Contact the seller first. Now with eBay rules, as soon as you contact eBay, a big black mark goes on seller's record. This may have been a mistake, you never know. There's no reason to go cry to mommy right away. Explain to the seller that you are trying to work out the problem without leaving negative feedback or contacting eBay.
If seller's resolution is unsatisfactory, or you get no response in 3 days, then contact eBay. Your purchase is covered by their policy, and eBay will open the case. This will immediately put the money paid for the item on hold. And that typically does get seller's attention. Seller will be forced to work with you, or forfeit the money.
A small tip. Always communicate via eBay messages. Do NOT email the seller. If seller responds in email, ask him/her to respond in eBay message, and let them know that all communication will be done via eBay messages only. Reason is, if/when eBay will review the case, they will also review all the messages exchanged regarding this item. But email is not a proof to them.
Do not let the seller stretch the time. There's a window when you can file a case. Anything over 45 days, and chargeback most likely won't work.
Remember, eBay is always on buyer's side. They do treat sellers like a common criminal, and while it sucks for us (sellers); you, as a buyer, will always be on top of the argument.
+1
just use common sense. This is not a "suck it up, it works" scenario, unless the seller actually said that and so far I have not read they did. So, my point was not that, it was to say that you got a working iPad, its obviously not as described, but are YOU content with it as is and getting some sort of compensation from the seller?
People just screamed right away "START A DISPUTE! NAIL EM TO THE WALL!", which is definitely not the honest and polite way to do things. Until you have a seller acting maliciously towards you (and this engraving is not malicious, perhaps) why would you want to act as such!?
I know, quite personally, that when you get an item you totally wanted and it shows up NOT at all how you wanted it, how pissed one can be. And how quick things escalate from anger straight to hate.
BUT, regardless, common courtesy to a seller is at least warranted, even in this case. Ebay has plenty of guidelines to protect BOTH buyer and seller, but there is nothing worse than EITHER one being difficult when one is trying to help, or get help, from the other.
When a seller blows you off in a case like this engraved iPad, and does NOTHING to help you with this problem, then go nuts as you are totally within your rights to.
Its doing this BEFORE KNOWING what exactly happened that bothers me, not just as a seller myself, but as a person living in a society that is increasingly using emails and online forms to communicate.
If a seller fails to respond within a reasonable time, or offers you crap in return...by all means, respond in kind with all the tools available.