I'm posting this largely to see if anyone else has ever had this happen.
Apple is replacing my laptop (for the second time thus far--the first time was a first gen MBP, custom built, where the screen was back-ordered over a month and they finally replaced it, this time my laptop screen died from the NVIDIA chip issue--Feb 2008 custom built MBP--and several other pieces of hardware had issues--harddrive making strange sound, non-working optical drive). The laptop being replaced died on Oct. 12 or 13, and the replacement order was issued Oct. 14. I was sent a case number and then a tracking number when the laptop left Shanghai.
My new Macbook Pro was delivered yesterday and signed for. But not by me. By someone in a city nearly 3 hours away. I had been watching the UPS tracking number religiously (I'm an impatient person by nature) and called UPS immediately when the status showed that the laptop had been delivered. They confirmed that my name was on the shipping label--but that someone else's address was on it!
Apple must have mis-printed the shipping label with MY name and someone ELSE'S address! Apple confirmed that my address was correct EVERYWHERE in their system--and I can tell you right now that I have NEVER lived in the city it was delivered to. Not even CLOSE to it!
At this point, we're not entirely sure what will happen. Apple is working with UPS' logistics department to try and retrieve the laptop from the individual who received it, and send it back to me. Hopefully, this individual (someone I don't know) has not opened the package and, if they HAVE opened the package, they have not added software or done anything silly like open the MBP up! The package will be brought from them to me and I will get to be the one who checks out the laptop. If either something has been done to the laptop or the logistics department is unable to retrieve it, another build order will be placed sometime next week and I should get yet ANOTHER MBP shipped to me (hopefully this one will arrive!) about a week after that.
I'm just wondering if anyone has had this happen before? If so, what was the result? The customer rep I've been working with sounded genuinely shocked by this.
That's the thing--it wasn't UPS' mistake. It was Apple's. They printed the shipping label, which had my name (Cause when I called UPS with the tracking number to ask what just happened, they said "Is this (insert name)?") and an address in another city of someone totally unrelated to me (cause UPS asked to confirm my address with me.)
If the seals are broken, I'll definitely have a real dilemma. I NEED my laptop back--I use my laptop as my primary phone line as calls are cheaper that way than they would be otherwise. I'm currently using my Windows XP box that I bought my second year of high school, which has no soundcard and which has RAM measured in megs. Which means no calling from my private number. Which sucks, as I'm in the middle of the immigration process to move to the US and get married.
But if the box has broken seals, then I have NO way of knowing what may have been done to the laptop! I keep having visions of stolen hardware/hardware swapped out/warranties voided by someone having opened the laptop up/fingerprints/whatever else. And I keep thinking about how someone could have screwed with the disks and so on... *sigh*
But I REALLY need this laptop!
I will say this: Despite this customer relations screw up, Apple's customer service in dealing with the issues with the original laptop and with handling this snafu has been incredible. I'm not HAPPY with the situation, but I'm not as upset as I could be, which is a credit to the nice people at Apple. Though, I do wish I could contact the person handling my case currently with the toll free number! I'm currently calling Texas from Canada on my dime when I need to call for something. I don't have long distance on my home phone because I use my laptop for all my long distance!
Update: They were supposed to call me yesterday with an update. I called them twice yesterday and once today when no email appeared and no phonecall came. I have yet to hear from them. I know they're less than one day late, but they had promised that they would call yesterday. I keep getting my customer care rep's voicemail and no one's called me back yet. Starting to get frustrated again.
I'm posting this largely to see if anyone else has ever had this happen.
My new Macbook Pro was delivered yesterday and signed for. But not by me. By someone in a city nearly 3 hours away.
Apple must have mis-printed the shipping label with MY name and someone ELSE'S address!
I don't know if this is 100% true...but I had always heard that if a shipping company like Fed Ex or UPS delivers something to the wrong address, and the person or person's at that "wrong" address sign for the package, take it inside their house, and open it...if they should choose to...they could keep the item...because hey, it was delivered to their address.
This may not be the morally correct thing to do, but it might be allowable for some legal reason...a law that I am not familiar with to be able to quote.
This may or may not be true...it may just be an "Urban Legend"!
In any case...it would seem that Apple mis-printed the shipping label...and so it would seem to be their responsibility to "make things right"!
If the laptop that was shipped to the wrong address is unacceptable to you, because it was opened by the other person it was delivered to...Apple would then need to ship you a new never-opened laptop (to the correct address of course)!
- Nick
__________________
Don't forget to use the reputation system.
A lot of people have heard that rumour. My understanding is that it's an urban legend. In the US, apparently if something is misdelivered to you by USPS (the US postal service, not sure if you're an American), then you can legally keep it as long as it actually has your address on it, but that ruling doesn't apply to couriers. At least, this is what I was told by someone who used to work for USPS. Whether or not it's true, I don't know. After all, that's how urban legends start. lol
I'm totally blaming my fiance for this though. I've NEVER had a parcel/package/letter misdelivered in my LIFE. But right after it shipped, he said "OMG IT'S LOST" and then it turned out to be. So, according to the rules of superstition, I'm blaming him.
It would seem to be Apple's responsibility to make this right. And I'm hoping they do--starting with calling me to let me know where things stand on the retrieval of the original laptop/the build order of a new one.
UPDATE: (just before I hit post, they called) They have yet to be able to track down the original laptop. They're issuing a new build order for mine. They offered me several options for 'how to make this right' including an upgraded harddrive. I have a very large external HDD and know how to build my own cheaper than having a larger internal, so I took one of their alternate options--a new iPod Touch because I'm planning to do some traveling in the next little while and would love the portability of the Touch for more than just music.
A lot of people have heard that rumour. My understanding is that it's an urban legend.
I think that your understanding & my understanding kind of come from the same place..which is no definite answer to whether it is true or not.
Good to hear that Apple seems to be taking responsibility for the error by putting in the new build order + offering you a bonus.
Hopefully the laptop will arrive soon,
- Nick
Edit: I tried doing some quick internet searching, but couldn't find a definitive answer to the "Urban Legend" mentioned above regarding wrongly delivered UPS packages. If someone can find a definitive answer...that would be great!
__________________
Don't forget to use the reputation system.
I had always heard that if a shipping company like Fed Ex or UPS delivers something to the wrong address, ...
But, this was addressed to the wrong address. It was delivered to the "correct" address: the one it was addressed to.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wigglyone
In the US, apparently if something is misdelivered to you by USPS, then you can legally keep it as long as it actually has your address on it, ...
The variation on this that I "always heard" was that if something was sent to you that you did not order, you were under no obligation to return it, or pay for it.
I replaced a video card once. The company sent me the new one and asked me to send the defective one back to them, at my expense. I said, "Whoa! Your product was bad. Send me a paid mailing label." Their response was that "we don't do that". I wrote back. "I've got two. Do you want one or not?" They sent the mailing label.
Hopefully it arrives at all this time! The rep said I might have it by Friday or Monday. Should have the Touch earlier because it doesn't have to be built. I have to say, it'll be nice to have the Touch--I'm moving to a major city in two weeks, with wifi access for the entire downtown, so I suspect I'll get some real use out of googlemaps on that thing.
But, this was addressed to the wrong address. It was delivered to the "correct" address: the one it was addressed to.
The variation on this that I "always heard" was that if something was sent to you that you did not order, you were under no obligation to return it, or pay for it.
I replaced a video card once. The company sent me the new one and asked me to send the defective one back to them, at my expense. I said, "Whoa! Your product was bad. Send me a paid mailing label." Their response was that "we don't do that". I wrote back. "I've got two. Do you want one or not?" They sent the mailing label.
I loved your story concerning the return of the bad video card. It really put the vendor in "their place"...no way you should have to pay to return a bad video card...especially since you already had the replacement/good video card.
Yes it's not a perfect set of circumstances here regarding this package being delivered to the wrong address. But the folks that received it wrongly knew that they didn't order what is probably a $1000+ dollar laptop.
Plus the OP said that his name was correctly listed on the delivery label...but it had the wrong address...and assuming that no one with the OP's name lived at that wrong address....maybe it should not have been opened or signed for.
So you are definitely right that the package was delivered to the correct address...but presumably no one at that address had the OP's name.
It's a confusing situation as to how it should be resolved...luckily Apple seems to be taking care of the OP!
- Nick
__________________
Don't forget to use the reputation system.
Considering that there are 70 people on the planet with my last name as far as I've been able to tell and most of them are in France, the odds of there having been ANYONE that the person who received my laptop had ever met, let alone living with someone with my last name are astronomically low. My first name is very common, but even in French Canada (and the laptop was sent to English Canada) my last name is virtually unheard of. So it's safe to say, no one at that address had my name. Period.
Update: A brand new laptop is in transit from Shanghai and is set to arrive Monday or Tuesday, with any luck at all. Apple is apparently having problems with UPS on other things and believes that there is a possibility that someone tampered with the shipping label in transit, but there is no way to know for certain.
Apple has been more than gracious about the situation, especially since there's no way of knowing where the fault lies. I have received my iPod Touch as a 'consolation prize' of sorts for having freakishly weird stuff happen to my laptop. While I wish that all had gone smoothly, I have to say that the Touch is a fun toy to play with and everyone should go out and buy one, if they don't already have one, or have an iPhone. It's EPIC fun. ^_^
