U.K. Woman Shocked to Find This After Opening New iPhone 12 Pro Max Box

Occasionally, you hear a story about the unhappy iPhone buyer who received a literal brick instead of an iPhone. A recent report adds a twist to these tales of woe with an alleged thief swapping a woman’s iPhone 12 Pro Max with a tile slab.

As posted to Twitter and reported by Ladbible, iPhone user Olivia Parkinson was excited to receive her new iPhone 12 Pro Max from Virgin Media. After acquiring the package on April 14th, Parkinson eagerly opened her new iPhone only to discover the phone was not there!

In the place of the iPhone 12 Pro Max was a few pieces of cracked tile tucked into Apple’s retail packaging.

The perpetrator crudely taped some broken tile pieces together to mimic the size and shape of the iPhone 12 Pro Max. The tile then was placed in the form-fitted slot for the iPhone 12 Pro Max.

Neither an unsuspecting delivery person nor the recipient would be able to tell the difference between the tile and the iPhone 12 Pro Max.

After reporting the theft, Parkinson was rebuffed by Virgin Media which Parkinson claims didn’t respond for a week. According to Parkinson, Virgin Media “opened an investigation to see whether they’re liable or me.” “A loyal customer who buys a new phone could be liable to still pay for it,” added Parkinson on Twitter.

Shipping courier Yodel also investigated the theft and concluded that the “parcel was sealed in its original packaging when delivered.” Yodel advised Parkinson to contact the retailer that sold her the phone.

After a few more complaints, Virgin Media finally responded and confirmed that Parkinson was the victim of fraud and is not liable for the phone.

“Our investigation found Olivia was the victim of a fraud, so we have closed the account, written off the outstanding balance, and will be returning all of the money she paid.”

Virgin Media

Though it can happen anytime, this type of theft typically occurs when a new iPhone is released. iPhones are shipped in bulk, and their packaging is easy to spot. It only takes a few minutes for a thief to slice open a package and swap the iPhone for a similarly shaped item.

Customers, excited to get a new phone, may not notice that someone had already removed the original plastic wrap.