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supermsv7

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 27, 2014
1
0
I was offered an iPad Air Retina, brand new sealed for $350. It was from a man I met on craigslist, I bought a camera from him that cost 10 times as much and he seems pretty honest but I still don't even know if the camera was stolen (in the process of emailing Canon to see). So if I buy this for my girlfriend and it is stolen would she knows when she tries to register it or what?
 

Rodster

macrumors 68040
May 15, 2007
3,177
6
Get the serial number from the back of the box. Call Apple support and they'll run the serial number for you. Explain you are a getting a sweet deal and want to make sure it's not stolen.
 

The Doctor11

macrumors 603
Dec 15, 2013
5,974
1,406
New York
What happens is you go to jail of are fined. Don't know witch but I do know it's against the law to buy/recieve stolen property.
 

zenobialewis87

macrumors newbie
Feb 13, 2014
7
0
You wont be able to get it repaired from Apple, if anything happens to it. Moreover there are legalities involved which you surely would like to avoid.
 

Xikum

macrumors 6502
Oct 19, 2011
281
1
What happens is you go to jail of are fined. Don't know witch but I do know it's against the law to buy/recieve stolen property.

:rolleyes: Going to jail because you unknowingly bought a stolen iPad? Get a grip and stop scaremongering. Being in possession of stolen property is indeed a crime, but one that is not always the fault of the owner.

As already stated OP, get the serial code and phone up Apple.
 

The Doctor11

macrumors 603
Dec 15, 2013
5,974
1,406
New York
:rolleyes: Going to jail because you unknowingly bought a stolen iPad? Get a grip and stop scaremongering. Being in possession of stolen property is indeed a crime, but one that is not always the fault of the owner.

As already stated OP, get the serial code and phone up Apple.
If the price is highly discounted you should assume that it is stolen and will be charged with stolen having stolen property. Even if it's a gift if it can appear stolen then you could go to jail or be fined still I don't remember witch.

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:rolleyes: Going to jail because you unknowingly bought a stolen iPad? Get a grip and stop scaremongering. Being in possession of stolen property is indeed a crime, but one that is not always the fault of the owner.

As already stated OP, get the serial code and phone up Apple.
https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartIV/TitleI/Chapter266/Section60
Read that
 

Xikum

macrumors 6502
Oct 19, 2011
281
1
If the price is highly discounted you should assume that it is stolen and will be charged with stolen having stolen property. Even if it's a gift if it can appear stolen then you could go to jail or be fined still I don't remember witch.

----------


https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartIV/TitleI/Chapter266/Section60
Read that

"Whoever buys, receives or aids in the concealment of stolen or embezzled property, knowing it to have been stolen or embezzled, or whoever with intent to defraud buys…"


Exactly my point. OP does not KNOW the goods are stolen (if they are), and therefore would not be jailed for buying said goods. As an extra precautionary step, we are advising him to ask for the serial for absolute certainty. The iPad is not so cheap that it reeks of theft.
 

The Doctor11

macrumors 603
Dec 15, 2013
5,974
1,406
New York
"Whoever buys, receives or aids in the concealment of stolen or embezzled property, knowing it to have been stolen or embezzled, or whoever with intent to defraud buys…"


Exactly my point. OP does not KNOW the goods are stolen (if they are), and therefore would not be jailed for buying said goods. As an extra precautionary step, we are advising him to ask for the serial for absolute certainty. The iPad is not so cheap that it reeks of theft.
On Monday I will ask my business law teacher.
 

Rodster

macrumors 68040
May 15, 2007
3,177
6
"Whoever buys, receives or aids in the concealment of stolen or embezzled property, knowing it to have been stolen or embezzled, or whoever with intent to defraud buys…"


Exactly my point. OP does not KNOW the goods are stolen (if they are), and therefore would not be jailed for buying said goods. As an extra precautionary step, we are advising him to ask for the serial for absolute certainty. The iPad is not so cheap that it reeks of theft.

That is how the law should be interpreted because how does the OP know the intent of the seller? Perhaps the seller is in dire straights financially and needs to unload, NOW or wants to get even with his or her partner. There are tons of stories where a fuming spouse sold expensive stuff for nearly pennies just to get even.

The point is unless the OP knows the intent of the seller he should not be the guilty party. If the OP calls in the serial number and it checks out OK and later finds out it was stolen then he/she has an alibi that he/she checked it out first.
 

s2mikey

Suspended
Sep 23, 2013
2,490
4,255
Upstate, NY
I've always HATED the idea that someone UN knowingly buying stolen goods is somehow on the hook. How the hell does that work? So the theif gets away completely, the original owner lost their items but the poor sap buying it is now the criminal here? TERRIBLE law and a terrible concept. And, how in a court of law can they prove what you were thinking? That's completely ambiguous and impossible to prove with data. It's one thing if a new Air is being sold for a hundred bucks or something but at a lower price than normal does NOT raise a red flag at all IMO.

I hate to be rude but in most cases if you have had your iPad or other device stolen then you are to blame. You didn't take care enough of it. You left it in the car. Whatever.

UGH :mad:
 

joshdammit

Suspended
Mar 6, 2013
321
57
I've always HATED the idea that someone UN knowingly buying stolen goods is somehow on the hook. How the hell does that work? So the theif gets away completely, the original owner lost their items but the poor sap buying it is now the criminal here? TERRIBLE law and a terrible concept. And, how in a court of law can they prove what you were thinking? That's completely ambiguous and impossible to prove with data. It's one thing if a new Air is being sold for a hundred bucks or something but at a lower price than normal does NOT raise a red flag at all IMO.

I hate to be rude but in most cases if you have had your iPad or other device stolen then you are to blame. You didn't take care enough of it. You left it in the car. Whatever.

UGH :mad:

Or somebody broke into your house ("SHOULD'VE GOTTEN WINDOWS WITH TOUGHER GLASS") and stole it. Or, like somebody I talked to in the past who had her device stolen, she was sitting down outside, using it, when somebody ran by and literally ripped it from her hands.

I suppose she shouldn't use it outside, or hold onto it with a tighter grip.

Also, I don't think you hate to be rude at all.
 

Shivetya

macrumors 68000
Jan 16, 2008
1,669
306
Follow up question, what is the best way to protect your iPad from being stolen and what can you do to find if its in use? My father lost his iPad that I gave him, didn't tell me for a week so that kind of limited what I can do.

So I am buying him a new one, engraved this time, but I want to know what other steps I can take to find it if he loses it again. (wifi only model)
 

Weaselboy

Moderator
Staff member
Jan 23, 2005
34,136
15,597
California
Follow up question, what is the best way to protect your iPad from being stolen and what can you do to find if its in use? My father lost his iPad that I gave him, didn't tell me for a week so that kind of limited what I can do.

So I am buying him a new one, engraved this time, but I want to know what other steps I can take to find it if he loses it again. (wifi only model)

http://www.apple.com/icloud/find-my-iphone.html

Set him up with a free iCloud account and make sure you turn on Find my iPad in the settings. Then is someone steals it you can login to iCloud.com with his account info and see (roughly) where the iPad is and also send a lockdown message to the iPad.

The downside is the stolen iPad would need to be on the Internet (wifi) for this to work. What you would be hoping for is the thief would use the iPad inn wifi somewhere so the lockdown message could be received.
 

s2mikey

Suspended
Sep 23, 2013
2,490
4,255
Upstate, NY
Or somebody broke into your house ("SHOULD'VE GOTTEN WINDOWS WITH TOUGHER GLASS") and stole it. Or, like somebody I talked to in the past who had her device stolen, she was sitting down outside, using it, when somebody ran by and literally ripped it from her hands.

I suppose she shouldn't use it outside, or hold onto it with a tighter grip.

Also, I don't think you hate to be rude at all.

Those are the exceptions. You know what I'm talking about. Most are stolen out of a car or locker or whatever. C'mon now....
 

charlituna

macrumors G3
Jun 11, 2008
9,636
816
Los Angeles, CA
Get the serial number from the back of the box. Call Apple support and they'll run the serial number for you. Explain you are a getting a sweet deal and want to make sure it's not stolen.

That assumes that the serial in the box is the same as the one on the box. Might not be.

Easy answer is simply if you think something might be stolen, don't buy it.
 

dmccloud

macrumors 68030
Sep 7, 2009
2,969
1,695
Anchorage, AK
If the price is highly discounted you should assume that it is stolen and will be charged with stolen having stolen property. Even if it's a gift if it can appear stolen then you could go to jail or be fined still I don't remember witch.

----------


https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartIV/TitleI/Chapter266/Section60
Read that

That's the Massachusetts law. Laws differ between states, so the OP would need to see the law for his/her state and/or city.
 

ipad4fan

macrumors newbie
Apr 20, 2014
7
0
So if I buy this for my girlfriend and it is stolen would she knows when she tries to register it or what?

I speak from experience on this... if you have even the slightest doubt about an item's history or legal ownership... RUN AWAY! Police investigators are VERY serious folks during questioning. They will have you thinking you're one step from going to jail even if you're 100% innocent. That's their job in getting the truth and to the bottom of the matter. It is an experience you're not likely to forget.

Luckily... in my situation... I bought an apparently stolen item from a local reputable business and they fully had my back during the investigation. Actually... the item had been purchased multiple times before me by folks who honestly thought they had legal ownership of it. I came away 100% innocent... but no "smokin' deal" is worth that much trouble or expense. It was a week of my life that I do not want to repeat.

Anymore I will GLADLY pay the extra bucks to buy an item from a source where there's absolutely no doubts about legal ownership.

You'd be surprised in how much stolen stuff is floating around out there... and you'd be surprised in how much of that stuff is actually registered with the law as being stolen.
 
Last edited:

baypharm

macrumors 68000
Nov 15, 2007
1,951
973
All these erroneous posts from armchair lawyer wanna bees. The threshold of guilt has declined and Mens Rea no longer applies. I'm not an attorney but I know that the law does not have to prove intent anymore. One of our employees was arrested for buying a hot iPhone. He claimed he didn't know it was stolen but the fact that he had possession was enough. They offered him probation to plead guilty to a felony or else risk prison time if he loses at trial. Scared for his life he took the plea. The EEOC says it is illegal to coerce a defendant with threats of incarceration. But he lacked money for an attorney and had to rely on the advice of his PD.

Just a heads up.
 

Weaselboy

Moderator
Staff member
Jan 23, 2005
34,136
15,597
California
All these erroneous posts from armchair lawyer wanna bees. The threshold of guilt has declined and Mens Rea no longer applies. I'm not an attorney but I know that the law does not have to prove intent anymore. One of our employees was arrested for buying a hot iPhone. He claimed he didn't know it was stolen but the fact that he had possession was enough. They offered him probation to plead guilty to a felony or else risk prison time if he loses at trial. Scared for his life he took the plea. The EEOC says it is illegal to coerce a defendant with threats of incarceration. But he lacked money for an attorney and had to rely on the advice of his PD.

Just a heads up.

I think this varies by state in the US. In California, for example, intent (knowing) is right in the statute. Now intent can be shown in different ways such as the circumstances of the purchase and the price paid. But in California anyway, just possessing a stolen iPhone without any evidence beyond that, would normally not result in any charges being filed.

CPC 496 (a) Every person who buys or receives any property that has been stolen or that has been obtained in any manner constituting theft or extortion, knowing the property to be so stolen or obtained, or who conceals, sells, withholds, or aids in concealing, selling, or withholding any property from the owner, knowing the property to be so stolen or obtained, shall be punished by...
 
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