Will the Genius Bar remove Activation Lock for non-authorized purchases?

You will need a receipt from an authorized dealer that clearly indicates that you are the original purchaser of the phone including information about the date of sale and serial number of the Apple iPhone.

If you bought on Backmarket, you are not the original purchaser of the phone.

NoahxBoa wrote:

I want to go to a Guiness Bar to remove the activation lock on my iPhone 12, but I did not buy it from an authorized reseller; I bought it on Backmarket. However, I have an IMEI and a printed receipt.

The IMEI means nothing. A receipt for the sale of a used or gray market phone from an unauthorized seller means nothing.

You do not have the proof of original purchase from Apple, or an Authorized Apple Reseller, that Apple requires to even consider removing the Activation Lock. It is also my understanding that Activation Lock support requests are handled by a special security team within Apple, which means that the Genius Bars in Apple Stores might not have the ability to clear Activation Lock even when presented with satisfactory proof of original purchase.

See: The All Too Common SAD Reality of Buying a Used iPad/iPhone – Apple Community

I have heard rumors that you can usually remove the activation lock, even if you didn't buy from an authorized seller, as long as you have proof of purchase, especially for phones that aren't too new. Is this true?

Don't believe everything you read on the Internet or on social media.

There are rumors that the Earth is flat. Also, once upon a time, if you zoomed all the way in, in Google Moon, that Web site showed you that the Moon was made of Swiss cheese.

I don't know where you are getting your information, but the only thing you have is a brick and the Apple Store is not going to remove the Activation Lock. You will be referred to the website for Activation Lock removal and your request will be denied without the original purchase receipt from Apple or Authorized Apple Seller.

Seen it too many times here where the claims have been denied.

You're going by old information.

Apple's policy about this changed several years ago. It used to be there was no unlocking policy at all. If you took a device to a store, though, and could talk the manager into unlocking it then they might do that. Or a manager could simply say, "No," and that was it, even if you did have a receipt. You stood a better chance if you had a receipt but since it was not an official service there were no rigid guidelines.

Apple then changed it so there was an unlocking policy, but with rigid guidelines. This was good in that it was now officially possible and nobody could just say no out of hand, but any flexibility was lost. I too suspect that this was also no longer possible to do in a store itself and was moved to an online service.

Apple —in its typical unclear online support article statements— only says you need "proof of purchase" and: "Proof of ownership documentation is required. Proof of ownership must include the product serial number, IMEI or MEID. " They do not say it has to be the original sales receipt, though I am not sure what else would indicate proof of ownership to Apple's satisfaction.

No you will need official proof of purchase information

As happens with all too many of these cases:

• The All Too Common SAD Reality of Buying a used iPad/iPhone - Apple Community