Develop Bugs

My IMEI got blocked by T-Mobile

I bought my Samsung Galaxy S3 phone off craigslist 2 months ago brand new in box as of Saturday my IMEI has been blocked. This must have been a stolen phone or something. Yeah I was really mad but oh well.. Any suggestions at this point?? Can I unlock it and sell it that way??

HOw did you get notified. And it's good to check esnimei before buying
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sell it on eBay or craigslist. Yes you can unlock it first and list that as one of the features
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---------- Post added at 06:20 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:13 AM ----------
I have one more piece of advice. Such a phone was probably stolen by a T-Mobile employee. Why not call and ask for the customer retention center? They can hook you up.
When I bought 2 s3s and switched my mom to my Hercules they jacked all the 32 and 64 gb cards. They know they are not paying their employees enough.
Insinuate you feel the phone was sold to you by a T-Mobile employee. extremely likely
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bipoler said:
HOw did you get notified. And it's good to check esnimei before buying
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
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Click to collapse
I didn't get notified..At first I thought I did a bad flash or something because I wasn't getting signal through out the day so I back tracked on everything I did. I went back to stock and started the process over again to root and ect.. I was still not getting signal or data so the next day I called T-Mobile and asked was something wrong with my account they said no all paid and up to date then they asked for the IMEI# and then the T-Mobile rep said " Oh I see what the problem is your imei/phone is blocked. Then right away I knew this must have been reported stolen.

Android_Monsters said:
sell it on eBay or craigslist. Yes you can unlock it first and list that as one of the features
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium
---------- Post added at 06:20 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:13 AM ----------
I have one more piece of advice. Such a phone was probably stolen by a T-Mobile employee. Why not call and ask for the customer retention center? They can hook you up.
When I bought 2 s3s and switched my mom to my Hercules they jacked all the 32 and 64 gb cards. They know they are not paying their employees enough.
Insinuate you feel the phone was sold to you by a T-Mobile employee. extremely likely
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This guy knows nothing of what he is talking about! Your phone was blocked because someone bought the phone and split it into payments on their account! Most likely their account was cancelled or couldn't pay it, so they figured they would sell the phone to offset what they owe. Only only only way to get it unblocked is to get a hold of the seller and have him reactivate the account or pay off what ever they owe for the phone on the account. This is starting to happen a lot now! So much everyone be careful! Another thing also is the guy did an insurance claim and sold you the phone that was supposedly lost. I would hit up the guy! Good luck!
You can unlock it and sell it for people to use on any other GSM service but T-Mobile!
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium

deviusdragger said:
This guy knows nothing of what he is talking about! Your phone was blocked because someone bought the phone and split it into payments on their account! Most likely their account was cancelled or couldn't pay it, so they figured they would sell the phone to offset what they owe. Only only only way to get it unblocked is to get a hold of the seller and have him reactivate the account or pay off what ever they owe for the phone on the account. This is starting to happen a lot now! So much everyone be careful! Another thing also is the guy did an insurance claim and sold you the phone that was supposedly lost. I would hit up the guy! Good luck!
You can unlock it and sell it for people to use on any other GSM service but T-Mobile!
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You may be right, however the OP is a paying customer who (hopefully) is in good standing with T-Mobile. If you have a _napkin_receipt (or invent one...) you could get with retention and email them your information.
OP, you made a purchase in good faith and hoped to pay for T-Mobile service in good faith. You want to continue paying T-Mobile and regardless if you were scammed, they could accommodate you.
Otherwise I would unlock the phone and try to sell it to a Wind subscriber. At least make a trade and get a decent phone in return, like a note. If you were honest with me and I was on Wind with a Note or GS2 or whatever they have, I would consider a trade.

You guys must think that T-Mobile is stupid, the invoices are all the same through all locations, and they track them and verify in their systems that the phone was paid. No way around, no matter what you do! You can call and cry and tell them you were ripped off! Phone will no get unblocked unless it shows in their system that the installment plan that was started on that device is paid off!
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium

And that's why you don't upgrade through T-Mobile... If you want a phone it's cheaper to go to like Wal-Mart or some other store (Not Best Buy) pay it in full.. It's screwed up people screw other people over like this...

konceptz said:
You may be right, however the OP is a paying customer who (hopefully) is in good standing with T-Mobile. If you have a _napkin_receipt (or invent one...) you could get with retention and email them your information.
OP, you made a purchase in good faith and hoped to pay for T-Mobile service in good faith. You want to continue paying T-Mobile and regardless if you were scammed, they could accommodate you.
Otherwise I would unlock the phone and try to sell it to a Wind subscriber. At least make a trade and get a decent phone in return, like a note. If you were honest with me and I was on Wind with a Note or GS2 or whatever they have, I would consider a trade.
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Click to collapse
It don't matter how if he is in good standing with Tmobile, the phone he bought off the craigslist person account is not. That's what's scary about buying from CL. You can try to talk to customer Service, but I think you are screwed.

How i unblocked my imei from o2.
you may get lucky i had the same issue with o2, all i did was got lucky to be honest i unlocked the network and have since been useing a 3 sim works fine cheap to try like £1 so not breaking the bank if not try a few networks like vodafone as they dont piggyback from anyone so they may not get notified that your imei has been blocked.

It probably wasn't stolen but purchased on an EIP and never paid for.. stop buying phones on craigslist unless you have a receipt and proof that it's not on an EIP

that is what happens when you buy second hand, trying to save money cost you alot more than you think. you better find out if it is stolen, first off.

sell it to some developer or someone .. that way you could recover some money

sorry man but now you have an expensive media player. but I see many ppl trying to sell their phone with IMEI blocked.

help ASAP
[hey my cusin locked up my phone{reason i told him im saling it an he wanted to buy it an i said no} its a tmobile galaxy s is there a way tht i can unlock it

Very scary. I bought mine on CL new in box also.

asr10user said:
Very scary. I bought mine on CL new in box also.
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Click to collapse
Maybe legit, but keep in mind, alot of carrier employee's will steal phones, and those places are exactly where they can get rid of them, I have a friend that got burn twice....I told him stop looking on CL. Just becuase it is new in box, don't mean a damn thing. It may take 2-3mo for the carrier to do inventory, and bingo, that is when they will block it.

Ugh.. the chances of it being an employee are slim. The chances of it being a defaulted Value EIP are most likely.

jmares214 said:
I didn't get notified..At first I thought I did a bad flash or something because I wasn't getting signal through out the day so I back tracked on everything I did. I went back to stock and started the process over again to root and ect.. I was still not getting signal or data so the next day I called T-Mobile and asked was something wrong with my account they said no all paid and up to date then they asked for the IMEI# and then the T-Mobile rep said " Oh I see what the problem is your imei/phone is blocked. Then right away I knew this must have been reported stolen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
deviusdragger said:
This guy knows nothing of what he is talking about! Your phone was blocked because someone bought the phone and split it into payments on their account! Most likely their account was cancelled or couldn't pay it, so they figured they would sell the phone to offset what they owe. Only only only way to get it unblocked is to get a hold of the seller and have him reactivate the account or pay off what ever they owe for the phone on the account. This is starting to happen a lot now! So much everyone be careful! Another thing also is the guy did an insurance claim and sold you the phone that was supposedly lost. I would hit up the guy! Good luck!
You can unlock it and sell it for people to use on any other GSM service but T-Mobile!
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey OP, what happened to this phone eventually? Did you get it to work? Do you know if it works on Straight Talk with Tmobile based SIM?
I am buying an S3 tomorrow off Craigslist and not sure what's is going to happen. I have a Tmobile based straight talk sim I don't know what happens when Tmobile blocks the IMEI does it affect the straight talk users too?
---------- Post added at 09:35 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:32 PM ----------
heygrl said:
Ugh.. the chances of it being an employee are slim. The chances of it being a defaulted Value EIP are most likely.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you know if tmobile blocked s3 phones work on straight talk with Tmobile based sim cards? (or AT&T)

Just unlock it and go to att or tell tmobile customer service there going to lose a paying customer.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium

Buying a note 2 have some ?'s

Ok so im planning to buy a new T-Mobile galaxy note 2 from craigslist for $500 everything is in the box sealed. I'm worried about the situation were T-Mobile blocks your phone from their network if they just bought it with contract and didn't pay the cancelation fee. I was going to meet him up at T-Mobile but he has things to do so we are going to do the deal after T-Mobile store closes. Here's what he told me when I told him about this.
Him : The note 2 was purchased under my account, I have sold 3 other note 2s without any issues or complaints and I bought it for 750.
Also he said
Well my account is active and im using a tmobile phone so I dont know what to tell you, you can buy the phone or not its ur choice
What's your guys input on this ? I would wait but I need a phone today asap and his is the only one I could find
Thanks

Jaimesco12 said:
Ok so im planning to buy a new T-Mobile galaxy note 2 from craigslist for $500 everything is in the box sealed. I'm worried about the situation were T-Mobile blocks your phone from their network if they just bought it with contract and didn't pay the cancelation fee. I was going to meet him up at T-Mobile but he has things to do so we are going to do the deal after T-Mobile store closes. Here's what he told me when I told him about this.
Him : The note 2 was purchased under my account, I have sold 3 other note 2s without any issues or complaints and I bought it for 750.
Also he said
Well my account is active and im using a tmobile phone so I dont know what to tell you, you can buy the phone or not its ur choice
What's your guys input on this ? I would wait but I need a phone today asap and his is the only one I could find
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if he bought it for $750 why would he sell it for $500? the only way it makes sense is if he got a deal on the phone or got it as a gift and is flipping it for a profit
i live in NY and on CL the Tmo version is going from $600-650....$500 is quite cheap
if you ABSOLUTELY NEED a phone today as you claim you do...you're better off buying one that is closer to the average asking price
advise for anyone using CL...if it sounds to good to be true..it probably is

jdiddy_ub said:
if he bought it for $750 why would he sell it for $500? the only way it makes sense is if he got a deal on the phone or got it as a gift and is flipping it for a profit
i live in NY and on CL the Tmo version is going from $600-650....$500 is quite cheap
if you ABSOLUTELY NEED a phone today as you claim you do...you're better off buying one that is closer to the average asking price
advise for anyone using CL...if it sounds to good to be true..it probably is
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Click to collapse
Really ? Most notes on craigslist are 500-600 in Vegas
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And is there a way to check the imei myself?
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Jaimesco12 said:
Really ? Most notes on craigslist are 500-600 in Vegas
Sent from my PG86100 using xda app-developers app
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considering the current retail price is $699.99...i dont see the logic of selling it for $500 when you can easily get $100 more
but yeah..i just re-checked CL and they are going for at least $600 with only 1 post that is $550 but the phone is not mint thats why
if they are all going for 500-600 in your area then it shouldnt be hard to find another person that sounds more legit that is also selling it for 500
---------- Post added at 09:22 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:17 PM ----------
Jaimesco12 said:
And is there a way to check the imei myself?
Sent from my PG86100 using xda app-developers app
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Click to collapse
there are a bunch of sites that claim to check it..idk how legit they are..just google "imei checker"
or maybe even call tmobile directly and ask..although i feel like i did that once and they didnt offer any help
tmobile phones are rarely blacklisted if ever..are you concerned that it has already been blacklisted or that it WILL be blacklisted sometime down the line...if your speaking in the present just pop your sim in there..if it works, your ok..for now..
if you are gonna buy from this guy, ask him if hes driving to meet you...if he is just copy down or memorize his license plate without him knowing

jdiddy_ub said:
considering the current retail price is $699.99...i dont see the logic of selling it for $500 when you can easily get $100 more
but yeah..i just re-checked CL and they are going for at least $600 with only 1 post that is $550 but the phone is not mint thats why
if they are all going for 500-600 in your area then it shouldnt be hard to find another person that sounds more legit that is also selling it for 500
---------- Post added at 09:22 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:17 PM ----------
there are a bunch of sites that claim to check it..idk how legit they are..just google "imei checker"
or maybe even call tmobile directly and ask..although i feel like i did that once and they didnt offer any help
tmobile phones are rarely blacklisted..are you concerned that it has already been blacklisted or that it WILL be blacklisted sometime down the line...if your speaking in the present just pop your sim in there..if it works, your ok..for now..
if you are gonna buy from this guy, ask him if hes driving to meet you...if he is just copy down or memorize his license plate without him knowing
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I was planning to call T-Mobile since he will give me the imei number but T-Mobile can't check it ??? And I'm concerned of it being blacklisted down the road because I can just pop my sim in and if it works its good but what if next month it doesn't?
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Jaimesco12 said:
I was planning to call T-Mobile since he will give me the imei number but T-Mobile can't check it ??? And I'm concerned of it being blacklisted down the road because I can just pop my sim in and if it works its good but what if next month it doesn't?
Sent from my PG86100 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
to be honest with you i dont think tmobile cares about blacklisting stolen phones...my guess is that employees dont even have that info to look up
if you are just looking to pop your sim in and use it you are most likely gonna be fine..if you are planning on unlocking it or using it internationally then you might encounter an issue if that phone was indeed stolen and reported
the only way to protect yourself is to look for deals that you truly believe are legit...trust your gut..sounds like your gut is telling you no...if you really believed that this guy was legit you wouldnt have posted this question
also..i have been on both ends of selling a phone on CL...ive sold and bought..whenever i buy a new phone my old phone immediately goes on CL..as a legit seller i have no issues answering people's questions...the guy you mentioned sounded very blunt and quick...if you are making a legit sale you would understand that people dont just hand over $500 no questions asked...ive also dealt with sellers that are like that and i just look for someone else

jdiddy_ub said:
to be honest with you i dont think tmobile cares about blacklisting stolen phones...my guess is that employees dont even have that info to look up
if you are just looking to pop your sim in and use it you are most likely gonna be fine..if you are planning on unlocking it or using it internationally then you might encounter an issue if that phone was indeed stolen and reported
the only way to protect yourself is to look for deals that you truly believe are legit...trust your gut..sounds like your gut is telling you no...if you really believed that this guy was legit you wouldnt have posted this question
also..i have been on both ends of selling a phone on CL...ive sold and bought..whenever i buy a new phone my old phone immediately goes on CL..as a legit seller i have no issues answering people's questions...the guy you mentioned sounded very blunt and quick...if you are making a legit sale you would understand that people dont just hand over $500 no questions asked...ive also dealt with sellers that are like that and i just look for someone else
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He says he couldn't go because he has a boxing event lol? My gut tells me no at any price because I'm uncompletly sure it wouldn't matter if it was 600 I ask myself what if lol
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Jaimesco12 said:
He says he couldn't go because he has a boxing event lol? My gut tells me no at any price because I'm uncompletly sure it wouldn't matter if it was 600 I ask myself what if lol
Sent from my PG86100 using xda app-developers app
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why did you mention the thing about someone buying the phone and not paying the cancellation fee? is that what you believe he is doing or did you just make that up out of paranoia?
i believe you can tell if a CL posting is real based on the way they write...also always ask the seller if he has a receipt
like i mentioned..most guys that are legit will answer questions
1. where did they get it from?
2. why are they selling?
do you have a link to the posting?

jdiddy_ub said:
why did you mention the thing about someone buying the phone and not paying the cancellation fee? is that what you believe he is doing or did you just make that up out of paranoia?
i believe you can tell if a CL posting is real based on the way they write...also always ask the seller if he has a receipt
like i mentioned..most guys that are legit will answer questions
1. where did they get it from?
2. why are they selling?
do you have a link to the posting?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He got it from tmobile http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/for/3390448521.html and Im just asking what if lol
Sent from my LG-LG855 using xda app-developers app

I know there have been issues over in the gs3 forum where someone buys a s3 off craigslist and a couple months later the phone no longer works. What ppl are doing is buying the phone with a value plan pay the upfront of 129.99 or 199 or whatever it is and then the rest of the cost is broken up over the course of 20 months. Well they sell the phone and stop paying the installment payments and that causes the phone to get blacklisted.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium

Jaimesco12 said:
He got it from tmobile http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/for/3390448521.html and Im just asking what if lol
Sent from my LG-LG855 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
id just ask him if he has a receipt...open the box in front of him and pop your sim in to test it
like i said..tmobile rarely if ever blacklists a phone..at the end of the day its your choice..no one can tell you whether or not its safe...no one knows..good luck

Are you still on contract and that is why you need to buy the device "full" price? Are you wanting to use the device for the prepaid plan? Are you trying to keep your old plan?
Why not just go for a contract? This way you don't have to pay so much for this device. And you will know that the device is legit.

Just call t-mobile and give them the IMEI and see if the phone is blacklisted. Worked for our second Note 2, and it's running on solavei with zero problems.

Figured I'd post here, but does anyone know if phones outside of the Equipment Installment Plan get blacklisted? I'm shopping for a Note 2 right now and want to make sure phones purchased off-contract or on-contract but not in EIP won't get blacklisted.
The 2-months-to-blacklist thing is outside of PayPal/eBay buyer protection but just within normal credit card protections but I want to be as safe as possible.

There is no clear cut answer as of yet. Supposedly they should have already start blacklisting the phones that are reported stolen. AT&T have already started the program.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2

Jaimesco12 said:
Ok so im planning to buy a new T-Mobile galaxy note 2 from craigslist for $500 everything is in the box sealed. I'm worried about the situation were T-Mobile blocks your phone from their network if they just bought it with contract and didn't pay the cancelation fee. I was going to meet him up at T-Mobile but he has things to do so we are going to do the deal after T-Mobile store closes. Here's what he told me when I told him about this.
Him : The note 2 was purchased under my account, I have sold 3 other note 2s without any issues or complaints and I bought it for 750.
Also he said
Well my account is active and im using a tmobile phone so I dont know what to tell you, you can buy the phone or not its ur choice
What's your guys input on this ? I would wait but I need a phone today asap and his is the only one I could find
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The condition is whether the previous user paid off the phone or not. I had to pay S3 in full (remaining balance) at once before selling it.

Protection against bad IMEI with t-mobile phones?

Hey all I am about to buy a new sealed note II off swappa or ebay, and I am wondering what is the best way to protect against bad imei issues.
I know retail is the only sure fire way, but I'd like to save a few $100, off what t-mobile charges if possible.
I've heard horror stories of phones getting blocked 30days after a sale, even when the imei was confirmed clean on the phone upon initial sale. And then having to deal with PayPal protection
Any better way to make sure this doesn't happen, or is it just luck of the draw?

Amd4life said:
Hey all I am about to buy a new sealed note II off swappa or ebay, and I am wondering what is the best way to protect against bad imei issues.
I know retail is the only sure fire way, but I'd like to save a few $100, off what t-mobile charges if possible.
I've heard horror stories of phones getting blocked 30days after a sale, even when the imei was confirmed clean on the phone upon initial sale. And then having to deal with PayPal protection
Any better way to make sure this doesn't happen, or is it just luck of the draw?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
tell the seller to read the imei off the sticker or receipt. should be a label or something on the outside of the box. call the carrier to see if the imei is clean.

Re: Protection against bad in either with t-mobile phones?
Some don't go bad until months. The original owner decides 2 or 3 months down the road he or she doesn't want to make any more payments on the phone (EIP). Better make sure the phone is not on any payment plans.
Or they could still report phone lost or stolen 45 days later.
There really isn't much protection for buyers.
Sent from my SGH-T889 using Tapatalk 2

Re: Protection against bad in either with t-mobile phones?
I bought from a seller off ebay cellstoreusa for $620 free shipping. Also check my other reply on xda about how to check imei numbers, the info came from a tmobile rep.
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda premium
---------- Post added at 08:46 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:40 PM ----------
I found my reply for you.
I just bought one off ebay from a individual that sells new phones for $620 and no tax free shipping. In the past you could buy off a phone off Craigslist and have no problem. That's what I was about to do til I heard how easy someone can sell a phone and then in a day or two, file claim that it was stolen to get another phone. That phone will work, till they blacklist the imei. I talked to a sales rep about that situation and one option is to get the imei number from the seller before u buy it, and call Tmobile to check it.Then as soon as you buy the phone register the phone in your name. The rep said it take less than 5min if they're not busy and can be done on the phone. If a seller can't give you the imei number to check don't buy it. I had a seller off Craigslist not finished the sale cause I wanted to check the imei number.
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Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda premium

Re: Protection against bad in either with t-mobile phones?
If you're on a monthly plan keep calling 611 and telling then you don't want to pay full price. I ended up getting mine for $300 and I wasn't even due for an early upgrade I was only with T-Mobile for 10 months.
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda premium

I must have bought 10 phones off Craigslist and 2 or 3 from Ebay. Never had an issue with a bad esn/meid/imei. I hear horror stories but never had a bad experience.
Now selling on Craigslist a different story, it's always an adventure. You post pictures and people text/call/email asking for pics. Tell them the price is firm and the first response will be will you accept half. Don't put firm in the price and only come down $25 and they ***** saying I should have put firm in the ad. My favorite, do you want to trade for anything on this list, it's a huge list of all old and worthless crap. Not to mention the no shows and the priests that want to make payments.

Re: Protection against bad in either with t-mobile phones?
Lol, that's funny as hell, I sell a lot on Craigslist, I'm running into the same problems. I told one buyer the price, he wanted it cheaper, so I lowered it more. When we met up he said he was short $20. Lol, i politely told him to take out his sim card out the phone and I left. Now I'm selling on ebay and getting more then I expect, I just sold my note n7000 for $371, I thought the most would be $250.
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Jack143 said:
I bought from a seller off ebay cellstoreusa for $620 free shipping. Also check my other reply on xda about how to check imei numbers, the info came from a tmobile rep.
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda premium
---------- Post added at 08:46 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:40 PM ----------
I found my reply for you.
I just bought one off ebay from a individual that sells new phones for $620 and no tax free shipping. In the past you could buy off a phone off Craigslist and have no problem. That's what I was about to do til I heard how easy someone can sell a phone and then in a day or two, file claim that it was stolen to get another phone. That phone will work, till they blacklist the imei. I talked to a sales rep about that situation and one option is to get the imei number from the seller before u buy it, and call Tmobile to check it.Then as soon as you buy the phone register the phone in your name. The rep said it take less than 5min if they're not busy and can be done on the phone. If a seller can't give you the imei number to check don't buy it. I had a seller off Craigslist not finished the sale cause I wanted to check the imei number.
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
great advice on the timing of changing the imei ownership, never thought of that, I will do just that, thanks everyone

Re: Protection against bad in either with t-mobile phones?
T mobile rep here. The sad thing about this IMEI thing is buyers have no control over this. A customer can call T - Mobile years from now just to block an IMEI they have on file just because. It sucks, I know. Best interest these days to buy from people you know or with good ratings. Nothing less than.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app

XCrazedxPyroX said:
T mobile rep here. The sad thing about this IMEI thing is buyers have no control over this. A customer can call T - Mobile years from now just to block an IMEI they have on file just because. It sucks, I know. Best interest these days to buy from people you know or with good ratings. Nothing less than.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You didn't elaborate, you can't just can't and block a phone cause you can. Phone has to be reported stolen/lost and had to be a phone that was used within the past 30 days. Also if the phone was set up on a payment plan, and the customer cancels the account, if the phone isn't paid off, the IMEI will be blocked and only the original customer who bought it can unblock it once they submit proof that they fully paid the phone off to T-Mobile.
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gedster314 said:
I must have bought 10 phones off Craigslist and 2 or 3 from Ebay. Never had an issue with a bad esn/meid/imei. I hear horror stories but never had a bad experience.
Now selling on Craigslist a different story, it's always an adventure. You post pictures and people text/call/email asking for pics. Tell them the price is firm and the first response will be will you accept half. Don't put firm in the price and only come down $25 and they ***** saying I should have put firm in the ad. My favorite, do you want to trade for anything on this list, it's a huge list of all old and worthless crap. Not to mention the no shows and the priests that want to make payments.
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now this was rich! Lol so true and funny
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My My question is, I bought mine off craigslist a couple months ago, no problems at all. Did crack my screen so got a new phone through insurance. Obviously a different imei now so I shouldn't have any problems right? Say, if someone tried to blacklist the old phone, would that come back to me still?

deviusdragger said:
You didn't elaborate, you can't just can't and block a phone cause you can. Phone has to be reported stolen/lost and had to be a phone that was used within the past 30 days. Also if the phone was set up on a payment plan, and the customer cancels the account, if the phone isn't paid off, the IMEI will be blocked and only the original customer who bought it can unblock it once they submit proof that they fully paid the phone off to T-Mobile.
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda premium
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Actually, he's technically right.
You are listing the procedures, but not every worker knows or follows them. Used to be you needed a police report. Now everything is all willy nilly.

I actually bought from Craigslist and according to a recent call to Tmo, this phone was reported stolen. I've got it on Straight Talk with an AT&T sim and its working fine for now. I have no way to get back to the seller...
Is there anything I might be able to do to get Tmo to un-blacklist the IMEI? Maybe activate it with them? Or do I just live with it and never know if its going to quit working?
Sent from my phablet.

LanceDiamond said:
I actually bought from Craigslist and according to a recent call to Tmo, this phone was reported stolen. I've got it on Straight Talk with an AT&T sim and its working fine for now. I have no way to get back to the seller...
Is there anything I might be able to do to get Tmo to un-blacklist the IMEI? Maybe activate it with them? Or do I just live with it and never know if its going to quit working?
Sent from my phablet.
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Read what I posted. With the nationwide program that tmo is now using to check imeis, the market for stolen phones will drop and the list of blocked Imeis will rise. There are no ways around to unblock a phone, NO MATTER WHAT! Only the original purchaser can unlock it once proof is submitted to T-Mobile that the debt for the phone was paid off. If the phone was lost and the original purchaser found it, he has to send it back to the insurance company. Imeis will not be unblocked for lost or stolen phones if an insurance claim was done on it.
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda premium

Thanks for the clarification or rather reiteration...
Why would the phone still be working? Is it that tmo & att aren't (yet) sharing blacklists? Or could it be that going through Straight Talk is whats saving me?
I hate that there is nothing to do about it but I guess I took my chances buying off craigslist without knowing to check the imei.
Sent from my phablet.

Last time i tried to see if there was anything a t-mobile rep could do for me i ended coming up short. As i was in the transaction of purchasing the phone, the t-mobile rep I called didn't mention ANYTHING about registering the IMEI under my account, all she said she could do was verify it wasn't blocked at the time and couldn't guarantee **** about the future. I got screwed for almost $500 the day after i bought the phone. It's up to you if you want to take the risk. =/
Jack143 said:
I bought from a seller off ebay cellstoreusa for $620 free shipping. Also check my other reply on xda about how to check imei numbers, the info came from a tmobile rep.
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda premium
---------- Post added at 08:46 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:40 PM ----------
I found my reply for you.
I just bought one off ebay from a individual that sells new phones for $620 and no tax free shipping. In the past you could buy off a phone off Craigslist and have no problem. That's what I was about to do til I heard how easy someone can sell a phone and then in a day or two, file claim that it was stolen to get another phone. That phone will work, till they blacklist the imei. I talked to a sales rep about that situation and one option is to get the imei number from the seller before u buy it, and call Tmobile to check it.Then as soon as you buy the phone register the phone in your name. The rep said it take less than 5min if they're not busy and can be done on the phone. If a seller can't give you the imei number to check don't buy it. I had a seller off Craigslist not finished the sale cause I wanted to check the imei number.
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arctic84 said:
Last time i tried to see if there was anything a t-mobile rep could do for me i ended coming up short. As i was in the transaction of purchasing the phone, the t-mobile rep I called didn't mention ANYTHING about registering the IMEI under my account, all she said she could do was verify it wasn't blocked at the time and couldn't guarantee **** about the future. I got screwed for almost $500 the day after i bought the phone. It's up to you if you want to take the risk. =/
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Only relatively safe way is to have the person sign over the phone to you At tmobile. That way they can instantly switch the IMEI to you, and the other person can't go home and report it stolen.
Sent from my GT-N8013 using Tapatalk HD

mrbkkt1 said:
Only relatively safe way is to have the person sign over the phone to you At tmobile. That way they can instantly switch the IMEI to you, and the other person can't go home and report it stolen.
Sent from my GT-N8013 using Tapatalk HD
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Guess i'll give that a shot for next time, thanks.

[Q]

So I wanted to buy myself a Galaxy s3 for T mobile, so I go on craigslist to buy a used one since I cannot afford a brand new one. I find one, meet the seller, and buy it since it was in excellent condition. 4 days later the phone stops working on the t mobile network. I thought it was because of a rom I had on it, but It wasn't. I called T mobile to see if there was something wrong with my service, and told me my phone was reported stolen and they blacklisted it from the network. Since I have the sellers number and the texts between him and myself, I thought I could prove to T mobile that I didn't steal the phone, but they insisted that they cannot help me and told me to file a report at the police station, like that gonna do anything.
So my question is, since the IMEI of the phone is blocked, is there a way I can change the IMEI to a generic one? Will that work? Only reason I am asking is because I cannot sell my phone, nobody is interested. I even unlocked for $20 and still won't sell. I bought it for 380, and the highest I've gotten on craigslist so far is 280. I don't know what to do. Any help is appreciated thanks.

Never mind, just found out generic IMEI doesn't work on t mobile anymore, bummer

sadakli2010 said:
So I wanted to buy myself a Galaxy s3 for T mobile, so I go on craigslist to buy a used one since I cannot afford a brand new one. I find one, meet the seller, and buy it since it was in excellent condition. 4 days later the phone stops working on the t mobile network. I thought it was because of a rom I had on it, but It wasn't. I called T mobile to see if there was something wrong with my service, and told me my phone was reported stolen and they blacklisted it from the network. Since I have the sellers number and the texts between him and myself, I thought I could prove to T mobile that I didn't steal the phone, but they insisted that they cannot help me and told me to file a report at the police station, like that gonna do anything.
So my question is, since the IMEI of the phone is blocked, is there a way I can change the IMEI to a generic one? Will that work? Only reason I am asking is because I cannot sell my phone, nobody is interested. I even unlocked for $20 and still won't sell. I bought it for 380, and the highest I've gotten on craigslist so far is 280. I don't know what to do. Any help is appreciated thanks.
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You are pretty much SOL man. There is NOTHING legal you can do to restore its service on T-Mobile. I would sell it as an ATT device. 280 is ridiculous though. Even if it doesnt work on T-Mobile, it WILL still work on any other GSM network.
Im really sorry dude. Maybe there is something that can be done legally through a lawyer or something since you have all the information stating you bought it. I mean, essentially what that guy did is 100% fraud.
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF300T using Tapatalk 2

elesbb said:
You are pretty much SOL man. There is NOTHING legal you can do to restore its service on T-Mobile. I would sell it as an ATT device. 280 is ridiculous though. Even if it doesnt work on T-Mobile, it WILL still work on any other GSM network.
Im really sorry dude. Maybe there is something that can be done legally through a lawyer or something since you have all the information stating you bought it. I mean, essentially what that guy did is 100% fraud.
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF300T using Tapatalk 2
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Click to collapse
It will not work on AT&T, T-Mobile and AT&T share the same blacklist database.
It isn't really worth going through the legal system over $380.
OP, how do you know the number the guy used just isn't some generated number from a free texting app. I would just sell it for $280 and take the $100 lost. Or track the guy down and beat the living crap out of him, but what are the chances of that?
|When Emotion Goes Up, Logic Goes Down|
|Even If You Fall Face First You're Still Moving Forward|

707BeastMode707 said:
It will not work on AT&T, T-Mobile and AT&T share the same blacklist database.
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Click to collapse
This is news to me. Thats kinda dumb. Everyone else who had the same situation as the OP says it works on ATT. For instance, Straight Talk on ATT. GoPhone.
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF300T using Tapatalk 2

This thread should be closed! There is a bunch of people making threads on how they bought stolen phones on cl and cant use them! You cant trust any one on cl end of story! Take the loss and move on! There is nothing anyone here can do to help
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium

evil1art said:
This thread should be closed! There is a bunch of people making threads on how they bought stolen phones on cl and cant use them! You cant trust any one on cl end of story! Take the loss and move on! There is nothing anyone here can do to help
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium
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I bought my galaxy s2 from Cl to this day (bought over a year ago) it would still work if I didn't break it.
It's a gamble.
But I don't see how it should be closed. It's not the OPs fault he had a douche bag sell him the phone. People don't need to be like that. He's just trying to make the best of his situation.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2

The problems isn't craigslist per se , but its that the desperation out there is higher. People are willing to take risks to make money because they are broke, out of a job , etc. Not saying any of those are excuses to steal or commit fraud, but if a few people came on this thread and found out others are doing it, they are willing to try it also.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app

We need a sticky on how to buy a phone on CL. You need to go to a T-Mobile store with the person before buying it (meet there) and have the rep check it out and conform hehe status and make a note on your account.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2

That still is not guarantee. I have seen post where the phone was blacklisted 3 or 4 weeks later.

Too many people buying from CL .. They should look up phone scams on Google before buying
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium

GTWalling said:
That still is not guarantee. I have seen post where the phone was blacklisted 3 or 4 weeks later.
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Yeah...because they didn't go to a T-Mobile retail store and have a rep put a note of it on the sellers account.
|When Emotion Goes Up, Logic Goes Down|
|Even If You Fall Face First You're Still Moving Forward|

[Q] Phone with bad IMEI/ How to make most profit from it?

Ok, so due to new IMEI policy by t-mobile, this galaxy s4 I bought on craigslist brand new worked perfectly for 2 weeks and then the guy reported it stolen and got a new one (insurance fraud.) I'm having the man prosecuted, but that is largely for revenge purposes. Me getting my money back is slim chance. What should I do with the phone to make the most money to buy a new one? Can I sim unlock it and sell it for use on other carriers? Or are imei blocked on all? Can I break it down and sell parts? Do people buy those? haha. I'm just looking to make the best of a ****ty situation, help appreciated Thanks in advance

milesmarrero said:
Ok, so due to new IMEI policy by t-mobile, this galaxy s4 I bought on craigslist brand new worked perfectly for 2 weeks and then the guy reported it stolen and got a new one (insurance fraud.) I'm having the man prosecuted, but that is largely for revenge purposes. Me getting my money back is slim chance. What should I do with the phone to make the most money to buy a new one? Can I sim unlock it and sell it for use on other carriers? Or are imei blocked on all? Can I break it down and sell parts? Do people buy those? haha. I'm just looking to make the best of a ****ty situation, help appreciated Thanks in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think best is try to get it unlocked and sell it overseas.
Once AT&T and T-Mobile merge their blacklist it probably won't work on any US GSM carrier.
There is really no protection now for the second hand buyer when it comes to GSM phones. The original owner will most likely file a claim for the phone as being lost/stolen so they can profit and the buyer will always get boned in the end.
I say if you do buy a used phone, at least buy it on eBay. That way there is at least some accountability and the original owner would think twice before reporting the phone stolen/lost.

Dan37tz said:
I think best is try to get it unlocked and sell it overseas.
Once AT&T and T-Mobile merge their blacklist it probably won't work on any US GSM carrier.
There is really no protection now for the second hand buyer when it comes to GSM phones. The original owner will most likely file a claim for the phone as being lost/stolen so they can profit and the buyer will always get boned in the end.
I say if you do buy a used phone, at least buy it on eBay. That way there is at least some accountability and the original owner would think twice before reporting the phone stolen/lost.
Click to expand...
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Think it will actually get purchased?

milesmarrero said:
Think it will actually get purchased?
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He is saying the future you should buy a used phone on eBay since you will get eBay and PayPal buyer protections.
If you are selling a phone with a bad IMEI you really should have a ton of documentation to support how you obtained the device. That means all the paperwork from the court about the prosecution you are involved in.
And this isn't a new policy by T Mobile. This is a long standing policy to black list phones with IMEI's that are reported stolen.
You also need to be careful when talking about how to sell and profit from a phone with a bad IMEI on XDA. It's a touchy subject here.

Dan37tz said:
I say if you do buy a used phone, at least buy it on eBay. That way there is at least some accountability and the original owner would think twice before reporting the phone stolen/lost.
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I purchased the S3 last year on eBay. The seller waited until after the 60 days were up (to be able to dispute on paypal) to report the phone stolen/lost. eBay was also of no help. So becareful!

Agent3 said:
I purchased the S3 last year on eBay. The seller waited until after the 60 days were up (to be able to dispute on paypal) to report the phone stolen/lost. eBay was also of no help. So becareful!
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That's why you use a credit card with a long dispute time.

Agent3 said:
I purchased the S3 last year on eBay. The seller waited until after the 60 days were up (to be able to dispute on paypal) to report the phone stolen/lost. eBay was also of no help. So becareful!
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But at least you have the record of the sale right? Couldn't you have gone to the T-Mobile store or called up CS and tell them you have proof that that you purchased the phone on eBay? Wouldn't T-Mobile help unblock it in your situation since you have proof with the seller information? You could have gone a few steps further and maybe get the police involved since you have nothing to worry about, you have proof of the transaction.

People like the ones you guys describe deserve to have both kneecaps broken.
Kind of makes me wonder about mine....I bought mine on CL. It was NIB. The dude bought it from Best Buy and brought it out to me. I took it home, popped my SIM in and Voila...Wonder if it would even be possible on mine since I don't think it was ever turned on on his.

hkbladelawhk said:
People like the ones you guys describe deserve to have both kneecaps broken.
Kind of makes me wonder about mine....I bought mine on CL. It was NIB. The dude bought it from Best Buy and brought it out to me. I took it home, popped my SIM in and Voila...Wonder if it would even be possible on mine since I don't think it was ever turned on on his.
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Yeah I got **** on. There are terrible people out there.

For people buying phones on Craigslist either for T mobile or AT&T ask the seller to meet you at a store and advise a sales person to notate their account that they are selling the phone. If seller is legit they will gladly go to the store with you.
That's what I did when I sold my S3 and Nexus 4. The sales person notated my account in front of buyer so that I can not report it for insurance fraud...

saldebot said:
For people buying phones on Craigslist either for T mobile or AT&T ask the seller to meet you at a store and advise a sales person to notate their account that they are selling the phone. If seller is legit they will gladly go to the store with you.
That's what I did when I sold my S3 and Nexus 4. The sales person notated my account in front of buyer so that I can not report it for insurance fraud...
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Wish I thought of that.

OP: What did you end up doing with the phone?

That's what I did when I traded my Note 2 for the S4. Haven't had any issues to date.
Sent from my SGH-M919 using xda premium

hkbladelawhk said:
Wish I thought of that.
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Good God that's brilliant! You win one internets!

I use to program my epic all the time, you could change the imei to a good one, however you'd need a donor phone and all of this is theorhetical.
Sent from my SGH-M919 using xda premium

Shinydude100 said:
I use to program my epic all the time, you could change the imei to a good one, however you'd need a donor phone and all of this is theorhetical.
Sent from my SGH-M919 using xda premium
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Click to collapse
Nothing about how to change imei's, regardless of you might use that ability for honest purposes, should ever be discussed on XDA at any time for any reason.
Any discussion about changing imei's is a big no-no on XDA. Its also illegal in most places in the world to mess with an imei, much like messing with the vin number on a car, no matter if you have a legitimate need to fix an old broken phone or not.
9 out of 10 people who will want to change an imei will want to do so for less than legal reasons. (Bought stolen phone. Stole phone. Want to sell a stolen phone, etc) XDA will not be a party to the distribution of that information as a result. So please do not discuss it here.
Thank you
Sent from your phone. You should be careful where you leave that thing.

Skipjacks said:
Nothing about how to change imei's, regardless of you might use that ability for honest purposes, should ever be discussed on XDA at any time for any reason.
Any discussion about changing imei's is a big no-no on XDA. Its also illegal in most places in the world to mess with an imei, much like messing with the vin number on a car, no matter if you have a legitimate need to fix an old broken phone or not.
9 out of 10 people who will want to change an imei will want to do so for less than legal reasons. (Bought stolen phone. Stole phone. Want to sell a stolen phone, etc) XDA will not be a party to the distribution of that information as a result. So please do not discuss it here.
Thank you
Sent from your phone. You should be careful where you leave that thing.
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Click to collapse
Thanks for understanding, disclaiming, and not attacking. I do indeed do it at my own risk/discretion, however I know what I'm doing. Either way, sorry op, that's literally the best I can do, and still be a good xda user, seek and ye shall find.
Sent from my SGH-M919 using xda premium

Dan37tz said:
....Once AT&T and T-Mobile merge their blacklist it probably won't work on any US GSM carrier...
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Click to collapse
they are not merging. Prolly never will either. Fcc shut that down awhile ago. It's metro PCs who just recently merged with T-Mobile.
But I do believe att and T-Mobile share a blacklist. Think this exact situation happened to a person on the s3 forums. Said they couldn't use it on att either.
But OP. Should be able to unlock and sell over seas. Try eBay. If no buyers then part it out. Screen and digitizer as one is a good 200 if not more.
Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk 2

Just change out the IMEI
milesmarrero said:
Ok, so due to new IMEI policy by t-mobile, this galaxy s4 I bought on craigslist brand new worked perfectly for 2 weeks and then the guy reported it stolen and got a new one (insurance fraud.) I'm having the man prosecuted, but that is largely for revenge purposes. Me getting my money back is slim chance. What should I do with the phone to make the most money to buy a new one? Can I sim unlock it and sell it for use on other carriers? Or are imei blocked on all? Can I break it down and sell parts? Do people buy those? haha. I'm just looking to make the best of a ****ty situation, help appreciated Thanks in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just change out the IMEI number so it is not blacklisted. It is not illegal in the United States, and if any moron tells you it is ask him for the link to the law. You will not find one. I got mine fixed on ebay from a company called kingpin unlockers. It cost me 60 dollars and they did it remotely in less than 30 minutes. Remotely, yes i did not have to send my phone in anywhere. Just go to ebay and copy and paste the following text in the search box:
Bad IMEI ESN repair service Samsung T-MOBILE Galaxy S4 S 4 IV M919 Blacklisted
They do both att and tmobile and also do note 2 and s3 imei changes remotely.

boredndsm3 said:
Just change out the IMEI number so it is not blacklisted. It is not illegal in the United States, and if any moron tells you it is ask him for the link to the law. You will not find one. I got mine fixed on ebay from a company called kingpin unlockers. It cost me 60 dollars and they did it remotely in less than 30 minutes. Remotely, yes i did not have to send my phone in anywhere. Just go to ebay and copy and paste the following text in the search box:
Bad IMEI ESN repair service Samsung T-MOBILE Galaxy S4 S 4 IV M919 Blacklisted
They do both att and tmobile and also do note 2 and s3 imei changes remotely.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just take a look at the imei cloning laws before you talk about things you have no idea about. The only people that can legally change the IMEI is the OEM.
Wayne Tech Nexus