First, thank you very much for all the advice I have received! It gives me hope that maybe I'll be able to get this sorted out one day.
I'm so sorry to hear what happened. It is clearly Apple's error - proving it is the harder part, I guess.
Do you have a transcript of the chat when you set up the mail-in? I believe they send you a box to initially mail it out to them, did that box have your correct information?
I do have the original chat transcript that shows that I clearly provided my name and address to Apple support. Once I received the shipping box with wrong name to send my laptop to repair, I called Apple support and they told me that they'll correct it on their end and I can ship the laptop away using that box regardless.
Whilst I can understand both sides, surely it's clear that you are the registered owner and originator of the mail in ?
If this can be proved to Apple then the circumstances and approach should be simpler, just say to Apple you have still not returned my laptop, the fact you know what may of happened is not worth explaining and clouds the issue, just stick to the point the laptop has not been returned to you
Best of luck
Thank you for your comment. I'll try to press further with Apple but start all over again in case I'd be lucky and get more understanding support person to look into the issue.
Any cameras in your apartment lobby?
Can’t find my Mac be of use?
I would speak to your apartment manager, maybe they seen tenant in 4b use a MacBook they did not have last month, or heard something. Won’t hurt!
My apartment building is a big old house converted to several apartment units. Unfortunately we do not have an apartment manager nor cameras. I've tried find my Mac tool on my iPhone but it is unable to connect to MacBook Pro. I used the app to command the laptop to erase all data though if ever connected.
Maybe you could file a complaint against Apple with the better business bureau
https://www.bbb.org/losangelessilic...home-electronics/apple-in-cupertino-ca-198239
Maybe you could complain to Tim Cook's email which he has been known to read and his email can be found on Google.
This is package theft and the fact that the thief signed for it should not make any difference.
Since the thief stole the package from your address the loss should be covered by insurance assuming you have it.
Thank you for the BBB tip. I filed a complaint today and see where it goes. Unfortunately I do not have an insurance that would cover this kind of incident. The best I can do is to recover $500 through the credit card I used to purchase the laptop.
Omg.. it’s totally Apple’s fault. I hope you got the chat texts on your e-mail. Try to speak with the store manager where you sent your laptop. They are in charge to call for a replacement. Tell him/her that is totally their fault and ask for a new laptop. Be confident, last summer here in Italy it took 1,5 month for a keyboard replacement for my touchbar MacBook Pro and I got 430€ valued accesories from apple store after my compliants.
The laptop was sent to some big repair facility in Tennessee. If I can find someone's contact in the unit I'll be sure to give it a shot. I do have all the chats stored in my email so at least that is some positive evidence to support my position.
You might consider Small Claims Court.
I'm not sure what the charge is -- could be "misappropriation of property" or something along that chain of thought. Apple took "property that was yours" and then put it into the hands of someone else. They "appropriated" your property, without permission or compensation.
If the judge accepts this argument, you may win a judgment from Apple. I'm going to -guess- that they'll decide it's easier to just compensate you than to fight it, and replace the computer.
Thank you for the tip! This might be a great approach as a last resort.
I'm sorry for your troubles... That is one of those nightmares I always worry about.
One thing I would do is file a police report. Someone obviously took the package that didn't belong to them, which is a crime. Then take the report back to Apple and FedEx -- I think they will take it more seriously then. It's one thing to lie to a company, but filing a false police report is criminal, so they will see how serious you are.
I know people always say sue and all that, but in this case I think I actually would get a lawyer and have them contact Apple. Ultimately they clearly made a mistake which has cost you not just the cost of the laptop, but the value of all the information you had on it, as well as time to remedy it. Small claims court may be a viable route as well. But give Apple another chance, once they see a police report.
Good luck!
I'll be sure to file a police report as it will probably help to pursue the matter further. I wish I could go to a lawyer about this, but that might be out of my budget. It will be worth to call a few though and see what they think about the situation.
I am not sure if I can claim any value for the data I had on the laptop since when originating a mail-in repair I already gave them consent to erase everything if necessary.
According to you, Apple printed out an incorrect shipping label. Even though care, custody and control of said package was placed upon Fed Ex upon acceptance of the package by their company, Apple would still be liable as they were the originator of the package. Fed Ex had no way of knowing that the shipping address was incorrect (via recipient name). The only way that Fed Ex would be liable, is if official state verified identification was required with the signature for delivery. If such was the case, (and I am not aware of that being official delivery policy) then Fed Ex would be liable as well as Apple, if they gave the package to anyone else but you, the recipient. Without official release of liability from the intended recipient, Fed Ex drivers are not authorized to hand over the package to anyone else other than the person on the shipping label at said address.
What you need to do is...
1) Provide evidence to Apple that you were not home at the time of delivery, nor was any other party authorized to sign for any package from Fed Ex on the day in question. If you were at work, have your company provide written proof you were clocked in and on their property etc. If you were at work, make sure the written company proof has been properly notarized. If you were not at work on the day in question, you need to provide proof of where you were at the time of the alleged delivery. Corroborated time-displayed video evidence would be the best proof. If such is not available, you need to provide written evidence, along with receipts that can confirm you were at place(s) x,y, at the time of the alleged delivery. Such evidence, if any, also needs to be properly notarized.
2) Provide written evidence to Apple that the shipping label they created and used for the return of your Mac was incorrect.
3) Provide names and company titles of all person(s) you have spoken with from Apple, starting with the very first phone call to present day. You need to be able to provide a clear and visible chain of events that also shows chain of command.
4) Provide written evidence to Apple from the apartment complex of your name and mailing address as noted on the lease agreement.
5) Provide Apple (if so required) with officially issued state ID that can confirm your proper identity and address.
6) Secure an official receipt of delivery (with signature) by Fed Ex, if you don't have such already.
7) File a police report.
8) Provide proof that the name and address provided to Apple was correct.
If you amass the aforementioned evidence, I don't see how Apple could legally say that they were not liable in any way for the care, custody, and control of your Mac. If you contact Apple with all this proof and they still refuse, send them a final notice in the form of a certified letter (make sure it is addressed to the proper Apple address, department, and person(s) who handle the official receipt of such documents etc.) informing them that you are seeking to be made whole. By whole, it means you are seeking to have back in your possession, a Mac of the same make up as the one sent in for repair. If Apple ignores your certified letter, you can take them to small claims court. Filing in small claims court is less than $100. If you do file, you must make sure to properly and accurately list all defendants a party to the suit. If you need help in this area, seek the advise of counsel. If you don't, your suit could be dismissed for being filed in the wrong jurisdiction, or having the wrong person(s) listed as defendants etc.
Do not let this go unchallenged. Apple and possibly Fed Ex as well, should be forced to answer for what you alleged to have occurred.
Thank you very much for the detailed advise!
I'll be sure tho collect all the documentation and try to press Apple harder on the issue and see if they would then give in and help me to get my laptop back or provide me with a replacement.
It does happen. Sometimes through no one's fault.
I bought a 2011 MacBook Pro through a friend who was a teacher and could get it at education price. When I sent in the laptop for repair, it was sent back to my friend. Fortunately I am able to collect the MacBook from my friend. They send it back to the billing address unless otherwise stated.
Was your MacBook purchased by you or someone else?
MacBook was purchased by me as brand new. The Executive Liaison from Apple told me that the wrong name was a result of someone else entering the serial number of my Mac on Apple's warranty check website. For some reason, this leaves a record on their end that can alter the delivery name. I find this very weird and not sure if I can trust he was telling me the truth.
This is horrible to hear. While it's terrible that it happened, not all fault lies with Apple in this. Bear with me, read below.
It would be at this point that I would make a phone call and impress upon the person I spoke with that the name on the repair is wrong and it needs to be corrected. I would even consider holding off shipping the device until it's corrected, or even having them cancel the repair and get a new one started with the correct name. If you just accepted that the name was wrong and made no further effort to get the name corrected despite knowing it was wrong you do hold SOME culpability in this.
I have a hard time believing they will do NOTHING. If you can prove that you are the registered owner/purchaser of the Mac with the serial number associated with the repair, Apple absolutely can pressure FedEx to look into where the device was delivered. If the name on the label was wrong but everything else was correct down to an apartment number there is no reason it shouldn't have been left at your door or you wouldn't have gotten a missed delivery notice, no matter what the name on the label was so there is SOME responsibility on FedEx here and it's on Apple (as the shipper) to impress this upon them.
Once I received mail-in repair box with wrong name, I called Apple and notified them of the wrong name. They said that they would correct the issue and that I can use that box to send the laptop to repair anyway.
Apple's argument is that their responsibility ends once the laptop delivery has been signed by someone. I find this silly, but this stance was given by a senior advisor and an executive liaison.
Whenever I receive packages from Microsoft through FedEx, I always have to present my ID as proof. So, if its even a wrong name on the package, why wasn't the individual who signed for it required to provide ID?
I believe Apple used lowest level of signature service, which only requires the package to be signed for. FedEx has an option to require direct signature from the recipient and that is probably what Microsoft uses. Had this been the case, I would not have even been able to get the package since recipient was someone else than me, but at least it could have been returned to Apple and issue could have been much easier to sort out.
I agree it’s terrible and must be quite unnerving for the OP.
With above I agree wholeheartedly. Knowingly (assuming that is what happened based on OP post) sending it away when the name is wrong is to me mind boggling. Like a receipe for disaster.
With that said, I really do hope OP gets this sorted out! Best of luck!
I called Apple support about the wrong name in the box and they assured me that it can be still used to ship the laptop and that the name would be fixed on their end. Either way, if I stick to Apple products after this episode I am sure to personally bring my items to Genius Bar rather than using the mail-in repair service anymore.
