While I was traveling outside the country, someone used one of my credit cards to make an unauthorized $1,500 purchase on Apple's website. The next day, my wife received an email showing that an iMac had been ordered through her Apple account and would be delivered to our home. We reported the fraudulent transaction to the credit card company and notified Apple's fraud department. The card was canceled, the charges were reversed, and we filed a police report.
The iMac was nevertheless delivered to our house while we were away. Our pet sitter brought it inside, and it remains unopened. I have contacted Apple support several times to arrange a return, but each representative says the case must be escalated. Apple has not provided a prepaid shipping label or pickup instructions, and I live far from an Apple Store.
What should I do now? How much responsibility do I have to return an item I never ordered, especially when the purchase was fraudulent and the charge has already been reversed?
4 Answers
Some companies eventually tell customers to keep duplicate or mis-shipped products because arranging a return costs more than the item is worth. Until Apple gives you that instruction in writing, store the computer securely and avoid opening or activating it. You can check the serial number and retain photos of the box and shipping label, but those checks probably won’t resolve the return issue by themselves.
You’ve taken the right basic steps: report the fraud, replace the card, secure your wife’s Apple account, and enable two-factor authentication. Also tell the card issuer that the merchandise was delivered, since they may need that information for their investigation. Keep the iMac boxed and stored safely while you wait for documented instructions from Apple. There’s a chance the fraudster intended to intercept the package, so don’t hand it to anyone who unexpectedly appears at the door claiming to be a courier.
Don’t spend your own money returning it or give it to an unverified driver. Contact Apple through chat or email so there’s a written record, include the order and tracking details, and clearly request a prepaid label or company-arranged pickup. Save screenshots, case numbers, and the names of representatives you speak with. Since this involves a fraudulent order, keeping the item unopened and documenting your efforts is much safer than using, selling, or disposing of it.
Because the item arrived through a fraudulent transaction, don’t assume that general rules about unsolicited merchandise automatically settle your situation. Laws vary by location, and this is tied to a specific order and possible theft. Ask Apple for written instructions, notify your credit card company and local police that the package was delivered, and consider getting local legal advice if Apple continues to ignore the matter. Set a reasonable written deadline for arranging a prepaid pickup, but don’t claim ownership or dispose of the device without confirming the legal position where you live.
My wife changed her Apple password, and the card company canceled and replaced the card. I also filed a police report after Apple’s fraud team recommended it. I wasn’t sure whether the card company needed to know that the package had actually arrived.