Apple delivered wrong iPhones and are not refunding

I’ve figured a lot out. A lot of these phones are androids, set up with software & I’m guessing hardware to look like an iPhone. Scammers are stealing data & details from people signing into the phones, as well as the original phone that was ordered.

my fake has a USB-C port as you’d expect, the charger fits into it, but you can’t charge it. & I meant the fake phone is not MagSafe compatible, like iphones above model 12 should be.

definitely look into it more if you’ve been sent the wrong phone, my came in a sealed, legit box with legit serial number, but nope, it’s an android fake thing

I’m still struggling to get a response from anyone. I just sent a follow up email to the executive team as I didn’t hear back.

I also replied to the shipping enquiry email address (shipping_inquiry_emen@apple.com) that I heard from when they closed the investigation without helping, and received an auto reply to acknowledge receipt, but no formal response.

Just now I got off the phone to Apple customer service. They can see all the comms including that email, and reconfirmed that they won’t be refunding or suppling a replacement. They said to report to the police. And we end up in a circle of everyone washing their hands of it.

In summary

• Apple say report to the police
• The police say I need to go to the courier
• The courier says I have to go to Apple.

i was told everything was shipped correctly and delivered correctly by the exec too.

I have now reported it to my local police department and they have asked me to log it with ActionFraud, which I have done.

they have also asked me to email the crime reference no to Apple as now they have to replace the phone as I have logged it with the relevant departments they asked me to.

does anybody have the email I can send this too as the exec hasn’t been replying to my emails any longer??

Hi All,

I seem to be in a somewhat similar case, but below is a too long don't read of my issue:

• I ordered an iPhone 15 PLUS BLUE 128GB on 22nd November, 2023.
• It got delivered on 23rd November, 2023.
• I DIDN’T OPEN THE PACKAGE TO SEE WHAT THE CONTENT INSIDE WAS, NEITHER DID I TAMPER WITH THE PACKAGING OR SEAL.
• I initiated a return the same day it got delivered on 23rd November, and dropped it off at the designated UPS Access Point and got a confirmation of when UPS delivered it back to the warehouse.
• Got an email from Apple on 28th November saying that they won’t be replacing or refunding me cuz the product never arrived back at Apple.
• A call to Apple Support on 29th November 2023, and I was informed by the rep., that it was an iPhone 15 Pro Max that was received in the package I returned, which I am clueless about since I never opened the package nor the seal when it was initially delivered.
• I called the Police and was told it's still a civil matter.

So I have several crucial questions:

1. Can the SYNCREON warehouse that received my return confirm the condition of the packaging they received?
2. Can they verify that the packaging was in the same condition as when it was originally dispatched to me?
3. How has this investigation been open and concluded upon without my knowledge or any transparency to me?

Yeah I tried speaking to DPD but they told me to contact apple and they have to initiate an investigation.

Apple did the investigation but for some reason it’s come back as everything was shipped correctly

That is very bizarre.

I’m genuinely not sure what else to suggest here. You’ve done everything that I would have done.

I found someone on Reddit yesterday with exactly the same issue. Fake phone in a sealed, legit box. Someone with knowledge of the retail stores suggested that it had been switched with a legit phone, re-sealed and then returned to a store.

Hi all, ordered an iPhone 15 a month ago & got sent an iPhone 15 ProMax by mistake. Told apple multiple times, sent the photos they asked for. Later contacted them on Twitter & livechat also. No response & I can’t use a phone that big as I’m disabled & have hand dexterity problems. One month on, I’m tempted to sell the phone & rebuy what I ordered, but also don’t want to risk being charged for selling an item that’s technically not mine. So stuck & stressed, no idea what to do, any advice welcome!

I followed up with Tesco mobile today. The associate I spoke to in the store connected with colleagues in head office for advice while I was with him. He advised

• Tesco can't track the phone that was delivered to me, and there isn't a way of finding the intended recipient
• Tesco stopped using DPD for phone deliveries as they had a number of customer complaints regarding phones going missing.
• Their theory (but unproved as far as I know) is that the delivery drivers allegedly use an RFID reader to scan the box and reveal the contents then stolen/switched

The Tesco associate he probably shared more than he should have with me, so I would't want to say here that this is Tesco's official position.

I suspect what has happened here

• The driver owns an RFID scanner and has high quality, professional looking tape to re-seal boxes (what if, because Apple ships so many of these boxes, you can actually buy the right size tape online for this job, and that's why all our boxes look the same?)
• The driver scans the box, sees the content is a high value iPhone 15 Pro Max
• They open the box, swap in a cheaper phone model (a Tesco iPhone SE stolen on an earlier date) so the weight feels about right, applies tape so it doesn't look tampered with, and if the recipient opens the box they see a new iPhone

When you look at an iPhone box there is nothing much to tell them apart. It was only because we had another iPhone Pro Max delivered (from EE rather than Apple) on the same day (my wife's) that we spotted they were different size boxes before opening them. The labelling on the back is actually pretty small, so I would bet the vast majority of people wouldn't spot it was the wrong phone 'till later.

Where I may have gone wrong with Apple when they phoned me, was saying "I couldn't see the box had been tampered with". I wasn't with the box at the time, and hadn't noticed the tape when I opened it.

Thanks Chris. The police came back really quickly.. with a refusal to help: "Thank you for completing the online report. This is not something the Police will be able to assist you with. You need to escalate a complaint with the courier/company."

On closer inspection of the shipping box it looks like tape might have been applied to re-seal it after it was opened. Can anyone confirm if that looks like the case, as I don't have anything to compare it to?

I followed the link to the parcel delivery record, clicked the thumbs down button, and took up their automated offer of a call to discuss further.

What is the reason they say they aren’t refunding? Are they saying that the phones you received are not what was shipped by them? Even if they sent you the wrong phones it seems odd that they would be phones with block IMEIs which seems to suggest the phones were swapped at some point either in transit or Apple may think you may have swapped them. You may have to open a case with the carrier that delivered them. You may also open a case with your bank or credit card issuer if you paid upfront for the phones. Depending on their discovery during their investigation they may rule in your favor and refund but if Apple can provide compelling proof that the phones you received did not come from them then you may still be on the hook. All I can suggest is file cases and go from there.

I am also midway through this journey.

pre ordered the 15 Pro Max, received a purple 14 Pro Max.

I raised the issue with them immediately(23rd September), sent the photos they asked for and have had to chase them every 48hours for an update on their investigation. Spoke to someone on 10th October who said they’d dispatch my replacement that day. Received an email later the same day saying that they’d concluded their investigation and found that the item had been delivered to the correct address, so I’d not be getting a replacement or refund.

I should add that I have only unsealed the phone box at apples request. I have not attempted to turn it on or even remove the protective sticker.

Called them immediately to dispute. Waiting to hear back.

Do you have your order summary that shows you ordered the 15 Pro Max? If you have everything that proves you ordered one device and received something different (including documenting each time you contacted them on this) escalate the issue. Depending on how you paid for it you could dispute the charges with your bank/credit card issuer. Seems odd that Apple would tell you to unseal the box if you were reporting that it was the wrong device and model received. Normally you would be advised to return the incorrect device unopened while they initiate shipping the correct one. No circumstance where they wouldn’t want the incorrect one sent back to them. Not necessarily a big deal but unless you accidentally had already opened it not realizing it wasnt the right phone it just seems odd they would ask you to open it when all info they need to see it’s not the correct device is available on the box without opening it. Unless the customer claimed that the phone inside the box was not what the box indicated. But I digress.

Oh…if you are in the US you can also opt to submit a Better Business Bureau complaint. Most of the time this causes some movement in disputes one way or the other (if Apple has proof that the correct device was sent based on the order confirmation for example the would submit that info in their written response to the complaint. If they acknowledge that a mistake occurred they will submit a resolution offer or will submit what the resolution was if they reach out to you directly to resolve. These are general examples).

Fortunately, I foresaw a difficult journey, so have compiled a document with the facts and the timeline. I have the order summary. I have photos of the shipping carton and the sealed device box. I have an email from them asking me to unseal the device box and send photos of the device.

I was told by one of their representatives that it’s impossible for them to have put the 14 in there by mistake, so it had to have been switched after they dispatched.

My concern is that they’ve contacted the courier and they’ve said that nobody their end had touched it so Apple are now concluding that it must be me that’s trying to defraud them.

surely they can see where the 15 is/has been activated. I can’t believe that I’ve bought a phone for £1200, received the wrong item and have just got to accept it.

I’m UK based, there are some services that can assist with advice. I purchased on finance so can contact the finance company to try and cancel the payments.

Feeling very helpless at the moment though.

Yes. I opened the shipping carton, immediately noticed the box said iPhone 14 Pro Max, and started a live chat with them.

At first they just wanted photos of the shipping carton and the device box. Then a few days later they phoned me and asked for photos of the device, which is when I asked them to confirm in writing that they wanted me to unseal the box before doing so.

Only thing mildly suspicious is that inside the shipping carton, there are 2 pull tabs for releasing the contents. One of them was torn and in backwards. I did mention to this on the first telephone call and sent a photo, and they didn’t seem interested.

Hey, did you manage to get the correct phone/ a refund? This happened to me on Monday and apple are saying the carrier sent the correct phone but I received an iphone 14 pro max instead of the 15 and they’re refusing to refund or replace the phone. It’s so distressing as we’re basically having to pay for devices we havent received correctly