weird situation

[basskr]

hey all, I have a weird situation at hand. I purchased my 2020 m1 MBA in oct of 2021 from a small computer store than mainly sold apple products all sealed BNIB. all is ok with it. However a few days ago I bought an iPad mini from apple with apple care. This made me want it on the Mac too. When I checked the Mac under my devices on apples site, it said purchase date 01/01/1985. After calling in to apple support requesting a change of date, I sent in the receipt. and they said they would get back to me in a few days, or I could call in mon or tues, since it was the weekend. I called in today, just like the first call after a hold, the agent had to get a supervisor to talk to me. I didn't ask for one, I found that a lil weird. today I asked what was wrong and I was told it said "lost in transit". I asked her if that meant stolen, she said no. she said that there is no warranty on it but If I needed service I could still pay to have if serviced at apple. Now I doubt I can return it to the store 8 mo later( I'm still going to try). I couldn't find the receipt originally so I phoned the stored the owner emailed it to me to send to apple. The supervisor asked me if I want to open a dispute to see if they can add the purchase date in their data base, I said yes.

here's my fear, could it get blacklisted or if I did eventually take it in, could they take it and not give it back? has anyone dealt with a similar situation?

Ps I originally went to apple to buy it but they didn't have the 256gb 8/7 16gb version available at the time , this store sold it to me at full price 1550 cad plus tax. I assumed he was an authorized retailer, that's my mistake. kicking myself now!


EDIT/ UPDATE:. Posting this so someone searching google will come across this. apple support was very nice, the results are bittersweet. I have no warranty, but the macbook will be useable and servicable out of pocket. Here is the reply.

"I heard back from the request and we are not able to change the date of purchase. So, any repairs that need to be done will be out of pocket. You are able to use the Mac as you have been without any issues and as I stated before, Apple will not turn off or block your device. If you have any questions, let me know"


LEASON LEARNED, , buy from apple or an authorized reseller if you dont want to risk this situation or worse. I certainly will be.

 

[Realityck]

hey all, I have a weird situation at hand. I purchased my 2020 m1 MBA in oct of 2021 from a small computer store than mainly sold apple products all sealed BNIB. all is ok with it. However a few days ago I bought an iPad mini from apple with apple care. This made me want it on the Mac too. When I checked the Mac under my devices on apples site, it said purchase date 01/01/1985. After calling in to apple support requesting a change of date, I sent in the receipt. and they said they would get back to me in a few days, or I could call in mon or tues, since it was the weekend. I called in today, just like the first call after a hold, the agent had to get a supervisor to talk to me. I didn't ask for one, I found that a lil weird. today I asked what was wrong and I was told it said "lost in transit". I asked her if that meant stolen, she said no. she said that there is no warranty on it but If I needed service I could still pay to have if serviced at apple. Now I doubt I can return it to the store 8 mo later( I'm still going to try). I couldn't find the receipt originally so I phoned the stored the owner emailed it to me to send to apple. The supervisor asked me if I want to open a dispute to see if they can add the purchase date in their data base, I said yes.

here's my fear, could it get blacklisted or if I did eventually take it in, could they take it and not give it back? has anyone dealt with a similar situation?

Ps I originally went to apple to buy it but they didn't have the 16gb available at the time version, this store sold it to me at full price 1550 cad plus tax. I assumed he was an authorized retailer, that my mistake.

I think you need to examine the small computer store specifics whether they sell Apple Care with a purchase such as what you did. Your not providing the identity of that dealer so we could verify they are authorized. You have a limited warranty when you buy a Apple computer that you need to optionally purchase Apple Care within a time period, you can't buy it months after your purchase.

• In most countries and regions, you can buy AppleCare+ within 60 days of your device purchase. In Japan, you can buy AppleCare+ within 30 days of your device purchase. In China mainland, you can buy AppleCare+ on your device within 7 days of your device purchase or in an Apple Store within 60 days of your device purchase. (At the Apple Store, you'll need to bring your proof of purchase, and we'll inspect the device.)
• In some countries and regions, you can buy an AppleCare Protection Plan within 1 year of your purchase of an eligible Mac, Apple TV, or other device.

The store you bought this Mac from should be able to answer your questions.

 

[basskr]

I think you need to examine the small computer store specifics whether they sell Apple Care with a purchase such as what you did. Your not providing the identity of that dealer so we could verify they are authorized. You have a limited warranty when you buy a Apple computer that you need to optionally purchase Apple Care within a time period, you can't buy it months after your purchase.

• In most countries and regions, you can buy AppleCare+ within 60 days of your device purchase. In Japan, you can buy AppleCare+ within 30 days of your device purchase. In China mainland, you can buy AppleCare+ on your device within 7 days of your device purchase or in an Apple Store within 60 days of your device purchase. (At the Apple Store, you'll need to bring your proof of purchase, and we'll inspect the device.)
• In some countries and regions, you can buy an AppleCare Protection Plan within 1 year of your purchase of an eligible Mac, Apple TV, or other device.

The store you bought this Mac from should be able to answer your questions.

I checked yesterday on apple's website and they are not listed as an authorized retailer, initially when I first bought it, I was picking up an accessory from An apple store and the sales person said they recently changed it so that I had up to a year to add apple care, which is why I was in the mindset that I had till oct of this year. and yes I will be giving them a call.

 

[Mike Boreham]

Very odd. Not sure I can help much, except to say that I have bought many nearly new second hand Apple products from CEX (a well known high street electronics chain in UK, definitely not an authorised Apple retailer).

I never know the original purchase date when I buy them, and don't have the original purchasers receipt. I always check for AppleCare eligibility by going through the AppleCare purchase process on line. After entering the serial number it either says "no longer eligible" or similar, or lets me purchase. (The last thing I bought, and iPhone 13PM still had eight months of AppleCare on it! I checked with Apple on the phone and they confirmed it transfers with the phone, but if the original owner cancelled the AppleCare there was nothing I could about it)

When I have gone on the AppleCare site and entered the serial number, if it was longer than 60 days it just says "not eligible", I have never seen it come back with a date, as it did for you.

 

[Bodhitree]

Really interesting story! I buy all my Apple gear direct from them, it just goes to show there are sometimes shady dealings behind the scenes with the third party stores.

 

[MajorFubar]

Sounds to me that the background story to this is these "lost in transit" items are being offloaded to unauthorised retailers to sell at lower cost. The retailer may or may not even know their origins. Years and years ago - 1990s - I knew a guy who drove a lorry (truck) delivering to a major UK electronics retailer (Curry's), and he could get you pretty much anything they stocked, with a bit of notice. Items which just didn't arrive at the destination were logged as 'lost in transit' or 'damaged and disposed of', but in reality they had been sold for cash by the lorry driver. As long as the qty of missing-in-action items didn't pass a particular threshold no questions were asked. But I didn't realise similar scams were even possible in this digital age where everything is tracked every inch of its journey.

You would have been way better going to an authorised seller or buying online from Apple. If you wanted a great deal just look in their official refurb store. I'm not sure where this leaves you, with a device which no longer officially exists.

 

[Mike Boreham]

Really interesting story! I buy all my Apple gear direct from them, it just goes to show there are sometimes shady dealings behind the scenes with the third party stores.

I am sure shady dealings do happen but I am paranoid about avoiding anything illegal in computing software and hardware (and other things!) and happy that my purchases are legit. There are so many ways that dodgy items can be flagged or blocked, especially Apple stuff.

 

[Bodhitree]

This is the thing though, we would all like to support smaller local retailers but when you can’t be sure your new product hasn’t been “purloined” by an enterprising truck driver, it puts a bit of a spanner in the wheels.

That said, I always like to visit the Apple Store in order to see with my own eyes the latest devices.

 

[MajorFubar]

That said, I always like to visit the Apple Store in order to see with my own eyes the latest devices.

Sadly though we don't all live near an Apple Store. Outside the US it can be a pretty major day's outing going to an Apple Store. Take the UK for example. Apple must look at the size of the UK and how you can fit the whole country into a state the size of Texas and as a result consider that we're generously populated with Apple stores with 24 nationwide. It would astound them to realise my nearest one is three train journeys away each direction.

 

[Lihp8270]

Sadly though we don't all live near an Apple Store. Outside the US it can be a pretty major day's outing going to an Apple Store. Take the UK for example. Apple must look at the size of the UK and how you can fit the whole country into a state the size of Texas and as a result consider that we're generously populated with Apple stores with 24 nationwide. It would astound them to realise my nearest one is three train journeys away each direction.

Saying three trains doesn’t give much info.

For me to get to the nearest apple store it’s a bus, a train and a tram.

Or I can drive there in 20 minutes.

 

[MajorFubar]

Saying three trains doesn’t give much info.

For me to get to the nearest apple store it’s a bus, a train and a tram.

Or I can drive there in 20 minutes.

I would have thought "major day's outing" might have been a clue. it's about 100 miles, or about 1.5 hours having to swap trains. Not counting the bus needed to get to the first train station (15 mins)

 

[Bodhitree]

For me it’s 15 minutes by bicycle, then an hour by train, and then 15 minutes by tram. Its the Amsterdam store which is closest… and if you think 24 stores for the whole UK is bad, there are 3 stores in the entire Netherlands.

 

[StudioMacs]

I have 3 stores within 1 hour, but I order online anyway.

 

[MajorFubar]

For me it’s 15 minutes by bicycle, then an hour by train, and then 15 minutes by tram. Its the Amsterdam store which is closest… and if you think 24 stores for the whole UK is bad, there are 3 stores in the entire Netherlands.

This is exactly it. Compared to you even the UK is blessed with Apple stores, but Stateside contributors talk about it as though going to an Apple store is like popping in to the nearest McDonalds. For many of us outside the US - you included - it's a pretty serious commitment finding and going to our nearest Apple store, which could be 100+ miles away.

 

[JPack]

Lost in transit means it was declared lost by the shipper or recipient. For example, UPS claims it was delivered but the recipient says no. So Apple sends a replacement. The original unit gets sold at a shady store like the one you visited. Or simply stolen during transit by the courier and marked as “lost.”

The device has already been blacklisted and has no warranty. In general, Apple doesn’t service these products with an invalid serial number.

 

[Bodhitree]

This is the thing. My mother wants to go check out the screens on the new MBP 16” which has caught her fancy, seeing as she needs a new computer to replace her old 2010 21.5” iMac on which she does all her finances. But she also cares for my stepfather who is 86 and suffers from advanced Alzheimer’s, so she not only has to make the trip but she also has to find a carer to step in for a whole afternoon. It becomes quite a major effort in logistics to go to the Apple Store together.

 

[MajorFubar]

This is the thing. My mother wants to go check out the screens on the new MBP 16” which has caught her fancy, seeing as she needs a new computer to replace her old 2010 21.5” iMac on which she does all her finances. But she also cares for my stepfather who is 86 and suffers from advanced Alzheimer’s, so she not only has to make the trip but she also has to find a carer to step in for a whole afternoon. It becomes quite a major effort in logistics to go to the Apple Store together.

Sorry if this is a dumb question but don't you have authorised retailers you could go to? Like i've said, here in the UK, Apple Stores can be 100+ miles away, but we have a national electronics retailer (Curry's) that have stores all over the place and are authorised to stock and sell Apple devices, including Macbooks.

 

[BaggieBoy]

I live in the UK and my local Apple Store is actually closer than the nearest McDonalds!

 

[bobcomer]

This is exactly it. Compared to you even the UK is blessed with Apple stores, but Stateside contributors talk about it as though going to an Apple store is like popping in to the nearest McDonalds. For many of us outside the US - you included - it's a pretty serious commitment finding and going to our nearest Apple store, which could be 100+ miles away.

Apple stores aren't as common in the U.S. as you say. Sure, lots of them in california and some other big cities, but they're actually pretty rare. To get to an Apple Store from where I live, I'd have to drive over an hour, and there's no public transit...

 

[darngooddesign]

...Now I doubt I can return it to the store 8 mo later.

If it's any conciliation, if nothing has broken yet I doubt anything will in the three or four months of warranty you would have left.

 

[Bodhitree]

Sorry if this is a dumb question but don't you have authorised retailers you could go to? Like i've said, here in the UK, Apple Stores can be 100+ miles away, but we have a national electronics retailer (Curry's) that have stores all over the place and are authorised to stock and sell Apple devices, including Macbooks.

Yes we do. There is even a big chain of Apple specialist resellers, Amac. There are a few which are nearer, and not bad service. But the Apple Store in Amsterdam is a nice outing… ;-)

 

[solouki]

Okay, okay, I have all you all beat (so far).

I'm in the USA and the nearest Apple Store is 381 miles away, a 6 hour 8 minute drive according to Google Maps (but I've also been stuck for 2 hours in traffic driving that last 20 miles, so 6 hours is a minimum drive time and not an average drive time). Or I could also fly which would be a 15 minute drive, a 1 hour 15 minute $548 plane trip (one way), a 20 minute walk from the terminal to the airport lobby and a taxi, then likely a 10 minute wait in the taxi line, and another 30-45 minute taxi ride just to get to the Apple Store. I always love it whenever I have called Apple Support in the past and they just suggest I take my laptop to a Genius at an Apple Store ... yeah, sure, no problem.

On the way out of my city there is a large sign that says "Turn here, the next McDonalds is 205 miles away." -- probably one of the few places in the USA where the next McDonalds is 205 miles by car on an Interstate highway (fortunately, the speed limit on that 4-lane Interstate highway is 75mph).

Solouki

P.S. So, to state the obvious, I always buy Apple equipment online...

 

[basskr]

alright, so I received a reply from apple. the supervisor was very nice and fully understood my situation. the result is bittersweet, am I'm going to have to be ok with it. here's the reply, I will post it up in my original question for anyone that comes across this in the future. I know all my searches turned up dead ends. I can still service it at apple out of pocket. and there is no warranty.

I heard back from the request and we are not able to change the date of purchase. So, any repairs that need to be done will be out of pocket. You are able to use the Mac as you have been without any issues and as I stated before, Apple will not turn off or block your device. If you have any questions, let me know

 

[wonderings]

I still don't understand how it would have such an old purchase date. Or is that something Apple does to dissuade people from buying from non authorized sellers. If you had a friend who bought a brand new MacBook Pro, and he decided 50 days in that he wanted to get rid of it and you bought it from him, there is nothing to stop you from adding Apple care yourself.

 

[JPack]

alright, so I received a reply from apple. the supervisor was very nice and fully understood my situation. the result is bittersweet, am I'm going to have to be ok with it. here's the reply, I will post it up in my original question for anyone that comes across this in the future. I know all my searches turned up dead ends. I can still service it at apple out of pocket. and there is no warranty.

​

I heard back from the request and we are not able to change the date of purchase. So, any repairs that need to be done will be out of pocket. You are able to use the Mac as you have been without any issues and as I stated before, Apple will not turn off or block your device. If you have any questions, let me know

You might want to confirm if an Apple Store will service your Mac given the serial number is invalid. The Store staff need a valid S/N to order replacement parts in the system.

Crazy that the reseller charged you above retail for something that fell off a truck.

Nearly everyone is eligible for the edu discount and the same MacBook Air costs $1,394 if you were willing to wait a couple weeks for it to ship from Shanghai.