A new Swiss Apple store will open soon, at the same time with the second eBay Apple store

Jul 8, 2014 19:12 GMT  ·  By

Apple has supposedly returned to eBay. The California-based tech giant is looking to sell refurbished products.

 
The online store does not have any Apple signage. The only time the company's name is mentioned is on the top of the page – "Full one-year Apple warranty included." Even the username is a strange pick: "factory_certified."
 
According to the eBay page, the products they sell are "returned to like-new condition," have received a complete burn-in testing, have been repackaged with the manual and charger and have been through the final quality inspection by Apple. There are only 6 products and they are all different capacity GSM version iPhone 5.
 
The eBay page sells the iPhone 5 at prices ranging from $449 to $499. The phones are being shipped from Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America, and you need to pay an extra $42.50 for USPS Priority Mail International. 
 
All devices are factory unlocked and in excellent condition. They come with a new Lightning Cable, New USB Charger, New Apple Earpods and Manual. 
 
It is worth mentioning that the iPhone 5 is not currently in production. Apple only sells iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c and iPhone 4s in their official online store. However, the iPhone 5c has pretty much the same capabilities like the iPhone 5 except the really nice aluminum casing. Also, a brand new, factory unlocked 16GB iPhone 5c currently costs  $549 in the US Apple Store. 
 
On another hand, Apple has never offered refurbished iPhones in their online store. The only products there are Macs or iPads. The eBay store accepts payments via PayPal, which the regular Apple store doesn't take. 
 
So far, the eBay page has received only positive reviews in regards to all ratings categories: items, communication, shipping time and shipping charges. 
 
Another expansion for Apple retail operations is currently undergoing in Switzerland. A new store is being built in the city of Basel and the opening is scheduled this Saturday, July 12. 
 
This is Apple's 102nd store in Europe only, following the grand opening of the one in Puerta del Sol in Madrid. Apple already has three other stores on Swiss soil in Geneva, Zurich and Wallisellen. 
 
The city of Basel is the third largest in Switzerland and is located next to the border with France and Germany. Basel is the center of world famous chemical and pharmaceutical companies.