Apple courier may have stolen 2 MacBooks, ... Apple is not going to help

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Apple’s use of gig-economy couriers like Uber and traditional shippers like UPS is drawing fire after a Canadian buyer claims two MacBooks were marked as delivered but never arrived, and Apple allegedly refused to help for fear of chargebacks. Commenters highlight how tech giants and delivery firms shift risk onto consumers, who face weak or inconsistent recourse through chargebacks, police, or small-claims courts, and risk losing access to cloud-linked accounts if they push back. Many argue this should prompt both regulatory scrutiny and a personal push to reduce dependence on closed ecosystems and critical cloud services.

Core incident and responsibility

  • Thread centers on Apple using Uber-style couriers; two MacBooks allegedly stolen in transit.
  • Many argue Apple, as seller, is contractually responsible to deliver or refund, not the customer.
  • Some recount Apple stepping up in similar cases (replacements/refunds), others say Apple stonewalls or ghosts them.

Chargebacks, account lockouts, and consumer protections

  • Key fear: issuing a credit card chargeback may lead Apple to block the card and possibly lock iCloud / Apple ID.
  • Several posters say this undermines the consumer-protection intent of chargebacks.
  • Experiences with chargebacks vary: some report easy, customer-friendly outcomes (often outside the US), others say in Canada decisions skew toward merchants.
  • Some note in UK/EU‑like jurisdictions, law clearly puts delivery risk on the seller; small-claims and trading-standards bodies are mentioned.

Delivery logistics and courier incentives

  • Multiple anecdotes of UPS and other couriers:
    • Packages left without signatures; forged signatures; “delivered” scans without actual delivery.
    • Misdelivered or stolen expensive items (Macs, GPUs, phones) sometimes only resolved after heavy escalation or police involvement.
  • Posters blame quota-driven, underpaid logistics work leading to corner-cutting and occasional theft; firms treat resulting losses as a cost of doing business, often externalized to customers.

Cloud lock‑in and digital dependence

  • Significant concern that loss of an Apple/Google/Meta account can be life-disrupting (email, photos, app stores, health data).
  • Some advocate “de-cloudifying”: personal domains for email, self‑hosted or alternative photo storage, local IoT control, and tested escape hatches from major platforms.

Legal recourse and practical steps

  • Suggested avenues: chargeback, small claims court, consumer regulators, sometimes involving police.
  • Some Canadians express pessimism about the effectiveness and speed of local courts and police.

Trust in Apple, buying patterns, and OS debates

  • Several say they will only pick up Apple gear in-store going forward; others sworn off Apple entirely.
  • Some defend Apple based on positive support experiences; others see a pattern of poor accountability.
  • Side debate: whether Apple’s ecosystem lock-in justifies its problems vs. moving to Linux/other platforms; disagreement over Linux’s suitability for average users and setup/maintenance burden.