Apple sued by Toronto lawyer over stolen MacBook Pro

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The Toronto Star reports:

Toronto lawyer Michael Deverett bought a MacBook Pro, an iPod Touch, cables and programs for $2,248.53 at the Apple store in the Yorkdale Mall.

He didn’t notice anyone following him…to his car. He didn’t notice anyone following him on the drive home or pulling up near him when he stopped at a convenience store to buy a soft drink for his daughter.

In the two minutes it took Deverett to buy a drink, thieves smashed a hole in the rear window of his car and made off with his Apple purchases.

Deverett sued Apple, claiming that…Apple had a duty of care to warn store customers of the danger.

Deverett eventually settled with Apple for full replacement costs and legal fees. “Apple Canada does not owe a duty of care to customers once they have left its retail store,”’ according to the statement filed by Apple Canada in the Deverett lawsuit.


  • His Shadow

    How do people like this remember to breathe? You need to be warned that someone with no scruples may find your 2300 dollars of gear attractive?

  • http://twitter.com/Snaggy Snaggy

    good grief

    • http://www.yourmaclifeshow.com/ Shawn King

      The good news is that it was a Canadian lawsuit. So he only got replacement costs and not an additional $15 million for “pain and suffering”…

      • http://twitter.com/cutterpillow Dave Thorup

        That he got anything at all is shamefull. 

  • Dennis Madrid

    This is why I always put any purchases (electronics, clothes, even groceries) in my trunk.  Also if I have my backpack with me, whenever I get out of my car, it goes into the trunk.  Harder to get into, and no chance of ‘opportunity theft’ (i.e. a thief happens to walk by and sees the backpack/bag/etc.)

    • Gustav

      Harder to get into? Break driver side window, open door, pull trunk release. Sorry, what part about that was hard? 

      Also note the thief followed this guy and would have seen him put the gear in the trunk as you advise.

      • http://mangochut.net/ mangochutney

        Depends on the car. Over here in Germany, only very few models have this functionality.

        I agree with @google-5233be3ede5f844c3878e19e37505151:disqus If you cannot take valuables with you put them in the trunk, out of sight.

      • http://www.yourmaclifeshow.com/ Shawn King

        “note the thief followed this guy”

        To be clear, that was not in the story. There is no evidence the guy was followed.

  • Anonymous

    Order online and avoid the hassle.

  • http://twitter.com/axian A.X. Ian

    Cradle-to-the-Grave AppleCare

  • Steven Fisher

    He probably would have got replacement out of just talking to Apple Canada.

  • http://www.thegraphicmac.com/ JimD

    I don’t understand. If the law doesn’t protect you once you leave the store, then why did Apple settle?

    Surely it wasn’t for “good PR” – because anyone that reads this is going to think the guy is an idiot. And if they’re like me, they’re going to be pissed at Apple for encouraging this behavior by settling with him – even if it was just replacement cost & legal fees.

    • jpmhughes

      I am sure it had to do with the legal cost of pursuing the case.
      It’s amazing to me that people actually feel this deserving though. I just shake my head when I read stories like this. So yes, I agree, I think regardless of the cost Apple should have denied him the compensation simply for the sheer entitlement he was expecting on Apples behalf for something that is way beyond there control.
      What is even more amazing is the poll that is on the site. Apparently 68% of the respondents believe that tech companies should work with police to stop gadget thefts. So Apple should have some sort of investigational unit? The ABI maybe? Ridiculous. Some people will never be happy and to them I say, fuck off.

      • jpmhughes

        “Their” control!! I should never reread my posts….

  • http://twitter.com/johnlotz johnlotz

    Why would Apple even acknowledge this person? I can’t believe they settled. Won’t this bring on a string of people buying Apple products, reporting they got stolen and then trying to get Apple to give them free replacement products? 

    Apple should have counter sued for wasted time.

  • http://zerodistraction.com Zero Distraction

    And the idiot of 2012 award goes to…

    • Mugsy Malone

      Did you mean Apple ? It’s all of the honest customers in the UK who pay for this in the extortionate prices we pay !

      • http://mangochut.net/ mangochutney

        What does that have to do with anything?

  • http://mangochut.net/ mangochutney

    What a moron.

    “I didn’t take care of my things, why hasn’t the company I bought stuff from done so?”

  • Biatch

    holycrap

  • arbitter529

    Apple should have fought the case on principle.

    This is the type of attorney wastes people’s time and money. The attorney sued knowing there would be a fair chance that Apple would just settle as a nuisance suit. The attorney should have taken responsibility for his ignorance in leaving “valuables” in the passenger compartment of his car.

    I guess everybody who gets stuff stolen from their car should sue the businesses for free replacement…. Jeeezzzzz.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_WTHOMHZSMJDKIBZ7CNEPYNWJVM Bob B

    And it was successful!! He settled for replacement costs?! and fees?! ugh…. his auto insurance should have covered this, not Apple. What a jerk.