Buying a used iPad... how necessary is a receipt?

Hey guys, I am buying a 32gb wifi iPad for $350. Now, I am going to meet the seller at a cafe that has free wifi, so I can chill out there while I examine the device.

Obviously I will test all aspects of the product, like the hardware buttons, wifi connectivity, speakers, screen pixels, etc.

Now, there isn't a very good way to test the battery, is there?

The next thing... about the receipt:

I don't know about you, but I never really keep my receipts when I buy things. Is it really necessary to have a receipt? I realize that the person having the receipt is a good way to ensure that the iPad wasn't stolen or not.

So, is it okay to purchase it without a receipt, if I am able to check the product registration on Apple.com?

I was thinking of asking the person to log in with his apple ID, then can he show me the product registration to prove when it was bought? He said he bought it in December... but I don't know.

Okay, thanks!

Personally, as it's a fairly expensive bit of kit I'd want to see a receipt and some ID. But then I also be wary of buying in a cafe like that.

Horses for courses I guess.

I would ask him to show his proof of purchase personally. As it's still in warranty, you would possibly need it should things go wrong.

Having bought and sold a few things myself on Craigslist, there's absolutely no way I would fork over an old receipt with my information on it. I sure as heck wouldn't log in with my id either to prove anything, then turn it over. At any rate, anything I sell always gets wiped clean back to factory fresh status.

You can check the warranty status of a device here:
https://selfsolve.apple.com/GetWarranty.do

Basically with deals like these, you have to use some sense of good judgment about the person's character. Ask why they are selling it. Ask for the serial number in advance and check the warranty status. Make sure you have an email address and phone number as contact information (don't expect a physical address, obviously), and hold on to your email correspondences. If this does turn out to be stolen goods, police can use all that information (email have headers that contain more information like the originating IP address), to track the guy down.

Jay Ray said:

Hey guys, I am buying a 32gb wifi iPad for $350. Now, I am going to meet the seller at a cafe that has free wifi, so I can chill out there while I examine the device.

Obviously I will test all aspects of the product, like the hardware buttons, wifi connectivity, speakers, screen pixels, etc.

Now, there isn't a very good way to test the battery, is there?

The next thing... about the receipt:

I don't know about you, but I never really keep my receipts when I buy things. Is it really necessary to have a receipt? I realize that the person having the receipt is a good way to ensure that the iPad wasn't stolen or not.

So, is it okay to purchase it without a receipt, if I am able to check the product registration on Apple.com?

I was thinking of asking the person to log in with his apple ID, then can he show me the product registration to prove when it was bought? He said he bought it in December... but I don't know.

Okay, thanks!

Click to expand...

In my personal opinion...there's absolutely no reason to require a receipt.

Sure fine...if the seller still has the receipt...and if it has no personal information on it that might put the seller at any personal financial risk...then maybe.

But how many of us actually keep receipts...or if we do keep them...be able to find them???

How many people who sell stuff on Craig's List have receipts for the stuff they sell (items that they purchased for their own use)...not many! How many transactions on Craig's List do you think involve an original purchase receipt...again...very very few. How many people buying & selling items on e-Bay do you think get an original purchase receipt from the seller...again...not many!

If you have any concern that something you may be buying is stolen...then don't buy it. I'm going to tell you that the VAST number of transaction on Craig's List and e-Bay DO NOT involve receipts!

And of course...you do not need a receipt to make any sort of warranty claim with Apple. If this iPad is less than 12 months old (or has additional Applecare on it)...you do not need a receipt to make a warranty claim. The person who has possession of the iPad also gets the benefits of any warranty on the device...since Apple tracts warranty validity via the devices serial number...NOT who originally purchased it...via their name, address, and phone number...or any sort of receipt.

Good luck,

- Nick

How do you know if it is stolen or not. There are some pretty smooth con artists out there?
I checked my imac on the link above provided by lifeisabeach and it does say it is registered. If the ipad was stolen, and you put in it's serial number on that link, would it say 'stolen' where my search for my imac showed 'registered'??

MacLicious said:

How do you know if it is stolen or not. There are some pretty smooth con artists out there?
I checked my imac on the link above provided by lifeisabeach and it does say it is registered. If the ipad was stolen, and you put in it's serial number on that link, would it say 'stolen' where my search for my imac showed 'registered'??

Click to expand...

It probably wouldn't, unless perhaps stolen directly from Apple, in which case I would think the warranty wouldn't be "active" yet, if not flagged as invalidated or something. Bottom line: you buy something used, you are taking a chance, so use common sense. If it scares you that much, buy only from a reseller that you know you can go back to and hold accountable.

Just wanted to say that asking for the receipt as proof that the seller purchased is not uncommon here. Yes it can be checked if it's been registered, but if not you could be in trouble if it goes wrong.
Maybe it's different in the US.
Either way, you should be able to judge the person when you meet, as suggested.

Kevriano said:

Just wanted to say that asking for the receipt as proof that the seller purchased is not uncommon here. Yes it can be checked if it's been registered, but if not you could be in trouble if it goes wrong.
Maybe it's different in the US.

Click to expand...

I hear ya...different norms for different areas.

Actually...since I was thinking of buying a used iPad 1.0 (and since iPad 1.0's are less than a year old)...I would have at least asked for a receipt. Thinking that since the device is less than 1 year-old...there might be a good chance the seller would still have it. I'm so used to buying 3, 4, 5 or more year-old Macintosh computers (which may be on their 2nd, 3rd, or 4th owner)...that I wouldn't even dream of asking for a receipt in these situations.

But in the case of a used iPad 1.0...I wouldn't be asking for a receipt for the "normal" reasons you would ask for a receipt...like proof of purchase or to make sure it wasn't stolen...I just wanted proof of the iPads age.

So many folks are advertising them as...1, 2, or 3 weeks old...or 3 or 6 months old...etc. My main concern was hours of use on the iPad...and if there would be any significant battery life degradation. But according to the responses I was getting in the other thread I posted about battery runtime/battery life of iPad 1.0's...1 year later...that doesn't seem to be a concern.

- Nick

Thanks for the help. That registration site is helpful, too.

Can you imagine the following scenario.....

Officer 'Where did you buy this iPad as it has been reported stolen'. Reply 'I bought it of a fellow in a cafe and I have no receipt and do not know where he got it either'. Officer "Come with me my boy!"

I think it's just common sense to get a receipt for something you buy, from a shop or from an individual. You may have to prove one day you paid for something out of good faith and that piece of paper may just be that!

True Bassist said:

I think it's just common sense to get a receipt for something you buy, from a shop or from an individual. You may have to prove one day you paid for something out of good faith and that piece of paper may just be that!

Click to expand...

Good luck with that philosophy the next time you try to buy something that's 5-10 years old...and on it's 3rd or 4th owner!

I'm thinking you haven't purchased many used things lately...unless folks in the UK are better about keeping their receipts...being able to find them when they need them, and give them to each person they sell a used item to.

It's just not practical to expect someone to still have a receipt for a used item 1, 2, 3, or 5 years later...and if it's the 3rd or 4th owner...forget about it.

- Nick