Getting rid of an account left behind by the previous owner, He said he wiped his data, but he didn’t!

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Level 1

4 points

Getting rid of an account left behind by the previous owner, He said he wiped his data, but he didn’t!

My MacBook Dilemma

Last year, in October 2023, yi bought a MacBook Pro Laptop on Facebook marketplace. To pay and collect the MacBook,I drove to an Address the seller, a student, gave me. I used the gps to get there, somewhere in the back of Southport, on the Gold Coast, QLD. We met at his place, I paid the money and collected the laptop, with his assurance, that the laptop has been restored Bach to original factory settings. I didn’t worry, or even think about getting a receipt, as proof of purchase.

Now, a year later, I’m in trouble. The machine worked fine for almost a year, then, suddenly, it refused to boot up, and gets stuck halfway through the progress bar. I have tried every possible keyboard starting combinations, using Apples internet recovery. Still won’t turn on. So I tried completely wiping the machine, after I backed it up.. But it wasn’t let me do that neither, because , to get permission to delete all data , it suddenly request an account and password , which was used , before I bought it. So the original owner, never removed all traces of his account.

Now I’m trying to find this guy, as Apple refuses to to help, without a proof of purchase.

I don’t believe, that I am the first one with this issue, so I like to find someone who can help.

Have a great night, everyone,,

MacBook Pro (2021)

Posted on Oct 31, 2024 5:09 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

D.I. Johnson

Level 8

42,571 points

Oct 31, 2024 12:15 PM in response to Orsandro

No, you are not the first one with this issue. This is a consequence of the security and anti-theft features of the Mac. Apple products are considered by many to be status items and this is a way to dissuade their theft and resale.

Users demand that the data on their Macs be secure, even when a device is lost or stolen. Part of that security is the use of FindMy and the association of hardware with a user's Apple ID credentials. If a device is lost or stolen, the feature can be used to render the device useless to a bad actor and to even wipe the data from a device if need be.

Unfortunately, many (most?) Mac users aren't aware of or care about the feature if they are fortunate enough to never have to use it. So, when it comes time to transfer ownership they don't know to look for the proper way to prep their Mac for sale. This is the way: What to do before you sell, give away, trade in, or recycle your Mac - Apple Support

Any Apple device that is not properly prepared for a new owner may qualify by definition as a door stop, paperweight or scrap. There is no workaround.

With this in mind, the best advice one can offer to another looking to buy a used Apple device is: never buy used Apple gear from an unknown seller. Sites like eBay, Craigslist, OfferUp, and the like are rife with Apple devices that can be nothing more than spare parts because of this security tech. "Refurbished" is just another descriptor on eBay and elsewhere and has little to no meaning.

Make your purchases directly from the source or reputable resellers who deal in quality new, used and honestly refurbished products.

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Answer 2

MartinR

Level 7

25,926 points

Oct 31, 2024 1:43 PM in response to Orsandro

Based on your description of events there is nothing you will be able to do to "recover" this MacBookPro. You bought a used machine from a seller you apparently did not know, on Facebook marketplace, probably for cash, at a location that probably wasn't even his actual location and now you can't identify him. Those are all signs of a scam. Even if you had a receipt from the seller there is nothing Apple could do about it because it would not have been an Apple receipt belonging to the original purchaser.

If the previous owner did not truly take it back to factory settings and left some trace of his ownership on it, and now you can't find the previous owner, you are sadly just out of luck. It is an unfortunate lesson that you have learned the hard way. You did get a year's worth of use from the machine, so that's to the good. But at this point it's over.

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