Screenshots show that someone took a picture, not who owns the account
App Store Connect is a web interface. Screenshots can be cropped or stitched, recordings can be prepared in advance, and a static page can imitate a console. Treat them as leads, never as proof. Real verification means independent sources agreeing with each other: Apple's public store page, the membership data in the console, and the seller's ability to act on your instructions in real time. A single source supplied only by the seller does not count.
Start with an anchor the seller cannot edit: the public store page
Ask for the App Store link and open it yourself. Check three things: whether the app is currently live, the seller name shown on the page, and the numeric ID in the URL. The seller name reflects the entity the account was enrolled under, a person for an individual account or a company for an organization. If it does not match what the seller claims, or the app is removed or never shipped, a polished console demo should not change your decision. Apple serves that page, and the seller cannot alter it on your screen.
Direct the console demo yourself
Ask for a live video session where you choose the pages on the spot instead of following a prepared walkthrough. Useful views are Membership (entity name, Team ID, membership status), App Information (the app's Apple ID), and Users and Access (members and roles). Then confirm that the store seller name, the console entity name and the app ID all point to the same app and account. If they line up, the console is very likely the real one. If they do not, or the seller refuses to act live, treat it as a risk. This is a viewing exercise only; never send login credentials or verification codes to verify anything.
Accounts with apps carry extra questions: holder, transferability, open items
An account with an app adds risks that an empty account lacks. Who is the Account Holder determines who ultimately controls the account, so the handover method must be written down. Check Agreements, Tax, and Banking for pending items and whether the seller's payout and tax details are tied to the account. Look for versions in review, rejection history, in-app purchases or subscriptions that affect revenue ownership. Finally, find out who holds the source code and signing materials; an account without them cannot ship updates. Apple's current official pages govern the exact rules and transfer conditions.
Signals that should end the conversation
Stop if the seller only offers screenshots or recordings, if the store seller name does not match the console entity, if the app link is dead or does not match the description, if you are asked to pay in full before anything can be checked, or if the answer to every doubt is more screenshots. A seller who lets you choose the pages and puts handover steps and responsibilities in writing has earned a price discussion. Fayá confirms country, entity type (individual or organization) and whether an app is included for each order, rather than applying one script to every account.
Write the verification result into the delivery terms
Verification proves only the current state, so make it hold at delivery. Confirm in writing: entity and country, how the Account Holder will change, app name and numeric ID, whether source code and certificates are included, whether agreements and payout details transfer, and that the seller will not change account settings before handover completes. After delivery, repeat the store page and console checks and confirm nothing has changed before releasing the final payment or using the account.