Apple ID deleted yet iPhone still linked and can't be reactivated

Question

Apple ID deleted yet iPhone still linked and can't be reactivated

So I'm trying to reactive my work iPhone after reset. It's linked to a ex employee's e-mail as the apple ID. Not a problem, I contacted her and asked her for the log in or to go to icloud and unlink it. Issue is after she left she contacted Apple and asked them to delete the apple ID as her iPad was linked at the time and she created a new personal one which her iPad was moved onto yet they left the iPhone linked to that account and now it won't recognise the apple ID even though I know it was what it was set to and when I ask to reset the password it says "apple ID not found". I then tried to register that ID and it said I couldn't as it's already being used! Basically it's a catch 22 situation because the iPhone was left linked to that now inactive apple ID which can't be accessed. The ex-employee who was registered as the owner is thankfully still happy to help but there's not much she can do either, if the iPhone was transferred to her new apple ID as well she would have unlinked it but she says it's not there so I'm at a loss what the solution is. It seems Apple should have either transferred the iPhones link to the new apple ID as well or just unlinked it before deleting the old apple ID as now there's no way of accessing it. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks.

iPhone 5

Posted on Sep 29, 2015 5:24 PM

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Answer 1

Niel

Level 10

741,881 points

Sep 29, 2015 5:29 PM in response to Iphonehelp2015uk

The device's original owner needs to take it and its purchase receipt to a physical Apple Store.

(134165)

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Answer 2

Sep 29, 2015 5:41 PM in response to Niel

Thanks I appreciate the advice, I would have asked her to do this but only issue is the previous owner, as in the ex employee, left because she moved away to another country so it's impossible for her personally to take the phone into an Apple store. It seems unfair that the phone should be rendered useless when Apple deleted an Apple ID with an active device linked to it which was obviously going to cause problems for that device in the future! Why not unlink it or transfer it to the new Apple ID with the owner? Isn't there a way of Apple at least reactivating the Apple ID so the password can be recovered and then logged into and the device transferred to a new Apple ID?

Thanks

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Answer 3

Sep 29, 2015 6:16 PM in response to Iphonehelp2015uk

Anyone here who works for Apple and knows what can be done? Thanks

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Answer 4

frazzm737

Level 9

55,500 points

Sep 29, 2015 6:42 PM in response to Iphonehelp2015uk

This is a user forum. Your best bet would be to contact Apple directly, but I wouldn't give it much hope without the original owner's credentials.

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Answer 5

Sep 29, 2015 6:42 PM in response to frazzm737

Ah okay, thanks. Well the original owner is happy to help so I'll call Apple tomorrow during UK business hours and ask them. Perhaps they can see that her apple ID was deleted and iPad transferred to the new apple ID and ask if they can do the same for the iPhone if she e-mails to confirm from the new Apple ID that she's happy for that to happen? Then she's happy to log into icloud and deactivate the link but it all relies on Apple doing something with the phones link to her original and now inactive apple ID account.

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