I purchased an ipad mini 64G online at Target. Instead, received a fake display model inside the box. Now Target won't accept return. How can I prove i don't have the real ipad? Can Apple use the serial number on the box to track the status of the real ipad?? Or is there any other way I can prove this?
Thanks a lot for the help!!
iPad mini Wi-Fi
The "ipad" has paper screen, just a piece of paper that sticks on top faking the screen. Nothing is pluggable, even though it has all the slots but all fake, and chargers cannot be plugged in. Believe me, I own one ipad2, one ipad mini, i know what the real thing looks like. Then i took to a Target store, they examined it and noticed it's fake and wouldn't accept it, and asked me to return online. I mailed it back within a week of purchse. Called Target many times to complain and check status. Today they finally informed me their return center wounld't accept it, will mail back to me. This is really rediculous, and I don't know what to do now. I took pictures of the box before mailing back, and it has serial numbers on it. The fake one also has serial number, but doesn't match with the box. I appriciate any advice that could help me prove that I don't have the real ipad. Thanks!
This is rediculous. I can understand your situation because one of my friend bought an iPad from Walmart online store and recieved fake iPad that is made out of clay. It was an iPad 4 16GB Wi-Fi black. When my friend pluged in lightening connector, the peace of clay fell off, pritty strange. So I and my friend took it to customer servis last Saturday and we were able to get the money back and bought it from actual Apple retail store and got the real one. Well do you see the serial number at the back of the box? We saw the serial number so we call Apple and try to get verified. Well it was fake generated number. So I recommend you call Apple, explain your situation and tell them your serial number if it has one. They wouldn't be able to help you all the way through because you bought it from the reatiller in your case Target, but you will least get an evidence to show it to Target people.
Hope this helps!
Thanks!! I will definitely call Apple. But I suspect in my case the serial number is real and someone switched the real thing with the fake one. So if this is the case, is there any way that Apple can trace the real machine with the serial number, like when it's activated and even more information about who is using it. In my case I need to prove that I don't have it.
Apple will not give you any information regarding that device without a court order. And the fact someone else has it now does not prove you didn't have it at one time. Apple is really not a player in this.
Why did you wait a week to contact Target about getting a fake iPad? And I assume you ordered it online?
i didn't wait a week. Yes, i ordered it online because i bought one the same way with Target Feb last year so I trusted Target. I picked up the package a couple of days after it had arrived, and went immidiately to a Target store after openning and confirming was fake. Anyway, I don't think It matters how long.
You are right, just because someone else using it doesn't prove anything. I hope someone can give me advice on what particular proof i should look for here. Only thing i can think of that should help is if Apple can find out that the device associated with the serial number on the box had been activated BEFORE it was sold to me. Right?
Any more advice from anyone is appricated!
Where there any serial number writen at the back of the fake iPad? Another thing you can look for is FCC stuff and design by Apple in California writing. Hope that might give more clues. I also think seller might change the box with real box that contains valid number or coppyed real serial number. I don't know what to say, will wait for your responce.
The time delay indicates it could have been swapped.
You will need to retain an attorney to get that information from Apple.
You could contact your local police department and report it as a theft or contact a media person who does consumer reports.
There was actually no time delay. We have a conciege office that receives package for residence, plus there is another box outside and was intact. I think the switch might have happened at the factory, I don't know. Yeah, if needed i will definitly get an attorney. Thanks.
Called target again and finally got through someone reasonble and issue the refund to me. I also stopped by an Apple store and showed them the pictures of the box and the dummy ipad. They found out that even the sticker on the box is fake because the model number and the serial number don't match, the model number associate with a black device and the serial number is for a white one. Also the bar codes look blurry compared to the real ones. I provided all these info to Target hopefully will help them with the investigation.
How do you know it is a "fake display model"?
What did Target say when you tried to return it? How longer after your purchased did you try to return it.
My sympathies are with you. I hope target or apple do the right thing. This is utterly ridiculous.
Thank you. My wife and I complained with their customer service many times and they haven't been helpful at all. I am thinking to write to a news media about this to bring more attention.
I think that's good idea. Did you paid the same amount of price that Apple offers?
I paid with Target Redcard, so got 5% off and also there is a $30 target giftcard. Yeah, the fake one has serial number in the back, and that doesn't match the one on the box.
Glad to hear that. Neither seller or there retailer are not very nice for customers who want to get a real thing in this case iPad.
I got fake ipad mini from Target.
