Is This Apple Invoice Legit? Serial Number & Purchase Date Don’t Match

[Rosehendrix]

Hi everyone,

I’m looking to buy an Apple Watch Ultra 2 (49mm, GPS + Cellular, Titanium, Black Ocean Strap) from a seller on Depop. They provided an Apple invoice as proof of purchase, but something seems off, and I want to make sure I’m not getting scammed.

The issue:​

• I checked the serial number on Apple’s website, and it says the device was purchased in August 2024.
• The invoice they provided says the purchase date is 31st October 2024.
• I thought maybe it was ordered in August and charged later, but does Apple ever process payments months after the sale?

Other details:​

• The invoice looks real at first glance (Apple logo, Trafford Centre store details, correct VAT breakdown, etc.).
• The seller claims it was a gift but somehow still has the invoice.
• They are selling it sealed at a huge discount (£306 instead of £799).
• I asked for an Apple order confirmation email, but they haven’t sent one yet.

Questions:​

1. Has anyone seen an Apple invoice with a purchase date that doesn’t match Apple’s serial number database?
2. Is this a red flag, or is there a legit reason for the date discrepancy?
3. If it was truly purchased in October, why does Apple show August? Could it be a returned/refurbished item?

Would love to hear from anyone familiar with Apple’s billing & serial tracking! Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[Apple_Robert]

I would not purchase. Too many red flags.

 

[kitKAC]

Trust your gut, you clearly feel there are a number of issues with this purchase.

 

[ab22]

Search the serial online to see if it's been used / looked up before

Apple systems do sometimes show dates up to a few months earlier than retail purchase, but looking up AppleCare options may give more details.

'buyers' & 'gift recipients' calling stores to get receipt copies while knowing only the serial / model & no other details is unfortunately common.

as others have suggested - walk away

 

[Rosehendrix]

Thank you everyone for your opinions and prompt replies, they are much appreciated!

Especially as a student who tries not to spend too much money, this was quite a tempting offer- however I just wasn’t willing to take the risk until I had further opinions.

Many thanks,

Rose

 

[Howard2k]

I bought some AirPods from Amazon and Apple had the warranty date as beginning "four months ago" type of thing. I had to contact Apple and have them correct it in their system, after providing proof of purchase from Amazon. All worked out ok.

So date discrepancies can happen. But that was a third party, not Apple directly.

But too many other red flags for me in this case. If you do purchase it, ask the seller to meet you at the Trafford Centre Apple Store and you guys can all work together to ensure it's legit and pairs with your phone.

 

[goldmac2006]

I would not purchase. Too many red flags.

I bought some AirPods from Amazon and Apple had the warranty date as beginning "four months ago" type of thing. I had to contact Apple and have them correct it in their system, after providing proof of purchase from Amazon. All worked out ok.

So date discrepancies can happen. But that was a third party, not Apple directly.

But too many other red flags for me in this case. If you do purchase it, ask the seller to meet you at the Trafford Centre Apple Store and you guys can all work together to ensure it's legit and pairs with your phone.

Hey everyone, check out this video about counterfeit Apple Store receipts: 🧾

If the font is off, there are misspellings, or the receipt doesn’t feel like a real thing, skip it. Also, if it doesn’t have these things I mentioned or you still get it anyway, follow @Howard2k ’s advice and try to see if the seller has local pickup or contact them to see it in person or meet up. The seller can also ask the Apple Store they claimed to get the Apple Watch Ultra from to verify they got it from there in October. Including consulting with a specialist and Genius to ensure it pairs correctly with your iPhone and there’s no hardware or software issues.

If it’s a third-party reseller, including Apple-authorized resellers, you can correct the wrong purchase date with AppleCare. Just have a digital receipt screenshot or a scan of the proof of purchase from the store first, upload it to the Apple support app, and make a phone call with an AppleCare advisor. I did that for my Apple Watch Series 6 I bought brand new from Walmart because its warranty information was unknown but it was directly from Walmart.