Virgin Media customer claims to have received broken kitchen TILE instead of new £1,200 iPhone 12

Customer who claims she received a cracked kitchen TILE instead of her new £1,200 iPhone 12 ProMax slams Virgin after they tried to make her pay for it

  • Olivia Parkinson was left enraged after she opened the iPhone box on April 14
  • Artist contacted Virgin and Yodel but claims she was told to pay for the phone  
  • She took to Twitter to post pictures of an empty iPhone box with smashed tile 

A Virgin Media customer has slammed the company after claiming she received a cracked tile instead of her new £1,200 iPhone. 

Olivia Parkinson said she was left enraged after she opened up the box of what she believed was her new iPhone 12 ProMax to discover it had been switched for a piece of ceramic on April 14. 

The artist, from Preston, Lancashire, contacted Virgin and Yodel to get to the bottom of the issue but claims she was initially told she would be liable to pay for the phone.  

Ms Parkinson took to Twitter and posted pictures showing the box of her iPhone sitting open with a missing charger and headphones. 

Olivia Parkinson (pictured) was left enraged after she opened up the box of what she believed was her new iPhone 12 ProMax to discover it had been switched for a piece of ceramic on April 14

Beside the box is a smashed tile which has been crudely stuck back together with masking tape.  

Other images show her holding the tile remnants which have been smashed and stuck together to fit inside the Apple box.

She posted the pictures alongside the caption: ‘Don’t you just love a new phone day to then receive this.

‘iPhone 12 ProMax who??’

She provided updates on the situation continuously, posting a week after the phone initially arrived saying: ‘Day 7 of receiving no answers off Virgin for the brick I received and not the phone!

‘They’ve opened an investigation to see whether they’re liable or me.

‘A loyal customer who buys a new phone could be liable to still pay for it.’

The artist, from Preston, Lancashire, contacted Virgin and Yodel to get to the bottom of the issue but claims she was initially told she would be liable to pay for the phone

The artist, from Preston, Lancashire, contacted Virgin and Yodel to get to the bottom of the issue but claims she was initially told she would be liable to pay for the phone

After Virgin launched their investigation they decided to make Ms Parkinson liable to pay for the missing phone, she claims.   

She said: ‘Virgin are making me liable to pay for the phone that I haven’t received so please retweet this so I can get some help. Do not use this company or delivery service. Disgusting companies.’

Ms Parkinson claims that since taking to Twitter, the company has backtracked on making her liable to pay.

Instead they are said to have offered to terminate the initial loan and refund her the money that she had already paid.

Speaking today, Ms Parkinson said: ‘I wanted to upgrade my phone from an iPhone 7 Plus to the new iPhone 12 ProMax.

Ms Parkinson took to Twitter to and posted pictures of the box of her iPhone sitting open with a missing charged and headphones

Ms Parkinson took to Twitter to and posted pictures of the box of her iPhone sitting open with a missing charged and headphones

‘For being a loyal customer I was offered free next day delivery.

‘On the next day a parcel was delivered by Yodel who chucked the parcel on the floor and got back in his van and drove off.

‘All happened very quickly. I proceeded to open the box to find the iPhone box ”protected” by parcel paper.

‘I unpeeled the plastic covering and opened the lid to find a smashed up tile that was held together by masking tape.

‘They informed me that this investigation will take up to 3-5 working days to get a conclusion back to me.

After Virgin launched their investigation they decided to make Ms Parkinson liable to pay for the missing phone, she claims

Pictured: The broken tile in an iPhone box

After Virgin launched their investigation they decided to make Ms Parkinson liable to pay for the missing phone, she claims

‘Nineteen days later from first ordering the phone I received a phone call from an agent of Virgin Media in which she informed me that they and Yodel haven’t found any security breaches therefore I myself am liable to still pay for the handset.

‘After multiple calls with Virgin they proceeded to tell me they couldn’t do anything about the situation and that the financial department will be in touch to give me some advice.

‘With this conclusion I came to Twitter to receive some help and to spread awareness of my situation.

‘Once my tweet started receiving backlash towards Virgin Media they emailed me to offer a termination of the loan agreement and all money currently taken out of my bank account to be refunded.

‘Currently I am waiting for this to process and when it does I will be moving to a new provider.’

Virgin Media and Yodel have been contacted for comment.