Wiped iCloud-do I need an Apple expert-or a lawyer?

[Greg_M]

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I have a hypothetical situation that isn’t that hypothetical.

Question: Can a “wiped clean” iCloud account be retrieved?

I’ve been a Mac user for quite a few years but have never really used iCloud much (I prefer other back up options and my phones are always Android), so I’m hoping there’s a simple tech answer that will work. My Googling indicates deleted files hang in cyber space for a while…and under normal circumstances can be retrieved using advanced options…I went down this track and it’s as if this account is new and has no data to retrieve.

The reality is the account was at least a year old and had over a year of back up data from an iPhone 5 and an iPad on it…

In the transfer of data by a telco sales rep to a new iPhone 7 the phone contacts were retrieved along with someone else’s (not a good start). In trying to sort it out everything else is gone…

Apart from that I have the old iPhone 5 (minus sim card) with someone else’s stuff on it, backgrounds, app set up, a couple of messages, a video and some images??

I’m pretty sure how it happened, and I’m not a happy camper (nor is the owner).

So, the primary requirement is to get the data back (if possible). The next is, that I think some compensation is in order for negligence on the providers part…or am I wrong?

Considering I have someone else’s stuff on the old phone makes me think I have some proof of claim…or am I wrong?

The tough part is there’s no desire to cause any of their staff real grief, mistakes happen. But the party in question now has a contract on a very expensive phone and a fair bit of lost data, some of it irreplaceable.

Thoughts, solutions sought (possible-what kind of lawyer specialises in this stuff)…PM is fine, don’t want breach the Forum rules.

Thanks

[Henry Chow]

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Hi Greg,
In order for me to understand your circumstance correctly, are you trying to recover data from your wiped clean Icloud?
Thanks

[Greg_M]

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Henry Chow, post: 251003, member: 85631 wrote:

Hi Greg,
In order for me to understand your circumstance correctly, are you trying to recover data from your wiped clean Icloud?
Thanks

Yes, if it’s possible…

In my initial searching efforts, it seems quite a common occurrence but easily fixed i.e. go to advanced options in the iCloud (in a browser) account and there’s an option to restore deleted files…problem is, there’s no files in that account to retrieve and iCloud is asking to “set up” as if there was no data account in the first place/or it’s a new account. There’s no acknowledgement of other devices either…log in off the iPad and all devices are acknowledged (new phone, old phone and iPad) but no files.

It seems the account is valid, just nothing in it.

Thanks for your interest, Cheers

[Henry Chow]

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The easiest way to prove if you can restore deleted files is to create another icloud account, put some photos in there and then delete them. If you can recover them, it means that there is a facility to restore deleted files. I do not use icloud as we have onedrive for business for the company. Let me know how you go.

[Greg_M]

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Hi Henry,

Thanks for the reply.

Even though I’m a Mac user I’ve never really used iCloud, I now now a lot more about it …and I still won’t be using it.

We’ve had a “reasonable” resolution of the matter today and have most of the data back, the important stuff like images (some irreplaceable like major life events and family past on)…

The dealer went from “you’ll need to contact Apple to fix it” to a meeting today with their top tech guy and a conference call to Apple, and the CEO of the franchise lurking in the back office (apparently had travelled quite a long way and had a very serious team meeting before we started). Amazing what can happen if you don’t back down and sound like you might keep pursuing it.

Even the tech guy wasn’t too sure how the operator had done it, but it was obvious they’d gone outside their training manual and procedures trying to fix the initial issue. Their usual procedure sounded ok to me…they back everything up on their computers first then push it back to the new phone BUT someone hadn’t logged out of a previous customer back up, and no one checked it before starting the new clients backup…old customers back up corrupted and wiped our files.

Some how iTunes got into the mix trying to recover but iCloud got wiped 😡

Anyhow long story slightly shorter…Apple saved the day, it would take another 1000 words to explain how, but the tech guy was good and the Apple support was brilliant…in the early stages looked like it was going to be a fail even by Apple, but they played on and got most of the stuff back…the young tech guy looked mighty relieved when the data started reappearing.

I’m happy, the dealer took some pain and lost kudos, no-one got sacked.

There’s probably a moral in there somewhere, I also know someone who now wants to learn how to back up separately to a HD (never did before).

Cheers

[Paul – FS Concierge]

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Well played [USER=38207]@Greg_M[/USER] !

[Author]

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