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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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
Related
So my good friend bought a used evo, the bad thing is that the phone has lost/stolen status, its been verified by a sprint store manager that in fact it is not lost or stolen, its a long story, anybody who works for sprint in the forums can you help. how does he go about removin the status from the phone, so he can activate?
I don't work for Sprint but had to go through this with a Mogul I purchased a few years back... basically what I was told is that the only way to get the flag removed is to have the person that originally reported it lost/stolen call into Customer Care to report it un-lost (or would that be found? )
if u call tech support they can do a chat to try to get it removed it takes about 5-10 min but it doesnt work 100% of the time when i worked in sprint tech i did it some times
yea this is probably a case where the person used there insurance and reported it lost then sold the old phone. happens a lot. try tech support i have gotten them to fix one of my old phones but i have heard many stories of them not being able to as well. Hope it works out/ if nto hopefully he paid paypal or credit card and can report it to try tog et his money back (assuming it doesnt say it was a bad esn when he bought it)
Your good friend needs to talk to the person he bought it from and have them handle it for him. Is there a chance this actually is a lost or stolen phone?
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk
I actually hope there is no way to get the Lost/stolen flag removed, it would only give thieves the opportunity to start stealing phones again and using them, or people committing fraud against the insurance firms, which down the line cost us more $$$$
Sorry but your friend should of been more careful?
sjjones said:
I actually hope there is no way to get the Lost/stolen flag removed, it would only give thieves the opportunity to start stealing phones again and using them, or people committing fraud against the insurance firms, which down the line cost us more $$$$
Sorry but your friend should of been more careful?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really? So if you lost your phone, reported it as lost to Sprint, DIDN'T file an insurance replacement claim, and found it the next week, you wouldn't want to be able to get the lost/stolen flag taken off? I call BS!
Besides, I have had many lost/stolen flags taken off of many different phones due to some of the numbskulls working at my company, no problems. Haven't had to do it for an EVO yet though.
There are always legitimate reasons for wanting that taken off, as opposed to just wasting a perfectly good piece of hardware. Thieves will always steal, regardless of whether or not what they steal can be reactivated or not. Your logic is flawed.
Jye75 said:
Really? So if you lost your phone, reported it as lost to Sprint, DIDN'T file an insurance replacement claim, and found it the next week, you wouldn't want to be able to get the lost/stolen flag taken off? I call BS!
Besides, I have had many lost/stolen flags taken off of many different phones due to some of the numbskulls working at my company, no problems. Haven't had to do it for an EVO yet though.
There are always legitimate reasons for wanting that taken off, as opposed to just wasting a perfectly good piece of hardware. Thieves will always steal, regardless of whether or not what they steal can be reactivated or not. Your logic is flawed.
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Click to collapse
I'm fairly sure the original owner can remove the Lost/Stolen flag, so it is your logic that is invalid.
The only reason someone would want to remove a Lost/Stolen flag from a phone that was not originally theirs is someone who was the recipient of a stolen phone, or one released through insurance fraud.
sohr said:
I'm fairly sure the original owner can remove the Lost/Stolen flag, so it is your logic that is invalid.
The only reason someone would want to remove a Lost/Stolen flag from a phone that was not originally theirs is someone who was the recipient of a stolen phone, or one released through insurance fraud.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, my logic is sound, and a correct reply to the comment above as it is worded. More specifically regarding the thieves stealing phones portion. And I might add that your "only reason" doesn't cover all bases either. Not everyone who loses a phone, files an insurance claim. In fact, many people do not carry insurance on their phones. In that event, the original owner could find their lost/stolen phone, and turn around and sell or give it to someone else while forgetting to clear the device through the service provider.
I love it when the "know-it-alls" come out and only "know" what they have experienced or can imagine in their own minds. Limited.
Sprint accidentally reported my Evo lost/stolen when I was on the phone with them once. Then they lost the ESN from their system. Then they told me that HTC had to reload the ESN into their system before Sprint could do anything.
Took about 5 days to get my phone back but they did finally do it.
I understand the issue here but that is why I never buy a phone from someone unless I meet them at the store to verify that it is legit and clear to activate.
Jye75 said:
that event, the original owner could find their lost/stolen phone, and turn around and sell or give it to someone else while forgetting to clear the device through the service provider.
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Click to collapse
If the original owner "forgets" to clear the device, whose fault is that? It's not Sprints-- and it's something that is easily remedied-- have the original owner call Sprint and have it removed.
Every legitimate reason for removing a stolen/lost flag is covered that way.
I love it when the "know-it-alls" come out and only "know" what they have experienced or can imagine in their own minds. Limited.
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Click to collapse
Pot meet kettle, much?
sohr said:
I'm fairly sure the original owner can remove the Lost/Stolen flag, so it is your logic that is invalid.
The only reason someone would want to remove a Lost/Stolen flag from a phone that was not originally theirs is someone who was the recipient of a stolen phone, or one released through insurance fraud.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same thing I was thinking. You could file a claim, pay the deductible, get a new phone and just be like" nevermind, I found it. Can you remove the lost/stolen tag please?" Now you have a spare phone you could sell to recoup the cost of the deductible, and then some.
I'm going to be more blunt than others and just call this exactly what it looks like. Fraud.
sohr said:
If the original owner "forgets" to clear the device, whose fault is that? It's not Sprints--Never said it was Sprint's fault. And you know, SOME people are ignorant enough to not know that they NEED to clear the ESN of a lost phone. Some may think that replacing it and assigning the number to the new one takes care of any trouble they might have. and it's something that is easily remedied-- True, but the person I was replying to commented that in their opinion, there should be NO way to clear a lost/stolen ESN. Read much?have the original owner call Sprint and have it removed.
Every legitimate reason for removing a stolen/lost flag is covered that way.
Pot meet kettle, much? You'd think, but no. In this case, and every case that I choose to argue, I make it a point to actually KNOW what I'm talking about, which is more than I can say for you. Now, sit down and color.
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Click to collapse
My point's made, end of interaction with you.
SO the guy he bought it from told him to stop calling him or he will press harrassment charges against him. there's gotta be away to get this solved through customer service may be an upper level management can help. the seller says he called sprint and they reported that phone is not on the lost or stolen. please guys solutions not bickering between each other this is ridiculus
the seller has canceled his account recently i dont know what the means as far the phone goes. sprint c.s. said they don't understand why it has this status on it.
Hmmm, if the seller cancelled recently, and sold his EVO, then it might be that he owes Sprint, and they will not release the ESN until it's paid up. Think about it, a lot of people jumped at the Evo with a 2 year contract, discounted price. Maybe the seller could not afford the service and decided not to pay. I've heard of a couple of situations like this.
if thats the case what options are there? what can sprint do for my friend to get this phone activated. this sucks for my friend. maybe the seller is afraid he'll have to pay if he calls sprint. idk. weird situation?
That's what would need to happen, he'd have to pay his debt first. How much did your friend buy it for?
DR.mobbfigga said:
SO the guy he bought it from told him to stop calling him or he will press harrassment charges against him. there's gotta be away to get this solved through customer service may be an upper level management can help. the seller says he called sprint and they reported that phone is not on the lost or stolen. please guys solutions not bickering between each other this is ridiculus
the seller has canceled his account recently i dont know what the means as far the phone goes. sprint c.s. said they don't understand why it has this status on it.
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Click to collapse
This is bad... really bad. Did he disclose that the phone had a bad ESN when your friend bought it? And it means that the seller is basically telling you that your friend is on his/her own since the seller already has the money.
DR.mobbfigga said:
if thats the case what options are there? what can sprint do for my friend to get this phone activated. this sucks for my friend. maybe the seller is afraid he'll have to pay if he calls sprint. idk. weird situation?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Either way Sprint will not activate the phone unless they get whatever is due to them. It would be a lot easier for your friend to get his/her money back and return the phone and shop for a new one with a clean ESN. I don't think you can have Sprint do anything at all at this point. Go resolve the issue with the seller or try to have your friend get money back... at this point I hope your friend can still get the money.
DR.mobbfigga said:
SO the guy he bought it from told him to stop calling him or he will press harrassment charges against him. there's gotta be away to get this solved through customer service may be an upper level management can help. the seller says he called sprint and they reported that phone is not on the lost or stolen. please guys solutions not bickering between each other this is ridiculus
the seller has canceled his account recently i dont know what the means as far the phone goes. sprint c.s. said they don't understand why it has this status on it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This happened to me before for a phone I sold. But in my case it wasn't in lost/stolen status, but showing as active on an account. As the seller I did everything possible on a Saturday to resolve the issue for the buyer right away. I was on the phone with Sprint, even gave the buyer my personal number (this was an ebay transaction) told him to have Sprint conference me in. After a few calls this was resolved.
From the way your friend's seller is acting I would be more inclined to believe this is a stolen phone. The guy should refund your friend right away and just take the phone back. If I was your friend in this situation, I would be finding out with sprint right now if I should be going to the police to report this guy.
Going to the police is what he's,gonna do tomorrow. Hopefully this can be resolved.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
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
Click to expand...
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.
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.
Click to expand...
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.
Hey guys, long time no post on XDA.
I traded my iPhone 4s and cash for a Galaxy s3, and I tested it with my simcard in it before the purchased (made a call, texted, etc.) and everything worked great.
I promptly restored it (Cyanogenmod was already installed) and wiped everything to get rid of his apps and pictures and stuff. Well ever since I wiped, and I go to make a call, I get this message:
"We're sorry but this device is blocked on this network."
I've googled and some people (on other devices) have said while running Cyanogenmod, their IMEI has changed to a blocked one.
Has anyone else ran into this? Did I by a stolen phone and it coincidentally stopped working after I flashed.
It sucks because my ONLY PHONE I traded to him AND cash. Hating life lol
Hate to say it.... but it sounds like you got scammed. Whenever buying a phone from someone, especially nowadays, you should ALWAYS do so at a brick and mortar location for your carrier so they can witness the sale of the phone. More than likely, after making the sale, he probably called AT&T or whichever carrier used, and told them that his phone was stolen. They blacklist the phone, and send him a replacement.
It ain't over till its over...!
My advice to you,
If you still have the sellers contact info (e.g. phone number, email address, etc...) go to the carrier store where the phone is from and tell them the story.
Although they will likely be less than helpful, get the names and/or business cards of the representatives that talked to you and write down what they say to you.
With that information, the call logs, text messages, emails, other incriminating evidence and public records listed for the contact information you have from the seller, you can take your issue to small claims court. The seller will be required to show up to court otherwise they will default to losing the case and the judge will side in your favor regardless.
Either way, if you go this route, you'll get back the monetary loss you incurred for the phone you traded, the cash you lost and the value of the blacklisted phone you received.
PSA - I have no knowledge or experience in Law what-so-ever and I am providing this advice simply as an opinion based on my observations of processes
Good luck,
Yeah, on the phone with customer support now, and that's exactly what he did.
They are letting me report mine stolen as well and giving me an early upgrade, but I'm out a phone and money on top T-T
Can't trust anyone these days.
mathewrice said:
My advice to you,
If you still have the sellers contact info (e.g. phone number, email address, etc...) go to the carrier store where the phone is from and tell them the story.
Although they will likely be less than helpful, get the names and/or business cards of the representatives that talked to you and write down what they say to you.
With that information, the call logs, text messages, emails, other incriminating evidence and public records listed for the contact information you have from the seller, you can take your issue to small claims court. The seller will be required to show up to court otherwise they will default to losing the case and the judge will side in your favor regardless.
Either way, if you go this route, you'll get back the monetary loss you incurred for the phone you traded, the cash you lost and the value of the blacklisted phone you received.
PSA - I have no knowledge or experience in Law what-so-ever and I am providing this advice simply as an opinion based on my observations of processes
Good luck,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very well written! I would take you as a lawyer any day haha
phuKKah said:
Yeah, on the phone with customer support now, and that's exactly what he did.
They are letting me report mine stolen as well and giving me an early upgrade, but I'm out a phone and money on top T-T
Can't trust anyone these days.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very nice, Way to stick it to him, sucks to be out the money but at least he sint getting off free. Ive had a good long run of great trades on craigslist, but i just got scammed recently, and the Marketplace on xda is closing because of it. Times are changing, and you cant trust people like you use to, sad sad day.
joshyy_rey said:
Very nice, Way to stick it to him, sucks to be out the money but at least he sint getting off free. Ive had a good long run of great trades on craigslist, but i just got scammed recently, and the Marketplace on xda is closing because of it. Times are changing, and you cant trust people like you use to, sad sad day.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've only had one XDA Marketplace transaction and it went smoothly. And all the other craigslist transactions I've dealt with went smoothly.
It just kills me that some people can be so awful. This is why we can't have nice things.
phuKKah said:
Yeah, on the phone with customer support now, and that's exactly what he did.
They are letting me report mine stolen as well and giving me an early upgrade, but I'm out a phone and money on top T-T
Can't trust anyone these days.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Use your early upgrade and get them to price match Sams clubs 96 cent sale.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda premium
Intub8 said:
Use your early upgrade and get them to price match Sams clubs 96 cent sale.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good idea!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2
Intub8 said:
Use your early upgrade and get them to price match Sams clubs 96 cent sale.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's awesome! I wonder if that'd work haha
phuKKah said:
That's awesome! I wonder if that'd work haha
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It should, I called yesterday and got them to price match. It's getting here Thursday
phuKKah said:
That's awesome! I wonder if that'd work haha
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It may take some work. I had a HTC one x for 7 weeks and got 3 replacements and had problems with them all. They gave me another early upgrade so 3 weeks ago I bought the s3. Yesterday they refunded me the full amount and charged me 96 cents. I did everything through the Web chat. Good luck.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda premium
You can still sell the phone on ebay as a "parts only" phone. Just make sure to add in the description what the problem is. I'm betting you'll get $200 or more for it.
Heck, I'll give you $50 right now.
Did you read all the IMEI threads?
I don't know anything about the issue, but I thought some folks were able to resolve it.
mathewrice said:
My advice to you,
If you still have the sellers contact info (e.g. phone number, email address, etc...) go to the carrier store where the phone is from and tell them the story.
Although they will likely be less than helpful, get the names and/or business cards of the representatives that talked to you and write down what they say to you.
With that information, the call logs, text messages, emails, other incriminating evidence and public records listed for the contact information you have from the seller, you can take your issue to small claims court. The seller will be required to show up to court otherwise they will default to losing the case and the judge will side in your favor regardless.
Either way, if you go this route, you'll get back the monetary loss you incurred for the phone you traded, the cash you lost and the value of the blacklisted phone you received.
PSA - I have no knowledge or experience in Law what-so-ever and I am providing this advice simply as an opinion based on my observations of processes
Good luck,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I used to do a bit of small claims stuff for a job a long time ago. Let me add a bit of information at least for California. Probably similar elsewhere.
While you can notify the person about the lawsuit and court date any way you want, if the person does not show up, you can not get a default judgement without proving that the other person knew about the lawsuit and court date.
You have to "serve" notice of the claim and court date on the person, which means needing a home or work address to do so. Basically have to prove to the judge that the person knows about the suit and court date. There are rules for who can serve notice and how it can be done. Has to be someone not related to the lawsuit and they have to file an affidavit with the court that they did reach the person and serve the notice. You see this in tv and the movies where the person will hand the papers and say "you've been served". The fee for that person who serves the notice can be included in the claim if it is someone who does it for a living.
The judgement itself doesn't mean automatically getting your money. Collecting on the judgement is a separate thing than getting it. The court just rules, they don't collect. There are several routes to collect, but it takes knowing things about the person. You can garnish wages, or put a lien on their real estate. Or do some other things. But without knowing where the guy works, it is not easy to collect and sometimes costs money to do so.
However, some people will pay upon hearing about the lawsuit. Others will pay it upon hearing about the judgement since it will show up on credit reports. May take some bluffing as well. In this case saying you'd take it to AT&T to support them claiming insurance fraud or something.
Overall, not a pleasant experience, and more time consuming than it seems. But for someone with the time and with enough of a loss, it may make sense.
That's a damn shame, now you gotta take a 2 year contract for no reason. At least he won't be able to use his phone though. Why can't they remove it from the list? Security reasons?
Does this apply to Canada?
I sold a iPhone 4 while still on contract with Fido, called them and told them it was stolen and all I got was too bad lol. I wasn't expecting anything mind you, and a Fido rep actually recommended told me to do this a week prior. I wasnt elegible for a upgrade (too soon on contract). This way, with the cash I made from selling I can pay for the early cancellation penalty, plus have extra for new phone on a new contract. I essentially got a iPhone 4S for free but on a new contract.
I didn't even know carriers helped you out if a phone got stolen. Mine is either in my pocket or in my hands so I don't have to worry about this anyways.
And if this does apply to Canada I will second guess buying from Kijiji or Craigslist. I've purchased so many phones in the past that this has me a little concerned.
Sent from my SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app
g2tegg said:
Does this apply to Canada?
I sold a iPhone 4 while still on contract with Fido, called them and told them it was stolen and all I got was too bad lol. I wasn't expecting anything mind you, and a Fido rep actually recommended told me to do this a week prior. I wasnt elegible for a upgrade (too soon on contract). This way, with the cash I made from selling I can pay for the early cancellation penalty, plus have extra for new phone on a new contract. I essentially got a iPhone 4S for free but on a new contract.
I didn't even know carriers helped you out if a phone got stolen. Mine is either in my pocket or in my hands so I don't have to worry about this anyways.
And if this does apply to Canada I will second guess buying from Kijiji or Craigslist. I've purchased so many phones in the past that this has me a little concerned.
Sent from my SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you do realize you just admitted to scamming your carrier/the person you sold your phone to right? Even though your scam failed because your carrier was aware of your tactics, it doesn't mean you didn't attempt it.
you are the definition of an @sshole.
wouldnt this fall under theft by deception? I would consider a police report depending on the amount of cash
darkcurrent said:
you do realize you just admitted to scamming your carrier/the person you sold your phone to right? Even though your scam failed because your carrier was aware of your tactics, it doesn't mean you didn't attempt it.
you are the definition of an @sshole.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I never scammed the buyer you tart. Whether I told my carrier it was stolen or I gave my phone to my wife it wouldnt make a difference. With the money from selling I bought my way out of my contract and purchaced a new one. The fact that a Fido rep recommended me to do this goes to show this is not scamming
And I never attempted to get a free phone at all. Like I said, not sure if your able yo read properly but my intentions were never to get a free phone for nothing.
Anyways, carry on.
Sent from my SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app
I still wouldn't want to do any business with you!
If u can help me please pm me
I called tmobile and ask politely and said the right answers and they unblocked my imei
What were the right answers? I bought one off the craigs that stopped working a month later. Had to sell it on ebay and broke even.
pcm2a said:
What were the right answers? I bought one off the craigs that stopped working a month later. Had to sell it on ebay and broke even.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Right answer? Perhaps giving his credit card number to pay off device outstanding amount.
sixk said:
I called tmobile and ask politely and said the right answers and they unblocked my imei
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How did that work? I bought my Note 3 on Swappa, and after it was blocked, T-Mobile basically told me to go suck a duck. They wouldn't give me any info, except to tell me what I already knew (that the phone was blocked). They wouldn't tell me how much was owed either.
But please tell us what you said. There are many people who have been scammed and would like to be able to get their device unblocked.
---------- Post added at 10:31 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:26 PM ----------
Digitalx1 said:
If u can help me please pm me
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I went through something very similar, except Swappa, not Craigslist. Is the phone just blocked for non-payment of EIP, or is it reported stolen and blacklisted? That might affect your options.
You have a couple of choices, none of which are ideal.
1. Sell the phone on Ebay for a loss. If you sell it internationally, you might be better off since non-US buyers wouldn't care about it being blocked on T-Mobile.
2. Do what I did. Unlock the device (use Chainfire or something similar) and go to another carrier. I ended up going to Straight Talk (AT&T). All in all, it cost me about $10 to unlock and buy the SIM card. I lost my favorite T-Mobile plan, and now pay more for less data (I cry silently each night), but at least your phone will be usable again.
Hope that helps.
Sorry if I am a noob about this but can someone share some light what is happening exactly? I don't want to fall in this category.
People sell their phones to the customer (via Craigslist or Swappa) and the seller does not pay it off which causes T-Mobile to blacklist them?
Try use region unlock that might help you
Sent from my SM-N900T using xda app-developers app
Pedro2NR said:
Sorry if I am a noob about this but can someone share some light what is happening exactly? I don't want to fall in this category.
People sell their phones to the customer (via Craigslist or Swappa) and the seller does not pay it off which causes T-Mobile to blacklist them?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think there has been at least one instance in which the phone seemed to have been reported as lost or stolen via insurance. That's based on a phone which was supposedly not on EIP being blacklisted by Tmo. Can't find the thread right now, so that's based entirely on vague recollection.
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk
Pedro2NR said:
Sorry if I am a noob about this but can someone share some light what is happening exactly? I don't want to fall in this category.
People sell their phones to the customer (via Craigslist or Swappa) and the seller does not pay it off which causes T-Mobile to blacklist them?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pretty much. Most likely these people are getting their T-mo service cut off for non-payment and since the phone still has a balance, the IMEI gets blacklisted. Shady seller sells it anyway. Poor buyer gets home, finds out its blocked, and has very little recourse especially if it was a CL deal. People also frequently steal phones and try to sell them as well. I work as a phone tester for a popular "sell us your phone!" service that has commercials all over TV right now, and I see TONS of stolen phones. I open the package, turn it on, see the "you have entered the wrong pin too many times, phone locked" screen, and then the ESN/IMEI comes up blacklisted.
Bottom line- people are terrible and will think nothing of scamming you if they can make a quick buck. Trust no one. I won't buy high-end electronics anywhere but a brick & mortar store or a reputable online dealer who guarantees their products. Saving a couple hundred bucks is not worth the risk of getting scammed.
T-mobile has the best customer-service I've ever talked to. On the phone that is
Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk
Right answer = lies
Im not sure if its the right place to say this.
My N3 was paid off
what I told them was I bought this phone off my girlfriend who wanted to stick with an iphone.
And while she changed back to her iphone there must have been a mistake which blocked the phone.
and after about an hour they said they would review this and call me back... but never got a call back.
So I called back a week later and talked to another person and asked about my phone's status and she told it was not blocked anymore.
Hope that helps.
sixk said:
Right answer = lies
Im not sure if its the right place to say this.
My N3 was paid off
what I told them was I bought this phone off my girlfriend who wanted to stick with an iphone.
And while she changed back to her iphone there must have been a mistake which blocked the phone.
and after about an hour they said they would review this and call me back... but never got a call back.
So I called back a week later and talked to another person and asked about my phone's status and she told it was not blocked anymore.
Hope that helps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds so easy. I am assuming you bought the N3 used from a woman at least?
Was actually a guy.
everything was good and was easy to contact but after i bought it he turned off the phone and never heard from him again.
And yea it was craigslist I bought it from.
sixk said:
Was actually a guy.
everything was good and was easy to contact but after i bought it he turned off the phone and never heard from him again.
And yea it was craigslist I bought it from.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So you basically called T Mobile up and explained you bought this from your girlfriend and get angry and after splitting up black listed the phone or to that effect?
I had an issue like this with my note 3, i purchased it back around October 15 off swappa, then 2 months and about 3 days later my phone stopped working, i looked up the imei and it said it was stolen, conveniently just 3 days too late to file a claim with paypal, I called up tmobile, told them I purchased the phone used, and the date i had started using the phone on their service and said it was now saying it was stolen more than 2 months after this and the person told me they were going to unblock the phone for me, and it would take about 24 hours, it actually took closer to 48 hours but they did unblock it and I've had no problems since.
this is why you do trades at a t-mobile store to verify that it works.
guaneet said:
this is why you do trades at a t-mobile store to verify that it works.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That only helps if you are SURE to ask the rep to verify nothing is owed........a simple imei scan just states that at the moment it's not flagged. ....had this happen. ..met seller at tmobile. ..rep scanned said it was good to go....literally as I started to hand the money to the dude he mentioned that he owed $500 but had arranged to make payments and that no way he would let his credit get messed up because of it.....I said..."can't do it" and ended up just getting a brand new one from tmobile the next day......glad to not have to deal with the nightmare....
---------- Post added at 07:15 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:11 PM ----------
louforgiveno said:
That only helps if you are SURE to ask the rep to verify nothing is owed........a simple imei scan just states that at the moment it's not flagged. ....had this happen. ..met seller at tmobile. ..rep scanned said it was good to go....literally as I started to hand the money to the dude he mentioned that he owed $500 but had arranged to make payments and that no way he would let his credit get messed up because of it.....I said..."can't do it" and ended up just getting a brand new one from tmobile the next day......glad to not have to deal with the nightmare....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh yeah and the rep had to look up more info to see that money was owed......the guy had left tmobile but his billing hadn't cycled yet so to anyone checking it all seemed legit....be careful guys....even to this day I see Craigslist postings and when you ask if they will meet at store to confirm no money owed...no response. ....use that as a litmus test if you must dabble
you can ask the t mob rep to check it. they arent restricted at doing that with the owner there, you just have to be polite and get the right person.
guaneet said:
you can ask the t mob rep to check it. they arent restricted at doing that with the owner there, you just have to be polite and get the right person.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What I'm trying to point out is that generally the question is whether the imei is clean.....the "Yes" answer is not a guarantee at all....it may take tmobile 30 days to realize non - payment before it gets flagged....just make sure to also ask whether all handset fees have been payed off as well as imei status.
well basically this is what happens in craigslist, and very rarely on ebay,....
Someone sells there phone, then they report is lost or stolen, then they probably receive another at a cost of $150 pr $175 for a replacement phone.
If you buy this on ebay, call ebay up a tell them to look at the seller of this phone, they will see that it was sold by the seller claiming this imei is in good standards, they should reimburse you... or paypal....
in craigslist you can make sure you print out the add, keep it in a safe place, so when they sell you the phone and you get scammed, try going to the police and let them know you purchased this, they can probably trace everything back to the seller, and probably arrest them, if they claim a good imei and then they have reported it stolen. to receive another phone from the insurance company.
because when someone reports it stolen and does an insurance job, they have to usually get a police report number, then they have to give Assurance or Assurant (insurance company for the cell phones) the police report number then the insurance company... now if they falsified information to the police they can get in trouble. this will really work for the people that sell there phone to do an insurance job. they sell their phone, call the insurance company and get another one.