MacBook Air Support has not provided a solution since I bought it 3 months ago.

Hello, and thank you for taking the time to read this.

I am contacting Apple Support again because my case has been unresolved for over three months, and I still cannot use a MacBook Air that I legally purchased at an official public auction held by the City of Cologne Lost and Found Office (Fundbüro Köln) on July 9, 2025.











The device is still Activation Locked.

I have already:

• Contacted AppleCare multiple times (phone, chat, and in person at the Apple Store Cologne).

• Been told repeatedly that the lock can be removed if valid proof of ownership is provided.

• Submitted all documents: the official purchase receipt from the City of Cologne, a Blancco report, photos of the Activation Lock screen, and Apple’s own rejection email.

• Sent two postal letters (Einschreiben/Rückschein) to Apple Germany on September 24th. Both letters were successfully delivered on September 25th, but Apple has never responded.

• Contacted the Verbraucherzentrale NRW, who informed me that they cannot assist because this was a public auction.

• Contacted the European Consumer Centre (ECC), who recommended insisting again with Apple.

At this point, I am stuck in a loop where every department tells me “we cannot help, contact another department,” but no department takes responsibility.

I urgently need to use this MacBook for studying the German language, preparing job applications, and continuing my professional development. I trusted Apple products because they are presented as simple, reliable, and user-friendly, yet the current system makes it impossible to unlock a device that I own legally.

This situation is also environmentally harmful: refusing to unlock a fully functional device purchased from an official government auction forces me into e-waste and prevents me from giving it a second life.

All I am asking is clear, actionable help, or the correct escalation pathway.

Could you please:

1. Escalate my case to a department that can review Activation Lock cases involving official public auctions?
2. Provide a written explanation of why Apple refuses to unlock a legally purchased device?
3. Inform me of the correct Apple entity or address responsible for making a final decision in cases like mine?

Thank you for taking the time — I truly hope someone at Apple can help me resolve this

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Beeindruckend - aber leider völlig zwecklos. Ohne Originalrechnung vom Erstkauf wird Apple die Aktivierungssperre nicht aufheben. Das Macbook ist und bleibt nutzlos.

Derartige Fälle treten nach Auktionen immer wieder auf und wurden hier schon häufig diskutiert. Auch Rückgabe/Wandlung ist bei Auktionen regelmässig ausgeschlossen.

Wir können hier nichts für dich tun.

Thanks for posting your question in the Apple Support Communities. We have a Community for English speakers here: Official Apple Support Community

Please feel free to join and post your question there, or repost your question in German here: Offizielle Apple Support Community

Have a nice day!