Apple iPad bought at Walmart turns out to be nothing but notepads

15 year-old Courtney Akers in Texas was excited as she could be. Her Mom had just returned home from Walmart carrying Courtney's birthday present, a brand new third generation Apple iPad. Yeah, Courtney just couldn't wait to feast her eyes on that Retina display that has been the focus of Apple's marketing of the device. So when she opened the box, to her horror, instead of an iPad was a stack of yellow notepads.

You might recall a similar story in August of 2011 when a 22 year old woman in South Carolina purchased what she thought was an Apple iPad from two men for $180. Inside the box was a bizarre looking chunk of wood painted black with the Apple logo glued to it. That transaction, though, took place on the street while Courtney's Mom purchased the birthday gift at a reputable store.

When Courtney's Mom raced back to Walmart, the manager refused to do anything for her. After more than two hours of discussion, he would not let her get a refund or an exchange and instead, accused the family of concocting an elaborate hoax. The company, though, later went over the manager's head after being contacted by a local television station. The retailer tracked the box and found that the Akers had been ripped off. The retailer will replace the notepads with a real Apple iPad. But how could this happen? Walmart's theory is that someone bought an Apple iPad, took out the tablet, replaced it with the notepads, and resealed it to look like it had never been opened.

It might be a good idea to find out exactly what is in that Apple iPad box you just bought from any retailer before you take it home.


source: KHOU, DailyMail via Gizmodo