Woodstock, GA -- (SBWire) -- 02/28/2011 -- Mr. Ken Lemal, an Atlanta businessman shopping for his wife’s Christmas present, was sold a fake iPad from his local Wal-Mart. Now Wal-Mart refuses to refund his purchase and the matter will be settled in court. Here is Mr. Lemal’s account of the situation:
“I Did not expect to buy 2 iPads to get one good one. Especially when it was their 64 bit model that runs over $800.00 and when you add a 2 year warranty and taxes the purchase approaches $1,000. I very much liked how the WSBTV reporter described what I bought which is the Lie Pad.
“When we opened the Wal-Mart purchased iPad the box did not include a power cord. So we waited for the 26th and returned the iPad to Wal-Mart to report the missing piece. I would of taken a new power cord and gone home but instead I was told by a Wal-Mart assistant manager that the serial number on the outside of the box did not match the iPad inside the box and that they could not help me and would not honor the additional 2 year warranty I purchased.
“This is when I proceeded to go to the apple store in Alpharetta and purchased another iPad and would lawyer up on another day. Once I got a new iPad home I realized that the power cord adapter in the Wal-Mart iPad box was fake and the face of the iPad is fake and the real power cord from the Apple Store bought device would not even plug into the Wal-Mart iPad which makes me believe Wal-Mart sold me a fake. So I return to the Apple Store with my fake iPad and got a wow we never saw this happen before. However the serial number on the back of the fake iPad showed in the Apple computer that it had been sold in March 2010. The Apple store manager stated that the iPad I purchased appeared to be a floor display model. After Apple’s manager looked it over all he could do was offer me encouraging words such as, Good luck with Wal-Mart.
“So I go back to Wal-Mart with this information. After waiting an hour minutes for the assistant manager to do his due diligence, the assistant manager informs me the iPad in the Wal-Mart iPad box was sold several months ago. My question to the manager was is that when you purchased it for a floor display? He would not answer that question.
“Even though being assured by the assistant manager that the store manager was not on duty I managed to track down the store manager a Mr. Stuart Willis. Stuart knew all about my plight but stood by his belief that all their devices were stored under lock and key and the problem could not be on their end. That I must of purchased the iPad several months ago and placed the floor model in their box. Mr. Willis also could not get over why I purchased a new iPad from Apple before I resolved the matter with him. Maybe he had forgotten that I was turned away on December 26th the same day his assistant was so quick to inform me electronics only carried 15 days return warranty. I did not try to rub it in his face that since I purchased it on the 11th and 15 day return policy put the return by date at 11 and 15 or the 26th. Figured he must of skipped math class since I was standing in front of him on December 26th.
“It just amazed me how many excuses Wal-Mart came up with to not correct this situation. There was no logic as to what would I even be doing with a floor model. Maybe I was supposed to hang it on my wall and look at the pretty icons on the face of the iPad.
“Prior to release of this beware notice we discovered a source for these fake iPads at http://www.gogotoshop.com that can be purchased for as little as $18.46. So then comes the question how does someone get a fake in a Wal-Mart box? The channel 2 reporter for WSBTV was assured by Wal-Mart management that Wal-Mart does not sell returned electronics. So we investigate further by calling Apple to find out when the iPad serial number that should have been in my iPad box was sold. Turns out it was sold on November 26 (Black Friday), and then again to me on December 11.
“I am guessing that the person who purchased the iPad on November 26, then placed a fake in the box and returned it to a very busy Wal-Mart store in order to get their money back. You would think that either Wal-Mart or Apple Inc. would have their security departments do some in depth investigation and have the individual who registered this product arrested.
“Instead Wal-Mart has stated they will reply to my lawsuit thru the legal process. See you in court Mr. Wal-Mart!”
Mr. Lemal, owner of Atlanta Home Partners, hopes that no consumer ever has to encounter the same Wal-Mart nightmare he’s had to endure.
"Wal-Mart Rips Off An Atlanta Man" -- a Consumer’s Horror Story
Atlanta business man tells how Wal-Mart sold him a fake iPad and refuses to take it back.