[Roland Rance]

I recently bought a Galaxy S2 on eBay. I have tried to open it, but every time I get the error message "The device was reset. To continue, sign in with a Google Account that was previously synced on this device". Does this mean that only the previous owner can login to the device? Short of returning the device to him, is there any way I can login and register it to my account? And if I return it, what does the previous owner have to do so that I will be able to take ownership?

[Aquila]

Does this mean that only the previous owner can login to the device?

Yes, the only options here are for them to give you the login information or for you to return it.

[Roland Rance]

Thank you. What does the previous owner need to do so that I can take ownership and log in? He has already performed a factory reset and disconnected the device from his Google account.

[Golfdriver97]

The previous owner should just need to use his GMail account and password to log in. After that, I think the device will be clear for another user.

For future reference, these are the steps to take before resetting a device: Factory Reset Protection: what you need to know | Android Central