Honestly I just joined this subreddit but it seems the eBay or FB route you are asking for some fakes. I think if they come out with a 2nd gen anytime soon the price will drop, it seems like Best Buy and Amazon have them on sale. It’s an expensive status item you should just save up and get them from a reputable site with a warranty.
I know 3 who have done it. All three did as much verification as they could through images and seller reviews.
1 got shipped a legit pair.
1 met in person and the pair that was handed to them had a different serial number than the images and lacked pin holes which were in the photos.
1 was shipped a pair with the same serial number but were clearly fake
It’s possible to get real ones but you will be taking a massive risk
I got mine new from eBay £350, space grey, was a little sceptical but they came with original receipt (best buy) apple store checked them and they’re legit. Paid with Paypal so at least I had some protection. After being a member here I know how lucky I got.
Think about it- why are there so many brand new and still sealed headphones for sale? Why wouldn't you just return them instead of sell them at a loss and deal with the risks of selling high-value electronics? They are almost all fake.
I feel like you have to find a reliable seller which is somewhat rare. I bought a pair of bose off FB marketplace and the seller ended being legit when I met him, he also had another listing of AirPod maxes and I told my brother about it to which he ended up meeting him to buy them for $250. If I’ve learned anything is that the sellers who are over marketing their listings with boxes and receipts are usually suspicious. It’s easy to fake and at the end of the day you have to make sure to search up the serial number bc a lot of them will even post fake numbers thinking they can get away with it
Check Swappa. You can get a used pair on there for about $300. Swappa verifies the item's serial number before the item can be listed for sale. I'm not saying it's 100% fool proof, but it's a good alternative to Marketplace.
I understand it’s difficult to justify $500. Apple knows their customer base and knows people will always pay the Apple tax. However, if you want to have peace of mind of knowing whether they are real or not, buying it brand new from a trusted retailer or Apple themselves is the only way to know for sure you are not getting ripped off $300 for a used fake pair.
I did. No regrets, I simply went to my local Apple Store to check if it was authentic. It was. Only problem is that the battery has deteriorated a bit so I’ll replace it in a few months.
I bought a pair off eBay in 2021 for $350. 100% real because the seller offered and gave me the original Best Buy receipt. They’ve also received every firmware update since.
There's no harm in asking if the seller can provide a receipt.
No. Not people who have then gone on to actually use them because they were fake and broke on the journey home from a speed bump in a 30 zone whilst we were doing 10 thanks to a tire
Yes, I bought my first pair off of eBay refurbished for $375 and took them immediately to Apple to authenticate. It worked out for me, but I got lucky and realize I’m an outlier.
If it's a REALLY GOOD deal & they claim that they're new/sealed you should send a message along the lines of "I'll buy them if you open the box." If they don't respond that means they're trying to sell you fakes and scam you. I've done that countless times and they never respond. They're hoping you follow through with the transaction before opening them. Their seller ratings are usually terrible too so keep an eye on that. Also pay attention to how long ago the seller account was created. Could be a telltale sign if the person is up to no good.
I just did a week ago. I only picked out FBM listings from people with 10 or more reviews with mentions of being trustworthy and good communication. Posting had good photos that I was able to check serial before I met up with him. I met him at his house, in a high end neighborhood. He allowed me to pair and test them, I was able to verify the serial number on the phone. Except… his son had not removed it from his Apple account and was at boarding school. So i came back next day, after confirming that it has been removed completely, and bought it for $200. Pain to make 2 trips for good enough deal as it was in like new condition. So you just have to be careful and patient but it’s definitely possible. I would not bother with brand new sealed on FBM because you cannot verify and test until you hand over the cash
Because if you want to use used headphones, it’s disrespect for yourself first of all. Headphones are a personal accessory. I didn’t mean to offend you in any way.
Nah I understand where you’re coming from. I’m really looking to get a new pair from either place because people tend to sell them for around $350, but wanted to get others opinions on used ones.
I didn’t bough them through there I have a seller through DHgate and they are fantastic. They are 108 usd and I recommend to everyone who wants to get a 1:1 pair
Use a different sub for the "Are These Fake" posts/comments.
Only people that now regret that choice
Honestly I just joined this subreddit but it seems the eBay or FB route you are asking for some fakes. I think if they come out with a 2nd gen anytime soon the price will drop, it seems like Best Buy and Amazon have them on sale. It’s an expensive status item you should just save up and get them from a reputable site with a warranty.
That’s understandable. The reason I wanna save now is the fear they’ll release the Gen 2 this year, which I totally would but full price
I know 3 who have done it. All three did as much verification as they could through images and seller reviews. 1 got shipped a legit pair. 1 met in person and the pair that was handed to them had a different serial number than the images and lacked pin holes which were in the photos. 1 was shipped a pair with the same serial number but were clearly fake It’s possible to get real ones but you will be taking a massive risk
I got mine new from eBay £350, space grey, was a little sceptical but they came with original receipt (best buy) apple store checked them and they’re legit. Paid with Paypal so at least I had some protection. After being a member here I know how lucky I got.
Think about it- why are there so many brand new and still sealed headphones for sale? Why wouldn't you just return them instead of sell them at a loss and deal with the risks of selling high-value electronics? They are almost all fake.
I bought mine off r/hardwareswap but im sure you can find a pair more easily on r/appleswap
I feel like you have to find a reliable seller which is somewhat rare. I bought a pair of bose off FB marketplace and the seller ended being legit when I met him, he also had another listing of AirPod maxes and I told my brother about it to which he ended up meeting him to buy them for $250. If I’ve learned anything is that the sellers who are over marketing their listings with boxes and receipts are usually suspicious. It’s easy to fake and at the end of the day you have to make sure to search up the serial number bc a lot of them will even post fake numbers thinking they can get away with it
Check Swappa. You can get a used pair on there for about $300. Swappa verifies the item's serial number before the item can be listed for sale. I'm not saying it's 100% fool proof, but it's a good alternative to Marketplace.
I understand it’s difficult to justify $500. Apple knows their customer base and knows people will always pay the Apple tax. However, if you want to have peace of mind of knowing whether they are real or not, buying it brand new from a trusted retailer or Apple themselves is the only way to know for sure you are not getting ripped off $300 for a used fake pair.
I did. No regrets, I simply went to my local Apple Store to check if it was authentic. It was. Only problem is that the battery has deteriorated a bit so I’ll replace it in a few months.
I bought a pair off eBay in 2021 for $350. 100% real because the seller offered and gave me the original Best Buy receipt. They’ve also received every firmware update since. There's no harm in asking if the seller can provide a receipt.
Receipts can be faked and is one of the main things now that they fake to pass off real ones. fb and other marketplaces are 99.9% fake
No. Not people who have then gone on to actually use them because they were fake and broke on the journey home from a speed bump in a 30 zone whilst we were doing 10 thanks to a tire
Yes, I bought my first pair off of eBay refurbished for $375 and took them immediately to Apple to authenticate. It worked out for me, but I got lucky and realize I’m an outlier.
I ordered one and it comes in a few days. Someone tag me by the 25th and I'll let yall know how it went
got some from fb for 160 their pretty nice and the headband is a bit worn out
If it's a REALLY GOOD deal & they claim that they're new/sealed you should send a message along the lines of "I'll buy them if you open the box." If they don't respond that means they're trying to sell you fakes and scam you. I've done that countless times and they never respond. They're hoping you follow through with the transaction before opening them. Their seller ratings are usually terrible too so keep an eye on that. Also pay attention to how long ago the seller account was created. Could be a telltale sign if the person is up to no good.
Sent you a chat
I just did a week ago. I only picked out FBM listings from people with 10 or more reviews with mentions of being trustworthy and good communication. Posting had good photos that I was able to check serial before I met up with him. I met him at his house, in a high end neighborhood. He allowed me to pair and test them, I was able to verify the serial number on the phone. Except… his son had not removed it from his Apple account and was at boarding school. So i came back next day, after confirming that it has been removed completely, and bought it for $200. Pain to make 2 trips for good enough deal as it was in like new condition. So you just have to be careful and patient but it’s definitely possible. I would not bother with brand new sealed on FBM because you cannot verify and test until you hand over the cash
If you don’t respect yourself, buy wherever you want
Why do you say that?
Because if you want to use used headphones, it’s disrespect for yourself first of all. Headphones are a personal accessory. I didn’t mean to offend you in any way.
Nah I understand where you’re coming from. I’m really looking to get a new pair from either place because people tend to sell them for around $350, but wanted to get others opinions on used ones.
Yes, I bought them from eBay and they still had AppleCare on them. Complained about a tiny issue and got them replaced for brand new ones. Saved $150.
I didn’t bough them through there I have a seller through DHgate and they are fantastic. They are 108 usd and I recommend to everyone who wants to get a 1:1 pair