Inactive serial number for second-hand iPhone 17 Pro Max

Suanity wrote:

1. Hello! I recently purchased a second-hand iPhone 17 Pro Max (512GB, China version).

When I check its serial number on Apple's official website, I receive the message: "This serial number is no longer active."

The device also shows previous repairs involving the battery and camera, both marked as Genuine Apple Parts.

Could you please verify:

Why is the serial number inactive?

2. Was this iPhone replaced or serviced by Apple?

3. Is this device currently valid and eligible for Apple service?

4. Is there any known issue with its serial number or warranty status?

I can provide the serial number and IMEI privately for verification.

Thank you.

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Original Title: Serial Number

This is a user to user only forum, not Apple Support. Do NOT provide the serial number or IMEI here. There is nothing anyone on this user only forum can do with it. We cannot tell you anything about the condition of the phone either. Have you activated the phone? To see if the phone has warranty with Apple, open Settings > General > About and you'll see if there is any remaining warranty.

Simply said, buying used devices is risky at best. Read this --> https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-250001038

I'm afraid that nobody here on this user-to-user site has access to Apple's internal records, or to carrier's' internal records, to answer your question.

If you have doubts about that phone, you might want to return it for a refund – if you can. If you got that high-end, late-model phone for a price that is "too good to be true", you might be about to discover why.

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

There are two common reasons for that.

This can happen if the iPhone was purchased from someone who had stolen or acquired the iPhone illegally. This has been mentioned in the news a couple of times in the past where an entire shipment of devices was stolen. But, Apple knows all of the serial numbers for those devices and flags them as such. Then you see issues like this.

Another possible reason why the serial number isn't valid is because your iPhone may have had an issue (previous owner) and they received a replacement iPhone. After that, the previous owner is required to return the older phone to Apple, but sold it instead.

In this case, China was the worst possible country to purchase a used phone from. Many stolen phones end up in Shenzhen, China, where they are disassembled for parts. They also use equipment that is sometimes capable of resetting any lock on the device. I've seen a video of how this is done. It's not even slightly easy and requires some specialized, expensive hardware to do it. If they can get the phone "working" as new, it's sold to unsuspecting buyers.

Yours was reported and flagged.

1. Hence the inactive serial number.
2. It may have been a phone that was supposed to be returned as a warranty replacement, but never was. So its serial number was invalidated. But being in China, far more likely a stolen and stripped phone.
3. No.
4. It absolutely won't have a warranty.

The IMEI is simply a hardware identifier for wireless access. Every single device that can access the internet or a cellular service has a unique IMEI number so it is the only device that will respond to that number. The system wouldn't work if multiple phones had the same IMEI. They'd all ring to the same incoming call.

1. If you desire to buy a brand-new iPhone then
   1. Purchase Apple Products from the Apple Online Store, Apple Retail Stores, and many Apple-authorized resellers and wireless service providers.
   2. If you choose "Connect to a carrier later" (Unlocked iPhone) when you buy your iPhone, you can activate your service when you receive your device.
   3. If you're asked to transfer your SIM, follow the onscreen instructions to transfer service from your previous iPhone. To learn more, visit About eSIM on iPhone - Apple Support.
2. If you plan to buy a second-hand device
   1. If you are buying Second-hand then please demand an original receipt of purchase issued by the Apple Online Store, Apple Retail Stores, and many Apple-authorized resellers and wireless service providers from the person/agency that is selling you the device.
   2. Check for Activation Lock before you buy a device from someone else
      1. Before you buy an iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Apple Watch from someone other than Apple or an authorized Apple reseller, make sure that the device is erased and no longer linked to the previous owner’s account. Ask the seller whether or not they've turned off Activation Lock, then follow these steps:
      2. Turn on the device and slide to unlock.
      3. If the passcode lock screen or the Home screen appears, the device hasn't been erased. Ask the seller to completely erase the device by going to Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings. Don't take ownership of any used iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch until it's been erased.
      4. Begin the device setup process.
      5. If you're asked for the previous owner’s Apple ID and password, the device is still linked to their account. Hand the device back to the seller and ask them to enter their password. If the previous owner isn't present, they can remove the device from their account by signing in to icloud.com/find. Don't take ownership of any used iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch until it has been removed from the previous owner’s account.
   3. You will know that a device is ready for you to use when you're asked to "Set up your iPhone," “Set up your iPad," or “Set up your iPod” the first time you turn it on.
   4. If you buy a device that's still linked to a previous owner's account, contact them as soon as possible and ask them to erase the device and remove it from their account. Learn how to remove a device from a previous owner's account.

Suanity wrote:

Could you please verify:

Why is the serial number inactive?

2. Was this iPhone replaced or serviced by Apple?

3. Is this device currently valid and eligible for Apple service?

4. Is there any known issue with its serial number or warranty status?

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