A user ordered a new iPhone 15 Pro Max, but instead received a fake model. Particularly frustrating: he ordered the device from the official Apple Store.
Receiving counterfeit goods and fake products is always frustrating for a buyer. A user now reports that something particularly nasty has happened to him: He bought a new iPhone 15 Pro Max and instead received a deceptively real fake model.
The problem with this action is that the buyer can hardly protect himself against such a type of fraud.
Fake looks like iPhone, but is faulty and with Android
What went wrong? A user explained on reddit that he ordered a new iPhone Pro Max from the official Apple Store. For the device with the smallest storage capacity (256 GB), you pay a minimum of 1,449 euros.
But instead of the expensive iPhone, he was delivered a phone clone with Android. The device looks like an iPhone at first glance and runs on an Android with an iOS skin. However, in other “features,” the difference becomes very noticeable:
- The fake model does not offer a real OLED screen, which can be seen from the screen’s lighting.
- Some apps like YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok are pre-installed on the device. No apps are pre-installed on Apple devices.
- Moreover, the software is in a terrible state. The user explains: ‘The operating system is faulty and awful, the camera is like a slideshow and crashes when trying to use any UI element on the screen.’
How exactly did this happen? Absolutely, it cannot be said for certain what went wrong here. Some users on reddit and also colleagues from 9to5mac.com speculate that someone must have swapped the package or its contents.
The user from the post explained himself that he had inquired with the parcel service. But DPD assured him that the seals and shipping labels were intact in the warehouse: ‘They assure me that the box was properly sealed and never opened or tampered with, so it couldn’t have been them,’ said the user.
Buyers can hardly protect themselves against this type of fraud
Can one protect themselves against such fraud? It’s not the first time that people have received incorrect or fake goods. Even under the thread on reddit, some report that they too had been delivered a fake iPhone. Such frauds also occur with other retailers: For instance, a gamer purchased a graphics card for 1,700 euros and instead received a fake product.
Against the swap in the warehouse or supply chain, you can do little. Some users advise that when unpacking expensive hardware like phones, graphics cards, and the like, to film it accordingly. This way, you can later prove that you did not swap the hardware and have evidence on your side.
Others suggest buying expensive hardware directly in-store, such as buying an iPhone directly at the official Apple Store in the city center, although this would certainly mean additional effort.
How the situation can end in the worst case was recently shown by a family father from the UK. He ordered a new graphics card for his son, but instead, there was a fake product, and Amazon wanted no refund:
