HT5312 How can I get an activation locked phone to its original owner?

Question

I recently purchased an iPhone 5 on eBay that was locked with the apple logo on it (As told by the seller who said he purchased it from someone else.  So I had expectations of a possible Activation lock on the phone).  When I reset the phone, I found out that it was indeed Activation locked.  I have sent the seller a reply asking him to see if he can get his customer to unlock the phone (doubtful. It was probably stolen).  So my question is:  What is the purpose of activation lock if someone can not retrieve their old phone and their is no way to "indirectly" get in contact with the old owner through Apple to say, " Hey, I got your stolen or lost phone."  It seems more like a way to just say, "Huh, you got my phone, butnice try sucker."  Chances are that eventually an honest person might come across the phone and try to return it instead of being stuck with an expensive paper weight.  I did try to get a hold of someone at Apple to ask this question but I guess the line got dropped when I did not have $20.  I have left the phone on in the remote chance that they might try to locate it.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

Hi fmclemore,
You have the overall idea of what is behind the Activation Lock. It is there primarily to deter thieves from seeing iPhones as an attractive target. If they can't use the device, it is pretty much not worth stealing it.
People who have Find My iPhone activated do have the ability to see their phone if it comes back online. They also have the abiity to erase the device or to put a lock on it with a message. So keeping it on may be helpful for the owner. Hopefully they will put a message on it so you can contact them.
Also, you can turn it into the Police if they will take it. Oftentimes people go there to see if they can retrieve their merchandise.
You really should return it to the Seller for a refund. Where it came from or who the previous owner is should not be your issue. Remember, eBay has Buyer Protection with a money back guarantee, so if the device is unusable becuase the seller did not ensure that it was, you should be able to get your money back through eBay if the Seller isn't cooperating:
http://pages.ebay.com/coverage/index.html
Sorry you got stuck with a brick. But, again, the Activation Lock is there for the owner's protection. I would love to know the statistics for the theft rate of iPhones after the implementation of Activation Lock....
Best of luck,
GB