iCloud locked M1

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Level 1

10 points

iCloud locked M1

My client bought a M1 MacBook Air for her daughter in Jan 2020. The daughter allowed her boyfriend at the time to use it. He setup his iCloud on the machine and activated the find my mac from what I concluded because the daughter deleted a bunch of data and corrupted the operating system. I happen to be out at the clients house and offered to restore the original OS. Then the screen popped up asking for the boyfriend Apple ID password. After calling apple and unable to come up with the proof of purchase I continued to find articles with a way to rest using the computer password only to get a screen starting that too many tries were attempted so back to a useless laptop less than a year old. Any suggestions or consumer laws on the issue? Apple is taking a stance that every computer is stolen until you can prove it’s not by either unlocking your iCloud or providing the receipt on all their new computers that have the T2 security chip.

MacBook Air (2020 or later)

Posted on Dec 9, 2021 3:20 PM

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Answer 1

razmee209

Level 10

192,318 points

Dec 9, 2021 3:35 PM in response to macphen

macphen wrote:

My client bought a M1 MacBook Air for her daughter in Jan 2020. The daughter allowed her boyfriend at the time to use it. He setup his iCloud on the machine and activated the find my mac from what I concluded because the daughter deleted a bunch of data and corrupted the operating system. I happen to be out at the clients house and offered to restore the original OS. Then the screen popped up asking for the boyfriend Apple ID password. After calling apple and unable to come up with the proof of purchase I continued to find articles with a way to rest using the computer password only to get a screen starting that too many tries were attempted so back to a useless laptop less than a year old. Any suggestions or consumer laws on the issue? Apple is taking a stance that every computer is stolen until you can prove it’s not by either unlocking your iCloud or providing the receipt on all their new computers that have the T2 security chip.

Why would you not get the boyfriend's info since he was the one that set it up on his account.

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Answer 2

macphen Author

Level 1

10 points

Dec 9, 2021 4:18 PM in response to razmee209

I had to educate the daughter that since she never created a iCloud account and the ex boyfriend was the 1st to activate iCloud he is the new owner at this point. The boyfriend is out of the picture which I’m sorry I failed to mention. She has the useless computer but by apples account he is the owner. It would be interesting for the courts to determine who indeed is the owner, the person that bought the computer, the person that has the iCloud account tied to the laptop or Apple since neither can prove ownership.

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Answer 3

etresoft

Level 8

47,722 points

Dec 9, 2021 5:20 PM in response to macphen

macphen wrote:

Any suggestions or consumer laws on the issue?

I believe the applicable legal concept in this situation is Caveat emptor.

I continued to find articles with a way to rest using the computer password only to get a screen starting that too many tries were attempted so back to a useless laptop less than a year old.

Here, I think the client has a pretty good case against you, as the consultant. I suggest you just buy them a new computer. Your business insurance would probably cover a judgement, but then you'll pay more next year or they could possibly even cancel you. You don't want to deal with all this. Buy the computer, learn your lesson, and move on.

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Answer 4

macphen Author

Level 1

10 points

Dec 9, 2021 5:52 PM in response to etresoft

Im not following the buyer be aware clause. Apple sells the laptop to a customer who uses the laptop. Then the laptop gets reset to factory but needs a password for the unit to function again. Why do you feel I am responsible? I did not sell the laptop to said customer, I did not delete files of the computer to cause a boot issue. What I did do is restore the unit to factory and it won't function because no one has access to the password in iCloud. Apple disabled to computer and their policy is to prove you own the computer before you get to use it again. The customer that purchesed the laptop is having difficulty in finding the purchase documentation since it was emailed to her 10 months ago and did not save the email. The customer is upset that Apple won't allow the laptop to function without a iCloud password. I guess you can blame the customer for not having the invoice or for allowing another user to use the laptop but at the end you have a computer which is useless unless apple chooses to eventually unlock the unit so that it can function. Therefore in my opinion a court needs to decide who is truely the owner Apple who controls its functionality the ex boyfriend who used his iCloud account or the person who laid out over a $1000. Non the less I was trying to help the original buyer have access to the functionality of a laptop that she paid for.

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Answer 5

etresoft

Level 8

47,722 points

Dec 9, 2021 6:23 PM in response to macphen

macphen wrote:

a court needs to decide who is truely the owner Apple who controls its functionality the ex boyfriend who used his iCloud account or the person who laid out over a $1000.

I recommend you get professional advice from an attorney before making any commitments. An attorney should give you an initial consultation for free. But after that, any legal action will cost well in excess of $1000.

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iCloud locked M1

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