Geoff Lu decided the new Apple iPhone 7 Plus, touted as one of the hottest high-end tech gifts for the holidays, was the perfect gift for his wife. At more than $1,200, the phone was going to be an expensive purchase for the young couple, so Lu consulted with his spouse. 

She was thrilled with the prospect, so they ordered it online at the Apple store. And that's where things started going wrong.

Today, Lu still doesn't have the phone he purchased despite a months-long ordeal that's still ongoing, even though he has followed all of the recommendations provided by consumer advocates. Here's how it all happened.

Neither Lu nor his wife were at their Mississauga home when the package arrived in mid-November, he said. His wife then went to the UPS access point at 201 City Centre Drive to sign for it on Nov. 15.

With no intention of waiting for Dec. 25, she opened the package and was shocked to find the phone itself missing.

"She said, 'There's no phone inside.' At first I thought she was joking," Lu said.

He joined her at their kitchen table and surveyed the box, which still had the charger and headphones but no iPhone.

'I went through all the routes trying to see if there is someone who can help me, but I'm hitting dead ends everywhere.' 

- Geoff Lu

Lu said his dealings with UPS were equally confusing. 

Final decision will come down to Apple, expert says.

Source: CBC