Here are some tips to ensure you make a legitimate purchase:
Ask for an original receipt or proof of purchase
This is a pretty foolproof way to ensure that the seller hasn’t stolen the iPad they are selling you. Buying stolen goods is a crime, and there are ways in which the iPad can be traced to you. Whether it’s a physical copy or a digital receipt, it will reassure you that this is a real Apple product and not an imitation. It will also help with warranty claims, provided the warranty is still valid.
Check for a returns policy
You won’t find a private seller offering a returns policy, but some of the larger, more established shops on sites like eBay,Amazon,jemjem may well offer some kind of policy allowing you time to send back your iPad and receive a full refund within a certain time window. This will give you that extra peace of mind when making such a large investment. But, again, have a read of the customer
feedback to ensure that the seller actually honours their own policy!
Make sure the iCloud and user data has been removed
Don’t buy an iPad which is still tied to another person’s Apple iCloud account. You won’t be able to login, as you won’t know the password, and the iPad will lock after several unsuccessful login attempts. If the seller refuses to login to the iPad, wipe the data, and disconnect it from their personal iCloud account, then in all likelihood it’s probably because they don’t own it. In other words, it’s stolen.
Meet in an open, public space
If meeting up with a seller in person, ideally have somebody to come and back you up for added safety. Somewhere like a coffee shop or busy train station would be best. Lots of people, lots of CCTV, and broad daylight – those are your ideal conditions. If they suggest meeting underneath a bridge on a canal path after dark...then you probably don’t want to go.
Pay securely
If dealing with a private seller, then you should always try to pay via a secure method such a PayPal. This ensures that your money is going through a third party and that there is a record of the payment. Try to avoid cash-in-hand sales if you can.
Test it works
Finally, and we’re sorry if this is a pretty obvious one, if you are meeting up with a private seller then you should always test the iPad to make sure it works before handing over payment.