So many LTE iPads (instead of Wifi versions) for sale on Craigslist... installment plan scam?

[Hal~9000]

I was looking to buy a iPad Pro at a good price and so I keep checking Craigslist periodically. Since the Wifi version is $130 cheaper than the LTE version you'd expect that one to be more popular right? Well, every time I go on Craigslist it seems like I have to browse through a TON of LTE versions to try and find a Wifi version. I mean the ratio on Craigslist seems a little ridiculous where I'd estimate it being around 15-1 of LTE vs Wifi versions

Is this perhaps a bunch of scammers doing the installment plan trick? Say either a shady person or young adult who doesn't care about having collections on their credit report or understand the value of keeping their score high takes out an monthly installment plan through a carrier to finance the iPad Pro... then they sell it on Craigslist of a lot of cash and not make any installment plan payments so it lapses (thus the iPad you just purchased gets put on the carrier blacklist after you've already paid cash for it).

I'm sure there's a few good, genuine people out there who want to simply sell their LTE iPads... but it sucks that there's no real way to know for sure that an LTE iPad was carrier financed via installment plan so you could buy something at a good price and know for sure you won't scammed

 

[Trnjackie232]

Other than that, there's been eBay deals for the LTE iPads for $820. So maybe they bought it from eBay and decided they didn't want it anymore and they couldn't return.

 

[capathy21]

Yea same with my local Craigslist. The one I purchased had been purchased unlocked at the Apple Store. I chatted with a few others and their's were from carriers which I didn't want anything to do with.

There's an outside chance that they'd keep paying the bill and were possibly just selling a financed iPad as a way to get immediate cash. Either way, they don't own the device so it doesn't make it much better.

Ask a potential seller to send you a photo of the back of the box. If it's from the carrier, it will say it right after it lists the gb size.

The only way I'd ever purchase a carrier iPad is if it was accompanied by a receipt showing that they purchased it outright.

 

[Hal~9000]

Yea same with my local Craigslist. The one I purchased had been purchased unlocked at the Apple Store. I chatted with a few others and their's were from carriers which I didn't want anything to do with.

There's an outside chance that they'd keep paying the bill and were possibly just selling a financed iPad as a way to get immediate cash. Either way, they don't own the device so it doesn't make it much better.

Ask a potential seller to send you a photo of the back of the box. If it's from the carrier, it will say it right after it lists the gb size.

The only way I'd ever purchase a carrier iPad is if it was accompanied by a receipt showing that they purchased it outright.

That's good advice, guess that's the safest way as you said to only deal with people that can either produce a receipt showing it was paid-in-full or stay away from carrier versions completely.

Still a pain in the *** though to have to wade through all the flakey Craigslisters in order to find the needle in the haystack you actually want.

 

[capathy21]

Yea it can be but it's usually worth it. I ended up scoring a 128gb wifi/LTE 12.9 iPad Pro with Smart Keyboard for $800. Would have been about $1,350 with tax at the Apple Store.

I have used craigslist for years and generally, you can tell if someone is honest or not by just chatting back and forth with them for a day or so. The honest one's have no problem telling you anything you ask about where it was purchased, etc.

Sure there is always a risk involved with purchasing used electronics, but it's one that I am willing to take.

 

[barkomatic]

Just to clarify OP, not all LTE iPads are purchased through carrier installment plans. I bought an LTE iPad directly from the Apple store and there is no contract or agreement whatsoever. If I want a cellular data plan I prepay for it.

If I ever decide to sell it, I can provide the receipt.