I just registered my “dummy” iPhone
Above: Don’t bother, I already registered it.
Remember a couple weeks back I reviewed that “dummy” iPhone from USB Fever? The company claimed aside from the actual “working parts”, it was a real iPhone made from the same OEM parts as the real iPhone. Well, yesterday I was showing it to a friend at work, and I joked how it would be funny to take the iPhone into Apple, tell them it wasn’t working, and try to swap it out for a replacement (just to see what would happen, of course). I pointed out that the dummy was so real, it even has a serial number on the back.
Upon seeing the number, my friend then suggested the most brilliantly obvious thing, I am sad to say I didn’t think of it. “Well, let’s register it then, and see what happens.”
“Register it?” Hmm… OK!
Well, sure enough, I went to Apple’s register a product page, selected “iPhone”, entered my dummy iPhone’s serial number, and “BOOM!” (to quote the great one) it was accepted. This morning I got my confirmation e-mail. (Below)
So, the big question is, now what? I suppose an unscrupulous person could use this information for evil… I’m just not sure how. Without a recent sales receipt I couldn’t really try to return it as defective, and the fact that there is not a working dock connector would likely be noticed anyway (although it WOULD be fun to see how long it took the “geniuses” to figure out it was a fake).
I suppose the only thing we can all take away from this is that yes, these dummy iPhones really do seem to be made from Apple OEM parts, and now Apple thinks I own 2 iPhones, for whatever that’s worth. Hmmm.. I wonder if they’d let me purchase AppleCare on it. After all, I’d hate for it to break…
🙂
That is pretty interesting information – and I’d like for you to try swap it. Apple doesn’t require receipts to fix products under warranty – they look up the warranty status in their database by searching the serial number – which is now legit.
Go on and trie it. I’d like to know what are de “geniuses” reaction to this…
Hey guys,
yeah, well, I would be all for trying to fool the geniuses, but knowing Apple’s policy on Apple Store shenanigans, I am a bit wary. I figure, odds are they would look up the serial number, get my name/address, and then realize it is a fake, and at best ban me from the Apple Store, at worst decide to prosecute me for fraud/theft, in trying to get them to give me a new free iPhone.
Maybe a Tom Green or someone with a TV show and history of wacky behavior could pull it off, but I am not Tom Green (thank God).
-The Doc
Great idea! How about getting an iPhone contract on that? 😉
Thats awesome! Take it to the apple store and try to turn it in as defective and post a video of your experience here!
What you’ve probably done is use some unsuspecting future customer’s serial and committed fraud…
“Our records indicate this product has not been activated. Learn how to activate your iPhone. Please note that warranty service is not dependent on activating your iPhone..”
I would defiantly not recommend trying to fool a genius, it’s fraud and Apple will prosecute you. Someone tried to pass-off a wooden cinema display in a box even pained to look like the real deal. Apple was fast to go after the stupid guy.
Any average mac genus would catch it pretty fast when they tried opening it to switch your sim card and the fact the mirror apple on the back looks like crap lol. Just buy a real iphone 🙂