Just got back from the store and opened them up. No speaker on the case and no clip thing for a lanyard. Also missing the new 'extra small' ear tips. Pretty annoying considering I'm going to have to go back to the store make a return and do this all over again. It's also pretty scummy considering that the average person would not really be able to tell and would have basically gotten scammed.
I hate Apple airpods shoppers. No matter if they're 16 or 60. They walk into electronics and and in this order: Do you sell airpods? Yes🤯 Can I see the airpods? No🙃 I'll take a pair of airpods! 🙂
Me: Which airpods would you like.....2nd gen,3rd gen,4th gen(standard or noise cancelling),pro 2nd gen or pro max?. After explaining each airpods and showing them pictures on the device,chit card or iPad. I return with the airpods.🤡
Can you open the box,so I can try them on? NO.😤 I wanna price match to Amazon, proceeds to show me an airpods 1st gen "renewed" listing 🤬
Apple really needs to discontinue the 2 and 3 already.
My dad bought a sealed pair of AirPods Pro (2nd Gen USB-C) from Target in Manteca, California on November 29, 2024. He isn’t tech-savvy and assumed they were real, but they only connected like generic Bluetooth headphones. There was no battery indicator, no pop-up pairing, and no Find My support — none of the usual Apple features.
I took them to the Apple Store. A Genius Bar technician inspected them, ran serial verification, and did a polarity test. He confirmed in writing that they were not genuine Apple AirPods.
What made this worse is that Apple’s system showed the AirPods had already been purchased on August 14, 2024. That’s months before we bought them. So someone probably bought real AirPods, swapped out the internals with fakes but kept the top lid (which has the serial number), sealed it back up, and returned it. Then Target resold it without checking.
I went back to the Target store with the receipt, the Genius Bar diagnosis, and photos showing the serial number and box. The manager refused to listen. She just said “we only sell sealed product” and wouldn’t look into the return history or open a case. She basically dismissed the whole thing immediately.
This post isn’t just about the $165. It’s about how a major retailer can resell a counterfeit product and then completely shut down any attempt to get it looked into, even when you show them proof from the manufacturer that the item is fake.
I’ve filed complaints with the FTC and the California Attorney General. I’m also seeing if anyone at Target corporate or their PR team will take it seriously before I consider legal options.
If you’ve bought AirPods and they don’t pair the right way, or you can’t see battery levels, or they dont show up in Find My, get them checked. The fakes are getting really good. I’m attaching redacted photos of the receipt, the Apple confirmation, and the box to show what we experienced