Would this work?

[firefaux]

I recently bought an iphone 5s with an activation lock I didn't know about and got ripped off. The phone is still under applecare and would cost $79 to replace if broken.

Does anyone know if apple geniuses check the phone for an activation lock before they give you a new one? The phone isn't reported stolen but I can't get a hold of the previous owner
if not I'm setting up an appointment...

.. but then again I could just break the phone to the point where it doesn't turn on.

 

[jsntrenkler]

Hello welcome to iMore. The only ethical answer to your question is to take the device to your local apple store and tell them what happened. They may surprise you with their answer.

 

[firefaux]

Surprise me? Like in a good way?

 

[Fausty82]

I recently bought an iphone 5s with an activation lock I didn't know about and got ripped off. The phone is still under applecare and would cost $79 to replace if broken.

Does anyone know if apple geniuses check the phone for an activation lock before they give you a new one? The phone isn't reported stolen but I can't get a hold of the previous owner
if not I'm setting up an appointment...

.. but then again I could just break the phone to the point where it doesn't turn on.

They do. Before they let you leave the store with the replacement device, they make you log out of iCloud and wipe the device. Not to mention the obvious fraud here. Just because you didn’t check before you bought a locked device doesn’t give you the right to steal a working one from Apple.

What has happened to morals in this society? Everyone feels entitled... and goes after "their own" regardless of the moral cost. Gotta run... time to hunker down for the soon-to-arrive firestorm.

 

[firefaux]

Well I bought it on eBay and wasn't physically able to check. I made a claim/dispute with eBay but they sided with the seller saying that personal information isn't required in the transaction.

I'm just gonna go to the apple store and be completely honest and see what they say.

 

[swarlos]

They do. Before they let you leave the store with the replacement device, they make you log out of iCloud and wipe the device. Not to mention the obvious fraud here. Just because you didn?t check before you bought a locked device doesn?t give you the right to steal a working one from Apple.

What has happened to morals in this society? Everyone feels entitled... and goes after "their own" regardless of the moral cost. Gotta run... time to hunker down for the soon-to-arrive firestorm.

I agree Fausty but what about transactions on eBay? Kind of hard to verify. Now if in person you don't check then yeah that's on you.

Well I bought it on eBay and wasn't physically able to check. I made a claim/dispute with eBay but they sided with the seller saying that personal information isn't required in the transaction.

I'm just gonna go to the apple store and be completely honest and see what they say.

That sucks! Hopefully it works out. I seriously hate eBay. I tried to sell my 5S got a buyer but they never paid and still haven't heard anything from the buyer and I'm not paying the final value fee I don't care what.


Carried by a raven from the Wall.

 

[Fausty82]

I agree Fausty but what about transactions on eBay? Kind of hard to verify. Now if in person you don't check then yeah that's on you.

That sucks! Hopefully it works out. I seriously hate eBay. I tried to sell my 5S got a buyer but they never paid and still haven't heard anything from the buyer and I'm not paying the final value fee I don't care what.

Carried by a raven from the Wall.

I get that it’s hard to verify some times... and that eBay needs to step up and help the buyers... but that never justifies trying to defraud a company because you got ripped off... that’s all I’m saying.

 

[swarlos]

I get that it?s hard to verify some times... and that eBay needs to step up and help the buyers... but that never justifies trying to defraud a company because you got ripped off... that?s all I?m saying.

That I agree with sucks that it happens but Apple isn't responsible for that go after the seller even if it takes legal action which I know not everyone can afford.


Carried by a raven from the Wall.

 

[kataran]

Been trying to get a decent deal on EBay for a Sprint 5s and I know for a fact a lot of People are getting burned buying iPhones with a bad ESN. Seller gets a 5s subsidized on contract then breaking the Contract so Sprint flags the #SN as a bad ESN and you can't activate it unless you pay what's owed to them

eBay needs to put something in place to stop this practice people losing a lot of money


Sent from my iPhone 5

 

[Xo.pink.xo]

I have a black sprint iphone 5s 32gb for sale

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk

 

[antiprotest]

I hope Apple would refuse to help in this situation. Otherwise people can steal phones and exchange them for new ones. This would make the activation lock less of a deterrent.

 

[Not Quite Right]

I get that it’s hard to verify some times... and that eBay needs to step up and help the buyers... but that never justifies trying to defraud a company because you got ripped off... that’s all I’m saying.

OP said it has Apple care on it, so at one time someone paid for that protection plain and simple. At the end of the day what does it really matter how "accidentally" it got sent through the washing machine ...

 

[jsntrenkler]

I have yet to be in the situation that I have purchased a used phone with ESN lock from the carrier ... Makes me nervous now with all the payment plans out there, especially with T-Mobile ... Would hate to activate a phone only to have it shut down because the previous owner didn't pay his / her bill.