Is Apple Pay to someone I don’t know secure
Looking in to purchasing a Apple Watch from someone I don’t know will I get refunded if they don’t ship?
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Hi
Apple Pay Cash (ie person to person) payments are like any other private transaction between two people. The service does not offer any buyer protection policies that cover purchasing items from other users:
Send, receive, and request money with Apple Pay - Apple Support
Apple Pay transactions are also a matter between the merchant, you and your card issue. The service does not offer buyer protection policy.
If buying a pre-owned Apple Watch, then I suggest either:
- Buying it face to face and checking for Activation Lock before completing the purchase.
To check for Activation Lock, start to pair it. If Activation Locked is enabled, then you will prompted for the previous owner's Apple ID and password.
- Or buying it through a third-party marketplace (such as eBay) that offers a buyer protection policy.
More information:
There is no way to check, remotely, whether or not Activation Lock has been removed from an Apple Watch. There is also no way around the security feature.
When buying a pre-owned Apple Watch, if the seller's description does not state that Activation Lock will be removed before the watch is shipped to you, then I suggest that you contact the seller to obtain that explicit assurance. If the seller is unfamiliar with the feature, then refer them to this Apple Support document:
About Activation Lock on your Apple Watch - Apple Support
If buying via eBay, then be sure to route all communication with the seller via eBay's messaging system, so that eBay can verify that information in the event of you later needing to make a claim under the terms of its eBay Money Back Guarantee. Also be sure to comply with eBay's terms in order to benefit from buyer protection.
If, upon receiving the Apple Watch, it is still locked by Activation Lock, then ask the seller to remove it by following the instructions here (they can do this remotely):
About Activation Lock on your Apple Watch - Apple Support
If the seller states that they have already followed those steps, but you are still advised by the Watch app that the Apple Watch is still locked by Activation Lock, then it may help if you, as the new owner, try these steps:
- Close the Watch app on your iPhone
- Restart both devices, turning both off together and then restarting your iPhone first:
- Try again to set up the watch:
If the Apple Watch remains locked, then ask the previous owner to either accompany you and the watch to a Genius Bar appointment, taking along their original proof of purchase for the watch or ask them (not you) to contact Apple Support and seek assistance with removing Activation Lock:
- Contact - Official Apple Support
- Apple Support (@AppleSupport) | Twitter
- Genius Bar Reservation and Apple Support Options - Apple
If they are not able or willing to do so, then I suggest that you return the Apple Watch for a refund, as you will not otherwise be able to use the watch.
If the seller is not co-operative, then, if buying via eBay, I suggest making a claim via eBay's Money Back Guarantee, as referenced above.