@itgrrl @drmaddkap Back when I worked for Apple, we did have the means to bypass activation locked iPads. But we needed the original proof of purchase. So I would ask for proof of purchase to be sent to you, if at all possible, before bidding. If the owners have no way of obtaining the proof of purchase, you're basically buying a brick if you move forward. My firsthand information is current as of October 2020.

@drmaddkap
The family could work with apple to gain access to the apple account with a death certificate and a lot of back and forth. As a third party, it's bricked.

@drmaddkap until Apple changes its policy it will remain a pretty paperweight - a very common complaint for Apple products

@drmaddkap Activation Lock is notoriously hell, and it’s often criticized by right to repair activists. What I’m about to say is not a guarantee because each Apple Store and Customer service rep is different and some are more willing to help than others. Apple is very strict about Activation Lock, and nothing you can do will preserve data on the device. Assuming all goes well, it will be factory reset:

If you are NOT a relative of the deceased you must take the iPad to the nearest Apple Store, and present them with the original receipt, the death certificate of the deceased person whose name must match the receipt, and proof that you legally purchased the iPad from the estate of the deceased.

Even then, there are mixed results. If you were the estate’s mediator or a close relative, you’d have a decent chance, but apparently strangers are about a 50/50 chance. Reddit and the Apple forums have very contradictory solutions and results, so nothing is a guarantee.