[c000]

4 months ago i bought what i thought was a new ipad. it was sealed, even had unbroken plastic wrap on the outside box. it was a wifi/cellular model.
up until now i only used the wifi. but last night i decided to try to set it up with a sprint data plan, only to be met with strangeness. it would not work. so i contacted sprint, gave the imei number. to my horror they said it had been reported stolen. over a year ago (jan 2013). i thought there must be some mistake b/c it was not even open and i bought it from someone with over 1400 positive feedback. but they double checked, and it was flagged. after that conversation, i checked apple and the warranty expires in 2015, coinciding with the time i first took it out of the box and turned it on. it is my understanding that you get a 1 year warranty when first activating it, so that means the device was in fact new when i opened it.

as long as i can get my money back, i have no problems trying to get the device back to the original owner, but i don't know how. since it has been 4 months the window for filing a claim with ebay is gone. also, even if the claim was successful, all ebay would have me do is ship it back to the seller (which would probably flip it back on ebay) and the original owner would never get their device back. anyone have any advice? i don't feel comfortable owning something like this, and yet i spent $400 on it... so it was kind of expensive.

[finn5975]

Prior to getting into anything deep, can you please state which iPad this is? 1st, 2nd, 3rd generation etc?

[John Yester]

Seems like your kinda out of luck now.... maybe try and contact Ebay directly and see if they have any suggestions

[c000]

Seems like your kinda out of luck now.... maybe try and contact Ebay directly and see if they have any suggestions

well here is the thing. i just went through this with a phone i bought on ebay. if i contact ebay, and if i can even still file a claim, which is doubtful since its been 4 months, they will say file a claim 'not as described'. problem is if i win the claim i will get my money back, but i will have to mail it back to the seller. and i doubt the seller will take the time to return it to the rightful owner. since the item was not even open, and they have over 1400 positive feedback, i am inclined to believe they were not aware it was flagged. but i believe ebay only allows 45 days after the sale to file a claim.

Prior to getting into anything deep, can you please state which iPad this is? 1st, 2nd, 3rd generation etc?

ipad 4

[finn5975]

ipad 4

I had something similar happen in the past. A carrier can tell the dates an item has been active with service. You need to find someone with (Sprint was it?) who can provide better info.

If it was not active in their system prior to you using it, then I don't see how the claim on it could be legit. Even if someone reported a unit stolen I would think they'd have had to have it activated first. Otherwise you could walk into any store, jot down some serial numbers, and start claiming away.

Make your carrier prove to you that the claim is accurate.

[c000]

I had something similar happen in the past. A carrier can tell the dates an item has been active with service. You need to find someone with (Sprint was it?) who can provide better info.

If it was not active in their system prior to you using it, then I don't see how the claim on it could be legit. Even if someone reported a unit stolen I would think they'd have had to have it activated first. Otherwise you could walk into any store, jot down some serial numbers, and start claiming away.

Make your carrier prove to you that the claim is accurate.

the whole thing is strange because i believe i am literally the first person to open it and turn it on. unless someone did a heck of a repackage job. i might be mistaken, but isn't it true that you get a 1 year warranty at the time you first start the device? and since the 1 year warranty coincides with my turning the device on...that must be proof that i was the first to activate it. but at the the same time the person i chatted with on sprint said this "According to the ipad MEID number you have provided me it was first activated on Sprint network on 12/27/2012 and it was deactivated on 01/12/2013 but as it was flagged as stolen, it can't be used."

but how could the meid number ever be used if i was the first person to literally take it out of the box and the 1 year apple warranty reflects as such? i would try to contact sprint about it, but i have read once a device is flagged you can never get it removed.

[anon4757448]

the whole thing is strange because i believe i am literally the first person to open it and turn it on. unless someone did a heck of a repackage job. i might be mistaken, but isn't it true that you get a 1 year warranty at the time you first start the device? and since the 1 year warranty coincides with my turning the device on...that must be proof that i was the first to activate it. but at the the same time the person i chatted with on sprint said this "According to the ipad MEID number you have provided me it was first activated on Sprint network on 12/27/2012 and it was deactivated on 01/12/2013 but as it was flagged as stolen, it can't be used."

but how could the meid number ever be used if i was the first person to literally take it out of the box and the 1 year apple warranty reflects as such? i would try to contact sprint about it, but i have read once a device is flagged you can never get it removed.

I believe your last statement to be true. Also, it is not difficult to repackage so you may not be the first to have it. That being said, if you're not the original purchaser then the warranty is expired.

You may have to just keep using it as wifi.

[c000]

I believe your last statement to be true. Also, it is not difficult to repackage so you may not be the first to have it. That being said, if you're not the original purchaser then the warranty is expired.

You may have to just keep using it as wifi.

well silly me, i noticed the imei was listed on the back of the box, so there goes that theory that someone had to open it to get to the imei.

do you know how the apple warranties work? what i mean is, does apple internally keep a record of the devices and when they are first issued warranty? for example, what if someone activated the ipad over a year ago, wiped it, repackaged it and sold it? later down the road it gets re-sold to me, and when i go to activate it (supposedly for the first time), would apple already know it was previously activated and NOT issue a new 1 year warranty?

I am just trying to use the warranty information to determine if someone had previously activated it or not. but according to apple, the warranty will be good through 2015 in accordance to when i first set up an apple account on the device.

if this was repackaged... i am very impressed. b/c everything looked 100% untouched. no smudges or fingerprints. no scuffs on the plastic sheathing on charger or ipad itself.

[anon4757448]

well silly me, i noticed the imei was listed on the back of the box, so there goes that theory that someone had to open it to get to the imei.

do you know how the apple warranties work? what i mean is, does apple internally keep a record of the devices and when they are first issued warranty? for example, what if someone activated the ipad over a year ago, wiped it, repackaged it and sold it? later down the road it gets re-sold to me, and when i go to activate it (supposedly for the first time), would apple already know it was previously activated and NOT issue a new 1 year warranty?

I am just trying to use the warranty information to determine if someone had previously activated it or not. but according to apple, the warranty will be good through 2015 in accordance to when i first set up an apple account on the device.

if this was repackaged... i am very impressed. b/c everything looked 100% untouched. no smudges or fingerprints. no scuffs on the plastic sheathing on charger or ipad itself.

Apple should definitely have record of purchase. You should go to the website and read the warranty policy. It is my understanding that the warranty starts at purchase, not activation.

It sucks because the person could have bought it, claimed it stolen, then sold it to you.

Nonetheless I still think you'll only be able to use wifi.

[c000]

yep, wifi works, but i paid quite a bit more for a cellular version i'm also afraid if this is flagged as stolen one day someone might show up at my door and claim i was the one who stole it. just owning something that has been flagged makes me uneasy and reluctant to use it.

i double checked the warranty and it is only showing the date when i registered my account on the device.

[Mr.Willie]

Bring it to an Apple Store, with proof of the date of your eBay purchase, be nice and polite, and pleade your case.

[HankAZ]

Bring it to an Apple Store, with proof of the date of your eBay purchase, be nice and polite, and pleade your case.

And then go away quietly when they refuse to help you. Activation Lock is there for a reason - to prevent unauthorized use of a stolen device. The appropriate action would have been to open a dispute with eBay. But as you say, that ship has sailed. Enjoy your paperweight.

[wildmangk]

Apple should definitely have record of purchase. You should go to the website and read the warranty policy. It is my understanding that the warranty starts at purchase, not activation.

It sucks because the person could have bought it, claimed it stolen, then sold it to you.

Nonetheless I still think you'll only be able to use wifi.

Warranty starts at time of activation, not time of purchase


Sent from my iPad Air

[Peligro911]

And then go away quietly when they refuse to help you. Activation Lock is there for a reason - to prevent unauthorized use of a stolen device. The appropriate action would have been to open a dispute with eBay. But as you say, that ship has sailed. Enjoy your paperweight.

Hmm it's not icloud locked


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Peligro911]

It could have been stolen from sprint as new say a emp stole it then sold it never opened .. Sprint has inventory records and marks it stolen


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Mr.Willie]

And then go away quietly when they refuse to help you. Activation Lock is there for a reason - to prevent unauthorized use of a stolen device. The appropriate action would have been to open a dispute with eBay. But as you say, that ship has sailed. Enjoy your paperweight.

Apple would know if it was stolen or not. Sounds more like a mix up. It would also answer his questions about the warranty date. That's the part that trips me up.

[mrmarquis9]

Get a warranty replacement from apple


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[mrmarquis9]

If it's under warranty come up with a fake issue like restoring the iPad and unplug it midway and say your iPad doesn't work and a restore isn't working. Then they will replace it. I hate the fact this may be the only way to help unless someone has a better idea


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[HankAZ]

Get a warranty replacement from apple

If it's under warranty come up with a fake issue like restoring the iPad and unplug it midway and say your iPad doesn't work and a restore isn't working. Then they will replace it. I hate the fact this may be the only way to help unless someone has a better idea

Yeah, in this age of entitlement, don’t take any responsibility for yourself. Find a way to cheat someone else instead. Good advice. I continue to be amazed at what passes for morals and scruples these days.

[stoptheft]

I, too, bought a stolen IPad on eBay. After many calls and long waits on the telephone, I finally spoke with a claim appeals person and after they found that the seller's information was incorrect and i was unable to contact the seller, the rep. directed me to file an Incident Report with my local sheriff and assures me that once the Sheriff gives me a copy of the Incident Report and I FAX that report to eBay, they will refund my money. Local Sheriff says it will take three weeks to get a copy of the report. I have faxed the case number to eBay.

[mrmarquis9]

Yeah, in this age of entitlement, dont take any responsibility for yourself. Find a way to cheat someone else instead. Good advice. I continue to be amazed at what passes for morals and scruples these days.

Well it's funny I guess I wasn't thinking logically at the time. Excuse my previous comment. I know this reply came quite late but Apple has customer relations which has the power to track down original owners as long as their devices were registered on their account prior.

[Jude526]

I feel bad for those who have been burned making a purchase on ebay. I have sold tech gadgets on ebay and I always say in description that it is a clean ESN. I would also offer to give the ESN to anyone so they knew they were bidding with an honest seller. And if I sold an item locally, the buyer would have to meet me at a public place and most of time would be Verizon. If they refused then they weren't getting my item. I have my safety to be concerned about as well. I am honest but not everyone is. But if you can prove to ebay, they will fight for you.