[Q] Question for T-mobile users. - T-Mobile, Samsung Galaxy SIII

Can anyone on T-Mobile confirm if T-Mobile will sell a phone outright without a contract. I'm in Canada, but I have a family friend who is now a resident of the US that is willing to go to a T-Mobile store and buy me a GS3. Will this be possible?

Yes u can buy it without contract but you will have to pay full price
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law16 said:
Yes u can buy it without contract but you will have to pay full price
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I have absolutely no problem paying full price. So I just want to make sure I understand this. Your saying my buddy can walk in a T-Mobile store, put down the cash, and walk out with the phone without having to go on any plan or activate the phone? I only ask because I'm not used to such practices. In Canada this isn't usually allowed, on occasion a sales rep my screw up and sell you one without activation. But usually you have to activate the phone on some kind of plan even if you buy it outright. It's really pathetic up here for phone plans.

Yes I can confirm. I've walked into a store and bought my s3 cost 680$ for me.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium

Tempott said:
I have absolutely no problem paying full price. So I just want to make sure I understand this. Your saying my buddy can walk in a T-Mobile store, put down the cash, and walk out with the phone without having to go on any plan or activate the phone? I only ask because I'm not used to such practices. In Canada this isn't usually allowed, on occasion a sales rep my screw up and sell you one without activation. But usually you have to activate the phone on some kind of plan even if you buy it outright. It's really pathetic up here for phone plans.
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Welcome to the USA! :good:

Awesome! Thanks for the confirmation guys.

I believe you have to have an account with them before they sell you a phone. You don't have to renew a contract if you pay a full price
I once tried to buy a phone from at&t like that and they did not let me.
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I walked in and paid full price for mine. But he did ask for my phone number to pull up my account for receipt purposes or something like that.

shorty87 said:
I walked in and paid full price for mine. But he did ask for my phone number to pull up my account for receipt purposes or something like that.
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Same here, they asked for a phone number but you should be able to get the phone without a tmo account.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app

Some stores will prefer to sell to customers only since it's newer. They can decline to sell it to you or request that you purchase a $50 activation prepaid kit.

They told me that they had to give them to new customers / people adding/upgrading before selling them at full retail. I don't know if they are more available now or if they're still sold out everywhere like they were a week ago when I was trying to get one... But yes, they will do it. Eventually.

Related

NO option to buy full price on a no commit plan for a new customer?

Is this a Sprint thing?
I just called two corporate stores and they said that a new customer can't buy the phone for full retail price without a 2 year contract.
In other words, you must sign a two years contract if you are a new customer.
Can anyone here confirm this?
Go here
wirefly.com
Then goto the Samsung Epic 4G Touch order page and you can get it at full price.
I can't post links yet until my post count gets above 8 so sorry for no direct link.
"Get the Samsung Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch without a plan for only $539.99"
Wizard220 said:
Go here
wirefly.com
Then goto the Samsung Epic 4G Touch order page and you can get it at full price.
I can't post links yet until my post count gets above 8 so sorry for no direct link.
"Get the Samsung Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch without a plan for only $539.99"
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But will sprint let me activate it without a 2 years contract?
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Nope! Even if you buy at full price, no matter where you buy it, there will be a contract. Sorry guy.
Sent from my PG06100 using xda premium
EDIT: Answered above.
Not sure if that is the correct answer, there is an Sprint employee in the Evo 3d forum that said yes.
His user is: DirtyShroomz
Thanks all for the replies. What is the ETF on this phone ? It might end up costing the same as full retail price.
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I AM a Sprint employee. I deal with it every single day. Even if someone buys a phone off Ebay, some guy off the street, or buys it in the store, there is going to be a two year agreement. The ETF is going to be 350 for the first six months and starts to decrease from there. If you are going to get one, you may as well get the discounted price.
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Im not saying that you are wrong, but this a an example of what customers have to deal with. One rep state one way, then the other rep.....
ayedlin said:
I AM a Sprint employee. I deal with it every single day. Even if someone buys a phone off Ebay, some guy off the street, or buys it in the store, there is going to be a two year agreement. The ETF is going to be 350 for the first six months and starts to decrease from there. If you are going to get one, you may as well get the discounted price.
Sent from my PG06100 using xda premium
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Funny thing is, when the OG EVO came out, i bought from craigslist and was able to activate it on a month to month plan as a new customer while i was not able to get the same if would buy it at the Sprint store. but i think i got lucky that time and that Sprint policy is really to have a 2 year agreement regardless of the amount you buy the phone at.
The questions is what is the ETF. it might come out the same if i buy it for $199 and pay an ETF when i want out. i never keep a phone more than a few months and i have zero carrier loyalty. Sprint is the only carrier that does not allow month to month contracts it seems.
hold on hold on ... lol
you are wanting to buy a phone at full price then activate as a new customer without a contract??? on month to month? dont know about that one... i totally misread your post and thought you were already a customer and thought this guy was really giving you bad advice to be a sprint employee but now that i reread your post his answer sounds about right... sorry dude
Actually...they are both right. There is a new thing called business freedom. Which is where if you open a new business account with a federal tax ID, you can get this new plan that is a no contract commitment deal. If you interested in more information PM me so we can further discuss this.
Just come tome from now on with all your Sprint needs
Yeah, but you have to have a business and it is more expensive every month since there is no contract. Unless you actually have a business with seasonal employees I really wouldn't recommend it. If you get a new Tax ID just for this, you are GOING to have a deposit. You could run a blended credit but that might only knock it down fifty bucks. Sprint may also want proof that it is a real business so they may need bank statements with the business name, so you have to have a few months worth of that. Would you really want to go through all that just to pay more every month anyway? The average consumer would do best just to sign the contract.
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clubtech said:
But will sprint let me activate it without a 2 years contract?
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You might be able to find a friend who wants out of their contract and are near the end of it. Well, right now they can get out for free...
In all seriousness. I wouldn't mind helping someone out if I ever lost one of my members in my family plan. Charge them something like 30 dollars +10 dollar for smart phones and I wouldn't hold you to a 2 year contract if you brought your own phone to use.
That's actually a very good idea. If you pay full price you don't have to sign a contract if you put the phone on an existing line. Maybe you could find someone who wants to switch to your current provider from Sprint and you could just take over each other's lines.
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t-mobile blocked IMEI :(

Hi guys i purchased the sgh-t99 from this guy on craigslist and two weeks after i got a message from t-mobile that they blocked my imei .. how can i fix this?? please help me. any help will be greatly appreciated.
malik478 said:
Hi guys i purchased the sgh-t99 from this guy on craigslist and two weeks after i got a message from t-mobile that they blocked my imei .. how can i fix this?? please help me. any help will be greatly appreciated.
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Did you try calling T-Mobile?
Mi|enko said:
Did you try calling T-Mobile?
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Yes..they said the phone has fraudulant activity on it...but the phone was working fine for two straight weeks.
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malik478 said:
Yes..they said the phone has fraudulant activity on it...but the phone was working fine for two straight weeks.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using XDA Premium App
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Call them back and explain the situation. Might have to prove you paid for it. Also try and find out what kind of fraudulent activity.
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thehavock18 said:
Call them back and explain the situation. Might have to prove you paid for it. Also try and find out what kind of fraudulent activity.
Sent from my htc_jewel using Tapatalk
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I did..they said the phone was stolen ..i explained the entire story to them..they still wont budge. I paid $550 for the phone. Its my bad luck..i got it from craigslist..i try calling the guy back..hes not answering.
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malik478 said:
I did..they said the phone was stolen ..i explained the entire story to them..they still wont budge.
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I'd try go to the cops and see if you can return the phone to the user it was stolen from, as well as see if they can go after the guy you bought it from to recoup your money.
Mi|enko said:
I'd try go to the cops and see if you can return the phone to the user it was stolen from, as well as see if they can go after the guy you bought it from to recoup your money.
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They said an employee stole the phone...and when i bought it it was sealed brand new.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using XDA Premium App
see if they will exchange it for working phone in the T-Mobile store.
But I somehow don't buy your story. Blocking IMEI is good protection against thieves.
Depending on the situation it can take weeks for an imei to get blocked. It doesn't matter how you got it, matters of it was paid for it not through them ie first payment default or stolen. Tmo will not unlock it. You need to call the cops.
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No buyers remorse since bought it this party and the system will not allow them to submit an exchange on a blocked imei
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malik478 said:
I did..they said the phone was stolen ..i explained the entire story to them..they still wont budge. I paid $550 for the phone. Its my bad luck..i got it from craigslist..i try calling the guy back..hes not answering.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using XDA Premium App
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Bad luck? Really? You allegedly chose to purchase a top of the line phone for full price off of Craigslist instead of the T-Mo store. Why in the world would you do that? Something does not make sense.
Anyway it's nice to see that if my phone is stolen, I can block anyone trying to use it. A person in one of the threads who claimed to work for Tmo said they can't really block phones. Guess that poster was wrong.
malik478 said:
Hi guys i purchased the sgh-t99 from this guy on craigslist and two weeks after i got a message from t-mobile that they blocked my imei .. how can i fix this?? please help me. any help will be greatly appreciated.
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Bummer dude, if T-Mobile said it was stolen then that's all there is. No way to change that, they block the IMEIs of phones that are reported lost, stolen, and phones on EIP (Equipment Installation Program) that have stopped paying. Best bet is to unlock to AT&T and sell it. I got mine in a trade for my note, but made sure to get the receipt even tho it was a previous customer of mine. Called T-mobile and immediately to have it registered in my name with IMEI to make sure there was no EIP in place. Next time run the IMEI, ask them to go into a T-Mobile store with you instead of meeting them at McDonald's. :angel:
jcbofkc said:
Bad luck? Really? You allegedly chose to purchase a top of the line phone for full price off of Craigslist instead of the T-Mo store. Why in the world would you do that? Something does not make sense.
.
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What is not to believe? I bought mine off CL too... I didn't want to extend my contract, I have 1 more year with T-mobile then I'm switching to something else (but that's another story). If I bought the phone from T-mobile it would have cost me like $330 + tax - the $50MIR + get locked in to T-mobile for an extra 12 months of service... I bought the phone from someone - Yeah, I paid a little extra, but I have the option of LEAVING T-mobile in 12 months - AS I PLAN TOO, for a cheaper monthly service - so TO ME it was worth the extra up-front cost.
I'm not defending the OP, I'm defending the idea that its shady to buy a high end phone off craigslist or NOT from the dealer. Just because YOU think its ok to FINANCE the extra balance and cost of the phone instead of paying up front for it, that's YOUR CHOICE (or the OP choice) if not then that is also THEIR CHOICE.
I have bought several iPhone's - ALL FOR MUCH MORE THAN THE CONTRACT DISCOUNT PRICE because we have been on T-mobile which doesn't offer the iPhone so the only way to get the iPhone is to buy out right. That might make me stupid, but not shady. :good:
All cellphone carriers in the US must sell phones at their outright price. I just bought my S3 from VZW at $600 full price...Why didn't you just do that?
Araltd said:
What is not to believe? I bought mine off CL too... I didn't want to extend my contract, I have 1 more year with T-mobile then I'm switching to something else (but that's another story). If I bought the phone from T-mobile it would have cost me like $330 + tax - the $50MIR + get locked in to T-mobile for an extra 12 months of service... I bought the phone from someone - Yeah, I paid a little extra, but I have the option of LEAVING T-mobile in 12 months - AS I PLAN TOO, for a cheaper monthly service - so TO ME it was worth the extra up-front cost.
I'm not defending the OP, I'm defending the idea that its shady to buy a high end phone off craigslist or NOT from the dealer. Just because YOU think its ok to FINANCE the extra balance and cost of the phone instead of paying up front for it, that's YOUR CHOICE (or the OP choice) if not then that is also THEIR CHOICE.
I have bought several iPhone's - ALL FOR MUCH MORE THAN THE CONTRACT DISCOUNT PRICE because we have been on T-mobile which doesn't offer the iPhone so the only way to get the iPhone is to buy out right. That might make me stupid, but not shady. :good:
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natalic said:
All cellphone carriers in the US must sell phones at their outright price. I just bought my S3 from VZW at $600 full price...Why didn't you just do that?
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I have one for sale for $525! Return it and save yourself $150!
bravomail said:
see if they will exchange it for working phone in the T-Mobile store.
But I somehow don't buy your story. Blocking IMEI is good protection against thieves.
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I got it from craigslist...it was working 3 weeks straight..until yesterday.
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toosurreal01 said:
I have one for sale for $525! Return it and save yourself $150!
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I feel so stupid..saving 50 bucks. I dont know what to do?
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Araltd said:
What is not to believe? I bought mine off CL too... I didn't want to extend my contract, I have 1 more year with T-mobile then I'm switching to something else (but that's another story). If I bought the phone from T-mobile it would have cost me like $330 + tax - the $50MIR + get locked in to T-mobile for an extra 12 months of service... I bought the phone from someone - Yeah, I paid a little extra, but I have the option of LEAVING T-mobile in 12 months - AS I PLAN TOO, for a cheaper monthly service - so TO ME it was worth the extra up-front cost.
I'm not defending the OP, I'm defending the idea that its shady to buy a high end phone off craigslist or NOT from the dealer. Just because YOU think its ok to FINANCE the extra balance and cost of the phone instead of paying up front for it, that's YOUR CHOICE (or the OP choice) if not then that is also THEIR CHOICE.
I have bought several iPhone's - ALL FOR MUCH MORE THAN THE CONTRACT DISCOUNT PRICE because we have been on T-mobile which doesn't offer the iPhone so the only way to get the iPhone is to buy out right. That might make me stupid, but not shady. :good:
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dude, you can just buy it outright from your carrier.
Can i unlock it and use it with at&t?
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malik478 said:
Can i unlock it and use it with at&t?
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You should be able too that's what my friend did with another tmobile phone he had,you need to set it up on apn tho
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T-mobile newbie feeling a bit confused

Ok today I decided to take T-mobile for a 14 day ride, thanks to it's new truly unlimited plan and test out the service at my home and at work.
I sign up for something called a value plan where I put down $149.99 for the GS3 and im being charged in installments of $20 for the remainder balance of the phone, which was $549.99. I'm fine with that cause my total bill will be at or around the same I paid over at sprint.
Now this is where I get confused. If I go to the other carriers I would normally just pay the 149 dollars and pick a plan and I'll be committed for the 2 years.
Why is it that Tmobile goes about it this way? My other option was to pay something like $300 for the phone and sign up for a more expensive plan.
The way they lay out their plans are confusing. Did I go about it the best way? Am I getting the better deal?
I figure buy now ask questions later. After all I have 14 days to figure it all out.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium
The value plan is for those customers that already own a phone outright or those that are willing to pay full retail for the phone. They are nice enough to allow you to make payments on the phone instead of having to pay nearly 700 outright. They reward you for this by offering their plans at a cheaper price. If you want to take advantage of the cheaper phone because of the subsidy then you can not get the value plan and you pay a higher monthly fee for service. I hope you are understanding this.
For me I always buy my phone outright so I use the value plan. Can't beat $70 a month for unlimited everything.
Well said. Also, if you happen upon some extra cash while on the value plan, you can pay for your phone in full and knock off the extra $20 every month like I did.
Once i sell my Sprint GS3, I'll pay off the phone.
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shook187 said:
Once i sell my Sprint GS3, I'll pay off the phone.
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Best way of doing it. And welcome to the Tmobile family!
How's the service in your area btw? Were you getting LTE with Sprint?
I love this plan I only pay 78$ @ month once the 20$payments are done I'll be paying 58$ at month, 5$ less with truly unlimited,
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2
shook187 said:
Ok today I decided to take T-mobile for a 14 day ride, thanks to it's new truly unlimited plan and test out the service at my home and at work.
I sign up for something called a value plan where I put down $149.99 for the GS3 and im being charged in installments of $20 for the remainder balance of the phone, which was $549.99. I'm fine with that cause my total bill will be at or around the same I paid over at sprint.
Now this is where I get confused. If I go to the other carriers I would normally just pay the 149 dollars and pick a plan and I'll be committed for the 2 years.
Why is it that Tmobile goes about it this way? My other option was to pay something like $300 for the phone and sign up for a more expensive plan.
The way they lay out their plans are confusing. Did I go about it the best way? Am I getting the better deal?
I figure buy now ask questions later. After all I have 14 days to figure it all out.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium
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Click to collapse
I came from sprint too and have had tmo for 2 months. Depending on where you get the phone but value plans are usually the better plan not only because your monthly is cheaper compared to classic plans ($20 more a month) but value plans have the benefit of having additional options such as when you add data to your plan. For example the unlimited plan is $20 for value members but I believe its $30 for classic members. So as long as youre sure you got the value plan then you've made the right choice...on that part anyway.
Here's where you couldve saved more. If you bought your phone from Costco, the phone retails for $389 so you pay for that out right and stay with value plans. Classic plans you pay $20 more a month ($84.99/month) but you get the phone cheaper. Kinda weird though but it seems you got it the other way around.
babymatteo said:
Best way of doing it. And welcome to the Tmobile family!
How's the service in your area btw? Were you getting LTE with Sprint?
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Service (data speeds) so far been great at home. Getting 14 up and 2 down. The next test is at work tonight. Its only been a few hours and im happy so far. I intend to test drive T-Mobil the full 14 days before making my decision to keep it or not.
As far as sprint goes, I really couldn't complain about the voice service. 3G data on the other hand that's another issue. Being from the Boston market we are on Sprints initial LTE roll out. My phone actually picked up LTE for a few minutes while on the highway, but who knows when the actual roll out will take place. Im impatient so here I am.
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shook187 said:
Service (data speeds) so far been great at home. Getting 14 up and 2 down. The next test is at work tonight. Its only been a few hours and im happy so far. I intend to test drive T-Mobil the full 14 days before making my decision to keep it or not.
As far as sprint goes, I really couldn't complain about the voice service. 3G data on the other hand that's another issue. Being from the Boston market we are we are on Sprints initial LTE roll out. My phone actually picked up LTE for a few minutes while on the highway, but who knows when the actual roll out will take place. Im impatient so here I am.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium
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Yeah voice on sprint is actually really good, Tmobile seems to have more dead spots for data then sprint but their service is much faster on data, I have downloaded roms and big apps not problems with Tmobile, watching netflix and YouTube hd is great, on sprint I wasn't able to do that after the end of last year
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2
Costco lets you buy phones outright?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
It depends on how long you keep your phones. With other carriers they assume you'll upgrade every x years so they build that subsidy into your price. The crappy part is that the subsidy never goes away. With the value plan you get a no interest loan or get to bring your own phone and get a killer price. The only downside is if you're a new customer and after a few months want to cancel you have to pay the ETF plus the balance you owe on your phone. It's a good way to make cancelling super expensive.
Bigjim1488 said:
Costco lets you buy phones outright?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
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Good question. I think initially you cant get walk out of Costco with the phone unless you sign up for a 2 yr plan even if you buy the phone for the retail $389. BUT....when I called after buying the phone and asked if I decided to cancel my plan would I have to return the phone. They said its up to me but I dont have to return it if I didnt want to.
This is the way I do my plan. Unlimited internet comes out cheaper. We can you find unlimited for $20 love t-mobile
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2
aznmode said:
Good question. I think initially you cant get walk out of Costco with the phone unless you sign up for a 2 yr plan even if you buy the phone for the retail $389. BUT....when I called after buying the phone and asked if I decided to cancel my plan would I have to return the phone. They said its up to me but I dont have to return it if I didnt want to.
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Click to collapse
Hmm I should try this!
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
aznmode said:
Good question. I think initially you cant get walk out of Costco with the phone unless you sign up for a 2 yr plan even if you buy the phone for the retail $389. BUT....when I called after buying the phone and asked if I decided to cancel my plan would I have to return the phone. They said its up to me but I dont have to return it if I didnt want to.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you buy a phone on contract you just have to pay your ETF. You don't return the phone, you bought it. There is no way Costco is selling the phone for $389 retail. That's a contract price.
I just left sprint and bought the galaxy s3. My problem is i only had sprint for 2 months but to barely get 25kb on 3g im not waiting and paying 160 a month for possible lte. So now ill have them annoy me about the etf. Just gotta find someone to buy my sprint galaxy. Tmobile is awesome so far
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wellsey1126 said:
I just left sprint and bought the galaxy s3. My problem is i only had sprint for 2 months but to barely get 25kb on 3g im not waiting and paying 160 a month for possible lte. So now ill have them annoy me about the etf. Just gotta find someone to buy my sprint galaxy. Tmobile is awesome so far
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app
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I sold my evo lte to pay etf, the phone was amazing I wish it was available on tmobile, I like my gs3 but the evo lte was really good as well
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joshnichols189 said:
If you buy a phone on contract you just have to pay your ETF. You don't return the phone, you bought it. There is no way Costco is selling the phone for $389 retail. That's a contract price.
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I called about it while I was still under 14 days so there wouldn't have been an etf. I'm only going by What they told me. They never mentioned I had to pay extra for the phone if I dont return it.
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aznmode said:
I called about it while I was still under 14 days so there wouldn't have been an etf. I'm only going by What they told me. They never mentioned I had to pay extra for the phone if I dont return it.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2
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Don't think they will let you walk away with a phone for 199 or what not.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Bigjim1488 said:
Don't think they will let you walk away with a phone for 199 or what not.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
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Click to collapse
I bought it for $389. Again whether they misinformed me or not im just simply stating What information they gave me.
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Buying a note 2 have some ?'s

Ok so im planning to buy a new T-Mobile galaxy note 2 from craigslist for $500 everything is in the box sealed. I'm worried about the situation were T-Mobile blocks your phone from their network if they just bought it with contract and didn't pay the cancelation fee. I was going to meet him up at T-Mobile but he has things to do so we are going to do the deal after T-Mobile store closes. Here's what he told me when I told him about this.
Him : The note 2 was purchased under my account, I have sold 3 other note 2s without any issues or complaints and I bought it for 750.
Also he said
Well my account is active and im using a tmobile phone so I dont know what to tell you, you can buy the phone or not its ur choice
What's your guys input on this ? I would wait but I need a phone today asap and his is the only one I could find
Thanks
Jaimesco12 said:
Ok so im planning to buy a new T-Mobile galaxy note 2 from craigslist for $500 everything is in the box sealed. I'm worried about the situation were T-Mobile blocks your phone from their network if they just bought it with contract and didn't pay the cancelation fee. I was going to meet him up at T-Mobile but he has things to do so we are going to do the deal after T-Mobile store closes. Here's what he told me when I told him about this.
Him : The note 2 was purchased under my account, I have sold 3 other note 2s without any issues or complaints and I bought it for 750.
Also he said
Well my account is active and im using a tmobile phone so I dont know what to tell you, you can buy the phone or not its ur choice
What's your guys input on this ? I would wait but I need a phone today asap and his is the only one I could find
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if he bought it for $750 why would he sell it for $500? the only way it makes sense is if he got a deal on the phone or got it as a gift and is flipping it for a profit
i live in NY and on CL the Tmo version is going from $600-650....$500 is quite cheap
if you ABSOLUTELY NEED a phone today as you claim you do...you're better off buying one that is closer to the average asking price
advise for anyone using CL...if it sounds to good to be true..it probably is
jdiddy_ub said:
if he bought it for $750 why would he sell it for $500? the only way it makes sense is if he got a deal on the phone or got it as a gift and is flipping it for a profit
i live in NY and on CL the Tmo version is going from $600-650....$500 is quite cheap
if you ABSOLUTELY NEED a phone today as you claim you do...you're better off buying one that is closer to the average asking price
advise for anyone using CL...if it sounds to good to be true..it probably is
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really ? Most notes on craigslist are 500-600 in Vegas
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And is there a way to check the imei myself?
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Jaimesco12 said:
Really ? Most notes on craigslist are 500-600 in Vegas
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
considering the current retail price is $699.99...i dont see the logic of selling it for $500 when you can easily get $100 more
but yeah..i just re-checked CL and they are going for at least $600 with only 1 post that is $550 but the phone is not mint thats why
if they are all going for 500-600 in your area then it shouldnt be hard to find another person that sounds more legit that is also selling it for 500
---------- Post added at 09:22 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:17 PM ----------
Jaimesco12 said:
And is there a way to check the imei myself?
Sent from my PG86100 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
there are a bunch of sites that claim to check it..idk how legit they are..just google "imei checker"
or maybe even call tmobile directly and ask..although i feel like i did that once and they didnt offer any help
tmobile phones are rarely blacklisted if ever..are you concerned that it has already been blacklisted or that it WILL be blacklisted sometime down the line...if your speaking in the present just pop your sim in there..if it works, your ok..for now..
if you are gonna buy from this guy, ask him if hes driving to meet you...if he is just copy down or memorize his license plate without him knowing
jdiddy_ub said:
considering the current retail price is $699.99...i dont see the logic of selling it for $500 when you can easily get $100 more
but yeah..i just re-checked CL and they are going for at least $600 with only 1 post that is $550 but the phone is not mint thats why
if they are all going for 500-600 in your area then it shouldnt be hard to find another person that sounds more legit that is also selling it for 500
---------- Post added at 09:22 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:17 PM ----------
there are a bunch of sites that claim to check it..idk how legit they are..just google "imei checker"
or maybe even call tmobile directly and ask..although i feel like i did that once and they didnt offer any help
tmobile phones are rarely blacklisted..are you concerned that it has already been blacklisted or that it WILL be blacklisted sometime down the line...if your speaking in the present just pop your sim in there..if it works, your ok..for now..
if you are gonna buy from this guy, ask him if hes driving to meet you...if he is just copy down or memorize his license plate without him knowing
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was planning to call T-Mobile since he will give me the imei number but T-Mobile can't check it ??? And I'm concerned of it being blacklisted down the road because I can just pop my sim in and if it works its good but what if next month it doesn't?
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Jaimesco12 said:
I was planning to call T-Mobile since he will give me the imei number but T-Mobile can't check it ??? And I'm concerned of it being blacklisted down the road because I can just pop my sim in and if it works its good but what if next month it doesn't?
Sent from my PG86100 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
to be honest with you i dont think tmobile cares about blacklisting stolen phones...my guess is that employees dont even have that info to look up
if you are just looking to pop your sim in and use it you are most likely gonna be fine..if you are planning on unlocking it or using it internationally then you might encounter an issue if that phone was indeed stolen and reported
the only way to protect yourself is to look for deals that you truly believe are legit...trust your gut..sounds like your gut is telling you no...if you really believed that this guy was legit you wouldnt have posted this question
also..i have been on both ends of selling a phone on CL...ive sold and bought..whenever i buy a new phone my old phone immediately goes on CL..as a legit seller i have no issues answering people's questions...the guy you mentioned sounded very blunt and quick...if you are making a legit sale you would understand that people dont just hand over $500 no questions asked...ive also dealt with sellers that are like that and i just look for someone else
jdiddy_ub said:
to be honest with you i dont think tmobile cares about blacklisting stolen phones...my guess is that employees dont even have that info to look up
if you are just looking to pop your sim in and use it you are most likely gonna be fine..if you are planning on unlocking it or using it internationally then you might encounter an issue if that phone was indeed stolen and reported
the only way to protect yourself is to look for deals that you truly believe are legit...trust your gut..sounds like your gut is telling you no...if you really believed that this guy was legit you wouldnt have posted this question
also..i have been on both ends of selling a phone on CL...ive sold and bought..whenever i buy a new phone my old phone immediately goes on CL..as a legit seller i have no issues answering people's questions...the guy you mentioned sounded very blunt and quick...if you are making a legit sale you would understand that people dont just hand over $500 no questions asked...ive also dealt with sellers that are like that and i just look for someone else
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He says he couldn't go because he has a boxing event lol? My gut tells me no at any price because I'm uncompletly sure it wouldn't matter if it was 600 I ask myself what if lol
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Jaimesco12 said:
He says he couldn't go because he has a boxing event lol? My gut tells me no at any price because I'm uncompletly sure it wouldn't matter if it was 600 I ask myself what if lol
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
why did you mention the thing about someone buying the phone and not paying the cancellation fee? is that what you believe he is doing or did you just make that up out of paranoia?
i believe you can tell if a CL posting is real based on the way they write...also always ask the seller if he has a receipt
like i mentioned..most guys that are legit will answer questions
1. where did they get it from?
2. why are they selling?
do you have a link to the posting?
jdiddy_ub said:
why did you mention the thing about someone buying the phone and not paying the cancellation fee? is that what you believe he is doing or did you just make that up out of paranoia?
i believe you can tell if a CL posting is real based on the way they write...also always ask the seller if he has a receipt
like i mentioned..most guys that are legit will answer questions
1. where did they get it from?
2. why are they selling?
do you have a link to the posting?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He got it from tmobile http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/for/3390448521.html and Im just asking what if lol
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I know there have been issues over in the gs3 forum where someone buys a s3 off craigslist and a couple months later the phone no longer works. What ppl are doing is buying the phone with a value plan pay the upfront of 129.99 or 199 or whatever it is and then the rest of the cost is broken up over the course of 20 months. Well they sell the phone and stop paying the installment payments and that causes the phone to get blacklisted.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium
Jaimesco12 said:
He got it from tmobile http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/for/3390448521.html and Im just asking what if lol
Sent from my LG-LG855 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
id just ask him if he has a receipt...open the box in front of him and pop your sim in to test it
like i said..tmobile rarely if ever blacklists a phone..at the end of the day its your choice..no one can tell you whether or not its safe...no one knows..good luck
Are you still on contract and that is why you need to buy the device "full" price? Are you wanting to use the device for the prepaid plan? Are you trying to keep your old plan?
Why not just go for a contract? This way you don't have to pay so much for this device. And you will know that the device is legit.
Just call t-mobile and give them the IMEI and see if the phone is blacklisted. Worked for our second Note 2, and it's running on solavei with zero problems.
Figured I'd post here, but does anyone know if phones outside of the Equipment Installment Plan get blacklisted? I'm shopping for a Note 2 right now and want to make sure phones purchased off-contract or on-contract but not in EIP won't get blacklisted.
The 2-months-to-blacklist thing is outside of PayPal/eBay buyer protection but just within normal credit card protections but I want to be as safe as possible.
There is no clear cut answer as of yet. Supposedly they should have already start blacklisting the phones that are reported stolen. AT&T have already started the program.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2
Jaimesco12 said:
Ok so im planning to buy a new T-Mobile galaxy note 2 from craigslist for $500 everything is in the box sealed. I'm worried about the situation were T-Mobile blocks your phone from their network if they just bought it with contract and didn't pay the cancelation fee. I was going to meet him up at T-Mobile but he has things to do so we are going to do the deal after T-Mobile store closes. Here's what he told me when I told him about this.
Him : The note 2 was purchased under my account, I have sold 3 other note 2s without any issues or complaints and I bought it for 750.
Also he said
Well my account is active and im using a tmobile phone so I dont know what to tell you, you can buy the phone or not its ur choice
What's your guys input on this ? I would wait but I need a phone today asap and his is the only one I could find
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The condition is whether the previous user paid off the phone or not. I had to pay S3 in full (remaining balance) at once before selling it.

Purchasing the One on a new contract, then cancel at day 15 and pay ETF?

Ok, I'm trying to weigh my options here. I have unlimited data and have no plan on ending that until they force me to. I have looked around and have found that a new HTC One still tends to go for around $500-550.
However, Verizon's ETF is $350, and now that the One can be had on contract for $50, it seems to me I could have the phone and only be out $400.
I actually ran this plan by a Best Buy employee as well to see if they could warn me of any pitfalls, and the guy said there would be no problem. But, I seem to find you guys know more than the guys at Best Buy or Verizon! So, here's what I had in mind...:
- Start a NEW LINE of service, not at all linked to my existing account, get whatever cheapest plan they have, and get the One for $50
- Wait out the 14 days "worry free" period, so that I am past the point where they would just want me to return the phone
- Cancel the service, pay the $350 ETF (plus a possible pro-rate for the half-month of service?)
- Profit!
Are there any catches? Any pitfalls? ANY way that I can screw myself over by doing this? Also, at what point can I switch the SIM card from my current phone over to the new phone? Right away or do I have to wait til I cancel the service? Do I need to do anything on the Verizon website as well? I have bought a phone outright for my wife and just switched the SIM and it worked fine.
bast525 said:
Ok, I'm trying to weigh my options here. I have unlimited data and have no plan on ending that until they force me to. I have looked around and have found that a new HTC One still tends to go for around $500-550.
However, Verizon's ETF is $350, and now that the One can be had on contract for $50, it seems to me I could have the phone and only be out $400.
I actually ran this plan by a Best Buy employee as well to see if they could warn me of any pitfalls, and the guy said there would be no problem. But, I seem to find you guys know more than the guys at Best Buy or Verizon! So, here's what I had in mind...:
- Start a NEW LINE of service, not at all linked to my existing account, get whatever cheapest plan they have, and get the One for $50
- Wait out the 14 days "worry free" period, so that I am past the point where they would just want me to return the phone
- Cancel the service, pay the $350 ETF (plus a possible pro-rate for the half-month of service?)
- Profit!
Are there any catches? Any pitfalls? ANY way that I can screw myself over by doing this? Also, at what point can I switch the SIM card from my current phone over to the new phone? Right away or do I have to wait til I cancel the service? Do I need to do anything on the Verizon website as well? I have bought a phone outright for my wife and just switched the SIM and it worked fine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Other than losing tons of money I don't see an issue. Why not just pay the monthly payments and keep unlimited though?
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bast525 said:
Ok, I'm trying to weigh my options here. I have unlimited data and have no plan on ending that until they force me to. I have looked around and have found that a new HTC One still tends to go for around $500-550.
However, Verizon's ETF is $350, and now that the One can be had on contract for $50, it seems to me I could have the phone and only be out $400.
I actually ran this plan by a Best Buy employee as well to see if they could warn me of any pitfalls, and the guy said there would be no problem. But, I seem to find you guys know more than the guys at Best Buy or Verizon! So, here's what I had in mind...:
- Start a NEW LINE of service, not at all linked to my existing account, get whatever cheapest plan they have, and get the One for $50
- Wait out the 14 days "worry free" period, so that I am past the point where they would just want me to return the phone
- Cancel the service, pay the $350 ETF (plus a possible pro-rate for the half-month of service?)
- Profit!
Are there any catches? Any pitfalls? ANY way that I can screw myself over by doing this? Also, at what point can I switch the SIM card from my current phone over to the new phone? Right away or do I have to wait til I cancel the service? Do I need to do anything on the Verizon website as well? I have bought a phone outright for my wife and just switched the SIM and it worked fine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They will charge full price if phone if you don't return the phone. I use to work for Verizon in Columbia TN. This was the norm for that issue.
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cstrife999 said:
Other than losing tons of money I don't see an issue. Why not just pay the monthly payments and keep unlimited though?
Sent from my HTC6500LVW using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure I understand? Where am I losing tons of money?
wcr84 said:
They will charge full price if phone if you don't return the phone. I use to work for Verizon in Columbia TN. This was the norm for that issue.
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok so as far as you know, what is the cut off where they can no longer ask me to return the phone, but will not charge me the full retail price of the phone either? After conversing with the Best Buy guy, he said this cut off is 14 days, after which they will not allow me to return the phone, and would only charge me the ETF, not the full price of the phone. Is he full of it?
wcr84 said:
They will charge full price if phone if you don't return the phone. I use to work for Verizon in Columbia TN. This was the norm for that issue.
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's only if he does not pay the etf , if he pays the $350 they can't then charge for the phone .
Sent from my HTC6500LVW using Tapatalk 2
NOT TRUE. I just opened up a new account to get the phone for $149. It was my only choice since I have a concession account and Verizon would not sell me the phone unless they could attach it to a consumer account and I wasn't about to pay $699 at Best Buy. I cancelled the next day over the phone. The rep told me I was within my window to return the phone. I told him that I wanted to keep it and he said that was absolutely fine. Got my final bill about 2 weeks later and was charged $350 ETF, 1 day service $3.50, and $11.48 in taxes. They tried to charge me tax on the Activation fee which they eventually reversed since the account was cancelled within the first 3 days. In the end I paid a total of $565. The cheapest retail is at a VZW corporate store at $599. I was satisified.
Sent from my HTCONE using xda app-developers app[/QUOTE]
skorpyo31 said:
NOT TRUE. I just opened up a new account to get the phone for $149. It was my only choice since I have a concession account and Verizon would not sell me the phone unless they could attach it to a consumer account and I wasn't about to pay $699 at Best Buy. I cancelled the next day over the phone. The rep told me I was within my window to return the phone. I told him that I wanted to keep it and he said that was absolutely fine. Got my final bill about 2 weeks later and was charged $350 ETF, 1 day service $3.50, and $11.48 in taxes. They tried to charge me tax on the Activation fee which they eventually reversed since the account was cancelled within the first 3 days. In the end I paid a total of $565. The cheapest retail is at a VZW corporate store at $599. I was satisified.
Sent from my HTCONE using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
great info here, thank you. This is right in line with what I was expecting. Based on your experience, and the fact that the phone is now $50 on contract, I would say $465 is probably a good ballpark figure for what I should expect my total out of pocket cost to be for the phone.
wcr84 said:
They will charge full price if phone if you don't return the phone. I use to work for Verizon in Columbia TN. This was the norm for that issue.
Sent from my HTCONE using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If that is what they told you, that is complete bull****. That's a bs line that INDIRECT stores tell their customers. I know this because I was a store manager for one. The indirect retailers get paid when you buy a phone. When that phone/line is canceled a DAY before 6 months in term, they get their money taken back from them. Any new line or upgrade needs to be active for a complete 6 months before they are free and clear of returns and chargebacks. You tell them to shove it and call their bluff...Corporate Verizon should have NO problem doing this, I've seen it done. Hell....I've done it, but do it at your own risk because I don't work for corporate and never have, so idk what kind of guidelines they have about these types of things...
EDIT*** I thought you said the store TOLD you that, I misread. You WORKED for Verizon? Was it corporate or indirect? I've done this before, and have helped friends do it as well and there were no issues....
bast525 said:
great info here, thank you. This is right in line with what I was expecting. Based on your experience, and the fact that the phone is now $50 on contract, I would say $465 is probably a good ballpark figure for what I should expect my total out of pocket cost to be for the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds right. I picked mine up from the same store that refused to sell the phone to me. I placed the order online and chose in store pickup. Phone was ready within an hour..
skorpyo31 said:
Sounds right. I picked mine up from the same store that refused to sell the phone to me. I placed the order online and chose in store pickup. Phone was ready within an hour..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pay full retail or do the 12 monthly payments split on your bill.
zetsumeikuro said:
Pay full retail or do the 12 monthly payments split on your bill.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Orrr.... Pay less. By doing it his way?
Sent from my HTC6500LVW using Tapatalk 2
Ok, to play devil's advocate here.
1. Don't do it at an indirect. Best buy may be ok because they're large, and probably wouldn't notice/care enough to come after you with a chargeback. At my indirect you sign a separate contract saying if you cancel within 6 months, we will bill you full retail on the phone or you must return it to us.
2. If you cancel within the first 14 days, YES, corporate can bill your account full retail on the phone. Most carriers have a "gaming" department that handles cases like these.
(Source: I used to work in a gaming dept. Charged a guy full retail on 10 blackberry bolds )
3. You'll have the cost at the POS, a $35 activation fee, half a month of service, and the ETF. Just be aware of all of these.
4. When you call in to cancel DO NOT say it was lost/stolen. Don't want your ESN getting flagged

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