New 13” MacBook Pro has two serial numbers

[AshX]

I recently bought a brand new, sealed 2022 13-inch MacBook Pro M2 Touchbar with 24 GB RAM and 1 TB SSD. Everything seems to work fine, but I noticed something odd. The brown shipping box it came in from the retailer has one serial number, and the computer and Apple box have another. Both serial numbers show they were purchased on the same day.

Is this a refurbished model? Battery cycle was 1. It works fine, but interestingly one of the stickers on the back says copyright 2022, but the one with the raw model number, with the part, accurate serial number, etc. says copyright 2024. It came pre-loaded with Ventura 13.2.1 instead of the original Monterey 12.4. Was able still making these in 2024?

Thanks!

 

[MacMorrison]

That sounds kind of weird. Maybe it was a returned unit put in another MacBook's box. The M2 were officially discontinued October 2023.

https://everymac.com/systems/apple/...-m2-8-core-cpu-10-core-gpu-13-2022-specs.html

If you have an Apple Store nearby, you could take it there and have them look up the details. Apple should be able to tell you from the MacBook's serial number whether it was refurbished, and they can scan your box's serial number (or you could take pictures of the serial numbers and try to call them in).

 

[AshX]

That sounds kind of weird. Maybe it was a returned unit put in another MacBook's box. The M2 were officially discontinued October 2023.

https://everymac.com/systems/apple/...-m2-8-core-cpu-10-core-gpu-13-2022-specs.html

If you have an Apple Store nearby, you could take it there and have them look up the details. Apple should be able to tell you from the MacBook's serial number whether it was refurbished, and they can scan your box's serial number (or you could take pictures of the serial numbers and try to call them in).

Thanks for this. I’d very curious to know.

 

[Fishrrman]

Important questions:
Where did you buy the MPB FROM...?

Brick n mortar Apple Store?
Apple's online ordering page?
Apple's online refurbished page?
or...
From somewhere else...?

 

[ThailandToo]

Was it in a sealed white Apple box specific for that Mac? Or was it in a brown box? When a Mac is refurbished they change the serial number and it ships in a brown box not the retail box.

 

[AshX]

Important questions:
Where did you buy the MPB FROM...?

Brick n mortar Apple Store?
Apple's online ordering page?
Apple's online refurbished page?
or...
From somewhere else...?

A local computer store.

Was it in a sealed white Apple box specific for that Mac? Or was it in a brown box? When a Mac is refurbished they change the serial number and it ships in a brown box not the retail box.

I got it in a normal, sealed (with the pull tag) Apple box for that model with the image of the MacBook and everything. That came in a brown shipping box that I got once before years ago at Costco, that all retailers get the Macs shipped in. The brown shipping box has a different serial number than the serial number on the Apple MacBook white box. The white box serial matches that of the MacBook, but the brown serial also shows as being valid and purchased the same day on Apple.com.

So I’m confused how I can have 2 valid serials.

 

[Fishrrman]

Responding to my reply 4 above, OP wrote:
"A local computer store."
and added:
"So I’m confused how I can have 2 valid serials."

If the store wasn't an authorized Apple reseller, who knows WHAT you received?
As mentioned above, sounds like the outer box got switched.

Once again, as recommended above:
Take the MBP and BOTH boxes to a brick n mortar Apple Store, and see what they have to say about it...

 

[DeltaMac]

The box, either inner, or outer box, does not tell you which "valid" serial number you bought.
That will be on the sales receipt that came from the store where you bought your Mac.
THAT'S the only serial number that must match the actual hardware serial number on your new Mac!

If you still have a question -- what did your "local computer store" tell you when you asked which serial number is correct - the one on the box, or the one that is actually on your new Mac? (hint: You don't have 2 valid serial numbers. Only one is valid. The store where you purchased your new Mac needs to sort this out...

 

[dmccloud]

The odd part is that both serial numbers apparently show as valid on the Apple support website. There are a couple of possibilities here. First is that the computer store may have just packed the white box in the nearest available shipping box, especially if it was not factory sealed when you received it. This would explain why the serial numbers do not match, and could mean that someone else also received a Macbook with the shipping box label not matching the actual product label. The second possibility is that the retailer may have done some weird bait and switch on you, in which case it would still be their responsibility to sort out. Either way, you do need to double check the serial number on the receipt, because if it is showing the outer package serial instead of the actual MacBook serial, then there is some sort of problem on their end.

 

[AshX]

Responding to my reply 4 above, OP wrote:
"A local computer store."
and added:
"So I’m confused how I can have 2 valid serials."

If the store wasn't an authorized Apple reseller, who knows WHAT you received?
As mentioned above, sounds like the outer box got switched.

Once again, as recommended above:
Take the MBP and BOTH boxes to a brick n mortar Apple Store, and see what they have to say about it...

I have no idea if they were or not.

The box, either inner, or outer box, does not tell you which "valid" serial number you bought.
That will be on the sales receipt that came from the store where you bought your Mac.
THAT'S the only serial number that must match the actual hardware serial number on your new Mac!

If you still have a question -- what did your "local computer store" tell you when you asked which serial number is correct - the one on the box, or the one that is actually on your new Mac? (hint: You don't have 2 valid serial numbers. Only one is valid. The store where you purchased your new Mac needs to sort this out...

The sales receipt has a 3rd serial number…

The odd part is that both serial numbers apparently show as valid on the Apple support website. There are a couple of possibilities here. First is that the computer store may have just packed the white box in the nearest available shipping box, especially if it was not factory sealed when you received it. This would explain why the serial numbers do not match, and could mean that someone else also received a Macbook with the shipping box label not matching the actual product label. The second possibility is that the retailer may have done some weird bait and switch on you, in which case it would still be their responsibility to sort out. Either way, you do need to double check the serial number on the receipt, because if it is showing the outer package serial instead of the actual MacBook serial, then there is some sort of problem on their end.

The 3rd serial number I just looked at on the receipt shows as not valid.

 

[DeltaMac]

And, that's another reason to ask your questions at the store where you purchased this Mac.
Right now, you DON'T know what you really have.
If you purchased from an Apple-authorized reseller, they would (I hope) be quite careful about serial numbers, including verifying correct serial numbers, particularly when the original shipping box - AND the original factory box - do not appear to match up with the hardware that was actually inside the box.
And, all of that can work against you, if you happen to have a warranty claim. The Apple-Authorized reseller needs to sort this out.
Believe it or not, this is a serious issue. I suggest that you should report this directly to AppleCare support
What did that shop tell you when you called them about your wrong serial number(s)

 

[Fishrrman]

Delta writes:
" The Apple-Authorized reseller needs to sort this out."

But we don't know if the OP bought from an "Authorized Apple Reseller", or from a non-authorized computer shop. That's why I asked above, but the OP has not replied with a definitive answer.

It's possible that the MBP that was ORIGINALLY IN the "brown box" was bought by someone else ... and that's why the serial for the brown box shows as valid.

I don't think the brown box the OP has and the white box he also has came out of the Apple factory together.

I would reckon the serial number that counts... is the one that is physically on his MBP.

 

[DeltaMac]

Yes, mostly....
How many times have you heard something similar to "To claim your warranty, you need to show the original sales receipt, to prove ownership."
The store receipt SHOULD show the serial number, which should be the same serial number as that of the hardware.
It would be a challenge to get warranty support for ANYTHING, if you can't show proof of purchase/ownership.

Yes, I hope the customer bought from a factory-authorized reseller, and, Yes, we don't know if that is a fact.
And, that doesn't change the fact that "someone" needs to correct the serial number issue for the customer.
It's an Apple product. I think Apple needs to be contacted directly.
Then, ultimately, the seller, whoever that may be, needs to fix this for the customer

 

[ignatius345]

The sales receipt has a 3rd serial number…
[...]
The 3rd serial number I just looked at on the receipt shows as not valid.

Wow, this all sounds very scammy.

 

[m1maverick]

Perhaps I missed something but this "issue" appears to be based solely on the outer box serial number being different than the serial number on the retail box and computer? Doesn't seem like an issue to me.

If you suspect the laptop is not what it is supposed to be look up the serial number from the computer in one of the online serial number lookup tools. If that's not satisfactory check with Apple. Otherwise what serial number is on the shipping box is largely irrelevant.

EDIT: Scratch that, just read further and see the receipt serial number is also in question.

 

[DeltaMac]

OP also stated that the sales receipt has a different/incorrect serial number. That, for me, is the most inexcusable part of this situation. It's like the store had no idea how to verify that the item being sold was, in fact, identified incorrectly.

@m1maverick: the online serial number lookup tools don't have a lot of value after Apple moved to randomized serial numbers in early 2021. You cannot decode serial numbers on Apple items since that time.
Now, there's not much more than "This Mac has a serial number". There's no other information that you can glean from that. You can't determine date of manufacture, and nothing in the serial number now to determine the model, etc.