amazon returns lol
 
Another issue is you reported it basically stolen and blacklisted the IMEI.

This is not a phone that will be able to be traded in at this point, right? So, Apple will be out $790 with no phone received by them.

If they even find the phone now, it's going to be a pain in the ass to get the IMEI taken off the blacklist, if possible.
 
Last year (for iUP) to iPhone 12 Pro Max we had called in the FedEx driver for them to pick up at home my 11 Pro Max and they did but never scanned the phone and it went like that for weeks, thank god I had video proof from our cameras with the FedEx guy picking it up and my self handing it over to him as I believe it was the only thing that saved me. So to add more, yeah lesson learned, I will always personally drop off and get a receipt from now on!
 
Very sorry but yes, this is why I always take detailed pictures of my device as I package it up, pictures of the final package, and drop off in person at UPS/Fedex and leave with a receipt.
 
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