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Is my new MacBook Pro not new?

ELMI0001

ELMI0001

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jan 5, 2009
375
10
Olympic Hills GC
Bought a new MacBook Pro last Monday at Best Buy, started installing software and making the computer my own when I realized the Yahoo/Apple start page defaulted on Safari showed a user already logged in. Someone named Melissa with an email address.

Computer acted like new when I first powered on - select language, transfer files from old computer, etc. History on Safari doesn't date before me.

Any thoughts?

Screen+Shot+2012-07-20+at+10.26.10+PM.png
 
ELMI0001 said:
Bought a new MacBook Pro last Monday at Best Buy, started installing software and making the computer my own when I realized the Yahoo/Apple start page defaulted on Safari showed a user already logged in. Someone named Melissa with an email address.

Computer acted like new when I first powered on - select language, transfer files from old computer, etc. History on Safari doesn't date before me.

Any thoughts?

Image
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Take it back.
 
so weird. check the email and send an email to the same one asking if she returned the laptop
 
ELMI0001 said:
Bought a new MacBook Pro last Monday at Best Buy, started installing software and making the computer my own when I realized the Yahoo/Apple start page defaulted on Safari showed a user already logged in. Someone named Melissa with an email address.

Computer acted like new when I first powered on - select language, transfer files from old computer, etc. History on Safari doesn't date before me.

Any thoughts?

Image
Click to expand...

That's really weird. I would go to the Best Buy and see if they would exchange it for you if it really bothers you that much.
 
ljx718 said:
so weird. check the email and send an email to the same one asking if she returned the laptop
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Don't do this. The ethical thing would be to log out of her email account and take it back to Best Buy and get a refund/replacement.
 
Yours could have been a floor model/display set.

Nevertheless, take it back to Best Buy and demand an explanation.
 
TickleMeElmo said:
Don't do this. The ethical thing would be to log out of her email account and take it back to Best Buy and get a refund/replacement.
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ethical? i never said read her emails. just send her one. if it were me and the laptop was perfect, i would log out and go about my day. although i guess it could be a return, then youre entitled to open box pricing.
 
The likelihood of this occurring because someone used the computer before you is equal to 0, if the sequence of events is as you described.
 
ljx718 said:
ethical? i never said read her emails. just send her one. if it were me and the laptop was perfect, i would log out and go about my day. although i guess it could be a return, then youre entitled to open box pricing.
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It doesn't matter if you read the emails or not it is still an invasion of privacy. I'm quite certain that she would not appreciate unsolicited emails. Imagine if someone sent you and email saying "Did you buy X product and return it recently?" Many people would feel threatened.

The buyer's right to knowing whether his or her purchase was open box or not does not negate Melissa's right to privacy.
 
TickleMeElmo said:
It doesn't matter if you read the emails or not it is still an invasion of privacy. I'm quite certain that she would not appreciate unsolicited emails. Imagine if someone sent you and email saying "Did you buy X product and return it recently?" Many people would feel threatened.

The buyer's right to knowing whether his or her purchase was open box or not does not negate Melissa's right to privacy.
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Melissa, if she indeed bought and returned the computer, potentially forfeited her privacy by not taking necessary precautions to ensure her privacy. In other words, if you want privacy respected, you must show that you are concerned with said privacy. Her actions do not show that concern.
 
TickleMeElmo said:
It doesn't matter if you read the emails or not it is still an invasion of privacy. I'm quite certain that she would not appreciate unsolicited emails. Imagine if someone sent you and email saying "Did you buy X product and return it recently?" Many people would feel threatened.

The buyer's right to knowing whether his or her purchase was open box or not does not negate Melissa's right to privacy.
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well then i we see it very differently, because i would not feel threatened and tell the person either yes or no. if i didnt, then i would be glad, because then i know something is up with my email.
 
It's not the original user's fault so respect their privacy imo. Take it back and get a new one, possibly asking for compensation as Best Buy tried to sell you a used machine.
 
calderone said:
Melissa, if she indeed bought and returned the computer, potentially forfeited her privacy by not taking necessary precautions to ensure her privacy. In other words, if you want privacy respected, you must show that you are concerned with said privacy. Her actions do not show that concern.
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No, I never said there was any legal obligation for the OP to do anything. I don't know enough about the law to make a judgement call.

I am saying ethically one should not look. People forget things and if for no other reason than courtesy one should respect another's privacy. If you see a credit card on the floor you don't necessarily have any obligation to pick it up but ethically we can all say it would be right to pick it up and send it back to the issuing bank.

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ljx718 said:
well then i we see it very differently, because i would not feel threatened and tell the person either yes or no. if i didnt, then i would be glad, because then i know something is up with my email.
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Yes and you are probably a male who has very little to fear from solicitations and has a firm grasp of how technology works.

Best Buy will return the notebook for no other reason than you didn't like it. There is no reason why you need to contact whomever Melissa may be to confirm whether it was a return or not.
 
TickleMeElmo said:
No, I never said there was any legal obligation for the OP to do anything. I don't know enough about the law to make a judgement call.

I am saying ethically one should not look. People forget things and if for no other reason than courtesy one should respect another's privacy. If you see a credit card on the floor you don't necessarily have any obligation to pick it up but ethically we can all say it would be right to pick it up and send it back to the issuing bank.
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The words "law" or "legal" did not appear in my post.

What one should do is up to the individual, as has been shown by another poster with a different opinion.

And no we can't all say it would be "right" to pick it up, there are different opinions on such a topic.

Moving on, as I have said, the likelihood of this occurring as the result of being a used computer (assuming what the OP said is true) is exactly 0.
 
TickleMeElmo said:
No, I never said there was any legal obligation for the OP to do anything. I don't know enough about the law to make a judgement call.

I am saying ethically one should not look. People forget things and if for no other reason than courtesy one should respect another's privacy. If you see a credit card on the floor you don't necessarily have any obligation to pick it up but ethically we can all say it would be right to pick it up and send it back to the issuing bank.

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Yes and you are probably a male who has very little to fear from solicitations and has a firm grasp of how technology works.

Best Buy will return the notebook for no other reason than you didn't like it. There is no reason why you need to contact whomever Melissa may be to confirm whether it was a return or not.
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so whats the point of even asking? he should just take it back. he was asking if it was new or not. if he didnt let anyone touch the computer then OBVIOUSLY it was used before. call me a bad person, but if i see a credit card on the ground in a store i would just give it to the employee and be done with it.
 
Assuming it was a return shouldn't BB have checked the unit thoroughly and ensured that it was configured exactly as a new would be. Take it back, explain the situation, and request a shrink wrapped unit. End of story.
 
user418 said:
Assuming it was a return shouldn't BB have checked the unit thoroughly and ensured that it was configured exactly as a new would be. Take it back, explain the situation, and request a shrink wrapped unit. End of story.
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Best Buy would rather you buy one of their fabled Extended Warranties than factory reset a returned laptop for you.
 
GGJstudios said:
Take it back.
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Without question. When you're dropping this kind of money you have every right to be picky as hell. But regardless, that machine has obviously been used before (which of course would warrant a return for any computer).

If they give you any crap or tell you no, really break it down for them and explain that you purchased a new machine and will elevate the matter to whoever necessary, whether it be the BBB, lawyer, etc. Usually they'll just back off right away and take care of it, but it really shouldn't be needed as Best Buy is typically very good about returns/exchanges.
 
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I used to work at Best Buy, so this doesn't surprise me. I would never buy anything there. I'd definitely take it back and I'd probably go buy it somewhere else, unless you are using their financing.
 
It's not new. There was another thread a month back of another user buying a new mbp, paying new mbp prices and finding another users account with email, banking info, the whole works on it. They contacted the old user of that machine and they had returned it to the vendor. Turns out the vendor forgot to wipe the disk and packed it back up and sold it as new.
 
My New MBP, bought from Best Buy, had this Apple sticker sealing the plastics around the MBP.
 

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