Second hand iphone - no service and prev. owners apple account still signed in

[Anonymous]

Hi,

I just bought a second-hand iphone 4 off eBay for my mum. The listing stated it was in full working order and locked to Orange which I thought would not be a problem because I intended to unlock it and put it on an O2 pay monthly contract.

We received the phone today and there's a couple of issues. First of all, the previous owners apple account is still signed in and he still has some of his info on the phone such as contacts etc. I tried deleting the apple account but need the password. I googled and apparently I can reset the device but I read a few things which said this wouldn't fix the apple account issue so I'm reluctant to do this until I know how to solve it. I obviously don't have his password so is this something I can fix or is it unfixable without having his password?

Secondly, the phone is displaying "no service". As mentioned, the listing did say it was locked to Orange and the old Orange sim card was in the phone when it came this morning so I'm not sure if this means there's a fault or if it just means he's deactivated the sim? I've never bought a used mobile before so please excuse my ignorance regarding this

So basically, is the No Service message a fault or just a deactivated sim, and is there a way for me to delete the old apple account?

Thanks

[perksie]

It could have been a genuine mistake sending it out like that and they might be ok doing it for you.

Just remember they will have the phone and the money you paid..............!

It's all about trust really and you'll have to make that decision yourself.

[Cleoriff]

Personally I would be very wary. This has appeared dodgy from the start. If you do send it back I would make sure it is sent via recorded delivery and tracked. If it was me I would be asking for a refund. The choice is yours though

[Anonymous]

---

@perksie wrote:

Just remember they will have the phone and the money you paid..............!

It does seem to me like a genuine mistake, but this is a legit concern - does eBay have any kind of policy in which they could refund me if the seller didn't return or refund? I will be sending it back via recorded so I'd have proof of shipping. Surely eBay has a duty to ensure people are refunded in the event that a seller doesn't ship an item and fails to refund them as well?

Edit: sorry for the italics - don't know how to quote on here.

---

[Cleoriff]

Both Ebay and Paypal have policies in place to cover this sort of thing. We had a similar issue and Paypal resolved it by taking money directly out of the sellers account to refund us with. However...if the seller has no funds available that would cause a problem. As i said...send it recorded delivery and tracked. All communications should be going through Ebay to the seller so there will be a recorded. (as long as you have been communicating via Ebay and not directly to the seller?)

[Anonymous]

With this sort of thing ( i don't buy phones from eBay anymore unless its a business )
I usually give paypal a ring there customer service is excellent they also tend to know if a user is a problem and are more accommodating in helping you.
smartfonestore is a company i have bought tablets and phones from on eBay and their main website, there was an issue with one phone they sent a prepaid next day tracked envelope and then sent out a new phone in return pretty good service and the prices are fair.