How about contacting Apple to get the iCloud account reactivated instead? That might be easier.

Sounds like it's doing the same thing that would happen if you accidentally spelt your email address wrong when creating an Apple ID account.

At my store we had quite a few people come in with iOS devices that were locked to an Apple ID account that hadn't been verified as the end user had spelt their email address wrong during the Apple ID creation process on a new device.
That meant that they hadn't even verified the email address, and of course couldn't reset the password as the email address didn't exist (or it was going to some third party's email address).
EG: their actual email address was freddie123@gmail.com but they accidently entered it as freddie123@gmaill.com 

We'd have to do the unlock request to Apple to get the device removed so they could start again.

Very stupid of Apple to automatically turn on Find my iPhone before the Apple ID account has even been verified!
And crazy that they don't automatically remove any devices from an iCloud account if that account is deleted!

Have you actually tried restoring it via iTunes to see if it is still locked to that deleted account?
It may actually have been removed but you can't sign out of the account with the device in it's current state as that account no longer exists.
Restoring it to factory via iTunes will allow you to set it up again with the new Apple ID, if it has been removed from the deleted account.

You'll need to put into Recovery mode to do that.

why not scan the receipt, save as pdf, and (ahem) edit the pdf to include the serial number?

I just looked at my receipt from JB HiFi when I bought my iPhone last year (have all large purchases scanned) and it only states IMEI, no serial. I'd be buggered too if it were an iPad with no IMEI.

If apple is going to start requesting serials be linked to receipts then all retailers better start printing them. As you said apple have rejected a hand written serial on it. What if the sales assistant wrote it on at the time of purchase? Theres no way to prove when it was written.

You need to ask for a senior advisor when you call. Failing that CGA.

Interesting plot twist. And I'm not sure how this is even possible. 

When I got this iPad I linked it up to an apple ID that I created for all of my kids ipads. This ipad is still linked to that account and says that find my is still enabled. However on the device itself, it has been reset and is stuck on the activation locked screen when you first turn it on. The email address there is different from the one I used when I set it up. My question is how was the device linked to another Apple ID when its still linked to my one. 

I have edited the documents to make them say what apple want them to say and submitted them again. If this works this time (unlikely in my mind) then apples security is a joke and anyone could just start rickrolling random apple owners with this one simple trick - fabricate documents to show you own the device. 

Just had a look at my receipt for my iPad and Spark have printed the serial and IMEI on the receipt - this of course won't help if I claimed contents insurance as I'm sure I'd end up in the exact same boat as my insurer would also go thru Noel Leeming

If the Apple ID has truly been deleted, you may be able to recover this device.

I was in a similar situation today.

A colleague had added a work iPhone to his personal Apple ID. He has since left the company

I tried to factory reset it, I couldn't without his apple id password.

After speaking to him.

He removed the device from his apple account.

He deleted the device from find my iPhone, without pushing a remote wipe, before deleting it. His apple ID still was on the device and prevent me from wiping the phone.

I couldn't factory reset it without his apple ID password.

Here's what I did.

Enabled 'Erase Data' on 10 failed passcode attempts.

Entered 10 bad passcodes, then the device automatically factory reset.

Beware there are some caveats here.

The device must truly be deleted from the find my iPhone service. As the device checks find my iphone on restart.

I was then asked for the apple id password of my colleague or the previous Pin for the device. After entering the previous PIN for the device it continued to setup as a fresh device and I was apple to assign a different apple id to the account.

The device was an iPhone 6 running 12.5.4

You could be left with the device requiring a password of the deleted ID before continuing at the iOS setup screen.

If this doesn't work for you 'Not my fault'

gbwelly:

 

That sounds like a easy win for you at the disputes tribunal.

 

Against whom - Apple or NL?

timesplice:

 

I have edited the documents to make them say what apple want them to say and submitted them again. If this works this time (unlikely in my mind) then apples security is a joke and anyone could just start rickrolling random apple owners with this one simple trick - fabricate documents to show you own the device. 

 

One time at work, someone forgot to attach the proof of purchase document in the first place and Apple still unlocked it.

eracode:

 

gbwelly:

 

That sounds like a easy win for you at the disputes tribunal.

 

 

Against whom - Apple or NL?

 

I'm thinking legal action might be my only course of action. However I'm not certain it would be a watertight case. After all, as apple tells me;

It's not apples fault my son removed my apple id, added his own and then deleted his apple id without removing the ipad from it first. 

It's not apples fault that the SN is not on the proof of purchase.

I do however find unreasonable that apple will not unlock it when I have provided the proof to determine I own the device as it was provided to me. Along with proof it was an insurance claim

So does that ultimately put some liability on NL?  

timesplice:

 

 

 

I'm thinking legal action might be my only course of action. However I'm not certain it would be a watertight case. After all, as apple tells me;

 

It's not apples fault my son removed my apple id, added his own and then deleted his apple id without removing the ipad from it first. 

 

It's not apples fault that the SN is not on the proof of purchase.

 

I do however find unreasonable that apple will not unlock it when I have provided the proof to determine I own the device as it was provided to me. Along with proof it was an insurance claim

 

So does that ultimately put some liability on NL?  

 

 

 

I'm not a lawyer but perhaps it might in the sense they haven't logged a serial number when everyone knows Apple is kind of particular about these things.. I would have thought an electronic goods store would have a field for serial numbers to be logged

I don't know what small claims could do for you though - it's not really NL's fault either. It'd be handy if they held serial information or they could write some kind of letter for Apple but they probably can't do that if they can't legally, on paper, tell that the iPad in question was supplied by them in the first place