Buying an iPad (or whatever) from a private seller

[Lyle]

Someone is offering their (slightly used) iPad for sale on Craigslist and I was thinking about buying it from them.

What I am wondering (and this isn't particularly iPad-specific) is whether I'd be eligible for warranty repairs, or purchasing an AppleCare extended warranty, with me not being the original buyer. Do I need to also have a copy of the original sales receipt, or does Apple "know" that this iPad, with this serial number, was originally purchased on such-and-such date?

 

[MovieCutter]

Based on my years at Apple, warranty and repairs are based on the serial number, not the owner.

 

[Macky-Mac]

..... Do I need to also have a copy of the original sales receipt, or does Apple "know" that this iPad, with this serial number, was originally purchased on such-and-such date?

Apple "knows"........but sometimes they're wrong.

It's always nice to have that receipt, just in case. If you don't have it, then you're stuck with going by what their records show, which isn't a problem most of the time.

 

[Xenophon]

Whenever I went to Apple they didn't even glance at the receipt. As others have said, the serial number is key to them.

That being said, it's always a good idea to get the receipt and/or a statement from the seller that mentions the machine was his property but that he sold it to you.