Sister received 2 iPad 2's from Apple. weird reaction from CS

[bigjnyc]

So my parents decided to order an iPad 2 for my sister who just turned 13. I dont live at home anymore so I wasn't around for the ordering. As my sister explains it the safari browser hung while processing the order to the point where she had to quit and start all over, so she started over againa and placed the order got an order confirmation everything was fine..... Just to be certain my mother called up Customer service and made sure the system only knew one order, this was confirmed by CS and on the customer account page in Apple.com there was only one order...... Cut to Tuesday afternoon my sister's iPad arrives and all is well. Yesterday Afternoon another iPad arrives

I happened to be visiting so my mother asks me to call Apple and get everything straightened out and make sure we dont get charged twice. So I call Customer service and explain the situation... The rep assures me that their system only shows one order and that my mothers credit card was only billed once..... Ok so I ask her how do I proceed with returning this second iPad since i want to avoid any problems or confusion with Apple coming after us in the future.....

This is where it gets weird. The CS rep informs me that she cannot issue an RA since this iPad does not exist in her system, and they have no record of it shipping.... weird since the shipping label has my mothers name on it and it clearly came from Apple..... So I give her the Fedex label number and the iPad's serial number from the box...... and still nothing she cannot issue an RA and so I ask her can I just send it back without one? and her response was "it will probably get lost in the shuffle since we have no record of it"

Anyhow I am baffled, I have no interest in an iPad, my parents have no interset in an iPad and we really don't have a need to sell it... but most importantly I want to do the right thing. I took down the reps name but I dont know what to do next?

 

[eternlgladiator]

I know I'll probably get flamed for saying so but I would keep it. Either use it or sell it at face value. At this point you've made every reasonable attempt to return it to Apple and they've basically refused. You shouldn't have anything to feel bad out in keeping/selling it. Either way, I'd wait a few days and up to two weeks before I opened/sold it to make sure nothing hits the fan. That'll give Apple a chance to straighten things out on their own. Sometimes these things happen though and its easier for the seller to let it slide and have a happy customer than inconvenience them into a bad experience.

 

[molinator]

Tell Steve

Email Jobs and tell him what happened and what a pain it is to do the right thing. He'll tell ya to keep it and then your conscience is clear.

 

[iSee]

Well, you've made a good faith effort to return it... if Apple can't figure out how to take it back that's their problem, not yours.

I'd hang on to it for a couple of months just in case Apple figures out what they did wrong and tries to get it back or charge you for it. Just leave it sealed in its box. If nothing happens after that, do whatever you want with it.

 

[Magrão]

Keep it!

Gosh, really!?! Why so keen to do the right thing by a company worth 50 billion? I mean, you made an effort to return it and Apple don't seem to care. As iSee says, keep it for a month or so, to be sure Apple don't bill you for it and then stick it on eBay! Or give it to me - I'm not that convinced by the iPad, but wouldn't say no to a freebie ;=-)

 

[vincenz]

I'd also keep it around for a couple months. If no response from Apple, I'd just go ahead and use it or sell it. Sometimes you just get lucky!

 

[Mal]

Gosh, really!?! Why so keen to do the right thing by a company worth 50 billion? I mean, you made an effort to return it and Apple don't seem to care. As iSee says, keep it for a month or so, to be sure Apple don't bill you for it and then stick it on eBay! Or give it to me - I'm not that convinced by the iPad, but wouldn't say no to a freebie ;=-)

Maybe because doing the right thing is actually meaningful to some people? It's not a matter of who gets hurt, but rather if your own conscience is clear. Personally, I'd be doing everything reasonable to try and make sure that everything is worked out properly.

OP, if Apple actually told you to just keep it, then chances are that's the best course of action. I applaud your efforts though, and I would agree that it would be best if it could be properly returned. I also would hate to see that CS representative get in trouble, so I would recommend simply calling back and talking to someone else without mentioning the prior call. If they also tell you to keep it, then do so, because attempting to return it at that point would just cause more problems. Perhaps you could give it to a charity auction or something so it is used for a good cause? (Since you said you didn't have any particular interest in using it.)

jW

 

[notjustjay]

I agree with the others: you got lucky. You tried your best to do the right thing (e.g. you didn't just shut up and keep it), and the Apple rep is telling you to keep it, so do so! I commend you for trying to do the right thing and keep your conscience clear -- not enough people like that these days.

If Apple's shipping or accounting folks figure out the mistake (or if the rep you talked to finally figured out who to pass your info to) then I'm sure you'll get a call soon and this will all get sorted out. But if not, then consider yourself fortunate!

This does happen from time to time and often it's just easier for the company (and for customer goodwill) to let stuff like this ride. I've had two or three instances of "two of them showed up" and each time I called the company about sending the duplicate back, they said "just keep it".

I also agree that giving it to a charity auction would be a nice thing to do if you have no plans to use it. Right off the top of my head I know at least two local causes that would have gladly accepted an iPad for auction/giveaway if I was the one that this happened to.

 

[ehoui]

Maybe because doing the right thing is actually meaningful to some people? It's not a matter of who gets hurt, but rather if your own conscience is clear. Personally, I'd be doing everything reasonable to try and make sure that everything is worked out properly.
jW

Bravo, sir, bravo.

OP, I applaud your integrity as well.

 

[bigjnyc]

Thank you all for your feedback. I think I am going to hold it for a week or two then call Apple again. Maybe by this point it has popped up in their system, I'm sure they have checks and balances for this stuff... or maybe a different rep will have a better response.... If at that point I still get the same answer then I'm going to hold on to it without opening the box for a month or so. After that I guess I'll do with it what I see fit. I'll make sure to document everything; names, times, etc... in case Apple decides to come after me later on.

 

[GFLPraxis]

Hold it for two weeks; call at the 13-day mark again and try again. Apple gives you a two week return period, after all. If it is physically impossible for you to return it, once you've passed the two week period, they wouldn't let you anyway. Then if they ever try to recover that, you can point out that you tried multiple times over the two week period.

Keep it in the box if you haven't opened it yet.

After two weeks, I'd say it's yours. Sell it, use it, give it to someone. Good job trying to do the right thing

 

[Euroamerican]

I don't know how it differs from the consumer world, but it took Microsoft about six to nine months to figure out once that they double-shipped the company I worked for a half dozen copies of Excel. I tried to let them and the supplier through which we bought them know, but nobody cared. I think what finally happened is that "the bottom line" loss was discovered somewhere in a reconciliation process between the shippers and MS. All of the sudden, MS wanted us to ship the spare half dozen copies of Excel back. We did ship them back then and all was back to normal. We never used those six extra copies. Heck, at that time we didn't have more than six Macs to run then on!

So in short, I think you are doing the right thing. I would hold onto the second iPad and not even open the box. Somebody somewhere is going to be held up short one iPad in their inventory, and you'll be doing the right thing to help him/her when that person is called to task.

 

[BigDukeSix]

Bravo, sir, bravo.

OP, I applaud your integrity as well.

X2! Good that you are documenting the dates/times and who you spoke to.

Just sit tight, leave it unopened and see what happens. If you chose to sell it down the road, you will still get some nice $$ for it. Or, you might decide you want it for youself. An IPad is one of those things you don't think you really need, but once you get to play with one you realize it is a pretty cool device.


Let us know what happens.

 

[AppleMatt]

Gosh, really!?! Why so keen to do the right thing by a company worth 50 billion? I mean, you made an effort to return it and Apple don't seem to care. As iSee says, keep it for a month or so, to be sure Apple don't bill you for it and then stick it on eBay! Or give it to me - I'm not that convinced by the iPad, but wouldn't say no to a freebie ;=-)

So your morals are dictated by the size of the victim?

Interesting. I'd steer away from a career in the judiciary.

AppleMatt

 

[elVince]

Is there a way to contact apple about this matter through email? just so you could have written proof of you efforts, and make sure you get the names of the people you talk to, just in case i guess.

 

[gnasher729]

I'd also keep it around for a couple months. If no response from Apple, I'd just go ahead and use it or sell it. Sometimes you just get lucky!

Not if you "got no response". If you got a response that says "keep it", at least in email form (written would be better), from someone who to you seems authorised, then you should be safe. A couple in Britain was just recently convicted for theft after keeping and then spending £100,000 that a bank put into their account by mistake.

Now keeping it and all the bits, using it, and returning it to Apple if Apple ever sends someone to pick it up, that seems legally safe. Selling it isn't. For the ethically concerned (which would hopefully be everyone), Apple's loss is the gross profit from selling a refurbished iPad (it can't be sold as new anymore), minus the cost of processing the return. Since this has to be processed outside all the normal channels and procedures, it could be quite expensive for Apple to do this. And someone would be in trouble for sending out the second iPad in the first place.

So your morals are dictated by the size of the victim?

Well, if someone saved up months to be able to buy an iPad, and you steal it, the victim would be hurt a lot more than if you stole an iPad from an Apple store. The effect of an action on the victim is surely something that needs considering.

 

[Ommid]

Email Jobs and tell him what happened and what a pain it is to do the right thing. He'll tell ya to keep it and then your conscience is clear.

Do this

You have an obligation to keep it for so long at which point you can do as you wish with it

 

[snberk103]

Thank you all for your feedback. I think I am going to hold it for a week or two then call Apple again. Maybe by this point it has popped up in their system, I'm sure they have checks and balances for this stuff... or maybe a different rep will have a better response.... If at that point I still get the same answer then I'm going to hold on to it without opening the box for a month or so. After that I guess I'll do with it what I see fit. I'll make sure to document everything; names, times, etc... in case Apple decides to come after me later on.

If, at the end of the "just in case" period you've still got an iPad Apple doesn't want back you might want to consider donating it to a charity. You've the done right thing by trying to return it - there is no law that says that the company that is missing the product has to take it back - and if your conscience is not happy about keeping something that isn't yours then gathering good karma points is not a bad way to make your conscience happy. I'm not sure I'd be happy keeping something like that myself.

Get a tax receipt though. Just in case Apple does come back for it, you can show that you didn't keep it.

 

[Richdmoore]

I would also go online to your credit card company and make sure there is really only one charge. It should have posted already if it has been more than a couple of days. I would not just take apple's cs word for it.

 

[benhollberg]

Go sell it to the people that are waiting in lines every morning still.

 

[patp]

Apple like all companies track and maintain huge inventories. Eventually they will track down that iPad 2 that isn't coming up in any sales receipts. They do have a tracking number and shipment information.

If they show a unit being shipped and no payment for it, they will seek payment. Just cause they are not asking for it now, does not mean that eventually they will not discover it, trace it and ask (demand) payment. It's going to take them some time to figure it out. But eventually it will be discovered. The inventory has to match with a sale or replacement ticket. Otherwise it will be considered as missing, stolen property.

Expect a second charge to appear othe card. Then you'll have to deal with returning the unit (which they may refuse since it is out of the normal return window) and trying to get the charge off the card, which will be difficult as you have the merchandise in possession.

Apples screw up, but you can bet that they will minimize their embarrassment and focus just on getting paid for that second iPad.

 

[EmpyreanUK]

You should e-mail Steve.

 

[nastebu]

Well, if someone saved up months to be able to buy an iPad, and you steal it, the victim would be hurt a lot more than if you stole an iPad from an Apple store. The effect of an action on the victim is surely something that needs considering.

This is true, but it's a difference of degree, not category. That is to say, stealing from a huge corporation and stealing from a penniless widow are both theft, both wrong, and both illegal. The victim's wealth is no defense, legally or morally, as to the act.

On the other hand, one is a crueler and more evil act than the other, and so stealing from a penniless widow might mean that you merit a harsher punishment.

Apple like all companies track and maintain huge inventories. Eventually they will track down that iPad 2 that isn't coming up in any sales receipts. They do have a tracking number and shipment information.

This is very true. Apple will almost certainly figure it out eventually, and will bill you if they do. Which also means you should be careful *how* you return it should you choose to do so. If you ship it back without a RMA, and it does get lost, you're screwed twice because you might still get billed.

Simply put, the Apple customer service rep didn't tell you to keep the unit. He or she told you that he or she didn't know how to accept the return. These are very different things. You *don't* have permission to keep it, and Apple won't take your word that some anonymous CS rep told you you did.

I agree, call back in a week and ask how you can go on permanent record trying to return the iPad.

 

[SidBala]

Keep it.

You will probably have to spend tons of time on the phone and on emails to "do the right thing".

Forget it. Your time is not worth it.

 

[Mord]

Sell it, give the money to some charity or other. Giving it back to apple would probably just cause more hassle than it's worth