Develop Bugs

[Q] Skeptical about buying EVO off Craigslist

I'm finally getting an Evo - however I plan on buying it from craigslist. There are a few people selling in my area for about $300, but I talked to one guy and he was willing to go down to $200 for me since I asked for $250 but it's a bit of a drive. Now I've seen good deals like this before, but the guy seems a bit skeptical but having delt on craigslist before... I know some people are just like that.
The phone (HTC EVO obviously) is brand new and un-opened, but I've never seen the box (other than the picture he sent me of it) and I wanted to ask if there was anything I could do to make sure it really is brand new and has not been opened or replaced with rocks! I could ask him to open it in front of me... if there is nothing wrong with it as he claims then he should have no problem doing it since I'll be buying it.
That's my only idea.
Is there a way to find out if it's stolen or blacklisted by sprint?
Any help is appreciated.

You can ask him for the ESN, then you can call sprint and ask them is it is clear for activation....if so, be sure to visually inspect it to ensure that is the one you are buying
Sent from my froyo using the xda app

Askfor the esn and call sprint and tell them u wanna do a esn check then check the box its not like sealed or anything it just slides open but inside everthing needs to be sealed in plastic battery phone and ask l phone will have a sprint screen protrxtor on it thats new I get evos all day fromsprint for 300
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

Great!
Hey I can't beleive I didn't think of that! That's why I posted I guess haha. Thanks a ton guys.
Is the ESN visible if the phone packaging has never been opened?

Yes. It's on the outside barcode.

Thank you sir!
Call him now.

Vandelay007 said:
You can ask him for the ESN, then you can call sprint and ask them is it is clear for activation....if so, be sure to visually inspect it to ensure that is the one you are buying
Sent from my froyo using the xda app
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Click to collapse
i purchased my last phone, a Touch pro this way. met him in a parking lot(walmart, HIGH traffic) popped open the phone, called sprint, told them the situation(they were cool with it) read off the ESN, came back clean, done deal.
I very much recommend bring a buddy or two. just in case!

I got mine off Craigslist, I just met the person at a local Sprint store and had the sales rep check it right there, he even called into the activation center to double check for me. Then took it home rooted, blah blah, and then activated later on the website.

bbv203 said:
I got mine off Craigslist, I just met the person at a local Sprint store and had the sales rep check it right there, he even called into the activation center to double check for me. Then took it home rooted, blah blah, and then activated later on the website.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Best method I think u just meet at sprint get it done there I did tht when I got a sidekick of cl
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

sprint store +1

The best option would be to contact the seller and see if he would be willing to complete the transaction at a Sprint retailer. This way you will be in a public area, and it can be checked prior to handing over the dough. Good luck on the transaction, and enjoy your new EVO.

I think I'll write up a little 'Craigslist Buying Guide' with all this good information... And now experience!
I got two calls back last night, one of which would meet me at the sprint store! Her Idea too. But on my way out she called back and said she had another offer for more money... And I wasn't about to start a bidding war for her benefit so I was upset and went back to my original seller. The guy lived super far but I was potentially getting a great deal. Once I got there, I checked out the phone and tried to get a good read on the seller... he was VERY strange as most everyone I've dealt with on craigslist have been. This is my first craigslist phone purchase however.
So I called sprint, did the number thing and went through hours of customer service crap. Turns out, the guy has a business account (probably a made up bogus business but with a real fed tax ID and crap - anyone can start a business) and he buys the phones with pre-paid visa's, like you would use when making online purchases or give away as a xmas present. So these visa's look just like debt/credit cards that his "Business" would use and he gets the phones with plans so they're discounted (even though I can't see how he would get the MIR??). Once discounted he sells the devices or 'the hardware' for profit and at a good deal (seemingly) to the consumers like myself. I'm not sure how he makes much profit considering the EVO is $200 after MIR not to mention he had to have paid the first month of service and other fees/costs.... Maybe he was genuine and just bought the phone and changed his mind... but it seemed very skeptical.
Ok so the purpose of using the pre-paid visas was that in 30 days when the new billing cycle comes... Sprint will not be able to bill his visa because its out of money! It's not attached to his name or business like a normal credit card would be and now they'll try contacting him but I figure he'd probably just ignore them. Then a cancellation fee would be added ($200 more) but that wont get paid either and then I would assume Sprint will blacklist the ESN untill it's bill are paid.
What do you guys think? There was a lot more to the story so it may be hard to figure out what he was doing exactly. Maybe he genuinely was ignorant. Was it smart to not buy the phone off him? (even though it was only $200 unopened)

I had some people come to my home that were selling something on Craigslist. That night my home was burglarized. Figure it out.
Craigslist can have some good people on there but so many scumbags it isnt worth it.

Well I think it's obvious you should always meet in a public place. I would NEVER tell someone to meet me at my home!

this guy sounds shady and it sounds like Sprint not activate that phone if it's attached to an account that owes them money.

Help! Bell is trying to take my GNex pre-order away!

I posted the thread about Bell and Virgin taking pre-orders the other day and I'm the one that is supposed to receive the phone for $235. But Bell called me 36 hours after the deal had been made to try and tell me they couldn't do it.
I've spoken with a few reps and 2 supervisors and now I'm waiting for a manager call back.
A little background:
I called early, was offered a data discount of $415. The rep checked and double checked just to be sure and the order was put through.
Then later on in the day, the option to get the phone off contract had disappeared along with the option to get it on a 1 or 2 year term. So I entered into a chat with a live online rep, and he also double checked and reassured me I was eligible for the discount and able to get the phone. All systems go.
Now yesterday, after work they called me. Telling me they couldn't authorize it. So now, like I said, I'm waiting for a call from a manager.
My main argument is that they entered into a verbal contract with me. I understand their employees made a mistake, but that isn't my fault. I was just there to capitalize. Help me!

Verbal contracts are as binding as written, only harder to prove, if you have a logg over your online chat, copy it and keep it!
Sent from my X10i using xda premium

Tjotte said:
Verbal contracts are as binding as written, only harder to prove, if you have a logg over your online chat, copy it and keep it!
Sent from my X10i using xda premium
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Click to collapse
I decided not to save the online chat I really really should of. But I have another one stating my ability to get the phone on no contract on the day of release.

Did you not receive confirmation of the pre-order? Surely they have to honour it, after checking three times and saying it was OK?

Neville.Holland said:
Did you not receive confirmation of the pre-order? Surely they have to honour it, after checking three times and saying it was OK?
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Click to collapse
I would hope so. But no, I didn't receive an email or anything because the phone was set to go on my bill. But as I stated, there are several notes on my account confirming that I was to get the phone for the discounted price.

This doesn't really surprise me. I've heard people say a lot of bad things about Rogers, but I'm starting to reconsider switching to Bell for the Nexus. As I mentioned in your other thread on Monday, they actually refused to sign me up as a new Bell customer... and now you're having these problems... maybe I should just wait for Rogers to get the Nexus in January...

I just called a Bell store yesterday and asked if I could reserve a handset. They said that wasn't a problem and they just require my name and number. I told them clearly i was going to buy if off of contract and he said that is fine. I proceeded to ask him how many devices I can buy and he said they do not have a per client cap on device sales.
Needless to say I will be at the bell store at 10am on the 8th and buying a few Galaxy Nexuseseses =)

Goat_For_Sale said:
Needless to say I will be at the bell store at 10am on the 8th and buying a few Galaxy Nexuseseses =)
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Click to collapse
and selling it to people in the US for a since profit

Goat_For_Sale said:
I just called a Bell store yesterday and asked if I could reserve a handset. They said that wasn't a problem and they just require my name and number. I told them clearly i was going to buy if off of contract and he said that is fine. I proceeded to ask him how many devices I can buy and he said they do not have a per client cap on device sales.
Needless to say I will be at the bell store at 10am on the 8th and buying a few Galaxy Nexuseseses =)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats all lovely, I just really want them to honor the price they offered. Fingers are crossed.

Tjotte said:
Verbal contracts are as binding as written, only harder to prove, if you have a logg over your online chat, copy it and keep it!
Sent from my X10i using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is a massive misconception. Verbal contracts are *NOT* binding in the same way that written contracts are. Don't believe everything you hear on television.
Secondly, verbal contracts, irrelevant of their legality, can be broken very easily, when it comes to commerce. If the party providing the service (Bell, in this case) decides they don't want to provide the service for the price agreed upon, they can cancel the entire contract. What this means is you would have the right to cancel the transaction (assuming the price has actually changed from the time you agreed upon it) and walk away without penalty.
Now, do you have no assurance at all, in writing, that you were purchasing the phone for that price? Don't you have a pay stub, credit card transaction, or anything? They can't "force" you to buy the phone for the full price if you agreed upon a lower price. Legally, they *do* have to give you the option of cancelling the transaction (once again, if the final price was different from the agreed-upon price).
Now, on to the "verbal contract" misconception. There are 3 parts of a contract, both verbal and written (let's see if I remember their names). Offer, Acceptance, and Consideration.
Offer: Someone offers something. In this case, Bell offers you service for a certain price.
Acceptance: The offer is accepted. In this case, you accepted the offer by agreeing to purchase the item.
Consideration: Something must be exchanged. In this case, it was most likely a charge placed on your credit card. Usually it's a downpayment of some kind, or sometimes just a promise/contract that it'll be paid.
Sounds like only 2 of those have been met...which makes this *not* a verbal contract. Even if the third had been, when the contract terms change (the price), the accepting party has the right to opt out.

hotleadsingerguy said:
That is a massive misconception. Verbal contracts are *NOT* binding in the same way that written contracts are. Don't believe everything you hear on television.
Secondly, verbal contracts, irrelevant of their legality, can be broken very easily, when it comes to commerce. If the party providing the service (Bell, in this case) decides they don't want to provide the service for the price agreed upon, they can cancel the entire contract. What this means is you would have the right to cancel the transaction (assuming the price has actually changed from the time you agreed upon it) and walk away without penalty.
Now, do you have no assurance at all, in writing, that you were purchasing the phone for that price? Don't you have a pay stub, credit card transaction, or anything? They can't "force" you to buy the phone for the full price if you agreed upon a lower price. Legally, they *do* have to give you the option of cancelling the transaction (once again, if the final price was different from the agreed-upon price).
Now, on to the "verbal contract" misconception. There are 3 parts of a contract, both verbal and written (let's see if I remember their names). Offer, Acceptance, and Consideration.
Offer: Someone offers something. In this case, Bell offers you service for a certain price.
Acceptance: The offer is accepted. In this case, you accepted the offer by agreeing to purchase the item.
Consideration: Something must be exchanged. In this case, it was most likely a charge placed on your credit card. Usually it's a downpayment of some kind, or sometimes just a promise/contract that it'll be paid.
Sounds like only 2 of those have been met...which makes this *not* a verbal contract. Even if the third had been, when the contract terms change (the price), the accepting party has the right to opt out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately, you're most likely correct. I just have to bank on the good will of the manager I'm going to talk to. I will report back once I've spoken with them.

HideYoKids said:
Unfortunately, you're most likely correct. I just have to bank on the good will of the manager I'm going to talk to. I will report back once I've spoken with them.
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Click to collapse
lol not to be self-indulgent, but I'm not just *most likely* correct

Unfortunately, all they were willing to give me was $100 bill credit and 2 free months of my voice plan, for a total of $150. Instead of the $415 I was originally offered.

[Q] Buying a phone from craigslist or ebay

I bought a GS2 from someone off craigslist and then they reported it stolen and I had a device with a bad IMEI.
I think down the road I would like to see my GS2 for a One S. How can I do this safely? What should I require from the buyer to prevent that from happening again?

decko5 said:
I bought a GS2 from someone off craigslist and then they reported it stolen and I had a device with a bad IMEI.
I think down the road I would like to see my GS2 for a One S. How can I do this safely? What should I require from the buyer to prevent that from happening again?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well... You would have to talk to a lawyer about this. If you could find a way of writing up a legal contract (which isn't too difficult) that would stop the seller from doing anything that would ruin the sale, then you might be ok. The problem is that doesn't stop them, and if they did something then you would have to take them to court. That's a lot of money for a little assurance.
I think the more typical answers is you would need some luck, or to buy from someone you trusted. On ebay you can look at their record and see if other people buying cellphones were happy and that no one had this issue, but that could still be sketchy (and cost more than your average used phone).

What if I make the seller meet me at a T-Mo store and have him make sure that the seller does not have insurance plan? maybe that'll be a way to prevent this?

He needs a police report to file that claim. You now have stolen property. I would make that your first concern. I would do what I had to do to prove insurance fraud just on principal alone.
Craigslist is hit or miss. I've been burned twice. But my most recent gs2 purchase went smooth.
Sent from my HTC_Amaze_4G using xda premium

I would recommend not using either. Use swappa. All the IMEIs are clean, no damage. Was gonna buy my SGS2 off of it, but got a better deal through the store.

You're right, the best way to prevent this if to meet at a store. We have an imei blocking tool that we can reference.
Only problem is that the if the claim is still being processed, it will show unblocked.
I guess it's a good sign if the seller is willing to meet at a store in the first place.

Not sure if it is unlocked. But if it is and the issue is not sorted, you can use it on another carrier still. Not a total loss atleast.

android4sunny said:
Not sure if it is unlocked. But if it is and the issue is not sorted, you can use it on another carrier still. Not a total loss atleast.
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Click to collapse
Except that the FCC just passed new regulations that require AT&T, Sprint, Verizon and T-mobile to share a database off blocked IMEIs.

I bought my SGS2 from Craigslist and what ended happening is I was way hesitant to buy.
Took longer than expected to meet up, but he explained the situation. The dude has a $500 tmobile bill and is moving back to Texas. And just this week I've actually abandoned my G2X and am using my GS2 as my main device.
Luckily I didn't get sold a banned IMIE
This is the reason I like GSM phones. I guess it makes sense for people snatching and selling stolen devices, but sucks you have to do more to make sure you don't get screwed.

If there is nothing preventing people from screwing you with ebay protecting you for 90 days then there is absolutely nothing protecting you in craigslist where they wouldn't care if you got stabbed in a transaction

G1ForFun said:
Except that the FCC just passed new regulations that require AT&T, Sprint, Verizon and T-mobile to share a database off blocked IMEIs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Incorrect. The carriers are working with the FCC on a plan to curb phone theft that may involve using a shared database.
However, this is not regulation passed by FCC. It's also important to note that other countries have been using this type of theft tracking database since 2002, and the database itself has been in existence since 1996.
As usual, the US is behind the rest of the world by about 10 years.
On topic, it really is buyer beware when buying used. Meeting at a TMo store, having the rep verify if IMEI is valid, having it on record that the phone was sold and transferred to the buyer, all help in reducing the likelihood of getting burned.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium

honestly, try to buy devices with the box that has the matching imei number, although this has a chance of getting banned too, it is much slimmer.
Many of banned devices are results from stolen phones or are the replacement phones where the person goes "oh i did not receive my package" and ends up selling it.
You can meet in the t-mobile store, have them take note or call or rep and have them put a note that the IMEI is now in use by your account and should not be banned. You can even photocopy or take a picture of the guy's ID, if the guy is reluctant to give you his INFO, don't buy it.

I bought my phone on craigslist NIB, I never knew of this IMIE stuff. Luckily for me, my phone's been fine (knock on wood)

I talked to multiple customer service agents who told me there was nothing they could (or would) do about the situation. Even if the guy meets you at the store and the reps watch, they are just witnesses. It would help if you have to take the guy to court, but is it really worth it?
I mean, it sucks, but it's a gamble.

Well there are many honest people out there doing honest transactions but I think this latest burn has ruined me. I used to love swapping phones very often and I planned to swap this for the One S. It's a shame.

degeneration said:
I talked to multiple customer service agents who told me there was nothing they could (or would) do about the situation. Even if the guy meets you at the store and the reps watch, they are just witnesses. It would help if you have to take the guy to court, but is it really worth it?
I mean, it sucks, but it's a gamble.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Add in court fees to the total amount.

just unlock the phone and sell it and tell the buyer about it. Only issue is if they are using the phone on tmobile.
It'll work perfectly fine on another carrier. All of the phones I have been through I unlock for a local carrier. Past few years since the nexus one came out I've been through almost every higher end android phone and never once have had an issue.

funny this thread comes up, a year ago i acquire a tmobile G2 from CL, and it was stolen, all i had to do was cooperate with a detective and track down the thief, dont know if they caught them but i get to keep the phone.
in the future i think you should all your service and give them the IMEI numbers to see if it stolen. dont know if that works but doesnt hurt to try.

Stolen Sprint Galaxy S3

Hey guys,
I need your help. I bought of Craigslist and it was stolen.
I am always cautious, so before buying I requested ESN number from seller and called sprint to check phone, some women answered me and said Phone had no problem and I could go ahead and buy with sellers ask price. So I went to that buy and paid 400$. Later that day I called sprint again to double check, cuz phone was without box, after second attempt guy from Sprint that it was reported.
What should I do. Probably I don't have chance to prove that I bought it honestly. But as every carrier service records customer call, I can prove them that they gave me false information. I thought that owner could report it during that two owner difference between first call and second call but chance of that is very low

paata01 said:
Hey guys,
I need your help. I bought of Craigslist and it was stolen.
I am always cautious, so before buying I requested ESN number from seller and called sprint to check phone, some women answered me and said Phone had no problem and I could go ahead and buy with sellers ask price. So I went to that buy and paid 400$. Later that day I called sprint again to double check, cuz phone was without box, after second attempt guy from Sprint that it was reported.
What should I do. Probably I don't have chance to prove that I bought it honestly. But as every carrier service records customer call, I can prove them that they gave me false information. I thought that owner could report it during that two owner difference between first call and second call but chance of that is very low
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It was probably not reported yet. By the time you called again it was updated in the system. So no false info was given. That's why you should always meet at a Sprint store and do the change and activation on the spot. Nothing you can do now.
Sent from my stock rooted Galaxy S3

wickedskills said:
It was probably not reported yet. By the time you called again it was updated in the system. So no false info was given. That's why you should always meet at a Sprint store and do the change and activation on the spot. Nothing you can do now.
Sent from my stock rooted Galaxy S3
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe, I don't know... I can't afford 400$ lose..If I bring it to dealer and they flash it on Metro or other carrier, will 3G or 4G work and which carrier is best..
I don't know what to do, If I call owner he/she may not request to unlock phone, so I'd rather flash

What you SHOULD do is return the phone to Sprint and get it back to it's rightful owner. You can call the police on the person who sold you the stolen property and go after them for your money. It's wrong of you to keep something that you know isn't yours.

Sorry to hear this happen to you. You should have activated it on the spot to make sure it was good to go. And second. Why did you pay $400. The phones worth $300 max
http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/TexasEpic/ThePeoplesROM-KennyGlass123/daniel4653.png

gyrospazjohn said:
What you SHOULD do is return the phone to Sprint and get it back to it's rightful owner. You can call the police on the person who sold you the stolen property and go after them for your money. It's wrong of you to keep something that you know isn't yours.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This. Do this.
Some guy ripped me off on an evo, lost $100.
Edit: meant to say the s3 back to it's owner lol
Go to the police, make the report, your likely to get your money back and the evo to its original owner. Do it ASAP or the report isn't credible.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda app-developers app

First of all unless this was a factory sealed phone you payed too much. I got my S3 in November 2012 and it was from a 3rd party Sprint seller on eBay, which is highly rated by a lot of people. It was an open box item and flawless, I got it for $350 with a 30 day return policy and some accessories. Second if you ever buy a phone off someone on craigslist make them meet you at a Sprint store and activate it while they are there then pay them, all done in the store in front of the workers. If they disagree say bye. Last but not least that could have been their phone for all you know. They could have sold you the phone that they got on their contract then the next day called Sprint and said my phone was lost/stolen here is my insurance cost of something like $150. They get new phone and make $250. Or they just stole it and sold it to you. So lesson learned I guess for you huh. Also Sprint "may record your call for quality assurance" not they record and keep every single phone made to them for quality assurance.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

gyrospazjohn said:
What you SHOULD do is return the phone to Sprint and get it back to it's rightful owner. You can call the police on the person who sold you the stolen property and go after them for your money. It's wrong of you to keep something that you know isn't yours.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Only problem there is the seller can always play stupid and say he bought the phone from someone and was not aware it was stolen.
Sent from my stock rooted Galaxy S3

When it boils down to it, OP is now is possession of stolen property, which is a crime.
Go to the police or sprint and give the phone up. You can try to go to the police and take the seller to court. But is that time and effort really worth $400?
Sent from a planet far far away.

Speedin07si said:
When it boils down to it, OP is now is possession of stolen property, which is a crime.
Go to the police or sprint and give the phone up. You can try to go to the police and take the seller to court. But is that time and effort really worth $400?
Sent from a planet far far away.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OP, you said you couldn't afford to lose $400, I'm betting the real owner of the phone feels the same way. Do the right thing.

gyrospazjohn said:
OP, you said you couldn't afford to lose $400, I'm betting the real owner of the phone feels the same way. Do the right thing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most likely, real owner is covered by insurance, but still it does not matter. I would be glad if someone would return my stolen phone, so I will do the same.. I hope I will get my money back.
Thanks guys

Speedin07si said:
When it boils down to it, OP is now is possession of stolen property, which is a crime.
Go to the police or sprint and give the phone up. You can try to go to the police and take the seller to court. But is that time and effort really worth $400?
Sent from a planet far far away.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It wouldn't be like that. He just needs to go to the police. Sprint won't refund any money. If he goes to the police, they will figure everything out, and he will get his money back and likely not even have to go to court. Police have access to digital proof via messages or texts or various other things and can easily get it done.
Legally what happened would fall under fraud and robbery. As the item was stated as genuine and non stolen and in working order, and it happens to be stolen and not in activate able condition, that is fraud due to lying about the product, then he took your money knowingly for a broken product and getting away with money as if it was a clean esn. Ignore sprint, go straight to the police. Your money will be recovered and the phone returned to the right person. If it was him saying it was stolen, after the product was sold, then likely he will get the boot from sprint
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda app-developers app

paata01 said:
Hey guys,
I need your help. I bought of Craigslist and it was stolen.
I am always cautious, so before buying I requested ESN number from seller and called sprint to check phone, some women answered me and said Phone had no problem and I could go ahead and buy with sellers ask price. So I went to that buy and paid 400$. Later that day I called sprint again to double check, cuz phone was without box, after second attempt guy from Sprint that it was reported.
What should I do. Probably I don't have chance to prove that I bought it honestly. But as every carrier service records customer call, I can prove them that they gave me false information. I thought that owner could report it during that two owner difference between first call and second call but chance of that is very low
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ACTUALLY THIS PERSON YOU BOUGHT IT FROM WAS A TOTAL BUTT.... I GUARANTEE HE / SHE GOT CASH IN HAND THEY CALLED AND REPORTED IT STOLEN I HONESTLY WOULD BET $50 THATS WHAT THEY DID ONLY BAD THING HAVING A GSM PHONE KINDA MISS HAVING A SIM CARD
Sent From My Samsung Galaxy S3

otterboxfan4l said:
ACTUALLY THIS PERSON YOU BOUGHT IT FROM WAS A TOTAL BUTT.... I GUARANTEE HE / SHE GOT CASH IN HAND THEY CALLED AND REPORTED IT STOLEN I HONESTLY WOULD BET $50 THATS WHAT THEY DID ONLY BAD THING HAVING A GSM PHONE KINDA MISS HAVING A SIM CARD
Sent From My Samsung Galaxy S3
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
HOLY CRAP CAPITAL LETTERS BATMAN! haha
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium

Guys. I had that same thing happen to me. Got it off CL, turned out to be stolen.
Typed ##786# to get the number of the previous owner, because when tried calling the guy who sold i to me, number was unresponsive.
So, when i called the real owner she said phone was stolen, i was not smart to call from a blocked numer, but from my cell, so she had all my information and googled me threatening to turn me in for stealing.
I decided to beat her to it, and handed it over to the cops. She then called me mltiple times threatening, to which i replied i no longer had the phone.
Interesting fact, when the cop took the phone, he ran some check and did not find to be tolen, only sprint knew it was stolen, so unless i would have give him her cell, the phone would have probably sat around. They are not as sufisticated as we thing, this is not FBI or CIA, just some cop.
If u return to the police, do the ##786# and call the previous owner to tell them the stoy, otherwise dont waste your time, it took me 3 hrs waiting for cops at the police station to only hear phone is not stolen.

ReapersDeath said:
It wouldn't be like that. He just needs to go to the police. Sprint won't refund any money. If he goes to the police, they will figure everything out, and he will get his money back and likely not even have to go to court. Police have access to digital proof via messages or texts or various other things and can easily get it done.
Legally what happened would fall under fraud and robbery. As the item was stated as genuine and non stolen and in working order, and it happens to be stolen and not in activate able condition, that is fraud due to lying about the product, then he took your money knowingly for a broken product and getting away with money as if it was a clean esn. Ignore sprint, go straight to the police. Your money will be recovered and the phone returned to the right person. If it was him saying it was stolen, after the product was sold, then likely he will get the boot from sprint
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Police don't have any type of access to any digital records and "various other things" you speak of.
Once in court, the judge would have to issue a subpoena. Once issued, Sprint has a legal department that can release certain digital items.
When you print emails, they can be falsified. I honestly don't think cops care for you buying stolen goods as CL is at your own liability. No one is responsible for it but yourself.
I like how if you don't know an answer, people make stuff or voice how they think the world should work.

chrischoi said:
Police don't have any type of access to any digital records and "various other things" you speak of.
Once in court, the judge would have to issue a subpoena. Once issued, Sprint has a legal department that can release certain digital items.
When you print emails, they can be falsified. I honestly don't think cops care for you buying stolen goods as CL is at your own liability. No one is responsible for it but yourself.
I like how if you don't know an answer, people make stuff or voice how they think the world should work.
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My whole family is police.. They deal with Craigs list stuff constantly. Most of the time they report results in the person getting their money back and the person who sold the stolen item gets dealt with whichever way they choose to,

Your not getting your money back unless you sell that phone to someone else. If you do that I highly doubt you get the full 400 but at least you get something back. It ain't right but hell I rather take that chance then waiting to take the person that sold you the phone to court . You won't win that case unless you signed a contract or have a receipt. These phones seriously need sim cards like T-Mobile and at&t and the rest of the world and you wouldn't have this problem. Whoever does this to somebody should seriously get a ass kicking, reading this pissed me off. The original owner of that phone sounds like the same person that sold it to you. He got the money then reported it stolen . Good luck on getting your money back but next time just add another line to your service and avoid the hassle.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using XDA Premium App

Yeah I got my S3 from Craigslist in December for $300. I never bought a phone like this before but meeting at Sprint seemed like a no brainer ( and a deal breaker if they won't meet there) Seller had no problem meeting meand as soon as the Sprint rep activated the phone and I made a call on it, I handed her the money. Awesome deal considering the phone was only 2 days old, like brand new, in the box with accessories.
I got lucky that this girl didn't like the S3, and wanted her iphone back
But for the op. Hopefully you communicated with the seller by text. That's a record of the communications you can show the cops when you tell them what happened.

You should have used xda's new market place
Swappa
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium

Tips buying a T-Mobile note 3 on Craigslist?

Any tips or suggestions on how I can buy a tmobile note 3? How can I be sure it's a good esn/imei without it being reported stolen from tmobile?
Sent from my C6602

snoopycr said:
Any tips or suggestions on how I can buy a tmobile note 3? How can I be sure it's a good esn/imei without it being reported stolen from tmobile?
Sent from my C6602
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My best advice would be to ask the seller if he/ she would be willing to meet at a T-mobile location to make sure the handset is legitimate. Tell the seller a friend or relative of yours was ripped off in the past and you just want to make sure. Best of luck to you friend.
sent from my note 3

Meet in a Tmobile store and have the seller have the tmobile rep look at their account and verify the phone is not on an equipment installment plan and the imei is not reported as lost or stolen. Also get a signed recepiet (with both parties printed name and the description of the item sold)from the seller stating they sold you the phone. There are many stories where a phone is reported lost or stolen after the sale and after the imei was checked to be in good standing.
Sent from my SM-N900T using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

If meeting at a store isn't possible you can call T-Mobile and have them switch it over to you over the phone while standing there with the guy before any money exchanges hands.

Shouldnt there be less problems with this now? I mean, even if someone cancels, they are charged the remaining value on the phone, right? So none of these phones should be blacklisted at all, ever. I mean, they cant make you pay if you leave and still blacklist the phone. Even if u never pay the final bill, if its even on your credit report, you're responsible for it. Is my train of thought here wrong?

tony yayo said:
Shouldnt there be less problems with this now? I mean, even if someone cancels, they are charged the remaining value on the phone, right? So none of these phones should be blacklisted at all, ever. I mean, they cant make you pay if you leave and still blacklist the phone. Even if u never pay the final bill, if its even on your credit report, you're responsible for it. Is my train of thought here wrong?
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Tmo will block the phone until the bill is paid in full. So if they never pay the bill with the phone balance due the phone bought will not work. And now tmo and att share a blcklist so cant use it on att network either. Also as stated even after the sale some people report the phone as lost or stolen and claim a warranty on it making the phone sold useless.
Sent from my SM-N900T using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

blakkheartt12 said:
Tmo will block the phone until the bill is paid in full. So if they never pay the bill with the phone balance due the phone bought will not work. And now tmo and att share a blcklist so cant use it on att network either. Also as stated even after the sale some people report the phone as lost or stolen and claim a warranty on it making the phone sold useless.
Sent from my SM-N900T using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
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What happens when the bill goes to collections? Tmo gets paid by the collection agency but when the collectors get paid will they unblock the phone?
Besides, if they were to report it stolen 2 months later, who would believe you would wait 2 months to report a stolen $700 phone?

tony yayo said:
What happens when the bill goes to collections? Tmo gets paid by the collection agency but when the collectors get paid will they unblock the phone?
Besides, if they were to report it stolen 2 months later, who would believe you would wait 2 months to report a stolen $700 phone?
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Apparently people do. Just search on xda for phone stop working or phone doesnt get service after working for a few months (there were a lot of threads like that in the tmo note 2 forum). Many said tmo wont unblock it until the original owner pays it off. They wont even allow you to pay it off if you wanted to. So its better to have all the evidence as possible that the phone was sold to you.
Sent from my SM-N900T using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

I personally wouldn't buy new T-Mo phone on craigslist nowa days, and I would be super careful and do due diligence when purchasing on eBay. Even eBay is subject to these issues, just look at how many people are selling Note 3(s) on eBay that are listed as having bad IMEI(s). Why do you think that is? People are are doing multiple different scams and such that involve the IMEI getting blacklisted after a while.
One involves people selling the phones and then not paying their bill after it was purchased on a payment plan. Once they don't pay their bill they blacklist the IMEI. The ONLY way to unblacklist the IMEI is for the original purchaser to pay their payment plan bill. Even if you legitimately purchased the phone they will not unblock it for you. I know of more then one person that has tried to resolve this with ZERO success. Going to a T-Mobile store to do the transaction will not help in this situation because often the account is not in a negative standing yet and doesn't happen till a later date. The only thing a T-Mobile store can help with is identifying if the phone is stolen or not, which doesn't help with these latest scams.
The only way to avoid this is to 100% make sure that the phone you purchased was paid for in full at full price and not on a payment plan. Even then I have heard of sellers providing photoshopped receipts to buyers only to get their phones blacklisted months or weeks later because the phones were not really paid off. One might think that eBay is safer from a seller that has feedback but no not really. Often by the time you get blacklisted you cannot leave bad feedback or file a dispute. However with that said, most card companies (VISA, MC, ETC) allow you to do a chargeback within six months of a purchase if its some type of fraud that happened as a result.
The other way involves a more scammy way that I will not explain, with again the outcome being a blacklisted phone that the 2nd purchaser cannot resolve. However these are happening all over the place and there's not a sure fire way to avoid it. The best way to avoid this is to simply buy a phone directly from a authorized seller like T-Mo, or to trust your buyer 100%.
Just saying.

There is no way to be 100% sure that a T-Mobile phone is a safe bet, unless it is coming from someone you trust.
Even if you go to a store with the seller and verify that the phone is fully paid for, they still have 30 days from the incident date to report it stolen or lost if they have insurance or JUMP! Yes it is fraud, but it is almost impossible to combat. Police will record your incident and file it, but will not actively pursue a situation such as this in most cases. T-Mobile will suggest that you contact your local police and will not do anything to help you.
Another note: If you call or go into a store and ask them to check the IMEI number, they can't give you information regarding financing unless the phone is being financed under your name or a authorized account manager. You will need the phone seller to go in to the store to verify this information for you.
I'm sure there are plenty of people out there trying to sell their TMO phones honestly, but do you want to take a high percentage chance that you are being ripped off? That percentage rises if the phone is brand new selling at a huge discount. EX. Craigslist in my city shows a guy selling 4 TMO Note 3's brand new for 550.00 each. I can almost guarantee that those phones will be blacklisted sooner or later.

buy it on swappa

There is a certain amount of risk involved. It all depends on how good of a deal you get. I've bought quite a few phones from CL then sold later on Ebay. Right now I'm using a Note 3 bought on CL for $400. I could sell it with a bad IMEI on Ebay and still make a good profit. I always disclose in my auction that the phone has been verified as clean at the time of sale but that could change in the future since I don't know the history of the phone. it doesn't seem to stop people from buying the phones.
Just last weekend I found a great deal on a S4 international version, or so I thought. After getting home and messing with it I found out it was a fake! The owner never answered my calls or texts, go figure. I was able to sell it on Ebay fully disclosed as a fake and only take about a $40 hit. If you're going to use CL you better be willing to take some risk.
Also my research leads me to belive that Tmo and att do not SHARE blacklist info for phones that the bill is not paid on, only units reported lost or stolen. Nobody had been able to prove to me they do. Since I use Straight Talk with att sim card that eliminates some risk of my phone becoming blacklisted. In my mind anyhow it makes me feel better!
Sent from my SM-N900T using xda app-developers app

snoopycr said:
Any tips or suggestions on how I can buy a tmobile note 3? How can I be sure it's a good esn/imei without it being reported stolen from tmobile?
Sent from my C6602
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Best way to buy it is to PRESUME the phone you are buying is ALREADY blacklisted. Next is to buy it at the lowest price you think it fair. For example, I bought a Note 3 T-Mobile from craighstlist for 525. The guy said it had a clean IMEI but I was skeptical of it but since it was at 525, I could not have cared less since I was planning on using it with AT&T. I later unlocked it using RegionLock Away and everything is SMOOTH. Love the phone.

i wouldnt trust craigslist.. i had bought a phone on it that i thought worked. when i came home it bricked.

Just thought I'd share my craigslist experience this morning. I wanted to post a screenshot but cannot for some reason so copy and pastiing.
Me: you still got the note 4 for sale?
Him: yes
Me: Can you provide a reciept to show that its fulky paid for and a bill of sale with your name and id number? I'm just trying to avoid insurance scammers.
Him: It's not fully paid off. I just got the phone because it came with the line which is all i needed at no additional cost to me.
Him: But I'm not eligible for insurance because I've used my two for the year up already.
Me: Well if you're selling a phone that isn't fully paid off tmobile will block it when you stop making payments. Which makes the phine useless and you're trying to sell it is fraud.
Me: lol good luck man
Him: Umm your wrong
Him: but ok
Funny how his insurance is already used up, i wonder what became of those phones hmmm. So I would encourage anybody buying off craigslist to ask the same questions i did. They're are some genuine sellers i buy and sell from Craigslist all the time.

Make sure the box is a genuine t-mobile box the phone will set in a recessed form fitted area and not just on top of flat paper.