I think you are wrong in stating that the iPad does not have GPS. I was in Switzerland with no connection to any network the whole day, but managed to navigate on my downloaded Google Maps quite nicely. AFAIK that would have to be the GPS.

@TheChymera Only iPads with cellular have GPS since the GPS is built in to the cellular module. The iPads without cellular use Wi-Fi triangulation.

As I said, I was not connected to any networks, and I got ~accurate location info. Are you saying my iPad also had 3G?

@TheChymera You don't have to be connected to the network for the triangulation to take place. If your iPad has a SIM card then it is the 3G model.

Ok, so it had both 3G and GPS then, but as you said, this does not help me, yes?

@TheChymera The SIM card provider may help — I've edited my answer.

apparently they cannot - I assume they have their SIMs location history, but are not allowed to disclose it. Any advice on how I can be more convincing?

@TheChymera They should at least be able to block the SIM card, although I guess if they did they wouldn't be able to track it any more.

yes, I asked them to block it, apparently I can also easily ask them to unblock it, but they pretended they didn't know anything when I asked them about location tracking

I think it's quite possible the call centre people have no idea - how might I go about this differently? Just finding out whether or not I lost it in germany or switzerland would help a lot.

Did the device have a passcode? If not, someone may connect it to their Wi-Fi and you may be able to get the IP of the device from when it connects to one of your services (e.g. Gmail) which would tell you the country (and possibly be even more specific)

the device had a 4-digit passcode - though I am under the impression it does not lock after failed attempts, so maybe they managed to break it? Anyway, apparently the police can help me track it if I can provide them with the IMEI code - but the device is gone, and my box is also long thrown away... can I maybe get it from iCloud/iTunes?

The device does lock after many attempts and require connecting to iTunes (first, it'll prevent passcode entry for a minute, then five minutes, etc)

Well, that sounds like good news. Still, even if someone finds it and brings it to a lost/found repository instead of whatever, I would need to narrow down the list of places where I start asking about it...

Did you allow Siri on the lock screen? It's possible they could use this to find who you are and contact you

I'm sorry, but I don't know what you're referring to.

They could use the voice assistant to ask questions about the owner of the device which may give them information about who you are, e.g. email address or phone number.

That would be nice, but naver having heard of Siri before, it'S quite possible I haven't enabled that either

It would have asked you in the very first device setup :)

Just asked my passcode-locked device 'what's my address?' and it helpfully provided my entire contact from Contacts without needing a passcode — Siri seems a good way to contact the owner of a lost device in general

That seems nice, maybe something will come of it.... my carrier call center people seem quite adamant in not giving me the IMEI code or the Dim Location history :-/

*SIM