i bought an Apple Watch series 1 on eBay, recieved it and it’s still linked to the previous owners phone, how do I remove it from their phone and connect it with mine? Thanks
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Bought Apple Watch, still linked to previous owners phone
- Thread starter ThatiPhoneKid
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Unless you can get the owner who has it tied to their Apple ID to remove it from find my iPhone in iCloud/Activation lock you're out of luck my friend.
Time to a) get in touch with the seller and see if the watch was legitimately theirs, and have them remove the watch as explained above, or b) lacking this, contact E-bay's fraud/Return section, explain that the seller sold you a stolen watch, and get the refund. You have (I think) 60 or 90 days to do this. You can also contact Paypal, but they will tell you to go through E-bay's fraud section. (I've done this, and E-bay is quite good at refunding money for stuff like this)
Already contacted seller before making this thread, just recieved reply from them and they told me they used this watch on an old iPhone they no longer have but I can erase the watch in settings and it should remove there old phone from the watch, should I do this or just contact ebay? Thanks guys for all of your help
No, they must remove activation lock in their settings. There is no way you can do it and it is worthless otherwise. Last paragraf from https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT205009:
If you can't access your iPhone or Apple Watch, or if your Apple Watch isn't paired with your iPhone and you need to turn off Activation Lock:
- On a computer, go to iCloud.com and sign in with your Apple ID.
- Go to Find My iPhone.
- Select All Devices, then click your Apple Watch.
- Click Erase Apple Watch. Select Next until the device is erased.
- Click
next to your Apple Watch.
Reply to him and tell him he can log in to his iCloud account from any phone or the internet and remove the watch from his account, he does not need that specific phone..
Howeveer I have the feeling he is going to come back with another excuse as this appears to be a stolen watch. I would go ahead and start the proceedings with ebay
and to answer your question, No it cannot be done from settings it can only be done as I described above.
That's a similar type of answer sellers of stolen iphones give 'just set it back to factory default in itunes'
I don't know if there is a way to pair an Apple Watch without it being connected to an Apple ID/Activation lock. If you can go into Settings/General/Reset all and it does pair you're good.
If you get prompted that the Apple Watch is tied to another Apple ID you'll have to have the seller do the above and remove it from their Apple ID/Find my iPhone in their account.
Or you have a display item and it'll never work for you
If you get prompted that the Apple Watch is tied to another Apple ID you'll have to have the seller do the above and remove it from their Apple ID/Find my iPhone in their account.
Or you have a display item and it'll never work for you
Why on earth would I make this up, jeez.
No, they must remove activation lock in their settings. There is no way you can do it and it is worthless otherwise. Last paragraf from https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT205009:
If you can't access your iPhone or Apple Watch, or if your Apple Watch isn't paired with your iPhone and you need to turn off Activation Lock:
- On a computer, go to iCloud.com and sign in with your Apple ID.
- Go to Find My iPhone.
- Select All Devices, then click your Apple Watch.
- Click Erase Apple Watch. Select Next until the device is erased.
- Click
next to your Apple Watch.
Thanks guys messaged the seller with this information, I’ll get back to you when I have an update
I have no doubt you are NOT making it up, just commenting on you luck. Hope you did not fall for the iPhone on eBay in your other thread.
Best of luck!
Got a reply from him, he said doesn’t have access to iCloud account but he didn’t link it to find my iPhone, he said to go to setting and erase and it will be unlinked. Don’t know what to do, should I contact ebay now or try to erase the Apple Watch? Thanks
You can erase it million times if you want. This is an anti theft protection that makes the watch a "brick". There is nothing you can do that will negate the lockout.
Also access to iCloud is at iCloud.com so everyone with a computer has access to iCloud.
Last edited:
Correct. The other posters are confusing pairing vs iCloud locking of the watch to a customers account. You can just reset and erase all settings from the watch if it is only a "Pairing" / Linked issue.
How to unpair your Apple Watch directly on the smartwatch without the paired iPhone.
How to unpair your Apple Watch directly on the smartwatch without the paired iPhone.
- Launch the Settings app on your Apple Watch.
- Tap on the General setting.
- Select Reset.
- Tap on Erase All Content and Settings.
- Type in your passcode (if enabled).
- Tap on Erase All.
Yeah, but if it’s still linked to an iCloud account it will not complete the activation process.
not overly sure what your worried about. If it is a 'pairing' issue, just follow the reset procedure. If the watch is actually stolen and resetting the watch fails to work (as it should) then you contact ebay fraud department and start the process of getting a refund.
Either way, it's still a win win for you, if it is a pairing issue then you have a working watch, if it is not and everything you try fails to get the watch added to your account / iphone, then it's obvious the seller lied in the sales description, which that alone will get you a refund.
Either way, it's still a win win for you, if it is a pairing issue then you have a working watch, if it is not and everything you try fails to get the watch added to your account / iphone, then it's obvious the seller lied in the sales description, which that alone will get you a refund.
He’s hoping that you’ll give up and let him keep your money.
I’ll say this for Apple. Their watch activation lock is rock solid. If Donald Trump left his Apple Watch in the Kremlin’s bathroom, even the KGB wouldn’t be able to unlock it.
I’ll say this for Apple. Their watch activation lock is rock solid. If Donald Trump left his Apple Watch in the Kremlin’s bathroom, even the KGB wouldn’t be able to unlock it.
Exact same thing recently happened to me but luckily when I contacted the seller it was an honest mistake and they didn’t know how to prepare the watch for resale. They went into their iCloud account and selected the watch and deleted it from their account which deactivated it so I was then able to activate it on my account.
Resetting it will not do a thing it’s gonna set up fresh then ask for the last user account details to steady along the activation process!
Just send it back to them and ask for a refund and then check with the sellers on eBay before you bid and buy again easy mistake I guess I’ve had that with a 5c but I got the seller to sort out the problem
Just send it back to them and ask for a refund and then check with the sellers on eBay before you bid and buy again easy mistake I guess I’ve had that with a 5c but I got the seller to sort out the problem
Resetting it will not do a thing it’s gonna set up fresh then ask for the last user account details to steady along the activation process!
Just send it back to them and ask for a refund and then check with the sellers on eBay before you bid and buy again easy mistake I guess I’ve had that with a 5c but I got the seller to sort out the problem
I would not send it back, but would go through E-bay's fraud system. If you send it back, he may or may not refund the money unless you go through E-bay, and he's still got the watch to sell to someone else. Go straight to E-bay, do not pass GO, but DO collect the $200 (or whatever you paid)
That’s a positive outcome. This actually happens a lot where the previous owner forgets (Or didn’t know) how to remove the device from iCloud. Fortunately, some are responsive and take of the matter rather quickly, once they realize what happened. Most times, it’s an honest mistake.
OP, if the seller can't (or won't) remove the activation lock you can return it. eBay's policies are very much in place to protect the buyer and if you return it they will issue you a refund when the watch arrives back to the seller no questions asked. Just remember to make sure you get a tracking number for the return.
Another thing to look at is the buyers feedback. Does he have a high feedback rating? If yes then this may just be an honest mistake and as someone mentioned above and he should be able to get into his iCloud account and remove the watch. Either way if you can't get it resolved you will get your money back. It might take a few days but you'll eventually be issued a refund by eBay whether the seller wants to or not.
Another thing to look at is the buyers feedback. Does he have a high feedback rating? If yes then this may just be an honest mistake and as someone mentioned above and he should be able to get into his iCloud account and remove the watch. Either way if you can't get it resolved you will get your money back. It might take a few days but you'll eventually be issued a refund by eBay whether the seller wants to or not.