Develop Bugs

HTC Desire from China bought on eBay

Does anyone have any experience buying the HTC Desire from China?
I read that the Nexus One has been cloned. I see no official report that the HTC Desire has also been cloned, but I have noticed a lot of suppliers selling the Desire through Alibaba. I am wondering if these are clones too.
Today I bought an HTC Desire off eBay from China which is supposed to be brand new in the box.
It was rediculously cheap - 50-60% cheaper than the cost of an HTC Desire from a US seller.
Now I am worried it's a clone.
I have protection from eBay PayPal so I should be ok, but I am curious to hear what people think.
Also, does anyone know of a program which will read and tell me the hardware specifications of my HTC? I'm looking for one of those apps like Intel provides to give you the model and serial number of your processor on your PC. I figure this is one way of confirming whether I have a real HTC phone when it arrives.

Any link to the eBay auction?
The "clones" of these high end cellphones in China are pretty fake. They resemble the real ones, but one can easily tell the difference. They definitely don't run android, and run some variation of Linux that is skinned to look like iPhone/WinMo/Android.
Once you have it in hand, it would be very obvious to you whether it is fake, either from the hardware or from the software, so there is no need to use any software to check the hardware specification.
There is no Nexus One/Desire clones that runs real Android or equipped with Snapdragon. Again, if it is a fake, it will be VERY obvious.

Thanks for your reply.
Here is the link.
I will ask the seller to send me pics he took instead of the ones he copied.
http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260611334391&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

$170 US for a Desire!! from a zero feedback seller in China.....id never go near such.

I know.
I am betting on eBay and PayPal buyer protection to save me if needed.

giant_rider said:
I know.
I am betting on eBay and PayPal buyer protection to save me if needed.
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Judging from the fact that the image is just ripped from some blog site and not even an HTC press release shot, combined with the sellers score: 0. So no sales or even any buys to the account...
I would be very surprised if this guy has even seen a Desire in person, forget you receiving one in the mail from this seller
Is it really worth the trouble?

I can tell you with no doubt, its a fake one! Because even in China, you won't get a real 2nd hand desire at that price.
-------------------------------------
Sent from my HTC Desire

Alex_w said:
Judging from the fact that the image is just ripped from some blog site and not even an HTC press release shot, combined with the sellers score: 0. So no sales or even any buys to the account...
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This alone does not convince me.
When I sell items, I am lazy and rip images and descriptions from other listing.
However, add this to the fact that the seller has no scores...so maybe.
Hmmmmmmmmmmm

If it's too good to be true, it definitely is.
Sent from my HTC Desire

Are you serious when you said you bought it? HTC desire for 170 unlocked..really?
Where I live, I can barely get a dumbphone unlocked for that money.

Well, the picture was taken from some blog and the spec were copied from HTC website. That page alone can't tell whether the phone is real or not.
But as I said before, those Chinese clones of high end phones look really fake, and those Chinese sellers are not trying to scam people into believe that they are real. There is a market for cheap look-alike phones in China, and that market is what those "clones" are for.
People, the $170 final price is the result of an AUCTION, not a buy-it-now price. My bet is that this phone is real, but the fact that the seller is from China, together with the fact that he has 0 feedback, making no one wanted to bid on it. I highly doubt that he will ship you the phone, given how low the final price is. He will probably make up an excuse not to ship you the phone (out of stock, wrong listing, blah blah blah), and then refund you (I you had paid already). If he did ship you the phone, you win. If he shipped you a super fake clone, Paypal will get your money back. The only thing you will lose is time.

I took a chance on a simular "deal" for a HD2 and I was sent a small pink noname brand(actually works, my woman loves it) and a FAKE Iphone 3G. Get you paypal refund info ready.
G

tsekh501 said:
Well, the picture was taken from some blog and the spec were copied from HTC website. That page alone can't tell whether the phone is real or not.
But as I said before, those Chinese clones of high end phones look really fake, and those Chinese sellers are not trying to scam people into believe that they are real. There is a market for cheap look-alike phones in China, and that market is what those "clones" are for.
People, the $170 final price is the result of an AUCTION, not a buy-it-now price. My bet is that this phone is real, but the fact that the seller is from China, together with the fact that he has 0 feedback, making no one wanted to bid on it. I highly doubt that he will ship you the phone, given how low the final price is. He will probably make up an excuse not to ship you the phone (out of stock, wrong listing, blah blah blah), and then refund you (I you had paid already). If he did ship you the phone, you win. If he shipped you a super fake clone, Paypal will get your money back. The only thing you will lose is time.
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I had the same thoughts.
I will see what I do.
I have not paid yet and can back out if I like by cancelling my transaction before payment.
I emailed the seller and asked for real pictures, why he is selling, what the serial number is, etc. I will see if he answers.
Unfortunately the seller's English is pretty bad so communicating is difficult.
Thanks everyone for your replies.

HTC doesn't sell cellphones in China offically

ebay buyer protection isn't worth ****. I got screwed when buying a PDA a couple years ago. ebay contacted me and told me not to send payment as his account was suspended. Unfortunately, I already had and received a box with a small rock in it which weighed what the PDA should.
I got about $200 back from ebay but I paid the guy $600.
USE YOUR CREDIT CARD AND YOU'LL BE FINE. THAT'S THE ONLY WAY.

Here are my golden rules for ebay, I hope this helps ....
NEVER buy a 'brand new' phone from ebay. You probably wont ever be able to return it, and might not have any kind of warranty.
Never buy anything from a seller with zero feedback. You simply cannot trust them if they do not have any reputation.
Never buy anything from China (unless you are sure about the seller).

st0kes said:
Here are my golden rules for ebay, I hope this helps ....
NEVER buy a 'brand new' phone from ebay. You probably wont ever be able to return it, and might not have any kind of warranty.
Never buy anything from a seller with zero feedback. You simply cannot trust them if they do not have any reputation.
Never buy anything from China (unless you are sure about the seller).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Add to this list only buy form China if you think the money is worth the risk
But 170 bucks isnt worth it for me maby for you then take your chances

0 feedback seller from China...
I bought a while ago a Sony headset from China (was dead cheap so gave it a try), the seller had plenty of feedback and I eventually got the headphones. They looked so good, very real. But the sound... was worse than the cheapest pound store ones!! Funny thing is the seller disapperaed from Ebay straight after the paypal payment... no refund for the fakes. I def learned my lesson.

I have seen a lot of this fake seller in china, all of them have 0 feedback or some fake feedbacks. Usually the sell all phones they can in a short period of time, and after that you get nothing and they will delete their ebay account.
I hope this one is not like it

It's one of either two things.
You got scammed and will be sent nothing (Which is what i'm expecting)
Or
You're going to be sent a very very bad nexus one clone.

Where is the best place to sell my Tilt 2?

I want to get a new android device. I have fallen out of love with windows mobile. all the rom flashing.. the ORD flashing has left me STRUNG OUT!!
i have the AT&T Pure and my wife has the Tilt 2..
they are BOTH worth some bucks and could easily help fund our new android addiction!
so
where to sell them?!
i'm pretty sure no one on this forum wants "FOR SALE" threads..
so how about "where should i sell it?!"

ebay is a good place, but fees are high.
What prices you got on pure and tilt2.

eBay will get you the most exposure. You can also try the Marketplace forum on this website. Also Craislist, which will allow you to avoid shipping fees if you find a local buyer that can pickup. But neither the XDA Marketplace or Craiglist offer any type of protection from scammers.

I use ebay frequently. When buying, you take a risk, but when selling, I never ship untill payment has been recieved. I also always mention that It won't be shipped w/o payment in the item description. Actual pictures (and several) and good descriptions will get you the most interest and bids, in my experience.
Also, its a risk, but I generally seem to be able to sell things at a higher rate when I am starting at really low prices, as compared to when I have a starting bid close to what I actually want it to sell for. Your best bet is to search ebay for you phones, see how they are selling and what gets the best price.

I am looking to purchase one Tmobile failed me twice - PM me!!

Another eBay tip: Sellers with better ratings get more people looking at their auctions, more people bidding, and therefore better sell prices. If you don't use eBay much, or at all, you might consider having a family member or friend with more transactions under their belt to post the auction for you. Especially for an item like a phone, I would personally only buy from a seller with a very good rating, and with a decent number of transaction under their belt.

I'd be interested in either jsut the Pure or both of them together. Let me know shoot me a PM with how much you'd like to get for them.
Thanks,
CrimsonCadillac

price drop?

Does anyone know when we can expect a price drop for the gsm version of the GN? I'd imagine after the holiday season but weeks? Months? I've never really followed a phone like this so I'm not sure when to expect it
grassyass amigos!

greensnow said:
Does anyone know when we can expect a price drop for the gsm version of the GN? I'd imagine after the holiday season but weeks? Months? I've never really followed a phone like this so I'm not sure when to expect it
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I'm assuming you're talking about the GSM version? We've already seen price drops since its been released. Its down to the $685 range from the $700+ when it first came out.
Gotta realize that since US users are importing from the UK, the prices are going to be a bit inflated. It'll of course come down over time just like anything else. But unless this starts getting sold directly in the US, the prices are going to stay high for the next couple months.

martonikaj said:
I'm assuming you're talking about the GSM version? We've already seen price drops since its been released. Its down to the $685 range from the $700+ when it first came out.
Gotta realize that since US users are importing from the UK, the prices are going to be a bit inflated. It'll of course come down over time just like anything else. But unless this starts getting sold directly in the US, the prices are going to stay high for the next couple months.
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haha yeah i said gsm version in OP

im in the same boat as you and i did my extensive research and found negrielectronics to be the cheapest with the coupon code "gift" brings the price to about $644.50 with free shipping!

Mitchmoney said:
im in the same boat as you and i did my extensive research and found negrielectronics to be the cheapest with the coupon code "gift" brings the price to about $644.50 with free shipping!
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That's not a bad price. Negri has really been getting aggressive/competitive on pricing considering they were one of the more expensive ones when the phone first came out.

Its up now at Negri for $644.50 and On Amazon new ones are selling at 658, prices are coming down but slowly.. I am still patient, its hardly 2 weeks since the launch in US!! Considering LTE + 32GB verizon retailing at $650, this should cost something like $550 for 16GB when it launches on a GSM carrier.

It won't fall through $600, unless there are some coupon codes or something like that. They are selling for $600+ unlocked in countries that have it on sale officially. Of course in a few months, you can easily find one for less than $600 used or refurbished. But if you are looking for a new one, don't expect sub-600 price anytime soon.

stupid exclusive period >.<

1u4n said:
stupid exclusive period >.<
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Blame Google and Verizon for striking a deal that included them not being able to sell the GSM version in the USA.

sivagandi said:
Its up now at Negri for $644.50 and On Amazon new ones are selling at 658, prices are coming down but slowly.. I am still patient, its hardly 2 weeks since the launch in US!! Considering LTE + 32GB verizon retailing at $650, this should cost something like $550 for 16GB when it launches on a GSM carrier.
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is there a benefit from buying it from a place like Expansys vs Amazon? I know Expansys helps out with middleman for warranty issues but I could solve that by buying insurance from Ensquared right?
Or am I completely off on that?

greensnow said:
is there a benefit from buying it from a place like Expansys vs Amazon? I know Expansys helps out with middleman for warranty issues but I could solve that by buying insurance from Ensquared right?
Or am I completely off on that?
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Everyone has a different experience it seems but most importers are offering some help by being a middle man for warranties.
3rd party phone insurance like squaretrade, etc. is completely different because those are going to cover accidental damage and have more options, whereas the factory warranty will only cover defects and things.
---------- Post added at 10:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:11 PM ----------
tsekh501 said:
It won't fall through $600, unless there are some coupon codes or something like that. They are selling for $600+ unlocked in countries that have it on sale officially. Of course in a few months, you can easily find one for less than $600 used or refurbished. But if you are looking for a new one, don't expect sub-600 price anytime soon.
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We'll see I guess. I'm not expecting it to be down near $600 any time soon either but I'm hopeful. Right now Negri is leading the charge at $645 with others coming down as well. Compare that w/ the pre-order and first week prices that were in the $750 range. That obviously doesn't mean it'll drop another $100 anytime soon but just something to think about.

martonikaj said:
Everyone has a different experience it seems but most importers are offering some help by being a middle man for warranties.
3rd party phone insurance like squaretrade, etc. is completely different because those are going to cover accidental damage and have more options, whereas the factory warranty will only cover defects and things.
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So would I even need the manufacturers warranty if ensquared offers one?
http://www.ensquared.com/catalog/phone-insurance/2-year-phone-insurance-smartphone
Sorry for the questions, I've never imported a phone I've always had carrier insurance

greensnow said:
So would I even need the manufacturers warranty if ensquared offers one?
http://www.ensquared.com/catalog/phone-insurance/2-year-phone-insurance-smartphone
Sorry for the questions, I've never imported a phone I've always had carrier insurance
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Basically the only reason why you'd want to have the factory warranty is for from-factory defects and issues. You could potentially get these issues fixed free of cost from the manufacturer, whereas every claim with a 3rd party insurer can carry a deductible and go against your yearly claim allowance (aka you could pay out of pocket for things that should be fixed for free).
But like I said, I'd go look and see what peoples experiences with different importers is regarding factory warranty. My understanding is that Negri will help facilitate a factory warranty return (you ship to Negri, they ship to the UK for fix, ship back to Negri, ship back to you). I'd assume others do this also but I can't say for sure. Just going by what I've read.

[Q] Anyone buy their unlocked GSM from Amazon?

Right now, I'm seeing a "like new" version for $389 and free shipping. The seller reviews are fantastic. Just wondering if anyone else went this route. I'm looking to save a couple of bucks and going this route would save me close to $50 compared to the Google Play store.
Thanks!

Potential Problems:
Like New Devices = refurbished.
I.E. the original owner didn't like it or had problems.
OR the manufacturer found "no fault" and they're completely the same as the device that was returned.
Personally...
$50 to me doesn't seem like much when I'm potentially going to keep the device for two years.

hmmm....those are good points.

All good points. Not to mention that Google Play will give you a US warranty.

Yeah, the only thing about Google Play is that they don't take multiple forms of payment. I was planning on using $75 in AMEX gift cards, something I can do at Amazon (if I purchase Amazon GC's with the AMEX GC's). I may look at a new GNEX from Amazon though.

I wonder if you could call in the order and use multiple cards? They have an actual customer service number now. Worth a shot. I'd definitely get the play store one over an Amazon one.

Yeah, I already tried unfortunately. It all has to be on the same card.

well I'm assuming you'd end up using the AMEX gift cards eventually on something else... unless they're expiring soon I don't see the reason to worry about using them on the Nexus specifically.
Oh, and just because you buy an actual brand new one on Amazon still doesn't mean you get a warranty. You'll only get a US warranty on the Play Store.

Thanks for the info guys. Google Play does look like the way to go.

[Q] Htc M8 on Amazon

Currently, an unlocked htc m8 is available in Amazon for 670 dollars. It's 30 dollars cheaper than the original price. Why is that? I'm a little scared to buy it because I have read in the reviews that they received a 16gb version not the 32gb. I just don't want trouble like returning the phone or something.

jfodra said:
Currently, an unlocked htc m8 is available in Amazon for 670 dollars. It's 30 dollars cheaper than the original price. Why is that? I'm a little scared to buy it because I have read in the reviews that they received a 16gb version not the 32gb. I just don't want trouble like returning the phone or something.
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I have the 32gb from T-Mobile. First of all in my opinion all of the phones in the One family are the best most professional and elegant Android devices on the market today. I view them as cool Android devices for adults.
As far Amazon and getting a phone from there. I got two from them when I was on Sprint. They were both upgrades and Amazon only charged $.01 for each when Sprint was charging at least $50 for the upgrades. They got here in 2 days. It was a fabulous experience.
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

jfodra said:
Currently, an unlocked htc m8 is available in Amazon for 670 dollars. It's 30 dollars cheaper than the original price. Why is that? I'm a little scared to buy it because I have read in the reviews that they received a 16gb version not the 32gb. I just don't want trouble like returning the phone or something.
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I think your most telling comment were the reviews. The fact people aren't getting what they paid for. Remember $670 for a 32gb might be a good deal. Same price for a 16gb isn't
If the reviews aren't good I always stay away. Especially if all you're saving is $30

grentuu said:
I think your most telling comment were the reviews. The fact people aren't getting what they paid for. Remember $670 for a 32gb might be a good deal. Same price for a 16gb isn't
If the reviews aren't good I always stay away. Especially if all you're saving is $30
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It is labeled as 32gb. And there's like only 2 reviewers who said they received a 16gb version so it looks like a good deal. Thank you for your replies. I'm just a little curious on how they can sell it cheaper.

jfodra said:
It is labeled as 32gb. And there's like only 2 reviewers who said they received a 16gb version so it looks like a good deal. Thank you for your replies. I'm just a little curious on how they can sell it cheaper.
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Amazon is high volume, and they can afford to cut prices by not having a brick and mortar stores. Plus their logistics (delivery network) are unmatched. All of this means they can pretty much undercut most the competition on price (and therefore attract higher sales volume), and still make enough profit to be successful.
The purchase is direct from Amazon, correct (and not a 3rd party vendor that sells on Amazon as a portal)? If its the same listing I am looking at, it is. Amazon is really reliable. But mistakes just get made once in a while.
Merchandise returns are extremely easy on Amazon, in the event you end up having to do one. They give you a UPS label to print out, just slap it on the box it shipped in and seal the box, and take it to a UPS store (or you can probably call for UPS pickup). Since it was their mistake, they pay for shipping. When they made a mistake for something my wife ordered, they made it right by shipping the replacement overnight at no cost. Even when its a mistake I made (ordered some electrical part that were the wrong color) the return shipping was only about $2.

redpoint73 said:
Amazon is high volume, and they can afford to cut prices by not having a brick and mortar stores. Plus their logistics (delivery network) are unmatched. All of this means they can pretty much undercut most the competition on price (and therefore attract higher sales volume), and still make enough profit to be successful.
The purchase is direct from Amazon, correct (and not a 3rd party vendor that sells on Amazon as a portal)? If its the same listing I am looking at, it is. Amazon is really reliable. But mistakes just get made once in a while.
Merchandise returns are extremely easy on Amazon, in the event you end up having to do one. They give you a UPS label to print out, just slap it on the box it shipped in and seal the box, and take it to a UPS store (or you can probably call for UPS pickup). Since it was their mistake, they pay for shipping. When they made a mistake for something my wife ordered, they made it right by shipping the replacement overnight at no cost. Even when its a mistake I made (ordered some electrical part that were the wrong color) the return shipping was only about $2.
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Wow. You just gave me the most detailed answer. Thank you. I already ordered. Hoping to get what I wanted. Thank you again for that very detailed response.

No problem, happy it helped.