Device refurbishers are warning that an apparent security glitch halted the sale of thousands of used Apple AirPods at several major retailers.
One company that handles refurbishing recycled devices for Walmart and other retailers, goTRG, reported having to stockpile 30,000 AirPods over several weeks due to the problem, Chief Sales Officer David Malka told Business Insider.
Affected AirPods appear to still belong to the previous owner’s Apple ID even after a factory reset, showing “AirPod Mismatch” in Apple’s Find My app instead of “[New Owner Name’s] AirPods,” according to the report.
When the new owner attempts to link the AirPods to a new Apple ID, it shows a message that it is “mixed up with someone else’s AirPods.”
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Affected gadgets were first identified on March 8, and since, about 8 out of 10 AirPods that go through the company’s six facilities have the glitch, Malka said.
Another company that refurbishes electronics for Amazon, eBay, and other sites, R2Cell, said it stopped selling AirPods altogether after noticing the glitch in December, CEO Sunny Mohammad told the outlet.
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The glitch does not appear to be isolated to a singular model or specific iOS update, having been identified in the Pro and Max versions, among other AirPod models by refurbishing companies.
Apple did not respond to the Washington Examiner’s request for comment.
