SPEEDwithJJ
macrumors 65816
Hope that's not the case, but how do you know for sure that the one you bought from Craigslist isn't a scam (as in stolen goods) as well? 😕
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Did Best Buy stop selling ipad 2's?
- Thread starter jps1012
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Hope that's not the case, but how do you know for sure that the one you bought from Craigslist isn't a scam (as in stolen goods) as well? 😕
djransom
macrumors 601
I had expected that I would have to pay a premium of at least $100 over the retail price on craigslist, and was suspicious. So I told the seller that I would only meet at a public "hotspot" with Wifi, and that I intended to bring my laptop, open to the box to connect to my itunes account, and first register the iPad with AppleCare Protection plan. He had no problem with me doing so, and 20 minutes later, we met. I didn't give him any money until I completed the registration process. I also confirmed that the serial number registered with Apple, matched both the registration numbers on the iPad, and on the box.
I take my paranoia to extreme levels, so as an additional precaution, I also brought my very large, and kind of scary husband covertly take pictures of the seller, his wife, and their baby, along with a pictures of their vehicle and license plate number. Of course, I also saved their cell phone number and a copy of the original craigslist ad.
But you're right, I don't know for sure. I thought the precautions I took would be sufficient, but it wasn't until I read another thread on this forum that I realized that there might be a possibility that Apple might not keep records of stolen serial numbers, and automatically deny registration of serial numbers reported as stolen.
So if you want to know the truth, after reading that thread, I'm kind of freaking now now because I would never knowingly contribute to theft by buying stolen goods, and even the slightest possibility upsets me greatly.
rworne
macrumors 6502a
You could have asked for the original bill of sale. It's no real secret what anyone pays for these things from a retail establishment. The best excuse is to mention it is for warranty purposes.
The receipt will also likely have the purchaser's name and the serial number of the device on it.
Please don't think I didn't ask if I could see his receipt, because I did. He told me he didn't have any idea he was going to lose his job, so he didn't keep the receipt, and told me that was why he couldn't take it back to Best Buy.
To which I responded that even without the receipt, the Best Buy he bought it from could probably look it up by the credit card number he used or his name, and that he would then be able to take it back and get a full refund of $900, instead of selling it on craigslist for $550. I mean, if he really needed the money that bad, how could he possibly afford to just give up $350?
He responded to that by shrugging his shoulders and asking me, "Do you want it or not?" So I never really got a good answer.
The seller I bought from had posted his cell phone number in his craigslist ad. I called him within 10 minutes of the posting, and he was at the meeting place I specified 20 minutes later to make the transaction. As soon as I got home I checked craigslist, and he had already removed his ad. I took every precaution I could think of, but yes, I admit it, all that in itself seemed pretty suspicious.
But I had already responded to about 30 craigslist ads, all of which turned out to be various forms of scams. From advertisements for "penny auction" sites, to supposed ministers trying to get me to send them money orders to Nigeria, and I was already pretty frustrated.
Aside from which, to motivate my mom to survive and recover from surgery, I had promised her my iPad 1. She had already fulfilled her end of the bargain, and wanted her iPad, NOW!
So I was in a bind, but am feeling sick to my stomach about the whole thing now.
If anyone knows of any way I could find out for sure, I'd really like to know.
rworne
macrumors 6502a
From what you posted, you did seem to go through all the right precautions. I only mentioned e receipt because I didn't recall seeing it mentioned in your post.
You did say he showed up with the wife and kid? If there was no nervousness on the part of the seller, and instead they looked a bit downcast, it passes the sniff test as far as the story goes. Add to that you did successfully complete the sale and got what you wanted.
As for the rent, yes it makes sense, especially if he bought it on a CC and has to pay rent in cash.
I hadn't thought about that, but you're right. Best Buy probably would have just reversed his credi card charge, and he probably needed cash to pay his rent. That does make me feel a little better, thanks!
Electronics in short supply don't usually last more than a couple of hours on the shelves, so unless you can fly out the door at a second's notice, any updates are probably pointless.
But I've always had pretty good luck at Best Buy getting products in short supply when they're first. First year the Wii came out, they were sold out everywhere, but I managed to buy 5 at Best Buy. Most of them were for friends who asked me to keep an eye out and paid me back for buying for them. I didn't go standing on line in the middle of the night either.
I got my first iPad 1 at Best Buy the very first week they came out. At that time, Apple hadn't released any with 3G, but the next month when 3G iPads were released, even though they flew off the shelves almost the minute they came in, managed to snag a 3G model at that same Best Buy, the very week they were released.
My strategy with Best Buy is to visit the store and start talking to the salepeople on the floor. Even though they may not have any way of knowing when the next shipment of iPads just might come in, they generally DO know the day of the week and approximate time that delivery trucks normally show up to bring new stock to their store.
There's no guarantees, but I've often found that those trucks quite often do carry at least a few copies of whatever item I want. So I just show up at the Best Buy shortly after the ETA (expected time of arrival) and see if I can snag one, and it doesn't normally take more than a couple of visits before acheiving success.
I live in Chicagoland and there's tons and tons of Best Buys in this area, but the one I've had the best luck at is the one in Downers Grove on Butterfield Road (Thursday afternoon, between 3:30 - 4) I've also had good luck at the one in Schaumburg on Golf Road (Sunday mornings, when they first open)
Many BBs get stock in Saturday night, because their weekly sales normally start Sunday morning, so getting there right when they first open on Sunday often pays off.
I only resorted to Craigslist because I was in a hurry. I did make the rounds of BBs first, and if I had a little more time, have no doubt it wouldn't have taken me more than a week to find a BB with one.
Extra iPad 2
Hey, this forum has been so helpful to me for the past several weeks. I gave up on best buy and ordered one from apple. I got a call from best buy the same day that my iPad arrived from apple. Just my luck.
Good luck with your searches. If you are in NYC, best buy at union square gets shipments Monday, Wednesday, Friday about 2pm. Sometimes you get lucky there.
Hey, this forum has been so helpful to me for the past several weeks. I gave up on best buy and ordered one from apple. I got a call from best buy the same day that my iPad arrived from apple. Just my luck.
Good luck with your searches. If you are in NYC, best buy at union square gets shipments Monday, Wednesday, Friday about 2pm. Sometimes you get lucky there.
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SPEEDwithJJ
macrumors 65816
I can't speak for your region since the situation differs for different areas of the country, but here in the DFW region, there's no new stock (Wifi only & AT&T 3G versions) as of today..... 🙁 I guess my very "fun & enjoyable" B&M search for an iPad 2 continues.... 😀
I checked 1 Apple Store, 2 Targets, 1 Wal-Mart and 1 BB...BB didn't even have an iPad display. Decided I wasn't going to deal with the chase like with the iPhone and just ordered mine online from Apple. The 2 weeks went by a lot quicker than the 3 weeks I waited for my iPhone.
I just got my iPad 2 after a few days of searching... my local Best Buy (North Ave, Chicago) seems to be getting them frequently since they have been getting new versions every few days. The other Best Buys in Chicago don't seem to be as lucky though, most of them have been sold out since I started looking earlier this week.
One awesome thing about Best Buy is that they don't mind holding one for you. I called yesterday during the day while at work and they said they wouldn't mind holding it until the end of the day for me. Much better than at the Apple store down the street, which seems to sell out in minutes.
One awesome thing about Best Buy is that they don't mind holding one for you. I called yesterday during the day while at work and they said they wouldn't mind holding it until the end of the day for me. Much better than at the Apple store down the street, which seems to sell out in minutes.
How did you know they had them in stock? Did you call or use the inventory tracker online? Also what model did u get?
djransom
macrumors 601
They had all the Verizon models in both colors and the 32/64 wifi models. I ended up getting the 32 Verizon in Black. So happy with it 😀.
The Apple Stores in the area seemed to have the same model. If you live in Chicago, I'd recommend calling some of the Apple Stores in the suburbs because they always have a some... Oak Brook especially. I almost drove out there yesterday, but Best Buy was closer so I was glad to not have to drive all the way out there.
I would have preferred to get the AT&T version, but I realized that I'll probably never use the 3G service and only want it for emergencies, so I settled for the Verizon version.
djransom
macrumors 601
It's probably everyone who's trying to make a quick buck buying them up and selling them internationally.
smatica
macrumors newbie
Ok, here's the deal if you are stuck with Best Buy gift cards as I was and you are tired of waiting for them to be in stock. Go to any Best Buy, and purchase the Best Buy Visa cards (which are good anywhere) with your BB gift cards. You can put up to $200 on each Visa card you purchase so you might need to get multiples. It will cost you 5.95 per card but to me it was worth it. So, now you have the option to purchase anywhere, Radio Shack, Wal-Mart, Target or the Apple Store. If you still can't find in any of those stores, go to your local Apple retail store and purchase an Apple Store gift card (NOT iTunes). Then you can use that to order your iPad 2 online as I did tonight. FYI - you can only use up to 2 cards on the Apple store online so I had to purchase an Apple card with my two Visa cards I got at BB. I ordered online tonight and should have it in a couple weeks. 😀
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I can't find the Visa Gift Cards on BB website. I hope they have it at my local store. Def a smart idea.
smatica
macrumors newbie
Yup, only available at the stores...should be near the registers. I had also spoken to one of the guys in the customer service area, he said they didn't have any WiFi's at any of the BB's in the state (AZ) as far as he knew. Mostly Verizon 3G's available which I'm not interested in. Several of the local Best Buy's said they haven't seen a shipment in at least 2 weeks. Your best bet is to order on Apple.com plain and simple.