Apple delivered wrong iPhones and are not refunding

Hi all, this situation just gets crazier & crazier. So the 15promax I didn’t order was fine when it arrived with charge/battery life, but now- no charger works on it. Not mag safe & not a cable. MagSafe actually can’t even magnetically attach to it. So is this a fake phone? And also, I don’t know who I can trust. I’ve supposedly been sent another but I’m worried the apple exec was actually a scammer. I received what looks like a replacement phone, but I just don’t know. I’ve had an invoice with a red, insecure encryption alert & all sorts. My apple trade in has supposedly been restarted, but scared that’s a scammer too. How do we protect ourselves? Seems someone has intercepted our parcels & has our details somehow.

An iPhone 15 should have USB-C. So if the original phone you received doesn’t have that, then it is a fake. No iPhone has mag-safe.

Just to clarify, did you buy the original direct from Apple online store?

The exec I spoke to provided me with his contact details. Did the exec you spoke to provide the same?

If you’ve received a replacement and checked the original order on the Apple website and seen that the trade in has restarted, I think you’ve got nothing to worry about.

Sorry, I was getting confused with the MagSafe thing that MacBooks had years ago!

I guess this is where my case differs. Was definitely a legit, brand new and sealed iPhone 14 Pro Max. I used it for the 2 days between the email saying no replacement and the exec telling me I’d be getting the replacement. Zero issues with the device whatsoever.

I imagine using the fake phones to get people’s iCloud login is a lucrative scam. Only really works if you don’t have multi factor authorisation on though. Someone tries to log in to my account, all of my actual devices get pinged.

How’s the replacement? Any more concerns there?

Unfortunately, there’s not much more you can do.

At the point you’re at, I’d actually started using the 14, because my trade in couldn’t be extended any further and I had to send my old phone off.

Hopefully the execs come back with the right conclusion for you.

I have seen a few articles in the news about this issue. The customer eventually received replacements in these cases.

Hi Thania, good to hear that they responded to you. But for me I didn’t get any reply from the executive teams… I tried to contact with the customer support again, but still they keep saying they concluded the investigation with no refund or replacement can be offered…

I will try to send another email the executive team again and hope this time they will respond to it.

Thank you for the updates

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?

I ordered an IPhone 15 pro max this month and I received a fake white iPhone 15 and I sent the pictures of the package and numbers to Apple and they asked me to send it back and now they said I sent them a fake phone? When I sent them the fake phone they sent me! I don’t understand what’s happening and now I have to pay for something that I don’t have it’s just not fair.

can someone help me on what I can do?

I ordered an iPhone 15 pro-Max on Dec 23 

Received the parcel on Dec 28 

When I opened the parcel, the only thing inside the box was an airpod.

I contacted customer service to get a replacement, but they insisted that the whole delivery process was fine, therefore, they could not provide any refund or replacement. 

The outside of the package was not damaged, and the dpd consignment number is correct. The only explanation for wrong delivery item is that Apple sent the wrong item. But the customer service kept telling me they have no power to solve it.

Do you have any updates on your case? I have a similar case.

I received the package of the iphone I ordered with the wrong iPhone inside, like it was switched. Apple isn’t doing anything about it and neither is the police. I have no idea what else to do

So I can make sure I understand….the box said it was the wrong phone even before they had you open it? Or were they claiming that the never sent you a 15?

Legal - Apple Products and Consumer Laws in the United Kingdom - Apple

Thank you! I rang Apple today and they said they’ve escalated it already and it’s the same outcome as before. It’s ridiculous

So practically for valuable items, like the most wanted iPhones, it would be best to open the parcel in front of the driver testifying what is in the box, or best go collect it for an Apple Store

Apparently so. You better believe that if I ever buy one of their products again, it’ll be from a store.

You must have spoken to the same person my wife did, she got the same information and same link.

They are really helpful lot....

I am ringing them shortly, i will let you know what they say to me.