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thewall

macrumors regular
Original poster
Oct 2, 2007
147
37
U.K
I have a 2021 16" Macbook Pro M1 purchased in May.
I received a phone call from Apple to say that my MacBook needs to go back and they are sending me a brand new one, wouldn't tell me what's wrong with it and to me it's working fine.
Anybody know what's going on ?
 

thewall

macrumors regular
Original poster
Oct 2, 2007
147
37
U.K
I thought it sounded iffy but they said i could take it to an Apple store to replace it but the nearest is miles away and when i phoned customer service i get through to the team dealing with it.
Checked the number they called on and comes back to Apple
 

reallycantcode

macrumors newbie
Aug 26, 2022
12
26
Take 2 or 3 steps.
1) Call apple directly, try a different number such as tech support or sales or applecare and they will forward you to the correct department.
1.5) Alternatively, try live chat. Might be a much safer bet
2) Ask for the exact reason for this happening and take names and verify
3) If they call back, tell them you will ONLY take it to a store and see what they say. If they are a scam, they will most likely insist you send it directly or just give up
4) Tell them you will wait for the replacement to arrive before you send it back. If Apple, this should not be an issue

Spoofing numbers is very easy so never trust the number called from. Usually threatening to call back instead shows if a scam or not if they say no or get angry.
 

Gravydog316

macrumors 6502a
May 17, 2016
564
200
Canada
I thought it sounded iffy but they said i could take it to an Apple store to replace it but the nearest is miles away and when i phoned customer service i get through to the team dealing with it.
Checked the number they called on and comes back to Apple
check for your laptop

here are the latest Apple recalls:
 

ElRojito

macrumors 6502
May 6, 2012
329
585
They do this sometimes to investigate issues. But it’s usually after a tech support / Genius Bar appointment. Have you raised any tickets with them lately about problems? Have you called them to verify that they have a case open? Did they give you a repair number?

If no, probably a scam.
 

Gravydog316

macrumors 6502a
May 17, 2016
564
200
Canada
They do this sometimes to investigate issues. But it’s usually after a tech support / Genius Bar appointment. Have you raised any tickets with them lately about problems? Have you called them to verify that they have a case open? Did they give you a repair number?

If no, probably a scam.
Yeah, they would tell him why they want it, right?
 
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tcatsninfan

macrumors member
Sep 23, 2022
86
260
I thought it sounded iffy but they said i could take it to an Apple store to replace it but the nearest is miles away and when i phoned customer service i get through to the team dealing with it.
Checked the number they called on and comes back to Apple
I would still be very suspicious of this. What customer service number did you call? Did they explain why they want your MacBook?

Even if the nearest Apple Store is miles away, I would definitely visit them before moving forward with anything. That way you'd be talking to people face to face, people with names and employee numbers and so on.

Speaking of moving forward with this, I also wouldn't hand over my MacBook until you receive a new one in the mail, verify that it's brand new and working, etc.

I think a bit of skepticism is warranted in this situation given that a) this is unusual and b) it's a significant amount of money on the line.
 

boss.king

Suspended
Apr 8, 2009
6,394
7,647
I thought it sounded iffy but they said i could take it to an Apple store to replace it but the nearest is miles away and when i phoned customer service i get through to the team dealing with it.
Checked the number they called on and comes back to Apple
Ask them to give you a case number, then call Apple directly, give them the number and ask them to explain why they need it.
 
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Jumpthesnark

macrumors 65816
Apr 24, 2022
1,242
5,146
California
As others have said, this has scam written all over it. But how would the caller know you have a MBP that was bought in May? Have you bought a third-party extended warranty for it or anything?

Ask them to send you the new MBP first, so you can transfer all your data. Ask for a tracking number. See if they come through, and note where it's being delivered from.

As @1BadManVan said, please keep us updated.
 

philstubbington

macrumors 6502a
I have a 2021 16" Macbook Pro M1 purchased in May.
I received a phone call from Apple to say that my MacBook needs to go back and they are sending me a brand new one, wouldn't tell me what's wrong with it and to me it's working fine.
Anybody know what's going on ?
Probably a scam. I see you’re in the UK - there’s a news report this morning of a banking scam involving faking phone numbers - might be someone using the same approach to scam in other ways too.
 
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