IMEI Blocking - Samsung Galaxy Nexus

Recently I've been seeing a lot of T-Mobile USA & AT&T phones on eBay and such that have their IMEI blocked by the provider they are made for. I was thinking if there's a way to prevent getting scammed and buying one of these used phones where the IMEI ends up getting blocked (perhaps months later) because the original owner didn't make a phone or service payment & I was wondering if T-Mobile USA or AT&T would ever block the IMEI of a Galaxy Nexus GSM Unlocked Phone?
It obviously has an IMEI but does anyone know if T-Mobile USA or AT&T would block the IMEI of a phone like the Nexus that they don't sell themselves if someone reported it stolen, didn't make a bill payment of some kind, etc.?

LS1_01 said:
Recently I've been seeing a lot of T-Mobile USA & AT&T phones on eBay and such that have their IMEI blocked by the provider they are made for. I was thinking if there's a way to prevent getting scammed and buying one of these used phones where the IMEI ends up getting blocked (perhaps months later) because the original owner didn't make a phone or service payment & I was wondering if T-Mobile USA or AT&T would ever block the IMEI of a Galaxy Nexus GSM Unlocked Phone?
It obviously has an IMEI but does anyone know if T-Mobile USA or AT&T would block the IMEI of a phone like the Nexus that they don't sell themselves if someone reported it stolen, didn't make a bill payment of some kind, etc.?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not for missing a bill payment. The phone isn't sold or subsidized by them so they would have no right to block it.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus

I was wondering the same thing too. If I buy a used international Galaxy S3 i9300 would they block the imei if the previous owner report it stolen a short while after selling it? Also will the phone be block if the insurance is from third party?
These new imei blocking idea seems to create a whole new set of problems (for us consumers at least). The big carriers would probably benefit from sales of new device as people are too afraid to buy devices that can be blacklisted whenever.

whatsitsnamenow said:
I was wondering the same thing too. If I buy a used international Galaxy S3 i9300 would they block the imei if the previous owner report it stolen a short while after selling it? Also will the phone be block if the insurance is from third party?
These new imei blocking idea seems to create a whole new set of problems (for us consumers at least). The big carriers would probably benefit from sales of new device as people are too afraid to buy devices that can be blacklisted whenever.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't blame the carriers . Blame criminals who benefit by reselling stolen phones on the used market. The theft of smartphones is huge right now as this is so easy and profits are huge. Anything that can slow this down is worth doing.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

whatsitsnamenow said:
I was wondering the same thing too. If I buy a used international Galaxy S3 i9300 would they block the imei if the previous owner report it stolen a short while after selling it? Also will the phone be block if the insurance is from third party?
These new imei blocking idea seems to create a whole new set of problems (for us consumers at least). The big carriers would probably benefit from sales of new device as people are too afraid to buy devices that can be blacklisted whenever.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Never thought about the insurance aspect but when I called T-Mobile they said that any phone could be blocked if reported stolen including something like a Nexus...but who knows if it ever happens.

Its not about blaming who. I just think this is not very thought out solution. It puts a dent on phones that are actually stolen but does nothing to stop fraud. Example
I buy new Galaxy S3 from Att
I buy insurance for phone
I sell phone for $450 (good imei standing currently) on Craigslist or on Marketplace
One week later I report my phone stolen and pay my $100 deductible
Phone gets blocked and buyer gets screwed.
I receive new Samsung Galaxy S3
Next week I sell my new Galaxy S3 for $450 and start the whole process over again.
In this scenario there is no way to check for IMEI clean or not because at the time of sale the IMEI is clean.
Also CDMA phones are better protected against this scenario as the CDMA phone's ESN is link to the account holder.

whatsitsnamenow said:
Its not about blaming who. I just think this is not very thought out solution. It puts a dent on phones that are actually stolen but does nothing to stop fraud. Example
I buy new Galaxy S3 from Att
I buy insurance for phone
I sell phone for $450 (good imei standing currently) on Craigslist or on Marketplace
One week later I report my phone stolen and pay my $100 deductible
Phone gets blocked and buyer gets screwed.
I receive new Samsung Galaxy S3
Next week I sell my new Galaxy S3 for $450 and start the whole process over again.
In this scenario there is no way to check for IMEI clean or not because at the time of sale the IMEI is clean.
Also CDMA phones are better protected against this scenario as the CDMA phone's ESN is link to the account holder.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought a G1 from eBay when they were first released (listed as new in box) and it was blocked after a month.
It took me 4 months to get my money back from the seller and I only succeeded because I got the police involved. Personally I just wouldn't buy a phone again from a private seller.
In the UK at least there is no process to appeal an IMEI block.
That said, I still think its a good way of reducing phone theft - they just really need some kind of escrow / transfer service for IMEIs

Blacklisting a Phone that's not lost or stolen
LS1_01 said:
Recently I've been seeing a lot of T-Mobile USA & AT&T phones on eBay and such that have their IMEI blocked by the provider they are made for. I was thinking if there's a way to prevent getting scammed and buying one of these used phones where the IMEI ends up getting blocked (perhaps months later) because the original owner didn't make a phone or service payment & I was wondering if T-Mobile USA or AT&T would ever block the IMEI of a Galaxy Nexus GSM Unlocked Phone?
It obviously has an IMEI but does anyone know if T-Mobile USA or AT&T would block the IMEI of a phone like the Nexus that they don't sell themselves if someone reported it stolen, didn't make a bill payment of some kind, etc.?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just bought an HTC One X on ebay that the seller said was a return by someone who decided on a different phone. I can confirm that the device was unlocked because it worked for a day on Straight Talk before the phone was blacklisted with the message "This device has been blocked for network use". I contacted the ebay seller to let them know what the situation was and I called AT&T to see if I could figure out why the device was blocked, thinking that maybe it could be unblocked or returned to the original purchaser in case it had been lost or stolen.
When I talked to the AT&T rep they said that the phone was not lost or stolen, just that it wasn't eligible to be unlocked until November - but the device itself was unlocked. I suspected that the phone had been blocked for being unlocked and told them that I thought that that was unethical and maybe even ilegal. They refused to give me more information and I left a different, working phone number for my girlfriend for the original owner to contact just in case the phone was lost or stolen (they wouldn't confirm whether it was or not despite assuring me it wasn't before I talked with a manager).
Today, I just got this message back from the ebay seller "we received the phone , i tried getting another out to you but att will not unlock it unless its under contarct , its some new policy."
So, apparently if the phone isn't unlocked by the person with the contract AT&T will blacklist it even though the device is unlocked and they are abusing the "lost or stolen" blacklist to carry this out. This is nothing short of an attempt to kill off the market for used phones under the guise of protecting consumers from theft or lost phones. I can't believe this isn't ilegal and I can barely believe that AT&T is cynical enough to do this.
For the time being, be warned that in the US, a used phone now must be physically unlocked as well as blessed by the carrier to not be blacklisted. It seems like a fairly risky proposal to do something as straight forward as buying a used phone.

akr884 said:
I just bought an HTC One X on ebay that the seller said was a return by someone who decided on a different phone. I can confirm that the device was unlocked because it worked for a day on Straight Talk before the phone was blacklisted with the message "This device has been blocked for network use". I contacted the ebay seller to let them know what the situation was and I called AT&T to see if I could figure out why the device was blocked, thinking that maybe it could be unblocked or returned to the original purchaser in case it had been lost or stolen.
When I talked to the AT&T rep they said that the phone was not lost or stolen, just that it wasn't eligible to be unlocked until November - but the device itself was unlocked. I suspected that the phone had been blocked for being unlocked and told them that I thought that that was unethical and maybe even ilegal. They refused to give me more information and I left a different, working phone number for my girlfriend for the original owner to contact just in case the phone was lost or stolen (they wouldn't confirm whether it was or not despite assuring me it wasn't before I talked with a manager).
Today, I just got this message back from the ebay seller "we received the phone , i tried getting another out to you but att will not unlock it unless its under contarct , its some new policy."
So, apparently if the phone isn't unlocked by the person with the contract AT&T will blacklist it even though the device is unlocked and they are abusing the "lost or stolen" blacklist to carry this out. This is nothing short of an attempt to kill off the market for used phones under the guise of protecting consumers from theft or lost phones. I can't believe this isn't ilegal and I can barely believe that AT&T is cynical enough to do this.
For the time being, be warned that in the US, a used phone now must be physically unlocked as well as blessed by the carrier to not be blacklisted. It seems like a fairly risky proposal to do something as straight forward as buying a used phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is unacceptable and illegal.
You should ask them to show proof of documentation......
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app

akr884 said:
I just bought an HTC One X on ebay that the seller said was a return by someone who decided on a different phone. I can confirm that the device was unlocked because it worked for a day on Straight Talk before the phone was blacklisted with the message "This device has been blocked for network use". I contacted the ebay seller to let them know what the situation was and I called AT&T to see if I could figure out why the device was blocked, thinking that maybe it could be unblocked or returned to the original purchaser in case it had been lost or stolen.
When I talked to the AT&T rep they said that the phone was not lost or stolen, just that it wasn't eligible to be unlocked until November - but the device itself was unlocked. I suspected that the phone had been blocked for being unlocked and told them that I thought that that was unethical and maybe even ilegal. They refused to give me more information and I left a different, working phone number for my girlfriend for the original owner to contact just in case the phone was lost or stolen (they wouldn't confirm whether it was or not despite assuring me it wasn't before I talked with a manager).
Today, I just got this message back from the ebay seller "we received the phone , i tried getting another out to you but att will not unlock it unless its under contarct , its some new policy."
So, apparently if the phone isn't unlocked by the person with the contract AT&T will blacklist it even though the device is unlocked and they are abusing the "lost or stolen" blacklist to carry this out. This is nothing short of an attempt to kill off the market for used phones under the guise of protecting consumers from theft or lost phones. I can't believe this isn't ilegal and I can barely believe that AT&T is cynical enough to do this.
For the time being, be warned that in the US, a used phone now must be physically unlocked as well as blessed by the carrier to not be blacklisted. It seems like a fairly risky proposal to do something as straight forward as buying a used phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you sure the phone is unlocked? Were you using a Straight Talk AT&T Compatible SIM or a Straight Talk T-Mobile Compatible SIM? If the AT&T one that will work on all AT&T phones even if it is not unlocked but if you put a ST T-Mobile SIM into an AT&T phone like AT&T's version of the HTC One X then it needs to be unlocked...

LS1_01 said:
Recently I've been seeing a lot of T-Mobile USA & AT&T phones on eBay and such that have their IMEI blocked by the provider they are made for. I was thinking if there's a way to prevent getting scammed and buying one of these used phones where the IMEI ends up getting blocked (perhaps months later) because the original owner didn't make a phone or service payment & I was wondering if T-Mobile USA or AT&T would ever block the IMEI of a Galaxy Nexus GSM Unlocked Phone?
It obviously has an IMEI but does anyone know if T-Mobile USA or AT&T would block the IMEI of a phone like the Nexus that they don't sell themselves if someone reported it stolen, didn't make a bill payment of some kind, etc.?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, I highly doubt T-mobile/ATT would block it because it's not sold, or covered by them.

Imei blocking
My phone was stolen 2 days ago, i then called att and have them block the imei but i would like to know if the phone still can be unlocked to work on another network abroad lets say in the Caribbean??? the phone in question is the samsung s 3 i747........please can someone verify if it is possible to work on a foreign network even though att has blacklisted the imei????

Fedz7 said:
My phone was stolen 2 days ago, i then called att and have them block the imei but i would like to know if the phone still can be unlocked to work on another network abroad lets say in the Caribbean??? the phone in question is the samsung s 3 i747........please can someone verify if it is possible to work on a foreign network even though att has blacklisted the imei????
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Funny story.
I bought my gf an unlocked iPhone 3GS from gamestop as a refurbished unit a few months ago. Traded some games and got a good discount. Anyway I tried to unlock it through AT&T and was told it had a stolen IMEI.... although she was using it for like 6 months.
I called Gamestop corporate and they issued me a full refund of $185, after 6 months of use. I only spent like $60 on it after one of their 20-30-40-50% trade in bonus and 10% gamers club.
So you can use stolen IMEI phones on the carrier but probably not with new service. She used her existing service. Had she tried to activate it in a store it woulda been different. The phone still worked... they just wouldn't unlock it.
I turned around and bought a 4S from a buddy for $150 and profit!
Sent from my Nexus 7 using XDA Premium HD app

player911 said:
Funny story.
I bought my gf an unlocked iPhone 3GS from gamestop as a refurbished unit a few months ago. Traded some games and got a good discount. Anyway I tried to unlock it through AT&T and was told it had a stolen IMEI.... although she was using it for like 6 months.
I called Gamestop corporate and they issued me a full refund of $185, 6 months later. I only spent like $60 on it after one of their 20-30-40-50% trade in bonus and 10% gamers club.
So you can use stolen IMEI phones on the carrier but probably not with new service. She used her existing service. Had she tried to activate it in a store it woulda been different. The phone still worked... they just wouldn't unlock it.
I turned around and bought a 4S from a buddy for $150 and profit!
Sent from my Nexus 7 using XDA Premium HD app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok thanks for that bit of info...

Fedz7 said:
Ok thanks for that bit of info...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would be very upset if I spent a few hundred on a phone and had it shut down or repossessed.
I've had my Nexus 7 stolen out of my car recently so it goes both ways. The only people getting hurt are the good guys who actually purchase things.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using XDA Premium HD app

Fedz7 said:
My phone was stolen 2 days ago, i then called att and have them block the imei but i would like to know if the phone still can be unlocked to work on another network abroad lets say in the Caribbean??? the phone in question is the samsung s 3 i747........please can someone verify if it is possible to work on a foreign network even though att has blacklisted the imei????
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As someone who lives in the Caribbean and works at a cell phone repair shop. I can say yes it will work over here but extremely limited. I live in Puerto Rico, technically we're US but you'd be surprised what flies around here. We have all the major carriers except for Verizon, and if att blacklisted your imei then it won't work on att or any of their prepaid companies who run on the same network (net10, straight talk, tracfone) but it will work on another carrier such as tmobile or a company we have over here called claro. A lot of people over here go crazy for iphones and when they buy a used one they're almost always stolen, then when they try and take it to our shop cause its not working or cause they want to unlock it, they're hit with a blacklist. Most of these people switch to claro, its not an American based company and they're aren't blacklisting phones. And then they end up with a perfectly good working stolen phone having effectively found a way around the original blacklist.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

oby2 said:
As someone who lives in the Caribbean and works at a cell phone repair shop. I can say yes it will work over here but extremely limited. I live in Puerto Rico, technically we're US but you'd be surprised what flies around here. We have all the major carriers except for Verizon, and if att blacklisted your imei then it won't work on att or any of their prepaid companies who run on the same network (net10, straight talk, tracfone) but it will work on another carrier such as tmobile or a company we have over here called claro. A lot of people over here go crazy for iphones and when they buy a used one they're almost always stolen, then when they try and take it to our shop cause its not working or cause they want to unlock it, they're hit with a blacklist. Most of these people switch to claro, its not an American based company and they're aren't blacklisting phones. And then they end up with a perfectly good working stolen phone having effectively found a way around the original blacklist.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
can it be unlocked outside the US via imei unlock code even though its blacklisted?

akr884 said:
I just bought an HTC One X on ebay that the seller said was a return by someone who decided on a different phone. I can confirm that the device was unlocked because it worked for a day on Straight Talk before the phone was blacklisted with the message "This device has been blocked for network use". I contacted the ebay seller to let them know what the situation was and I called AT&T to see if I could figure out why the device was blocked, thinking that maybe it could be unblocked or returned to the original purchaser in case it had been lost or stolen.
When I talked to the AT&T rep they said that the phone was not lost or stolen, just that it wasn't eligible to be unlocked until November - but the device itself was unlocked. I suspected that the phone had been blocked for being unlocked and told them that I thought that that was unethical and maybe even ilegal. They refused to give me more information and I left a different, working phone number for my girlfriend for the original owner to contact just in case the phone was lost or stolen (they wouldn't confirm whether it was or not despite assuring me it wasn't before I talked with a manager).
Today, I just got this message back from the ebay seller "we received the phone , i tried getting another out to you but att will not unlock it unless its under contarct , its some new policy."
So, apparently if the phone isn't unlocked by the person with the contract AT&T will blacklist it even though the device is unlocked and they are abusing the "lost or stolen" blacklist to carry this out. This is nothing short of an attempt to kill off the market for used phones under the guise of protecting consumers from theft or lost phones. I can't believe this isn't ilegal and I can barely believe that AT&T is cynical enough to do this.
For the time being, be warned that in the US, a used phone now must be physically unlocked as well as blessed by the carrier to not be blacklisted. It seems like a fairly risky proposal to do something as straight forward as buying a used phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is the htc one x att ? if so your phone does not have to be unlocked cuz st8 talk is att. Did you use a sim from an origanal st8 talk phone? some work but eventualy get kicked off the network.

Related

[Q] Should I check anything B4 buying from Craigslist?

Hi.
Just making sure. Anything I need to check in terms of stolen/reported or whatnot?
I am about to buy one, so just asking for your advice
thanks
Bring your SIM card and a sd card. Make a phone call then save something on the sd card.
If he let's you, download a benchmark app and check if the reported specs match to see if it's a fake or not.
At this point you've checked whether the phone is banned, has a working sd card slot and isn't fake. The only thing left is cosmetic damage.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk
kr3w1337 said:
Bring your SIM card and a sd card. Make a phone call then save something on the sd card.
If he let's you, download a benchmark app and check if the reported specs match to see if it's a fake or not.
At this point you've checked whether the phone is banned, has a working sd card slot and isn't fake. The only thing left is cosmetic damage.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks so much (i thanked u)!!!
I would never in a million years think it could be a fake one.....
wow!
You can also if they're willing to, meet at a t-mo store to have them check the ESN for a stolen phone or not
You can't check if the phone is banned. I just lost 450 dollars as I bought s2 from Cl. I used the phone for 2 months and it quit working. I called T-Mobile and they told me it was reported lost or stolen. Imei got banned.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk
theghazi said:
You can't check if the phone is banned. I just lost 450 dollars as I bought s2 from Cl. I used the phone for 2 months and it quit working. I called T-Mobile and they told me it was reported lost or stolen. Imei got banned.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's horrible! I am surprised that they can even do that (t-mobile, i mean)! But how is the IMEI related to their ability to shut it down? does the phone transmits this info to their servers? I was under the impression that only the CDMA phones can do that....
If your sim card on their network is in a phone, that phone has a specific number that is transmitted as your using the phone. If the number comes up as stolen or otherwise the network can stop that specific numbered phone from accessing the network.
Hence my above post.
I see.
But that means EVERY buyer is in risk!
That is what I though that only cdma phones. But since they signed the contract to get these phones. If they break the contract and don't pay their bills. They banned the imei number. The phone will not get any signal and it would say can't register to network. Same things happens when you claim the phone as lost or stolen. My first hand experience.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk
theghazi said:
That is what I though that only cdma phones. But since they signed the contract to get these phones. If they break the contract and don't pay their bills. They banned the imei number. The phone will not get any signal and it would say can't register to network. Same things happens when you claim the phone as lost or stolen. My first hand experience.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So how can one be protected?
benyben123 said:
So how can one be protected?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can either have the ESN checked on the phone before making any final deals, buy brand new phones, or buy straight from the carrier or phone manufacture.
icepally said:
You can either have the ESN checked on the phone before making any final deals, buy brand new phones, or buy straight from the carrier or phone manufacture.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If I had the money
theghazi said:
You can't check if the phone is banned. I just lost 450 dollars as I bought s2 from Cl. I used the phone for 2 months and it quit working. I called T-Mobile and they told me it was reported lost or stolen. Imei got banned.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I actually think that rep you talked to told you the wrong information. I highly doubt that the original owner could report a stolen phone that he has not used under his account after 2 months, I've played with a friend's t-mobile agents account and the IMEI of every phone you ever used is listed including the date used. It is most likely that asurion or t-mobile will not agree to do a insurance claim on a phone that he or she has not used for 2 months.
I actually believe that the original owner had a subsidized phone and stopped paying for it after he sold it to you, t-mobile probably warned him the first month and ended up banning the imei the 2nd month.
Now I am wondering myself, I thought T-mobile/asurion only bans a phone if it was reported STOLEN not LOST. Can someone clarify this for me? I use to buy a lot of phones off CL even though I bet many are reported "lost" and people filed insurance claims for them; however, I have yet to have a phone become "banned." Well I haven't bought any phones off CL since January.... sooo i guess things might have changed?
Phones can honestly be blocked for any reason, I usually have heard of them for non payment on the device or being stolen at the time of delivery
kylephillips66 said:
Phones can honestly be blocked for any reason, I usually have heard of them for non payment on the device or being stolen at the time of delivery
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If it was indeed blocked, is that the final story for the device? That's it? Dead? Gone? Nothing to do about it? Can't one unlock it, use it with a different number of the same carrier (tmobile)?
You could unlock the sim and go to at&t
Sent from next year on my CM 10ed G-Mobile Galaxy Note 2!
icepally said:
You can either have the ESN checked on the phone before making any final deals, buy brand new phones, or buy straight from the carrier or phone manufacture.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you can get scammed with brand new phones too. there's the "equipment installment plan" with tmobile. the way the scam works is to put a loan out on a phone, then don't pay the monthly payments.the scammer sells the phone, and then tmobile bans that phone
ceejay83 said:
you can get scammed with brand new phones too. there's the "equipment installment plan" with tmobile. the way the scam works is to put a loan out on a phone, then don't pay the monthly payments.the scammer sells the phone, and then tmobile bans that phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I respectfully have to disagree with you. I am a RSA with T-Mobile USA and the way the payment plan or the "equipment installment plan" works is that it is on your account so if your account gets cancelled due to non-payment it's gets charged off to your account including the ETF. One thing T-Mobile cannot do is ban your IMEI because it is unlawful, it is not different then you buying clothes on your macy's card and then not paying for it and them coming into your place to confiscate your clothes. the only time T-mobile will ban a IMEI is A. when it is stolen from a store i.e Demo phones or missing merchandise. or B customer calling in to report the phone missing. in the case where the gentleman stated his phone got banned after 2 months isn't because of a late insurance claim but much more likely due to a missing phone coming up in the quarterly inventory. the best way to ensure you are getting a legitimate deal is by calling 611 from your phone during the purchase and verifying the IMEI and then asking the rep to memo it in your account so if in the future the phone is reported missing the burden is on T-mobile and not you. I hope this helps you all.
willywonka84 said:
I respectfully have to disagree with you. I am a RSA with T-Mobile USA and the way the payment plan or the "equipment installment plan" works is that it is on your account so if your account gets cancelled due to non-payment it's gets charged off to your account including the ETF. One thing T-Mobile cannot do is ban your IMEI because it is unlawful, it is not different then you buying clothes on your macy's card and then not paying for it and them coming into your place to confiscate your clothes. the only time T-mobile will ban a IMEI is A. when it is stolen from a store i.e Demo phones or missing merchandise. or B customer calling in to report the phone missing. in the case where the gentleman stated his phone got banned after 2 months isn't because of a late insurance claim but much more likely due to a missing phone coming up in the quarterly inventory. the best way to ensure you are getting a legitimate deal is by calling 611 from your phone during the purchase and verifying the IMEI and then asking the rep to memo it in your account so if in the future the phone is reported missing the burden is on T-mobile and not you. I hope this helps you all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
interesting stuff, but there were a couple cases where reps told the customer that the phone is blocked because the owner stopped paying for the phone. I think there are a couple stories of that floating around this subforum.
But okay can you elaborate more on what you mean by the missing phone coming up in the quarterly inventory?
also make sure u plug the phone in and make sure it charges, bring a laptop and usb cable if u can too. If the microusb port doesn't work, u can't charge, root, or do anything else.

[Q] Lesson learned when buying on craigslist

So yeah, I have learned today to always be wary of where things come from, especially on Craigslist.
The story of how I got my Note 2. Normally I buy my phones full price and I found an incredible deal on a white iPhone 5 16GB for a mere $500 at launch date. Fast forward to a few months a so, I found someone selling a brand new wrapped T-mobile Note II. Offered the guy a direct trade, he agrees. Fast forward again to Dec. 26,
BAM!
Found out my phone has been blacklisted. Asked T-mobile about it, they says the owner defaulted on their bill so it was claimed lost or stolen.
Yeah, It was depressing. I though only CDMA carriers enforced the whole IMEI blacklisting thing, but I guess now GSM carriers in the US started blacklisting as well back in November. I never suspected the phone to be stolen or anything, and I was under the assumption that being a GSM phone I'd be ok. Guess not...
Moral of story: When buying phones even if its GSM, make sure its legit and you wont get screwed over somehow. Maybe ask for a receipt so you can track him down and beat his... I mean, have records to be safe and do business near a carrier store.
And now I come to the XDA gods, being that its been 18 hours without my beloved Note II, is it worth me dishing out money to buy full price (again, sorta) and buy another one at the T-Mo store? Or maybe look into newer and better options, if any? I'm leaning towards getting another one but yeah, I need the approval of the internet. :good:
FWIW I sold the Note on Craigslist for 300 ducks, clearly stating that it was blacklisted. Hate being scammed and I wont stoop down to that level.
Yeah, best thing is to call the carrier before purchase, or better yet have them meet you at a tmo store. Sorry ya lost out dude.
KillaHurtz said:
Yeah, best thing is to call the carrier before purchase, or better yet have them meet you at a tmo store. Sorry ya lost out dude.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Doesnt matter, sure the phone might be good that date but the original owner can stop paying their bill then default on it later, days/weeks/months whenever...
The best thing you can do is get a signed bill of sale with the IMEI number written on there, most craiglist sellers wont do it. actually here... just listen to my story.
So I sold my asus padfone last thursday 12/20/12. And immediately after that I started surfing craigslist for a new note 2 for tmobile, they were running from 550-570 brand new. I contacted MANY MANY people. Maybe 20 or so, everyone first asking if the phone was brand new then telling them I have cash in hand ready and ready to pay if they will sign a simple bill of sale with the IMEI of the phone written on there. Every single one of those 20 declined to sign anything. Now after using a phone I found in my closet (nokia 6800 from 2005) I was getting ancy because I felt like my life was crumbling around me since I didnt have internet on my phone. I went into a small korean owned tmobile store and asked if I could buy a note 2 straight out and how much it would be. They said 700 + tax and I asked if they had any used ones or if they could give me a better price cash. It just so happens that the owner bought a note 2 to test it out like he does all the phones and would sell one for 650 cash with a actual printed bill of sale. So thats how I got mine... got an extra battery, 32 gb samsung micro sd, case and screen protector thrown in for free. So it really wasnt a bad deal...
Damn dude. I would have called the cops & gotten your original phone back.
It's not that they defaulted on the their bill, it's if they defaulted on their eip (financing over 12 or 20 months.) still a bummer!
Sent from my SGH-T889 using Tapatalk 2
I also bought GS3 from craigslist that got blacklisted a week later. Luckily I tracked down the guy who sold it to me and got my money back.
If you could live without a sd slot and removable memory you might want to give Oppo Find 5 a try. If I didn't bought the Note 2 I would have probably gone with that phone.
Sent from my SGH-T889 using Tapatalk 2
That's the risk you take when buying off craiglist or even ebay.
I've had good experience so far on craiglist but my expense never exceeded $300
I would for sure track the guy down with the phone number or email. Also I would file charges with the police. I would go after him with every means possible including small claims court. Sometimes it's not just about the money, but the principle of the matter. Make sure he NEVER does it to anyone else!
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda premium
I would try to take this up with Tmobile. If the phone was blacklisted then they know the address of the person that got it blacklisted. If it was stolen it would have been blacklisted when you originally got the phone. Not sure how you would legally go after TMobile but without a doubt if you had TMobile service with the phone and then they blacklisted it they are full of ****. Also you said the phone was "brand new wrapped" did it have the original sticker on the screen? too many times people allow big companies to rip them off thinking they have no recourse. sprint tried that **** with me and with a quick call from my lawyer my contract was ended and i didn't have to pay an etf. BTW i always get the plate number of teh person I buy a phone from. and recently started to take a photo of their DL.
Its a shame that you cant trust anybody these days. Ruins it for the few of us honest people left.
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda app-developers app
bad4life07 said:
So yeah, I have learned today to always be wary of where things come from, especially on Craigslist.
The story of how I got my Note 2. Normally I buy my phones full price and I found an incredible deal on a white iPhone 5 16GB for a mere $500 at launch date. Fast forward to a few months a so, I found someone selling a brand new wrapped T-mobile Note II. Offered the guy a direct trade, he agrees. Fast forward again to Dec. 26,
BAM!
Found out my phone has been blacklisted. Asked T-mobile about it, they says the owner defaulted on their bill so it was claimed lost or stolen.
Yeah, It was depressing. I though only CDMA carriers enforced the whole IMEI blacklisting thing, but I guess now GSM carriers in the US started blacklisting as well back in November. I never suspected the phone to be stolen or anything, and I was under the assumption that being a GSM phone I'd be ok. Guess not...
Moral of story: When buying phones even if its GSM, make sure its legit and you wont get screwed over somehow. Maybe ask for a receipt so you can track him down and beat his... I mean, have records to be safe and do business near a carrier store.
And now I come to the XDA gods, being that its been 18 hours without my beloved Note II, is it worth me dishing out money to buy full price (again, sorta) and buy another one at the T-Mo store? Or maybe look into newer and better options, if any? I'm leaning towards getting another one but yeah, I need the approval of the internet. :good:
FWIW I sold the Note on Craigslist for 300 ducks, clearly stating that it was blacklisted. Hate being scammed and I wont stoop down to that level.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Man, you sold it WAYYY too cheap. If you would've put it on ebay you would've gotten at least 450 AFTER final value fees and shipping cost.
Hmm, now I'm worried. I did a trade from a guy who got it from a guy. Its unlocked. Been working fine for a month and a half...now I'm afraid it will eventually be reported as stolen or some other financial default due to it's shady past.
Great.
Sorry to hear that :/ Would it work on simple mobile if it's black listed on T-mobile? You could also try to unlock it and sell it to someone who uses AT&T...
bad4life07 said:
So yeah, I have learned today to always be wary of where things come from, especially on Craigslist.
The story of how I got my Note 2. Normally I buy my phones full price and I found an incredible deal on a white iPhone 5 16GB for a mere $500 at launch date. Fast forward to a few months a so, I found someone selling a brand new wrapped T-mobile Note II. Offered the guy a direct trade, he agrees. Fast forward again to Dec. 26,
BAM!
Found out my phone has been blacklisted. Asked T-mobile about it, they says the owner defaulted on their bill so it was claimed lost or stolen.
Yeah, It was depressing. I though only CDMA carriers enforced the whole IMEI blacklisting thing, but I guess now GSM carriers in the US started blacklisting as well back in November. I never suspected the phone to be stolen or anything, and I was under the assumption that being a GSM phone I'd be ok. Guess not...
Moral of story: When buying phones even if its GSM, make sure its legit and you wont get screwed over somehow. Maybe ask for a receipt so you can track him down and beat his... I mean, have records to be safe and do business near a carrier store.
And now I come to the XDA gods, being that its been 18 hours without my beloved Note II, is it worth me dishing out money to buy full price (again, sorta) and buy another one at the T-Mo store? Or maybe look into newer and better options, if any? I'm leaning towards getting another one but yeah, I need the approval of the internet. :good:
FWIW I sold the Note on Craigslist for 300 ducks, clearly stating that it was blacklisted. Hate being scammed and I wont stoop down to that level.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What I would of done is contacted t mobile and told em you want to run the imei number before u bought it. And if they blacklist it still contact the better business Bureau and tell em your story and u will see how fast they change their tone. When someone breaks contract t mobile needs to go after them for all of it.they cant black list it if they gonna collect the retail price for it.
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda app-developers app
tbukkos said:
Sorry to hear that :/ Would it work on simple mobile if it's black listed on T-mobile? You could also try to unlock it and sell it to someone who uses AT&T...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe tmo and att are gonna start cross checking their imei database. So if its blacklisted with either company, lets att, tmo's system will be able to see that its blacklisted for att or vice versa. Now im not sure when thatll take effect but I read it on one of the more popular tech blogs I.e engadget, verge..
When I deal with CL now, I request the person meet me at the store just like I did with sprint phones. No other way to do it. Then at that time maybe you can get the rep to document the his/her acciunt stating they sold the phone to you. Idk something...
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda app-developers app
Man, now you're scaring me. I've always been super honest on all my Craigslist and eBay posts and done my best to offer tip top service even if I only meet them once. So far I've only been annoyed once by a buyer who negliged on wanting to buy some video cards and wasted my time, but other than that I've been pretty successful in selling things.
To all that are worried about buying phones off of Craigslist:
They only blacklist the phones that are purchased under the EIP. You can call T-mobile with the IMEI to verify that the phone was not purchased under EIP before you buy it. If the phone was purchased subsidized with a classic plan, they can't blacklist the phone for an unpaid bill, because you own the phone. If it was purchased under EIP, you would have to go with the seller to a T-mobile store to pay off the balance to guarantee it won't be blacklisted.
That's nothing I got a warranty replacement device from mdpa insurance which I got when I bought it through wire fly. Worked fine for about a month then It suddenly dropped from tmobile network went to store got three new simcards etc etc. Called customer support then they told me it was blacklisted from it being associated with somebody else's account and the didnt pay there bill so I got screwed. But wait I got if from my insurance company ? So I called them and they sent me out a new one after stating my case. Any ways I got screwed with one through my insurance company so really your not safe a times unless I you buy new straight from a source I.e. bestbuy, tmobile, walmart get me. Cool then buy buy.
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda premium
Mod Edit:
Selling, trading and exchanging devices or any item will no longer be permitted in any forum or via Private Messages.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/announcement.php?a=81
lowandbehold said:
To all that are worried about buying phones off of Craigslist:
They only blacklist the phones that are purchased under the EIP. You can call T-mobile with the IMEI to verify that the phone was not purchased under EIP before you buy it. If the phone was purchased subsidized with a classic plan, they can't blacklist the phone for an unpaid bill, because you own the phone. If it was purchased under EIP, you would have to go with the seller to a T-mobile store to pay off the balance to guarantee it won't be blacklisted.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can have a phone blocked for many reasons. Not just lack of EIP payoff. It can be black listed even if the person got the 2 yr contract discount. And more importantly, people can sell a phone that works just fine the day of sale(passing all IMEI checks) then have it blacklisted days later. Buying on CL is a gamble. Also, there is no legal action you can take if someone sells you a phone and then does not pay the EIP. You bought a used phone. It's not stolen because you don't return the phone if you end your service. They just bill you for it. That's the cost of doing business.
Also, ATT and Tmobile are already using the cross check system on our phones. You would have to unlock it and use it on verizon or some network not att tmobile related.

Galaxy S4 from Craigslist - IMEI Blacklisted...options?

Hi All,
I searched and saw many threads about a similar problem, but my specific question is what can I do about this as far as getting rid of the phone? I learned my lesson the hard way - I dropped my HTC One and broke it a day before a business trip and I needed a phone. I am planning on switching to T-mobile in a month when my AT&T contract is up, so I decided to purchase a T-mobile variant of the Galaxy S4 on Craigslist. It was new, sealed, and cost $500 from what seemed like a somewhat reputable seller.
I got the phone and all was great. It was unlocked and worked perfectly with my AT&T SIM. I got home from the business trip, put in a T-mobile prepaid SIM card (so I could test the service at my house before switching) and got the dreaded "Not registered on network" error message when I tried to make a call. Sure enough, T-mobile said the IMEI had been blacklisted for "fraudulent activity." I believe the seller opened an account and then simply didn't pay the bill for the phone. I've bought quite a few used phones, but I learned my lesson this time. I even asked T-mobile if I could pay the remaining balance, or if they even wanted the phone back. I received a prompt "no" to each question. I asked if the phone was "stolen" and they said no as well - it was marked as fraudulent, but not lost of stolen. Whatever they want to call it, it don't work!
So my question is this (and sorry for the long-winded vent): can I sell this phone? I just want it gone. I look at it and I get angry and upset with myself for making this mistake. I know I will lose a ton of $$$, but I would rather sell it on eBay while FULLY disclosing the phone's history and let someone overseas use it or someone on AT&T use it. Am I violating any rules by doing this as long as I fully disclose everything I know? Also, if this is the wrong forum, I apologize. Thank you for any insight and to save you all the trouble - yes I screwed up and I'm an idiot. But, I'm not the thief here. I sure wish I could get a hole of the seller!
-Collin-
i had the same happen to me this weekend i bought a sealed s4 from cl i also payed 500$ it was for great for 3 weeks up until this weekend i wasn;t getting 4g data so i called tmobile and they told me that that they blocked the imei sue to the person deciding not to pay for the phone..i learned my lesson NEVER TO BUY any phones from Cl. i went to the store and paid retail price for a s4 and i have the receipt just in case tmobile comes back and try to screw me
CollinFX45 said:
Hi All,
I searched and saw many threads about a similar problem, but my specific question is what can I do about this as far as getting rid of the phone? I learned my lesson the hard way - I dropped my HTC One and broke it a day before a business trip and I needed a phone. I am planning on switching to T-mobile in a month when my AT&T contract is up, so I decided to purchase a T-mobile variant of the Galaxy S4 on Craigslist. It was new, sealed, and cost $500 from what seemed like a somewhat reputable seller.
I got the phone and all was great. It was unlocked and worked perfectly with my AT&T SIM. I got home from the business trip, put in a T-mobile prepaid SIM card (so I could test the service at my house before switching) and got the dreaded "Not registered on network" error message when I tried to make a call. Sure enough, T-mobile said the IMEI had been blacklisted for "fraudulent activity." I believe the seller opened an account and then simply didn't pay the bill for the phone. I've bought quite a few used phones, but I learned my lesson this time. I even asked T-mobile if I could pay the remaining balance, or if they even wanted the phone back. I received a prompt "no" to each question. I asked if the phone was "stolen" and they said no as well - it was marked as fraudulent, but not lost of stolen. Whatever they want to call it, it don't work!
So my question is this (and sorry for the long-winded vent): can I sell this phone? I just want it gone. I look at it and I get angry and upset with myself for making this mistake. I know I will lose a ton of $$$, but I would rather sell it on eBay while FULLY disclosing the phone's history and let someone overseas use it or someone on AT&T use it. Am I violating any rules by doing this as long as I fully disclose everything I know? Also, if this is the wrong forum, I apologize. Thank you for any insight and to save you all the trouble - yes I screwed up and I'm an idiot. But, I'm not the thief here. I sure wish I could get a hole of the seller!
-Collin-
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey Collin. I had a similar issue with an HTC one being blacklisted but thankfully I bought it from eBay and their buyers protection came into play and I got a full refund. Because blacklisting is a very effective way to lose a heck load of money, I now suggest not getting phones from craisgslist or actually meeting at a carrier store to check phone status before the purchase is made. I'd stick to buying on eBay or swappa..now my suggestion is selling the phone overseas where the blocked imei doesn't really work. That would be the best option for now and you'll lose money but because it is basically a relatively new phone, you should not loose too much. Hope this helps.
-piterson
Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
Thank you guys for the thoughts. It's terrible that this sort of thing happens and personally, I wouldn't risk jail for 500 bucks. Hell, I wouldn't risk jail for any amount of money. It just blows me away that these people do this.
I guess what I will likely do is list it on eBay internationally with a full disclosure. Thankfully, my HTC One repair is finally complete and the phone should be back in my hands any day now. But, it's the developer edition and doesn't work well on T-mobile, so I'm back to square one for a T-mobile phone!
Anyway, sorry that this happened to you guys as well. It's just not as simple as it used to be, is it. Though I guess blacklisting has been used for a while now.
-Collin-
i listed mine on ebay with full disclosure and its not looking good..so far i have 4 days left in the auction and 1 day has passed & no one bid on it yet lol your best bet to purchase a new phone is go straight through tmobile unless you want to risk swappa or ebay then a month later if they cancel or don;t pay for the phone for it to happen again ... i would n;t risk it
CollinFX45 said:
Thank you guys for the thoughts. It's terrible that this sort of thing happens and personally, I wouldn't risk jail for 500 bucks. Hell, I wouldn't risk jail for any amount of money. It just blows me away that these people do this.
I guess what I will likely do is list it on eBay internationally with a full disclosure. Thankfully, my HTC One repair is finally complete and the phone should be back in my hands any day now. But, it's the developer edition and doesn't work well on T-mobile, so I'm back to square one for a T-mobile phone!
Anyway, sorry that this happened to you guys as well. It's just not as simple as it used to be, is it. Though I guess blacklisting has been used for a while now.
-Collin-
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Romcrazguy said:
i listed mine on ebay with full disclosure and its not looking good..so far i have 4 days left in the auction and 1 day has passed & no one bid on it yet lol your best bet to purchase a new phone is go straight through tmobile unless you want to risk swappa or ebay then a month later if they cancel or don;t pay for the phone for it to happen again ... i would n;t risk it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's a bummer. Did you list it internationally? I know you probably can't link to eBay, but can you give me the auction number? I want to watch and cheer you on
-Collin-
There are services on ebay that will change the IMEI for $50.
lancemoreland said:
There are services on ebay that will change the IMEI for $50.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I appreciate that information. Unfortunately from my limited research, I think this thread will get locked if we even go down that road since it is illegal. Argh.
-Collin-
Wow. that sucks so much. The worst I have experienced in craigslist is some guy tried to scam me out of an iPod touch that i found. I still remember the email. It said something along the lines of:
Can you please send this device to my son in Africa? I will pay you full price for the phone + $50 dollars of shipping!
I knew it was a fake because 1) the email they sent was a very random email. (like [email protected]) and 2) PHONE? it's not a phone. thats how i knew that he was scamming multiple people and just copying and pasting.
Oh craigslist is full of scammers and idiots.
Yeah that's what these scammers are doing, buy the phone on a payment plan and not make the payment. A lot of times unknowing buyers get the phone and it will work for a month till payment is due but not paid. I see great deals on CL but steer clear.
The best thing to do is unlocked the device and sell it Internationally via eBay. I have a GS3 in my possesion that my wife's little brother bought from CL and was later blacklisted since the person reported it stolen two hours later after he took the cash.
lancemoreland said:
There are services on ebay that will change the IMEI for $50.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He is right it is illegal and if caught could face jail time.
Wayne Tech Nexus
i just got a s4 on ebay for 420 i call tmobile they told the imei is clean that dont worry about future non payment fraud or blacklisted the lady told me when i get the phone is going to be in my account so the owner will have to pay any remaining balance but they cannot block the phone idk know im worry
Whenever I buy something from craiglist I always ask for 2 valid ID and have them photocopy.
I'll buy it for parts. If interested inbox me. Thanks!
I had the same damn thing happen but with a Galaxy S2 a while back. What I had to do is buy a used motherboard from a cracked screen one on eBay. Spent way more on the phone than I intended but all I did was switch the motherboards and voila. Good as new.
Sent from my SGH-M919 using xda app-developers app
Just sell try and sell it on Craigslist and ebay. Specify that it is blacklisted with tmobile but it ia unlocked so you can use it with att. Here's one and it's at almost 300 with 17h left on the auction
http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=200948373767
Sent from Flip's Galaxy S4
elflip88 said:
Just sell try and sell it on Craigslist and ebay. Specify that it is blacklisted with tmobile but it ia unlocked so you can use it with att. Here's one and it's at almost 300 with 17h left on the auction
http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=200948373767
Sent from Flip's Galaxy S4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I read not long ago that AT&T and T-Mobile started sharing IMEI blacklist. Not sure if the policy is in effect yet or not.
baseballfanz said:
I read not long ago that AT&T and T-Mobile started sharing IMEI blacklist. Not sure if the policy is in effect yet or not.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Op said he used it on att network so my guess is no
Sent from Flip's Galaxy S4
rona809 said:
i just got a s4 on ebay for 420 i call tmobile they told the imei is clean that dont worry about future non payment fraud or blacklisted the lady told me when i get the phone is going to be in my account so the owner will have to pay any remaining balance but they cannot block the phone idk know im worry
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No.
Walk away.

HTC one with bad esn from craiglist

Hi,
I bought a used HTC one on craiglist only to find out that is is stolen. Att wouldnt allow me to activate it.
I am so stressful now. What other option do I have with other carrier at all? Don't tell me to use as a wifi fone please.
Here is my IMEI. I dont understand that I already check that IMEI first hand, it shows clean, but somehow I still got scam.
354439052041318
stagius24 said:
Hi,
I bought a used HTC one on craiglist only to find out that is is stolen. Att wouldnt allow me to activate it.
I am so stressful now. What other option do I have with other carrier at all? Don't tell me to use as a wifi fone please.
Here is my IMEI. I dont understand that I already check that IMEI first hand, it shows clean, but somehow I still got scam.
354439052041318
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ESN: 354439052041318 (IMEI)
IMEI Check
Valid ESN is not blacklisted.
ESN is does not appear to be blacklisted suggesting it should be activation ready.
T-Mobile
Valid ESN appears ready for activation!
This indicates the ESN is valid and should be ready for activation.
IT SAYS ITS NOT BLACKLISTED CAN WORK WITH T-MOBILE IT SAYS
But I thought ATT and Tmobile share the same list. If one is report, the other carrier should have it as well.
stagius24 said:
but i thought att and tmobile share the same list. If one is report, the other carrier should have it as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it dosent both are diffent not the same so your good
bigceez said:
it dosent both are diffent not the same so your good
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not saying I am not trusting you. But I just read on the forum that if carrier got report for stolen, other GSM will do the same. If I am wrong, I will be so happy.
If so, do I need to unlock or do anything or it will work right away with tmoble.
stagius24 said:
Not saying I am not trusting you. But I just read on the forum that if carrier got report for stolen, other GSM will do the same. If I am wrong, I will be so happy.
If so, do I need to unlock or do anything or it will work right away with tmoble.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This forum is for the Verizon version of the phone, you might have more luck asking in forums for the GSM-carrier version: http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=2115
maybe the reason it isn't working is because you bought a t-mobile htc one and tried to use on at&t?
stagius24 said:
Hi,
I bought a used HTC one on craiglist only to find out that is is stolen. Att wouldnt allow me to activate it.
I am so stressful now. What other option do I have with other carrier at all? Don't tell me to use as a wifi fone please.
Here is my IMEI. I dont understand that I already check that IMEI first hand, it shows clean, but somehow I still got scam.
354439052041318
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://checkesnfree.com/
.........................
"Provider ESN Date Response Extra
Sprint 354439052041318 09.04.2013 errorCREDITED
NCIC 354439052041318 09.04.2013 cleanESN
MyStolenPhone.com 354439052041318 09.04.2013 cleanESN"
"Provider ESN Date Response Extra
Blacklist 354439052041318 09.04.2013 isBlacklisted stolen CLEAN
NCIC 354439052041318 09.04.2013 cleanESN
MyStolenPhone.com 354439052041318 09.04.2013 cleanESN"
says clean ESN.
Just go to ebay or another website and get the phone carrier/sim unlocked and you can pop in any GSM sim card and be good to go.
nrfitchett4 said:
maybe the reason it isn't working is because you bought a t-mobile htc one and tried to use on at&t?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
no. he definitely bought the att version.
.kronos. said:
no. he definitely bought the att version.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From "CheckESNFree.com"
Blacklist 354439052041318 09.04.2013 isBlacklisted stolen
From Swappa.com
ESN: 354439052041318 (IMEI)
IMEI Check
Blacklist This device is blacklisted.
This device has been reported stolen.
Someone got scammed.
It also could have been someone that didn't pay their bill. Phones get blacklisted when the ETF is unpaid.
Anyway, OP sorry to hear you got scammed.
Once on the list, almost impossible to get it off.
Best place to buy used phones is "Swappa.com"
Phones do NOT get blacklisted if the ETF is not paid.
The GSMA does NOT allow any company to report a device as lost or stolen because of contractual disputes, or failure to pay the ETF.
And, no matter where you buy a used phone, any AT&T and T-Mobile device can be reported lost or stolen by anyone who has activated it, after the sale and the new owner has possession.
It doesn't matter if you got it off Swappa, eBay, Craigslist, or Gazelle, if the individual who is selling it, or the individual who previously had it active on their account wants to, they can report it was stolen 30-45-60 days after selling it and in the end, you're still screwed.
Thanks.
deathtrip said:
Phones do NOT get blacklisted if the ETF is not paid.
The GSMA does NOT allow any company to report a device as lost or stolen because of contractual disputes, or failure to pay the ETF.
And, no matter where you buy a used phone, any AT&T and T-Mobile device can be reported lost or stolen by anyone who has activated it, after the sale and the new owner has possession.
It doesn't matter if you got it off Swappa, eBay, Craigslist, or Gazelle, if the individual who is selling it, or the individual who previously had it active on their account wants to, they can report it was stolen 30-45-60 days after selling it and in the end, you're still screwed.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, I meant black listed on that particular carrier.
Actually, it's difficult to blacklist a phone that is active on an account.
With Swappa, there is a transaction history. They also require registration and you need some kinds of account and a shipping address.
Craigslist leaves you absolutely no protection.
eBay gives buyer protection and dispute resolution. I've gotten a blacklisted phone via eBay. Went through dispute resolution and had my cash back in a few days.
There are always ways people will try to scam and you can mitigate that by being careful.
If it's a Craigslist purchase, meet at the store and activate it in the store. Someone not willing to meet you at the tMobile, AT&T or Verizon store for activation is probably a crook. I'm just saying.
tech_head said:
Actually, I meant black listed on that particular carrier.
Actually, it's difficult to blacklist a phone that is active on an account.
With Swappa, there is a transaction history. They also require registration and you need some kinds of account and a shipping address.
Craigslist leaves you absolutely no protection.
eBay gives buyer protection and dispute resolution. I've gotten a blacklisted phone via eBay. Went through dispute resolution and had my cash back in a few days.
There are always ways people will try to scam and you can mitigate that by being careful.
If it's a Craigslist purchase, meet at the store and activate it in the store. Someone not willing to meet you at the tMobile, AT&T or Verizon store for activation is probably a crook. I'm just saying.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yea man I hate/love Craigslist, I always have ppl offer to meet at their homes, and I'm like NO WAY, public play only, and if I am buying/selling phone I only meet at VZW s well.
it was funny the latest CL I sold sunglasses the guy asked to meet at his house, it was some 15 y/o with his parents lol.
never know what you're going to get, and he is one of the ones offered to have me come to his house. I would never give some random CL guy my address.
According to PayPal, you can file a claim regarding Craigslist purchases
Also, even with transaction history and sales documentation on sites like Swappa, the seller can still claim the device was stolen and have it blacklisted.
Now, the carrier can locally block the device from being used for a contractual or billing dispute, but that isn't blacklisted and can be used on a different carrier (not an MVNO from the blocked carrier).
deathtrip said:
According to PayPal, you can file a claim regarding Craigslist purchases
Also, even with transaction history and sales documentation on sites like Swappa, the seller can still claim the device was stolen and have it blacklisted.
Now, the carrier can locally block the device from being used for a contractual or billing dispute, but that isn't blacklisted and can be used on a different carrier (not an MVNO from the blocked carrier).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm sure you can file a claim for Craigslist, but you must use PayPal.
Craigslist is fine, but get a photo of the guys ID and a Bill Of Sale. But, I would go into the VZW or whatever store and activate on the spot as part of the transaction. That prevents the fraud.
The seller on Swappa, can claim theft, but you have a trail and the person's name and address and if you do it via PayPal, I always do, you get the protection.
I really feel bad for the OP.
I guess the moral of the story is, you can get ripped off anywhere and to mitigate that risk one must be very careful. Use transaction avenues that have the ability to get your money back should something go sideways.
Fortunately in the 15 or so phone transactions I've had; I've only had one issue and the seller made it right.
You must remember, when it comes to T-Mobile or AT&T devices, it doesn't matter where you are or if you activate it at the store or not.
What I'm saying is, right now, when it comes to T-Mobile or AT&T, anyone who has had the phone active on their account within a reasonable amount of time (not sure how many days prior to reporting) can report the device as lost or stolen, and as I said above, even if you meet at the wireless store to do the transaction.
That's just how screwed up the GSM market is right now.
deathtrip said:
You must remember, when it comes to T-Mobile or AT&T devices, it doesn't matter where you are or if you activate it at the store or not.
What I'm saying is, right now, when it comes to T-Mobile or AT&T, anyone who has had the phone active on their account within a reasonable amount of time (not sure how many days prior to reporting) can report the device as lost or stolen, and as I said above, even if you meet at the wireless store to do the transaction.
That's just how screwed up the GSM market is right now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow; and wow spelled backwards is still wow.
But upside down it spells MoM and mom upside down makes dad happy ; but I digress.
Haha, that's funny. Haven't heard that one before.
tech_head said:
From "CheckESNFree.com"
Blacklist 354439052041318 09.04.2013 isBlacklisted stolen
From Swappa.com
ESN: 354439052041318 (IMEI)
IMEI Check
Blacklist This device is blacklisted.
This device has been reported stolen.
Someone got scammed.
It also could have been someone that didn't pay their bill. Phones get blacklisted when the ETF is unpaid.
Anyway, OP sorry to hear you got scammed.
Once on the list, almost impossible to get it off.
Best place to buy used phones is "Swappa.com"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ahh man never though to check Swappa, good thinking my friend!
OP, sorry to hear this bro..
Karma is real and it will come back.
Best of luck.

Negri Electronics sold me a stolen Note 3 :( ( Very angry now!!)

I just came back from T-Mobile store and question them why I cannot get any reception since I switched over to them from AT&T about 30 hours ago. I was doing well with my unlocked T-Mobile Note 3 with AT&T with LTE data signal for about 1 year. I bought the T-Mobile Note 3 from Negri Electronics with an unlocked code to unlock my phone so that I can use it with AT&T carrier.
Anyway, today the T-Mobile representative told me that I did not get any reception signal from T-Mobile is because the my Note 3 was a stolen phone and that the phone is black listed by T-Mobile.
Now I cannot use my phone at all.
When I checked back at Negri Electronics web site to make a complain, I found out that the site no longer exist. The phone number is also not working.
Is this company a scam company all these years?
Last year I bought a note 3 N900T from Negri. The first phone was IMEI blacklisted by tmobile after 3 days. The second replacement phone didn't boot normally (iy booted into download mode
directly). So I returned it again.
The third replacement note 3 is working perfectly.
Negri Electronics was sold by Negri to another private investment company at the end of last year.
Now the company seems have trouble and shutting down.
I think there is nothing you can do now.
Sent from my SM-N900T using XDA Premium App
googlephone said:
Last year I bought a note 3 N900T from Negri. The first phone was IMEI blacklisted by tmobile after 3 days. The second replacement phone didn't boot normally (iy booted into download mode
directly). So I returned it again.
The third replacement note 3 is working perfectly.
Negri Electronics was sold by Negri to another private investment company at the end of last year.
Now the company seems have trouble and shutting down.
I think there is nothing you can do now.
Sent from my SM-N900T using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So now my Note 3 is a micro tablet since all I can do now is use Wi-Fi to access the internet and play android games?
I think I will give it to someone who has AT&T or Straight Talk service since the phone was working fine 2 days ago when I was with AT&T.
That sucks, but guess if you can't sell, you can use it as a trade in device for credit? all they seem to care about on trade-ins is that it powers on.
Earthbrain said:
So now my Note 3 is a micro tablet since all I can do now is use Wi-Fi to access the internet and play android games?
I think I will give it to someone who has AT&T or Straight Talk service since the phone was working fine 2 days ago when I was with AT&T.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have heard some people have success with region lock away app. Can't say for sure, but I know a buddy of mine had his shut down. Don't know if it was just not payed or reported stolen. (Nasty divorce) anyways, We used region app and it was working again.
Since you were using it on AT&T, that means it's only blocked from T-Mobile, not blacklisted from all GSM carriers.
If you don't want to go back to AT&T, you can try MVNOs, which are smaller carriers that rely on a parent company for a network. Parent companies in the US are AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, and Sprint. There are over a hundred MVNOs. You can only use the ones that run on AT&T's network. I've been using Net10 for 2 years. I'm on the $50 plan which has unlimited talk/text + 2.5GB 4G LTE data. Pretty great deal. Other carriers you could go for: Straight Talk, H2O, Airvoice, Red Pocket, GoPhone, etc
Earthbrain said:
Is this company a scam company all these years?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Everyone was screaming scam last year when they had backorder issues with the Note 3 here on XDA. A few people on here who got theirs were the only ones defending them. There were at least 2 threads here.
Anyways, either sell it as T-Mobile blacklisted or use it on another carrier, there's nothing T-Mobile will do unless you received a blacklisted device from warranty exchange (which happened to me once).
Earthbrain said:
So now my Note 3 is a micro tablet since all I can do now is use Wi-Fi to access the internet and play android games?
I think I will give it to someone who has AT&T or Straight Talk service since the phone was working fine 2 days ago when I was with AT&T.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are best off selling it because At&T will blacklist it very soon because T-Mobile and AT&T now share the blacklist database now. A friend of mine had purchased a stolen phone on Craigslist, it was a T-Mobile Galaxy Note 3, it worked fine for a few hours after buying it but then it was blacklisted. He then had the phone SIM unlocked to use on AT&T. It worked for about 2 weeks until AT&T then blacklisted it too. Pretty much, since you inserted a T-Mobile SIM that is not the original one that came with the stolen phone when it was activated will result in the phone being flagged on AT&T because you previously used AT&T, now AT&T will block your phone because T-Mobile gave them a heads up. Sell it before it's blacklisted on AT&T.
It's been known since late 2012 that both T-Mobile and AT&T share the blacklist database along with Sprint and Verizon now, so that means even the smaller carriers that use any of the 4 major cell towers will also blacklist the phone sooner than later.
http://www.theverge.com/2012/11/1/3584466/att-t-mobile-stolen-cellphone-database
So yes, you now have an expensive wifi-only mini tablet in the US, your only hope of using it for cell service is to move and use the cell internationally or sell it to someone internationally.
Spartan 363 said:
You are best off selling it because At&T will blacklist it very soon because T-Mobile and AT&T now share the blacklist database now. A friend of mine had purchased a stolen phone on Craigslist, it was a T-Mobile Galaxy Note 3, it worked fine for a few hours after buying it but then it was blacklisted. He then had the phone SIM unlocked to use on AT&T. It worked for about 2 weeks until AT&T then blacklisted it too. Pretty much, since you inserted a T-Mobile SIM that is not the original one that came with the stolen phone when it was activated will result in the phone being flagged on AT&T because you previously used AT&T, now AT&T will block your phone because T-Mobile gave them a heads up. Sell it before it's blacklisted on AT&T.
It's been known since late 2012 that both T-Mobile and AT&T share the blacklist database along with Sprint and Verizon now, so that means even the smaller carriers that use any of the 4 major cell towers will also blacklist the phone sooner than later.
http://www.theverge.com/2012/11/1/3584466/att-t-mobile-stolen-cellphone-database
So yes, you now have an expensive wifi-only mini tablet in the US, your only hope of using it for cell service is to move and use the cell internationally or sell it to someone internationally.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
just use the 45 dollar plan from straight talk
Spartan 363 said:
You are best off selling it because At&T will blacklist it very soon because T-Mobile and AT&T now share the blacklist database now. A friend of mine had purchased a stolen phone on Craigslist, it was a T-Mobile Galaxy Note 3, it worked fine for a few hours after buying it but then it was blacklisted. He then had the phone SIM unlocked to use on AT&T. It worked for about 2 weeks until AT&T then blacklisted it too. Pretty much, since you inserted a T-Mobile SIM that is not the original one that came with the stolen phone when it was activated will result in the phone being flagged on AT&T because you previously used AT&T, now AT&T will block your phone because T-Mobile gave them a heads up. Sell it before it's blacklisted on AT&T.
It's been known since late 2012 that both T-Mobile and AT&T share the blacklist database along with Sprint and Verizon now, so that means even the smaller carriers that use any of the 4 major cell towers will also blacklist the phone sooner than later.
http://www.theverge.com/2012/11/1/3584466/att-t-mobile-stolen-cellphone-database
So yes, you now have an expensive wifi-only mini tablet in the US, your only hope of using it for cell service is to move and use the cell internationally or sell it to someone internationally.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's not selling, it called sticking it to someone else. He was burned so now burn someone else?
Live and learn, don't gamble big money for small gains. Buy from someone or some place, where you can return it if it's not right. I bought mine from T-Mobile.
Thread cleaned and respectfully, I understand your frustration.
However there isn't much that XDA folks are going to be able to offer in the way of assistance in this matter.
As a result I'm going to go ahead and close the thread off before it gets derailed by illegal discussions a second time.
You may want to contact your local police department though to see if you need to file a report for receiving stolen goods.

Categories

Resources