Buying used Ipad

Grum.Man

Grum.Man

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Grum.Man
I was wondering if anyone has ever purchased a used iPad from craigslist or other sites? Did you get burned, anything I should look out for? I am very skeptical of buying used electronics but the 100+ dollar savings is tempting.
 
Just buyer beware.
I have bought a lot of phones of CL no iPads
So far I have been pretty lucky.

Just know the gamble is you may be buying retail afterwards anyway.
 
I did!
Went great. Researched the specs I wanted and price range and happened to be right on it when it hit Craigslist. Had a phone conversation with the guy, and he sounded legit and cool. Brought a (pilot) friend who's not a techie but has an iPad.

Went to the seller's nearby house. Perfect situation - he was an early adopter and had three iPads laying around. This one, 18 months old, was getting cycled out. The charger was still wrapped in plastic, and he included a couple accessories. Nice guy, good price, so I made a half-hearted effort to bargain. He dropped the price $25. I bought coffee for my friend.

It's worked out very well. Got a good cheap case/cover off Ebay $6, an expensive well-recommended glare guard $15, and a big external battery/recharger that will also power the Dual GPS and/or phone $35.

Like most Craiglist ads, a lot of it is "gut feel" for the other party. This guy had me to his house, explained some stuff, and showed me the home renovations he was doing.

I buy and sell a lot on Craigslist. It's about trusting your gut, and not getting into a dangerous situation.

To recap -
1. Know the specs for what you want.
2. Know your price range.
3. Move fast for good stuff on Craigslist.
4. Try to get a feel for the other person - does it feel sketchy?
 
Some other people I have spoken to said to meet somewhere that had free wifi just to try it out. Thought that was good advice if a house visit isn't an option. I am looking for an ipad air wifi 32 gig model. Thanks for the advice, all good points.
 
I don't think $100 discount would be enough to risk the possibility of not having a warranty if it dies shortly after i buy it. It would need to be a much larger discount to spark my interest.

But to each his own.
 
timwinters said:
I don't think $100 discount would be enough to risk the possibility of not having a warranty if it dies shortly after i buy it. It would need to be a much larger discount to spark my interest.

But to each his own.
Click to expand...

You're discerning enough to spot the good sellers. :wink2:
 
No biggie

I've bought iPhones off there a few times, just check the thing out first.

Honestly, the second you swipe you card to buy a new ipad at the apple store it's now a used ipad anyways.
 
For a little more if you buy a refurbished ipad from apple, you get a brand new battery and warrantee.

Also, if you're like me and you insist on a smooth interface and "need" an upgrade as soon as your device starts taking too long to respond, you might as well just buy the new one. I say this because Apple routinely releases updates that you will pretty much have to install to keep your apps current/get new ones. After about 2+ years usually the updates on the old device make it painfully slow to use. If you buy last year's model that's more like 1 year so you don't really save anything.

Some people are not nerds like me and are totally fine tapping an icon and waiting 5 additional seconds... you probably know which one you are.

Also... just one pilot's opinion but if you want it for in cockpit use get the mini. The full size is just too big.
 
I would rather buy a refurbed unit from apple. With a warrantee. I usually bite the bullet and purchase a new unit every couple of years .i'm using an I pad air in the cockpit now and love it.
 
Back when ebay was still a viable site I bought several vehicles through them including a couple of motorcycles. I bought a couple of iphones and ipads for the kids off Craigslist. Never had a problem.
 
Those of you who bought an ipad mini instead of an Air, any regrets? Any trouble reading approach plates on the mini?
 
Grum.Man said:
I was wondering if anyone has ever purchased a used iPad from craigslist or other sites? Did you get burned, anything I should look out for? I am very skeptical of buying used electronics but the 100+ dollar savings is tempting.
Click to expand...

Yes, make sure the Find my iPhone / Activation Lock feature is turned off. The iPad can be rendered useless later if not.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5818

Like the others have said, go to the Apple refurb store. You could also wait a couple of months, as the new iPad rumor mill is starting to get active. Prices always drop after a new release. Then there's this:

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/apple
 
rpadula said:
Yes, make sure the Find my iPhone / Activation Lock feature is turned off. The iPad can be rendered useless later if not.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5818

Like the others have said, go to the Apple refurb store. You could also wait a couple of months, as the new iPad rumor mill is starting to get active. Prices always drop after a new release. Then there's this:

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/apple
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip. I am not too worried about it becoming obsolete. I'm not a huge tech junkie and would likely never buy an ipad if I wasn't for IFR training. It's so much easier than paper charts. I currently just use my iphone 4s for vfr flying.
 
rpadula said:
Yes, make sure the Find my iPhone / Activation Lock feature is turned off. The iPad can be rendered useless later if not.



http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5818



Like the others have said, go to the Apple refurb store. You could also wait a couple of months, as the new iPad rumor mill is starting to get active. Prices always drop after a new release. Then there's this:



http://theoatmeal.com/comics/apple
Click to expand...


Yeah, just want to echo these points. Make absolutely sure FMI is disabled if you're buying it in a cash transaction from a stranger. With eBay you might at least have a chance at recourse if the seller claimed it was disabled but it wasn't. Which reminds me, check ebays recently completed listings for the exact model you're buying to get a sense of market price.
 
Grum.Man said:
Those of you who bought an ipad mini instead of an Air, any regrets? Any trouble reading approach plates on the mini?
Click to expand...


I assume you mean the newer Mini with Retina display -- it's an awesome device and perfect for the cockpit. Don't bother with the older non retina mini at this point since its hardware is basically an old ipad 2, while the retina mini is similar to an iPad Air internally. Plus the retina screen will really help with any reading you may do.
 
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