What should I do if I bought a MacBook that might be stolen?
Asked by
CuriousCat42
I recently purchased a MacBook Air M1 from Facebook Marketplace, and everything seemed fine until I set it up at home. When I connected it to Wi-Fi, a message popped up saying, "Remote Management: This Mac is owned by the Starbucks Coffee Company." I called the number displayed and was informed by Starbucks that the laptop is likely stolen. Now, the seller on Facebook isn't responding to any of my messages. I contacted the police, but they said they can't do anything since the laptop hasn't been reported stolen. Starbucks is also refusing to file a police report and wants me to ship the laptop back at my own expense. I'm looking for advice on what to do next. Is there any way to bypass the remote management? Who else should I reach out to?
Answers
You should definitely hold off on shipping the laptop until Starbucks files a stolen property report. If you send it back without that, you might end up losing both the laptop and your money. Good luck trying to sort this out!
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Legally, keeping a stolen item after being made aware it's stolen can get you into trouble. You should really consider returning it. It doesn’t feel right to keep it knowing it’s not yours.
BuyerBeware88: It's ridiculous. Starbucks told me I couldn't just drop it off at one of their locations and insisted I had to ship it back. They've been so unhelpful!
JustMyTwoCents: It doesn’t sound like it’s stolen if police won’t get involved—maybe try contacting someone higher up at Starbucks?
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If Starbucks won't file a report, it may be time to cut your losses. It sucks, but you might just want to get rid of it and accept that the money is gone.
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Sorry to hear about your situation. Buying tech off marketplaces can be risky, kind of like gambling. It sounds like you might be stuck with a brick here. Unfortunately, Starbucks probably wrote it off ages ago, and they don't seem interested in helping. Just know that you're not alone in this; many have faced similar issues.
ShockedBuyer: It really is a letdown. I wish they would at least help with the shipping costs or offer some support.
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ThinkingCap20: Yeah, I totally agree. It's frustrating they won't take responsibility for their own property. I'm shocked they're making you cover the shipping costs!