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iPad Open box iPads and eBay
- Thread starter Night_Ink
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Just curious, what do you mean by "what's the deal" with them, as it's seemingly self explanatory? You are buying a not new, used, item where the original box has been opened and the product inside has been used to varying degrees.
I personally have not bought any used/open box electronics from eBay, as there are just too many variables and questions to make me comfortable. What's the condition of the item, the battery wear if applicable, was it stolen, how trustworthy is this individual, etc. Of course there are plenty of perfectly fine sellers on eBay but for me it's generally worth the total peace of mind to just buy new from the manufacturer.
Whether or not the savings is worth it to not buy new from a third party is a personal choice. Be cautious and do your due diligence and you could well be rewarded with the perfect combination of savings and an item in as expected or better than expected condition.
Id never buy any cellular iPads in open box condition. Secret carrier locks are a nightmare.
Buying "on eBay" doesn't tell me enough. eBay has countless vendors, some honest, some not.
If you go to an established retailer like Best Buy, you know exactly what "open box" means - they sold it to someone, and that someone opened the box and then returned it to Best Buy for some reason other than damage/defect. Or maybe it never left the store - someone took the item off the shelf, opened the package, and put it back on the shelf.
But when you don't know the vendor, can you really be sure of what they mean by Open Box? Apple happens to be very careful about who sells its products. If you can determine that the eBay seller is an Apple Authorized Reseller, you have some hope that "Open Box" means only that the packaging has been disturbed but that the product is otherwise in as-new condition (but you should still ask exactly what it means). If the vendor is not an Apple reseller you then have to wonder how they obtained the item in the first place.
If you go to an established retailer like Best Buy, you know exactly what "open box" means - they sold it to someone, and that someone opened the box and then returned it to Best Buy for some reason other than damage/defect. Or maybe it never left the store - someone took the item off the shelf, opened the package, and put it back on the shelf.
But when you don't know the vendor, can you really be sure of what they mean by Open Box? Apple happens to be very careful about who sells its products. If you can determine that the eBay seller is an Apple Authorized Reseller, you have some hope that "Open Box" means only that the packaging has been disturbed but that the product is otherwise in as-new condition (but you should still ask exactly what it means). If the vendor is not an Apple reseller you then have to wonder how they obtained the item in the first place.
Yes- I’ll clarify. I’m referring to the sellers that seem to be electronics dealers, with good feedback, selling iPads with “a new battery and casing” etc.Just curious, what do you mean by "what's the deal" with them, as it's seemingly self explanatory? You are buying a not new, used, item where the original box has been opened and the product inside has been used to varying degrees.
I personally have not bought any used/open box electronics from eBay, as there are just too many variables and questions to make me comfortable. What's the condition of the item, the battery wear if applicable, was it stolen, how trustworthy is this individual, etc. Of course there are plenty of perfectly fine sellers on eBay but for me it's generally worth the total peace of mind to just buy new from the manufacturer.
Whether or not the savings is worth it to not buy new from a third party is a personal choice. Be cautious and do your due diligence and you could well be rewarded with the perfect combination of savings and an item in as expected or better than expected condition.
I’m curious as to where they get these iPads, if it’s all legit.
I would never buy an open box electronic Apple product on eBay. It is too risky and I wouldn’t want my money tied up waiting on PayPal to finish their investigation with all the red tape. It just isn’t worth the hassle.
All legit retailers have returned merchandise, whether they operate physical storefronts or are web/mail order-only. Retailers with physical storefronts are more likely to have products with damaged packaging that never left the store.
Of greater concern to me with Open Box is warranty coverage. If a person leaves the store with an item, sets it up, and registers it with the manufacturer, then the date of purchase has been established in the manufacturer's system. If the item is then returned to the retailer and it then sits in the warehouse for weeks or months before being sold as Open Box the warranty clock has been ticking down. Part of the cost of Open Box may be the time spent fixing a warranty issue (or simply being stuck with a shorter warranty than expected).