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First iPad! Help needed!

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c0t0paxi

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 29, 2017
9
0
Hello!

I haven't purchased an Apple product since the early iTouch generation lol, so I'm out of the loop in the Apple World. That being said I plan to purchase a USED or REFURBISHED iPad Mini 4 off Amazon and had a few questions before committing.

1) After purchasing the used product, what can I do to ensure that the iPad Mini 4 I purchased is 100% an iPad Mini 4 and that is it NOT stolen? Will this link officially confirm of its model & that its a "clean title"?

https://checkcoverage.apple.com/

2) What should I check to ensure that its in working condition? And how (is there a specific/fool-proof method of assessing the iPad?)
-Display/Screen
-Speakers
-GPS, Finger sensor, etc.
-Cameras
-Microphone & Siri
Am I missing anything else to assess?

3) I've had good luck with purchasing off Amazon's USED section especially if the dealer has hundreds of 5 star reviews and >95% positivity. But there's always a risk, do you trust these when it comes to iPads/Apple products?

4) I'd prefer a "Used - Like New" or "New" a lot more than a "Refurbished" condition iPad; what are you thoughts? Again, I'm pretty noobie when it comes to electronics & esp Apple products.

5) I'm aware that the iPad Mini 5 is suppose to come out in the near future, but I'm willing to buy it within this week. Is a 16 GB WiFi+Cellular iPad Mini 4 for ~$300-320 or 64 GB W+C for ~$400 a good price for a Used-Like New or Refurbished iPad?

Thank you
happy.png
! Can't want to get back into the Apple game!
 
Howard2k

Howard2k

macrumors 603
Mar 10, 2016
5,228
5,057
I would buy Apple refurbished before used unless the used iPad was a great deal and I trusted the seller.

There are horror stories of people buying devices used and then the former owner locks the device.
 
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rachelsgoldens

macrumors regular
Sep 8, 2016
100
83
You can also try Swappa, they do a good job of making sure devices are clear before they are posted for sale. I bought two iPad Pro and several phones on there.
 
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C

c0t0paxi

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 29, 2017
9
0
I forgot to mention the reason for wanting the iPad mini 4 specifically. So I want to use it to fly my drone and the controller ONLY fits the iPad minis.

Thanks for letting me know about the Apple refurb store; it appears the mini 4 is currently out of stock. Was wondering how often the Apple refurb store replenishes their iPads (daily? weekly?).
 
C

c0t0paxi

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 29, 2017
9
0
rachelsgoldens said:
You can also try Swappa, they do a good job of making sure devices are clear before they are posted for sale. I bought two iPad Pro and several phones on there.
Click to expand...

Has anyone tried Swappa?

I think my biggest concern of getting it from Amazon (or Swappa) is that the original user can "lock" the device at anytime & whenever they want??? Is that true? And after doing some research there's no way Apple can "undo" the "unlock" unless I purchased it from Apple themselves, correct?

BTW The drone is DJI Mavic Pro & the app is DJI Go4.
 
R

rachelsgoldens

macrumors regular
Sep 8, 2016
100
83
c0t0paxi said:
Has anyone tried Swappa?

I think my biggest concern of getting it from Amazon (or Swappa) is that the original user can "lock" the device at anytime & whenever they want??? Is that true? And after doing some research there's no way Apple can "undo" the "unlock" unless I purchased it from Apple themselves, correct?

BTW The drone is DJI Mavic Pro & the app is DJI Go4.
Click to expand...

Swappa checks the ESN, and if you purchase one that is New (Resale) it can only be listed that way if the device has never been activated. Here's a link to read a bit about it:

https://swappa.com/about

I have bought 3 phones and 2 IPP on there and all have been great and as described. I have also sold 21 phones/tablets/watches on there and never had a problem.

Good luck!
 
A

ApfelKuchen

macrumors 601
Aug 28, 2012
4,334
3,011
Between the coasts
c0t0paxi said:
Hello!

I haven't purchased an Apple product since the early iTouch generation lol, so I'm out of the loop in the Apple World. That being said I plan to purchase a USED or REFURBISHED iPad Mini 4 off Amazon and had a few questions before committing.

1) After purchasing the used product, what can I do to ensure that the iPad Mini 4 I purchased is 100% an iPad Mini 4 and that is it NOT stolen? Will this link officially confirm of its model & that its a "clean title"?

https://checkcoverage.apple.com/
Click to expand...
There's no clearing house for "clean title." The check coverage link only reports the warranty status, based on the calendar. For a while, Apple had a page where you could check Activation Lock (Find My iPhone) status, but they took it down because it was being used for inappropriate purposes.

Still, the biggest thing to check is that the device is not Activation Locked (signed into the previous owner's iCloud account/Find My iPhone). You'll discover that as soon as you turn it on and try to set it up. This is not necessarily a measure of tainted ownership - anyone selling/trading-in a used device can neglect to sign out of Find My iPhone - it's up to the merchant to be sure that it is turned off before accepting the goods. https://support.apple.com/HT201365

One hopes that Amazon merchants aren't shipping Activation Locked devices, but anything can happen. If it turns out to be Activation Locked, my recommendation is to ship it back and let the merchant deal with it. For this reason (as well as others), it's imperative that, however you buy, you have solid recourse in case there's something wrong with the goods.
 
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