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
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

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
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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?
Sent from my PG86100 using xda app-developers app

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?
Sent from my PG86100 using xda app-developers app

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
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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
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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.

Note 2 only working with AT&T sim...weird. help

bought a T-Mobile Note 2 off craigslist. The guy had it unlocked, using it on AT&T.
I tried putting it in my TMo sim and got no data. It would just search for signal. It was rooted, so I restored the newest firmware via ODIN. Didn't help at all. I then rooted it again, flashed newest kernel and modem using CWM. Still my t-mo sim gets zero signal. It is stuck at searching. Yet when I put that same SIM into any other phone, works great.
I then put my AT&T sim into that Note 2 and it works great. Even data.
I checked the APN and everything. What am I doing wrong?

It probably was reported lost or stolen. When that happens they turn out off via IMEI.
So if you're caught with a stolen item then it could mean jail time or fines. Good luck.

Sorta unrelated, how much do GNII's be going for on CL these days
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I've been searching and I've seen them (probably stolen) go for a little as $320. No battery, no S-Pen and no battery door. My coworker wants one and I told him I'll go with him to see if it works so I can pop my battery in and check the IMEI. He was a bit weary.
Another one, popped up yesterday for $350 I asked if he can prove if it worked and no reply. Lol

I can guarantee that a good 90% of Note 2 and probably other phones on CL are stolen or unpaid for with the carrier or will be reported stolen after the sale in order to get insurance benefit. If you can't provide the buyer with your original receipt, you're running a scam, simple as that.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

Double0EK said:
It probably was reported lost or stolen. When that happens they turn out off via IMEI.
So if you're caught with a stolen item then it could mean jail time or fines. Good luck.
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Click to collapse
Yeah, my roommate ended up buying it for himself. I was able to get ahold of Tmo this morning. It was stolen, so we called the guy and *****ed him out. Got our money back. phew.
thanks for your help!
PhxDroid86 said:
Sorta unrelated, how much do GNII's be going for on CL these days
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Here in Boston, AT&T ones command top dollar because they're much rarer. Sprint, Tmo, VZW are going for about $375-400. AT&T: $400 for one without box, etc and up to $550 for a BNIB.
Double0EK said:
I've been searching and I've seen them (probably stolen) go for a little as $320. No battery, no S-Pen and no battery door. My coworker wants one and I told him I'll go with him to see if it works so I can pop my battery in and check the IMEI. He was a bit weary.
Another one, popped up yesterday for $350 I asked if he can prove if it worked and no reply. Lol
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Click to collapse
yeah man. I searched for over a month to get myself one. Most had no boxes, etc/bad IMEI. Going for closer to $400. I lucked out. Found an older gentleman who had a BNIB Grey one, which I was able to pick up for $450 because he wanted an iPhone. Met him at his home. Gave me the original receipt. Totally legit.
e-motion said:
I can guarantee that a good 90% of Note 2 and probably other phones on CL are stolen or unpaid for with the carrier or will be reported stolen after the sale in order to get insurance benefit. If you can't provide the buyer with your original receipt, you're running a scam, simple as that.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
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Click to collapse
Yup, it's as simple as that. I spent a month finding the correct one. Two of my friends got screwed (one yesterday as above), but were able to contact the guy and get their money back.
gotta be careful these days. My advice is to check the IMEI these days.
Skip ones without charger, box, s-pen, etc. Because they're probably the most sketchy ones.

Looking to buy a blocked imei note 2, can anyone help me get one ??
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

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.
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda premium

If your going to buy a t-mobile note 2, meet the seller at a t-mobile store and have it checked and activate it, then let the store register it also to your account. Best and safest way. I got mine when i added a free line, paid $450, with a $50 rebate. I think That's the safest way you can get a note 2.
POWERED by FROSTY!

The only reason I ask is considering I only paid 365 out the door, 20 bucks added to my bill for 2 months while waiting for my 200 rebate and to "save" the additional 160, my phone in less than 3 months is paid off and my bill for unlimited everything is like 70 a month...
So essentially I don't see why anyone would even waste their time on CL for this phone
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Craiglslist safe?

Should I buy a note 3 off Craig's list or is it dangours. If its Eip I'm screw right?
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spodie said:
Should I buy a note 3 off Craig's list or is it dangours. If its Eip I'm screw right?
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Click to collapse
it is safe as long as you meet in a public place like a Starbucks or something.
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk now Free

You run the risk of buying a stolen devices or from a person who has been delequent on payments. For this reason, I would personally not buy and always will never buy any cellphones from craigslist. I see too many horror stories. But if you insist on buying Id make sure to ask the right questions before you buy and test the device before paying
Sent from my SM-N900T

When I buy phone off Craig's I meet only at T-mobile store and have store clerks check with T-mobile Customer Service to make sure phone is paid off and not reported stolen, then I ask to notate my account that I am the owner of the phone now and it being paid for.
This way old owner has no legal right to claim it stolen, since he is right there present with me along with store of other witnesses.

djpaul said:
When I buy phone off Craig's I meet only at T-mobile store and have store clerks check with T-mobile Customer Service to make sure phone is paid off and not reported stolen, then I ask to notate my account that I am the owner of the phone now and it being paid for.
This way old owner has no legal right to claim it stolen, since he is right there present with me along with store of other witnesses.
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Never thought of doing it that away. Smart

Just sold my Note 2 on Craigslist. Went very smooth. Nice young lady. Even made a little extra cash unlocking it for her.
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Bought my note 3 on Craigslist. Easy transaction at a local Starbucks.
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No because even if you go to t mobile the phone is legit the person can later say the phone is stolen n then your phone is messed up
Sent from my SM-N900T using Xparent Pink Tapatalk 2

atlprettygirl2145 said:
No because even if you go to t mobile the phone is legit the person can later say the phone is stolen n then your phone is messed up
Sent from my SM-N900T using Xparent Pink Tapatalk 2
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Click to collapse
Not If the imei is transferred to a different account. Also, if this is a concern you can get a signed sales record.
Plus AFAIK, they don't blacklist stolen phones anyway. There's been some pressure from government officials to make this happen. But I don't think there's been anything yet.
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Why not I bought one for 350 and I'm typing on it now lol
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I bought one for 550 and this Tuesday my service went out, when I called they told me my phone was reported lost. I just told the guy, I have it right here. And he unblocked it.

TRUE STORY:
I bought a phone from CL, met at a TMobile location, ask them to transfer the IMEI to my line. so far so good??
No... I used the phone for a few month and one morning, no more network. I try my ATT SIM and it works. I call TMobile, they tell me I need to change the SIM what I do, still nothing. I send the phone to Samsung, they dont see any issue.
Call back to TMo, they tell me the phone was declared stolen and there is NOTHING I can do because I am not the original buyer!! a complete RIP-OFF.
The worst is that they wont take any responsability
At least ATT transfer the number to your account as long as you have the info of the previous owner so the phone really belongs to you while TMobile just say there is nothing they can do.
I first believe this blacklist system would be a great thing to avoid stolen phones, but the way it is implemented is so wrong that the only looser is the guy at the end of the food chain.
If you buy from CL, ALWAYS ask for the original receipt!!!! if they dont have it, it is fishy! and if you can have a bill of sale

CarpeNoctem said:
TRUE STORY:
I bought a phone from CL, met at a TMobile location, ask them to transfer the IMEI to my line. so far so good??
No... I used the phone for a few month and one morning, no more network. I try my ATT SIM and it works. I call TMobile, they tell me I need to change the SIM what I do, still nothing. I send the phone to Samsung, they dont see any issue.
Call back to TMo, they tell me the phone was declared stolen and there is NOTHING I can do because I am not the original buyer!! a complete RIP-OFF.
The worst is that they wont take any responsability
At least ATT transfer the number to your account as long as you have the info of the previous owner so the phone really belongs to you while TMobile just say there is nothing they can do.
I first believe this blacklist system would be a great thing to avoid stolen phones, but the way it is implemented is so wrong that the only looser is the guy at the end of the food chain.
If you buy from CL, ALWAYS ask for the original receipt!!!! if they dont have it, it is fishy! and if you can have a bill of sale
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seems like some folks are claiming insurance fraud then selling the phones then the IMEI becomes black listed - very bad ethically and morally.
I personally have sold a few of my old iphones and more recently Galaxy S4 with no paperwork. The person checks it out it works give me cash and then bye bye. I try and prevent giving them my receipts or documents as they contain personal information on them. However I would show them it if asked.
Just curious why would some people sell their note 3 craigs list and not return it under the 14 days? Perhaps they have an upgrade and want to cash it out for a profit?

rg1973 said:
Why not I bought one for 350 and I'm typing on it now lol
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
350 for a note 3? that is crazy cheap. Must have purchased it under contract or something

Limeybastard said:
Seems like some folks are claiming insurance fraud then selling the phones then the IMEI becomes black listed - very bad ethically and morally.
I personally have sold a few of my old iphones and more recently Galaxy S4 with no paperwork. The person checks it out it works give me cash and then bye bye. I try and prevent giving them my receipts or documents as they contain personal information on them. However I would show them it if asked.
Just curious why would some people sell their note 3 craigs list and not return it under the 14 days? Perhaps they have an upgrade and want to cash it out for a profit?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, they sell it for cash, but that doesn't make sense at all with T-Mobile now. Since you end up paying $700 for a phone. There is no point in selling it for $500 on craigslist unless you plan to commit fraud or whatever. Now, if it's contract like the other carriers, it makes sense and you can make a little bit of money.
All I can say is meet at the T-Mobile store and verify the phone is paid off. Then if possible (not sure if they would allow this) ask a T-Mo rep to make a note on the seller's account that the phone is being sold to your account and vice versa on your account. If the seller is okay with this, then it should give you a hint that he's a somewhat honest person, but anything can still happen. I say just buy the phone from T-Mobile, authorized retailer, or Newegg/Amazon.

DKYang said:
Yeah, they sell it for cash, but that doesn't make sense at all with T-Mobile now. Since you end up paying $700 for a phone. There is no point in selling it for $500 on craigslist unless you plan to commit fraud or whatever. Now, if it's contract like the other carriers, it makes sense and you can make a little bit of money.
All I can say is meet at the T-Mobile store and verify the phone is paid off. Then if possible (not sure if they would allow this) ask a T-Mo rep to make a note on the seller's account that the phone is being sold to your account and vice versa on your account. If the seller is okay with this, then it should give you a hint that he's a somewhat honest person, but anything can still happen. I say just buy the phone from T-Mobile, authorized retailer, or Newegg/Amazon.
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Click to collapse
Good points raised. I was going to return mine and get a craigs list used T mobile version, but it ain't worth the 200 dollar or less saving for me. Like you mentioned why would they sell the t mobile one when they can get their money back from store minus 50 perhaps.

Bought mine for 600 yesterday it was still sealed I love this phone so much!
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You have to take precautions.
Have something in writing when buying or selling. Include the serial number and IMEI number then both sign it.
I have sold and bought a handful of phones with no problems. Yes I do consider myself lucky because stuff does happen.
Avoid PayPal and high check amount transactions. They are scams.

phones
I didn't know tmo had changed like this... I thought you could just pop in a sim card and be done... so now there like sprint and verizon with a id per phone?

Ya, I've seen several times, someone pays the initial down payment on a phone (or 0 down), sells the phone for full price, then defaults on the payment. The buyer usually doesn't find out for 3 months. Definitely meet at a store.
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk 4

Tips buying a T-Mobile note 3 on Craigslist?

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

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

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

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

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

tony yayo said:
Shouldnt there be less problems with this now? I mean, even if someone cancels, they are charged the remaining value on the phone, right? So none of these phones should be blacklisted at all, ever. I mean, they cant make you pay if you leave and still blacklist the phone. Even if u never pay the final bill, if its even on your credit report, you're responsible for it. Is my train of thought here wrong?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tmo will block the phone until the bill is paid in full. So if they never pay the bill with the phone balance due the phone bought will not work. And now tmo and att share a blcklist so cant use it on att network either. Also as stated even after the sale some people report the phone as lost or stolen and claim a warranty on it making the phone sold useless.
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blakkheartt12 said:
Tmo will block the phone until the bill is paid in full. So if they never pay the bill with the phone balance due the phone bought will not work. And now tmo and att share a blcklist so cant use it on att network either. Also as stated even after the sale some people report the phone as lost or stolen and claim a warranty on it making the phone sold useless.
Sent from my SM-N900T using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What happens when the bill goes to collections? Tmo gets paid by the collection agency but when the collectors get paid will they unblock the phone?
Besides, if they were to report it stolen 2 months later, who would believe you would wait 2 months to report a stolen $700 phone?

tony yayo said:
What happens when the bill goes to collections? Tmo gets paid by the collection agency but when the collectors get paid will they unblock the phone?
Besides, if they were to report it stolen 2 months later, who would believe you would wait 2 months to report a stolen $700 phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Apparently people do. Just search on xda for phone stop working or phone doesnt get service after working for a few months (there were a lot of threads like that in the tmo note 2 forum). Many said tmo wont unblock it until the original owner pays it off. They wont even allow you to pay it off if you wanted to. So its better to have all the evidence as possible that the phone was sold to you.
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I personally wouldn't buy new T-Mo phone on craigslist nowa days, and I would be super careful and do due diligence when purchasing on eBay. Even eBay is subject to these issues, just look at how many people are selling Note 3(s) on eBay that are listed as having bad IMEI(s). Why do you think that is? People are are doing multiple different scams and such that involve the IMEI getting blacklisted after a while.
One involves people selling the phones and then not paying their bill after it was purchased on a payment plan. Once they don't pay their bill they blacklist the IMEI. The ONLY way to unblacklist the IMEI is for the original purchaser to pay their payment plan bill. Even if you legitimately purchased the phone they will not unblock it for you. I know of more then one person that has tried to resolve this with ZERO success. Going to a T-Mobile store to do the transaction will not help in this situation because often the account is not in a negative standing yet and doesn't happen till a later date. The only thing a T-Mobile store can help with is identifying if the phone is stolen or not, which doesn't help with these latest scams.
The only way to avoid this is to 100% make sure that the phone you purchased was paid for in full at full price and not on a payment plan. Even then I have heard of sellers providing photoshopped receipts to buyers only to get their phones blacklisted months or weeks later because the phones were not really paid off. One might think that eBay is safer from a seller that has feedback but no not really. Often by the time you get blacklisted you cannot leave bad feedback or file a dispute. However with that said, most card companies (VISA, MC, ETC) allow you to do a chargeback within six months of a purchase if its some type of fraud that happened as a result.
The other way involves a more scammy way that I will not explain, with again the outcome being a blacklisted phone that the 2nd purchaser cannot resolve. However these are happening all over the place and there's not a sure fire way to avoid it. The best way to avoid this is to simply buy a phone directly from a authorized seller like T-Mo, or to trust your buyer 100%.
Just saying.

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

buy it on swappa

There is a certain amount of risk involved. It all depends on how good of a deal you get. I've bought quite a few phones from CL then sold later on Ebay. Right now I'm using a Note 3 bought on CL for $400. I could sell it with a bad IMEI on Ebay and still make a good profit. I always disclose in my auction that the phone has been verified as clean at the time of sale but that could change in the future since I don't know the history of the phone. it doesn't seem to stop people from buying the phones.
Just last weekend I found a great deal on a S4 international version, or so I thought. After getting home and messing with it I found out it was a fake! The owner never answered my calls or texts, go figure. I was able to sell it on Ebay fully disclosed as a fake and only take about a $40 hit. If you're going to use CL you better be willing to take some risk.
Also my research leads me to belive that Tmo and att do not SHARE blacklist info for phones that the bill is not paid on, only units reported lost or stolen. Nobody had been able to prove to me they do. Since I use Straight Talk with att sim card that eliminates some risk of my phone becoming blacklisted. In my mind anyhow it makes me feel better!
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snoopycr said:
Any tips or suggestions on how I can buy a tmobile note 3? How can I be sure it's a good esn/imei without it being reported stolen from tmobile?
Sent from my C6602
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Best way to buy it is to PRESUME the phone you are buying is ALREADY blacklisted. Next is to buy it at the lowest price you think it fair. For example, I bought a Note 3 T-Mobile from craighstlist for 525. The guy said it had a clean IMEI but I was skeptical of it but since it was at 525, I could not have cared less since I was planning on using it with AT&T. I later unlocked it using RegionLock Away and everything is SMOOTH. Love the phone.

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

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

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