How to Buy an iPad on Craigslist

Craigslist is a great way to save cash on a pre-owned iPad, but it can be intimidating if you're new to it. Sure, there are some scary tales about folks getting scammed on Craigslist, and it's crucial to know that it can and does happen. But, it's also good to know that many deals on Craigslist go through perfectly smoothly.

Getting an iPad on Craigslist can be a great money-saving tactic if you follow the simple steps we've outlined below.

Which iPad Should You Buy?

Before you jump onto the first iPad you see with a low price tag, we should go over some ground rules:

• First, never buy an iPad with a cracked screen. Even a small crack can grow into a shattered display in a relatively short period, and replacing the screen on an older iPad model can cost more than the tablet is worth.
• Second, do not buy an obsolete iPad if you care about security updates and app compatibility. You may still get some uses out of an iPad 4 or the original iPad Mini, for example, but it won't be as useful or secure as a newer tablet.
• Third, if you're getting last year's model, first check electronics stores or online retailers. Depending on the price on Craiglist, you could be better off buying a brand-new iPad from Amazon, etc., at a $50 to $100 discount.

How to Get a Fair Price for an iPad

Let's face it, we are going to Craigslist because we want a good deal. But at what price does an iPad become a good deal?

Just because someone is selling a used iPad on Craigslist doesn't mean they've priced it as such. Many times, people overestimate the actual value of the items they're selling, electronics included.

Luckily, there's a handy website we can use to see what the average iPad buyer wants to spend on pretty much any iPad model: eBay. The popular auction site not only lets you browse through products for sale, but you can also search for products that have already sold (tick the box next to Sold Items in the left-hand column). This lets you see how much the iPad model you're looking at has sold for on eBay, which provides a good idea of its worth.

When you run your eBay search for the iPad you're interested in buying off Craigslist, make sure you're looking at the same iPad, or as close to the same as possible. The model (iPad 4, iPad Air 2, etc.), amount of storage (16 GB, 32 GB, etc.), and whether it allows a cellular connection (Wi-Fi vs Wi-Fi + Cellular) all play a part in the price.

Negotiate the Price

Now that you know the value of the iPad, you can negotiate the price. Many people who sell items on Craigslist will list the items for more than they would take for them. Most people who ask about the item are going to offer a lower price for it, so don't worry about hurting anyone's feelings by offering a lower price. Bargaining is at the very heart of the Craigslist experience.

Our suggestion is to offer about 10 percent less than what the item is selling for on eBay. This is a good starting point and allows you some wiggle room. You might get lucky and they'll take that offer right away. We wouldn't go over the eBay price, though. After all, if you are patient, you could always buy it on eBay.

Meet in a Public Place

The most stressful part of a Craigslist transaction is the exchange. This is especially true with small, high-value items like smartphones and tablets. The best place to meet is a designated exchange zone. Many cities have started offering these places, usually in a police department parking lot or the actual police department headquarters.

If your city doesn't offer an exchange zone, you should meet the seller inside a coffee shop, restaurant, or similar store. The food court of a mall would be a good place. It's easy enough to carry a tablet into a coffee shop, so there is no reason to do the exchange in a parking lot. 

Check Out the iPad Before You Buy It

This is very important. The iPad's physical condition definitely shouldn't be overlooked, so be sure you're comfortable with its wear and tear (don't feel weird looking over every inch of the tablet!). You also need to verify it's the same iPad you researched and are satisfied buying. The last thing you want is to fall for a Craigslist scam.

Once you have access to the iPad, there are a few things you should look for before handing over your money:

1. Monitor the battery life as you test-run the iPad. It's hard to examine this in a short amount of time, but if you plan to spend 15 minutes or so inspecting the iPad, take note of the battery life when you start and when you end. If the iPad is rapidly dying over this short period, then it's probably not worth buying.
   

2. Find the model name. This will tell you which iPad it is. If you find that the iPad they're selling is older than what you expected, you might want to renegotiate the price or walk away.
   

3. Find the storage capacity. If local storage is important to you, confirm that the total storage space in the iPad is what you're expecting. This is how you'll determine if it has enough space for movies, music, and apps.
   

4. Connect to Wi-Fi. If possible, you should connect the iPad to a Wi-Fi network (it can even be a hotspot on your phone) to verify that it can reach the internet. This is crucial because a valid internet connection is necessary if you want to add any games or apps to the tablet, or if you'll be browsing the web. Otherwise, it's basically an expensive paperweight.
   

5. Try to charge the iPad. This could be difficult if you were planning to meet with the seller only briefly or if you're far from an outlet, but it's important that the iPad charges properly.

6. Test the camera if you plan to use it. The seller might be offering the iPad at a heavy discount because the camera is broken. All you need to do is take a few photos and capture a quick video. As long as they save correctly and look fine when you open them, it's reasonable to assume the camera works as it should.

Before You Buy

If the iPad wasn't already reset to its factory default state, make sure Find My is turned off. Doing this requires a password to be entered, which is why it must be done during the exchange with the Craigslist seller. If they don't know the password, do not buy the iPad. 

After You Buy the iPad

Everything goes well and you buy the iPad. Now what?

If you didn't need to set up the iPad when you bought it, you should reset it and go through the initial setup process. This restores the tablet to a like-new state so you can fill it with your own apps and log in with your own accounts. You can reset the iPad through the Settings app.

Do you already own an iPad? If this is an upgrade, you can transfer data from your old iPad to this new one.