Ipad Advice Please!!

[Marcheline]

I'm sure there are already threads on this, so sorry and I hope I don't annoy anyone.

I want to get DH an Ipad for Christmas but have no idea where is best - my instinct is just to get it from John Lewis or the Apple store, but friends of mine have bought theirs cheaply on ebay.

I'm a bit risk averse so feel really unsure of spending so much money on something that's been reconditioned / could go wrong, and also buying from an 'unknown' seller, if that makes sense...

Any advice very very welcome. Thanks!

I am probably not going to help much here but I bought DH ipad from John lewis rather than Apple because it had an extra years guarantee plus I have taken out accidental insurance cover as it gets carted everywhere plus we have a 5 year old who likes to play on it ! Yes it cost more but I have peace of mind and being a non techy person I wouldnt know what bargain etc on ebay and the like.

I had a problem last year on sons child tablet also from JL and the exchange was hassle free - certain that I wouldnt get that 8 months after purchase from anyone else.

Apple have just announced new models, which I think will be released before Christmas, so I'd hold out personally. Then I'd recommend John Lewis over Apple directly as they offer a two year rather than one year warranty (though I'd double check - it's been a few years since I've bought any new computers).

If you're not fussed about getting the latest model, or money is a key concern, that would be another reason to wait for the new models as there is likely to be a drop in price / people selling off their older models.

I've bought my last few phones from avforums.com, which have an active classified section. They are a bit higher priced than ebay on the whole, but the people selling are honest about the condition of things and there's a procedure for returns.

DH bought me my iPad 1 from Apple. Full price.

Last year I bought two off eBay an iPad 3 and a 4. These were both sealed and BNIB. I saved about £150 on each one. Yes it was a slight risk but I was very careful to buy from trusted sellers. We had no problems and they both still had their full warranty from apple.

Apple also sell reconditioned ones with some saving. These are basically iPads that have been damaged in some way. Apple does not repair your iPad for you, it sells you a new one at a vastly reduced price (£209 I think) then repairs it and sells it on as reconditioned. These come with a 3 month warranty.

Depends if you feel comfortable taking a risk to save money or not.

Thanks everyone, that is really helpful. I

Merrow - v interesting, I'll hold out for a while then. I assume they'll release the new models with enough time to buy before Christmas? I think that might be my best option...

Downton - That's what my friends have done, and it's worked out well for them, but I just worry that there could be problems even with trusted sellers.

The new ones come out on November 1st. You can preorder them.

Right. Note to self, check John Lewis on November 1st...

Thanks SC

Will JL have them on nov 1st? Or just apple?