T-Mobile IMEI Check WebService - T-Mobile, Samsung Galaxy SIII

Hi
I wanted to share a recent story with all of you, what happened with my experience. 4 months ago, I purchased an S3 from someone off of CL. I am extremely careful with purchasing mobiles from there, due to the possibility of getting screwed out of hard earned money that only benefits the person screwing you. Before I purchased the mobile, I did an IMEI validation through T-Mobile's web service, along with a couple more IMEI checks. T-Mobile's web service advised that the phone was not reported lost or stolen and that it was ready for activation. The other web services reported the same result, so based on what is supposed to be a reliable source of information, especially from the carrier itself, I bought the mobile.
GoSmart wouldn't add the phone to my plan because they said the phone had been blacklisted as lost and/or stolen. I told GSm that was impossible since the carrier who issues the device reported the phone clean. This started what turned out to be a 3 month battle between myself and T-Mobile. I phone them up, and after a bit of "we're checking, hang on" or "give me just a few minutes more as I am having to access another system", they informed me that indeed the phone had a lost/stolen insurance claim on it and that the IMEI was blocked. I escalated to a supervisor, only to be told the same information. I explained to them that had their web service been working at the time I used it, I would not have made the purchase. And for the next month, once per week, I continued discussing with customer service, along with checking their IMEI site showing that the phone was still reported clean. They advised me that Asurion claims and blocks do not show on the IMEI site, and I told her that the customer is in the dark about that, and there is no disclaimer on the site alerting anyone of this fact. I also wanted to verify #1 that I was not losing my mind, and #2 to make sure I was on solid enough ground to insist to be escalated to someone in TMo's IT department. I wanted someone to first explain to me why their web service was not accurate, and 2nd to make sure that someone who could make that change to their system got the ball rolling on fixing their web service so that some other unfortunate soul would have to go through what I'd been through so far.
Enter Alisha, systems analyst from TMo IT. Out of anyone who I have ever talked with in any customer service arena, she was by far the best, sympathetic, and understanding person I've ever had the pleasure of dealing with. Ever. I told her I was a system analyst, I know what they go through when it comes to issues like this and that it needed to be resolved. She then did what no one in customer service offered to do for me, and that was to check both systems to see if I was telling the truth. And sure enough, she discovered that they did in fact have an issue. Even after this discovery, she said that due to the phone being blocked by Asurion that she was powerless to do anything. I told her that the hope of the phone being unblocked was well in the past now, by goal was to get them to fix the problem that forced me down this road in the first place.
The end is near I promise. I still think I was wronged on the business side of the equation, so I went to the BBB and filed a complaint. The following Friday, I receive a call from TMo Customer Service, and after an hour on the phone the gentleman told me that due to the way the claim was filed, that he would open a ticket to send to the team that would be able to unlock the phone and that it would be unlocked by that coming Monday. I was elated. Monday comes, and the phone is still locked. I call customer service again, only to be told "the gentleman who told you that did not have the authority to do so, and did not have the means to make a promise like that due to the phone being insurance blocked." I went off, stating that their company's inability to effectively train their employees, especially those who handle escalated issues was not my concern. She apologize profusely. I went back to the BBB and updated my ticket, stating that the company made an obligation to me, they didn't follow through and to contact the business again. 2 days later, an email arrives from TMo stating the obvious "Mr Harrison should not have purchased a phone from an unauthorized source, yadda, yadda", followed by "due to the nature of the circumstances, we are willing to make a 1 time exception for him and have unblocked the IMEI number." My phone was unblocked and remains unblocked today.
I wanted to share my story with all of you because the bottom line is that until you pick up that phone and talk to someone voice to voice at TMo, do not use the IMEI site as your only source of verification. I thought I was safe by using not only their site, but 2 others, and a call to the police to see if the phone was stolen, but I wasn't safe. Use the site as a preliminary determining factor, but then pick up the phone and talk to their customer service directly to make sure the site is telling you right. And when they tell you it is, then double-check to make sure the phone does not have an insurance IMEI block on it.
Thanks!

I don't think you understand that yes the phone was fine before you bought it but afterwards the person who sold it to you reported it stolen, and probably got another one after paying a deductible while still making money off of the one sold to you. You keep repeating about before you bought it, but you failed to realize its a common scam on CL and you should really be careful next time. You're lucky T-Mobile hooked you up though.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium

Though there may have been a breakdown in the systems being able to communicate, it still doesn't change the fact that the phone you bought was stolen. You can argue specifics about who told you what and when, but in the end it doesn't change the fact that the device is stolen property.
I'm not saying you shouldn't be upset about getting scammed, but you sound like you are trying to vent all your anger in T-Mobile's direction, when it is not their fault that someone stole a device from them and used it to scam you. It's the criminal who stole the phone and then stole your money that you should be most angry with.
Sure, you didn't know that you weren't getting info from all the sources you should have, probably would've been the same for me and everyone else, but it's not really anyone's fault. They have been updating the way blacklists work for some time now, and while it's getting better, we can't expect instant perfection.
I am glad you shared that T-Mobile doesn't currently have their blacklist synced to Asurions btw, that is very good to know. I just think your anger is a little misplaced is all. From what I've read T-Mobile has been one of the more proactive in sharing blacklist info. Currently they share theirs with AT&T, possibly others.
As I understand it though, in a few months this should all become a bit of a non issue. I've been told that they will be implementing a nationwide blacklist, that all carriers and insurance companies will use, so there will only be one to worry about, and when a device is added to the list, it is instantly blocked everywhere in the US (and maybe Canada).
Sorry to hear about your misfortune, but I consider you extremely lucky to have got them to unblock it. I seriously doubt that would've happened anywhere else. I'm happy for you that they did nonetheless.
Sent from my SGH-T999N using Tapatalk

@dudenphx
First off, allow me to commiserate with your travails. I really do feel bad for you. I am glad it has ended well in the end.
It is a great discovery you made that T-Mo IMEI Checker does not have Asurion Blocks. That alone in my mind gives you Kudos that you greatly deserve. I thank you for that.
So to the problem per se. I am afraid I agree with Doc. You did check on CL Scams. But that was probably was not sufficient. The modus operendi of CL Scam is to Report Stolen AFTER the Sale Not before .
If at all I am buying a phone on Craig's list, I'd first take the IMEI to Assurion and have them Change Ownership on their records for that IMEI. This is similar to Vehicle VIN Number registration to DMV. After that, I'd call the Carriers to do the same thing. Only after that has happened, that I will pay the seller the full amount. I am sure this is not a foolproof way, but at the least I can hang it on Assurion so they don't block the IMEI. If I know them any better, they will still wriggle out of that and block it. But may be I am the half empty kind.

Thanks
Perseus71,
Thanks for the kind words. It felt like Rudolph vs the Abominable Snow Monster, and that really sucked.
There has to be a solution that isn't 100% airtight (nothing is these days), but something that would be as low of a risk as possible. Have you called Asurion before and did the ownership change? What would they require for this to be done? I like buying stuff on CL, this was the first bad experience I had, but I would like to continue buying on CL. The risks are there, but isn't life full of risks anyway?
thanks!

Related

T-Mobile = Horrible customer service??!?!?

I've heard the rumors... T-Mo's customer service is legendary. They're the best in the game. Everyone says so!!
Rewind: October 2007. I was a Sprint customer. After 3 years of hell with Nextel, no service in Rhode Island, replacement phones, billing errors, and long wait times, I became an ex-Spring customer when I threatened to leave Sprint for T-mobile, and the customer service SUPERVISOR said to me "You do what you have to do..." *click* and hung up on me. So I did just that... I walked into a t-mobile store and bought a wing.
Fast-forward: Today. It's now 6 months later. I've had 3 warranty replacements on the Wing, then (because I was fed up with the wing) I asked for an alternate model. They told me the only other "multiple exchange" model was the Dash. So they sent me a dash (which I can't figure out because it's cheaper). That was 3 weeks ago. Today, I noticed a bunch of white lines on my screen (see my other post for a screen shot).
I just got off the phone with T-mobile. They confirmed that this is a problem with the Dash, and the brackets holding the screen apparently break for no reason at all, causing this problem. It can happen for any or no reason at all. Well, the wing might be slow and lock up and reboot itself when it wants (though I fault t-mobile's ****ty software for that) but at least it kept it's screen in tact.
So I told them I wanted a wing back. They refused, because I did not qualify for the multiple exchange, since it was only my first dash. I told them I needed a phone that DIDN'T lose it's screen at random, so I wanted the Wing back (which is what I originally paid $300 for) and they said no, because that only applies if I had 2 or more defective dash's. What the hell is wrong with this company!?!? They can't send me a Blackberry Curve (even though it's the EXACT same price as the Wing), they can't send me ANYTHING, not even a basic phone. They said if I wanted the wing now, it would cost me $400!!!
Now, looking back at Sprint, with their new CEO (who has vowed to clean up customer service) and their newest plan (simply everything), and the coolest phone I've ever seen (the Sprint "Touch") I think I'm going to pay the early termination $200 fee and switch back to sprint when I get my $600.00 economic stimulus check from the government in May, and I told the t-mobile guy that too. He said "Well, sorry to hear that, but there's nothing we can do for you..." <-- What the hell is that??? What happened to customer service? I left Sprint because they sucked, and now they're getting better and T-Mobile sucks.
Looks like I picked a bad time to leave Sprint and an even worse time to join T-Mobile.
WARNING TO ALL THOSE WHO ARE THINKING ABOUT SWITCHING TO T-MOBILE OR BUYING A PDA FROM T-MOBILE: DON'T do it!!! If it's a bad model, you'll be stuck with it!!
I am SICK of getting new phones every month in the mail. It takes me about 6 hours to get my phone looking & acting the way it should. I have to flash the ROM, copy pim.vol, change the theme, remove the stupid "callstart.wav" file, hack the **** out of the registry, and set up email, internet connections, and everything else. I've wasted countless days of my life doing this.
I've reached the end of my tether. I hope a perspective T-mobile customer reads this and it helps them decide to NOT go to T-mobile. Likewise, I hope a higher-up at T-mobile reads this and gets the message.
LMFAO Dude grow up.
SpringfieldXD45C said:
I've heard the rumors... T-Mo's customer service is legendary. They're the best in the game. Everyone says so!!
Rewind: October 2007. I was a Sprint customer. After 3 years of hell with Nextel, no service in Rhode Island, replacement phones, billing errors, and long wait times, I became an ex-Spring customer when I threatened to leave Sprint for T-mobile, and the customer service SUPERVISOR said to me "You do what you have to do..." *click* and hung up on me. So I did just that... I walked into a t-mobile store and bought a wing.
Fast-forward: Today. It's now 6 months later. I've had 3 warranty replacements on the Wing, then (because I was fed up with the wing) I asked for an alternate model. They told me the only other "multiple exchange" model was the Dash. So they sent me a dash (which I can't figure out because it's cheaper). That was 3 weeks ago. Today, I noticed a bunch of white lines on my screen (see my other post for a screen shot).
I just got off the phone with T-mobile. They confirmed that this is a problem with the Dash, and the brackets holding the screen apparently break for no reason at all, causing this problem. It can happen for any or no reason at all. Well, the wing might be slow and lock up and reboot itself when it wants (though I fault t-mobile's ****ty software for that) but at least it kept it's screen in tact.
So I told them I wanted a wing back. They refused, because I did not qualify for the multiple exchange, since it was only my first dash. I told them I needed a phone that DIDN'T lose it's screen at random, so I wanted the Wing back (which is what I originally paid $300 for) and they said no, because that only applies if I had 2 or more defective dash's. What the hell is wrong with this company!?!? They can't send me a Blackberry Curve (even though it's the EXACT same price as the Wing), they can't send me ANYTHING, not even a basic phone. They said if I wanted the wing now, it would cost me $400!!!
Now, looking back at Sprint, with their new CEO (who has vowed to clean up customer service) and their newest plan (simply everything), and the coolest phone I've ever seen (the Sprint "Touch") I think I'm going to pay the early termination $200 fee and switch back to sprint when I get my $600.00 economic stimulus check from the government in May, and I told the t-mobile guy that too. He said "Well, sorry to hear that, but there's nothing we can do for you..." <-- What the hell is that??? What happened to customer service? I left Sprint because they sucked, and now they're getting better and T-Mobile sucks.
Looks like I picked a bad time to leave Sprint and an even worse time to join T-Mobile.
WARNING TO ALL THOSE WHO ARE THINKING ABOUT SWITCHING TO T-MOBILE OR BUYING A PDA FROM T-MOBILE: DON'T do it!!! If it's a bad model, you'll be stuck with it!!
I am SICK of getting new phones every month in the mail. It takes me about 6 hours to get my phone looking & acting the way it should. I have to flash the ROM, copy pim.vol, change the theme, remove the stupid "callstart.wav" file, hack the **** out of the registry, and set up email, internet connections, and everything else. I've wasted countless days of my life doing this.
I've reached the end of my tether. I hope a perspective T-mobile customer reads this and it helps them decide to NOT go to T-mobile. Likewise, I hope a higher-up at T-mobile reads this and gets the message.
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Looks like someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed today! I for one would never EVER go to sprint. I don't care how much 3g or EV-DO they have...I used to be work for sprints technical support desk and i absolutely hated it! all they cared was for you to get off the phone as quickly as you could try to sell some add-on crap that you didnt need... retrigger the IOTA (internet over the air refresh) and get off the phone ASAP! and the reson why the tech do this is they dont get a bonus if they dont have an average call time under 7 minutes! i went to work for them thinking it was a technical job and all it was , was a front for over the phone sales! i was only there for 8 months and i hit the door as soon as the opportunity arose.
Maybe its you, not the phones. Ever think about that.
T-Mobile is not here to exchange any phone "YOU" decide to mod, drop, throw, dunk,etc.
They have a limit on how many, per customer, can get an exchange.
There is a thing called insurance you can buy from them, for this specific reason.
Pay up to keep getting a new phone every 4-6 months.
And see, I am the exact opposite of what the first poster said, I am a current SunCom Wireless customer, who was just bought out by T-Mobile, and I have had nothing but good things from TM's customer service. I called them about getting a Wing, and if they would provide me with a TM SIM card that would work with my SunCom plan....which wont work of course, so instead they say-"Hold on one moment and let me look at your account...(so I give em my account number, a SUNCOM account number mind you)and the dude comes back and says, well with your anytime rewards(basically 5USD off of a new phone that yoy get for every month you stay with SunCom), you can get a Wing for 249.99, and we will go ahead and SIM unlock it for you before we ship it, so that you can use it with SunCom. Then when SunCom and TM become one company, we will send you a TM SIM card(because thats what they are doing with everybody) and you will still be able to use your SunCom services and current billing prices." So of course I say hell yeah, and give the guy my debit card number, and he comes back and says, "Oh, and you also qualify for free next day air!" so hell yeah, I do LOVE TMs customer service already, and im not even one of their customers yet! BTW, teh Wing=AWESOME!
I sort of had a similar experience.
I had a Shadow, and did not like it, I really wanted the Dash to begin with..
I called and asked to send the Shadow back, and that was fine, but they wanted me to pay $200 upfront.
After thinking about it, I said no.
Called back asked for a supervisor, who immediately called the proper department, got my phone sent out FREE, gave me the rebate instantly, and also sent me a free bluetooth headset.
I have no problem with T-mobile, but if you do, call back and ask for a supervisor.
I LUV me dash and I think that Tmobile is probably the best mobile phone company. Hell they didn't ever try to sell up, but they did help me downgrade my plan with courtesy and respect and no additional months on my contract.
As to your problems with the Dash, I am sorry I would still get another. Even great products have some problems with them. I have had my Dash for over a year and couldn't possibly be more pleased. I keep it in a case and it is in pristine condition. My contract is over and I really would like a 3g device but there isn't anything I would like more than the dash out there. Especially with google's web page compression and the opera mini.
I work at IT at a hospital and most...no every smartphone has KNOWN problems with them. Please don't ask about getting a TREO..... You won't see known issues broadcast anywhere unless you are an major enterprise client. Cellular companies don't usually ever mention problems to nickel and dime clients.
My sister has major problems keeping a working cellphone for more than 4 months since they stopped making them large plasic bricks in the 90's. She has had her Dash for over a year as well. It has a large crack in the screen (no actual harm just a large crack). Various large gashes and the power button has to be pushed extra hard but it's still workin! So if you ask me it is a brick.
Tmobile is different. They only have edge no 3g at all that is a dealbreaker with enterprise clients. They only have nickel and dime clients. I think in general Tmobile have to be nice to their personal clients and they are. Just don't put a pink logo on your website!
Allright... for those of you telling me to "Grow up" and "Maybe it's not T-mobile, it's you" First of all, I'd like to remind you that I'm at least being polite to you. See, I reply to topics to give USEFUL information, not scathing remarks. That makes for somethign we like to call "a pleasant atmosphere". Perhaps you've never heard of that before. So how about YOU grow up? Thanks
I'd also like to point out that "I" am hardly the reason for the following WING issues:
Phone #1: Random reboots, battery lasted for 2 hours max, touch screen would stop working, and only come back after a reboot.
Phone #2: Extremely slow (timed: 34 seconds for the start menu to appear after pushing the start button.. OUT OF THE BOX), random reboots.
Phone #3: Internet would not work at all. On the phone with PDA Tech support who walked me through everything he wanted me to do, then finally HE suggested replacing the phone.
Phone #4: Would not power on at all.
Phone #5: The dash: Everything is working fine. Today, while sitting on my desk (e.g. not being dropped, submersed, etc.) a bunch of white lines appear on my screen. A member of this board said he had the same problem, and even T-Mobile said it was a known issue...
I'm sorry, but please explain to me HOW that is "me" and not t-mobile!??! You've obviously proven to me what great intelligence you have by demonstrating your innate, Jedi-like ability to sit at a keyboard and say "Dude, grow up" and "Maybe it's you not t-mobile" So please explain, Captain SDA... I eagerly await your solution to "my" problems with these "perfect" phones.
My mom once told me "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all". Clearly your moms never told you that, Perhaps you should ask YOUR mom for that same advice. Judging by your superior online personalities, that shouldn't be too hard: Just leave your basement and walk upstairs. I'm sorry you don't understand the value of a dollar, and the fact that I have now spent $300 on a phone that doesn't work, and I religiously pay my bill for a service I can barely use. I'm sorry that upsets me. You're right, I shouldn't complain about that.
*** sigh ***
For the rest of you: Thanks for the advice about going back to sprint. The only reason I'm even thinking about it right now is because of all the good things I heard about the new CEO and the changes he's making, and I'm excited about the Samsung Instinct as well as the Sprint HTC Touch, which I personally got to use and it was lightning fast!!
My point was that T-Mobiles history with you as their customer.
When i read the story, i thought, this guy has no luck with phones. Do you honestly think T-Mobile will start giving away replacements to a person that has a history of mishaps? Look at it from their point of view also.
The thing is these days, people think everything is about themselves.
Sorry if you hate my replies. I tell things the way I see them. I don't sugar coat anything.
If you had said THAT instead of "Dude grow up" at first, it would've been a little nicer, don't you think?? Do you think I don't have enough on my plate already, after bleeding out all kinds of money for a damn phone & service that I can't even use, without having to put up with wisecrack remarks??
Yes, I DO expect T-Mobile to stand behind their products.
I respect the hell out of calling shots as you see them, but I question HOW they're seen. Throw me a bone, will you??
SpringfieldXD45C said:
If you had said THAT instead of "Dude grow up" at first, it would've been a little nicer, don't you think?? Do you think I don't have enough on my plate already, after bleeding out all kinds of money for a damn phone & service that I can't even use, without having to put up with wisecrack remarks??
Yes, I DO expect T-Mobile to stand behind their products.
I respect the hell out of calling shots as you see them, but I question HOW they're seen. Throw me a bone, will you??
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*tosses a bone in the air *
Kidding
SPRINT!!!
you know even if i had 10 phones break on me, through running normal software or even modified i would like the company to replace, even if it was my fault... thats what u pay insurance for and thats what makes great customer service. Think about it... how many people know more about the phones then someone that modifies them? not your average user, i referred about 15 people just because sprint is so good with me breaking my phone anyway i did( twice but w/e), not just a new phone but every little thing(a new box, battery, phone, 2x stylus, etc...). no need to grow up its a normal thing to worm someone about a HORRIBLE service provider, i've had sprint for a couple months no complaints, well maybe my bill once but i just shot them an email about my bill being $300, next day they gave me an extra $500. if u switch to sprint get the sero account and you may want to do it fast because no one knows how much longer that type of plan is going to be available....
atomiix said:
you know even if i had 10 phones break on me, through running normal software or even modified i would like the company to replace, even if it was my fault... thats what u pay insurance for and thats what makes great customer service. Think about it... how many people know more about the phones then someone that modifies them? not your average user, i referred about 15 people just because sprint is so good with me breaking my phone anyway i did( twice but w/e), not just a new phone but every little thing(a new box, battery, phone, 2x stylus, etc...). no need to grow up its a normal thing to worm someone about a HORRIBLE service provider, i've had sprint for a couple months no complaints, well maybe my bill once but i just shot them an email about my bill being $300, next day they gave me an extra $500. if u switch to sprint get the sero account and you may want to do it fast because no one knows how much longer that type of plan is going to be available....
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Yea but the key element of your situation that makes it different from the person that made this thread is that you have INSURANCE! things are a whole heckofalot different when you have insurance. When you don't, you stand a chance at ending up like this poor guy! The only thing about insurance i absolutely despise is you always get a reburb.
I have to disagree...If i had a company and sold you a phone. If you modify the rom in any way, warranty is void.
I think even with insurance it gets voided. (I may be wrong)
Mikey1022 said:
I have to disagree...If i had a company and sold you a phone. If you modify the rom in any way, warranty is void.
I think even with insurance it gets voided. (I may be wrong)
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No because most insurance plans cover damage ... which cover both physical and software.firmware damage.....
pudgedaddy said:
No because most insurance plans cover damage ... which cover both physical and software.firmware damage.....
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original and modified firmware?
Mikey1022 said:
original and modified firmware?
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Yes! Heck even if it didnt and the insurance covered only physical damage. I'd beat the heck out of the phone so it wouldnt turn on to find out which firmware or ROM was installed. I mean if you think about it , the phone companies make a buttload of money gettin $5 ( or more) a month for monthly insurance charges,,,, then the customer still has to fork out a deductible when they use the insurance. So trust me, I'd love to offer insurance. Lastly most insurance policies limit the nunber of exchanges to 2 or 3 per year. so it would insure that they couldn't abuse the insurance plan
it sucks about the issues you are experiencing, but do you think this is the right forum (no pun intended) for this issue? in my opinion, you will have better luck discussing this issue with mid - senior level management at T-Mobile USA; not with a bunch of people looking to modify their mobile devices.
johnnylavah said:
it sucks about the issues you are experiencing, but do you think this is the right forum (no pun intended) for this issue? in my opinion, you will have better luck discussing this issue with mid - senior level management at T-Mobile USA; not with a bunch of people looking to modify their mobile devices.
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I agree. The mods should close this thread
I have no other place to vent, and to be honest, I was hoping to get a former T-mobile employee (or someone) who would send me a PM or leave a post with a bit of a tip in it.
If nothing else, I'm outraged and I need to vent (something wrong with that??) It's only natural.
By the way, this has nothing to do with insurance... this is still warranty!! And how do you figure flashing the ROM voids the warranty?? It changes no physical part of the phone... and as long as you can flash the factory ROM back onto it, (thus making the phone still useable) what harm was done?
I see nothing in the warranty about flashing the ROM as being grounds for voiding.

[Q] How to remove lost/stolen status from an evo

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?
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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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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.
Click to expand...
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.
Click to expand...
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.
Click to expand...
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

[Q] Buying a phone from craigslist or ebay

I bought a GS2 from someone off craigslist and then they reported it stolen and I had a device with a bad IMEI.
I think down the road I would like to see my GS2 for a One S. How can I do this safely? What should I require from the buyer to prevent that from happening again?
decko5 said:
I bought a GS2 from someone off craigslist and then they reported it stolen and I had a device with a bad IMEI.
I think down the road I would like to see my GS2 for a One S. How can I do this safely? What should I require from the buyer to prevent that from happening again?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well... You would have to talk to a lawyer about this. If you could find a way of writing up a legal contract (which isn't too difficult) that would stop the seller from doing anything that would ruin the sale, then you might be ok. The problem is that doesn't stop them, and if they did something then you would have to take them to court. That's a lot of money for a little assurance.
I think the more typical answers is you would need some luck, or to buy from someone you trusted. On ebay you can look at their record and see if other people buying cellphones were happy and that no one had this issue, but that could still be sketchy (and cost more than your average used phone).
What if I make the seller meet me at a T-Mo store and have him make sure that the seller does not have insurance plan? maybe that'll be a way to prevent this?
He needs a police report to file that claim. You now have stolen property. I would make that your first concern. I would do what I had to do to prove insurance fraud just on principal alone.
Craigslist is hit or miss. I've been burned twice. But my most recent gs2 purchase went smooth.
Sent from my HTC_Amaze_4G using xda premium
I would recommend not using either. Use swappa. All the IMEIs are clean, no damage. Was gonna buy my SGS2 off of it, but got a better deal through the store.
You're right, the best way to prevent this if to meet at a store. We have an imei blocking tool that we can reference.
Only problem is that the if the claim is still being processed, it will show unblocked.
I guess it's a good sign if the seller is willing to meet at a store in the first place.
Not sure if it is unlocked. But if it is and the issue is not sorted, you can use it on another carrier still. Not a total loss atleast.
android4sunny said:
Not sure if it is unlocked. But if it is and the issue is not sorted, you can use it on another carrier still. Not a total loss atleast.
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.

IMEI Blocked AFTER craigslist trade T-T

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!

SGH-T999L Bad ESN

I bought an almost new S3 LTE SGH-T999L for my son off CL. It checked OK on swappa and it worked for a week, then unable to connect to network. Swappa now says blacklisted. DOH!
It sucks to have a $350 paper weight! I tried to contact the seller with no luck.
Couple questions...
Any way to fix it?
Can this model be downgraded to 4.1.1 to use free unlock method and even then will it possibly work on anther carrier is the US. I know it will work outside the US if unlocked.
I contacted T-Mobile and they said nothing I can do, only the original owner can have the blacklist lifted.
Any help or advice much appreciated!
Also let this be a lesson to all...just because it works when you buy it, don't mean it wont go belly-up in a week. :crying:
Sorry I didn't answer your PM before. Wasn't ignoring you. Unfortunately your options are extremely limited.
You will have to pay for an unlock code online (see the last couple pages of the unlock thread), and then sell overseas. Just please be honest about it to whoever you sell it to in case they plan on bringing it to the states.
Personally, I'd also file a police report. May not come to anything, but if the guy gets arrested for anything else, or enough people file a report against him for similar stuff, you may then have some recourse against him. But he has twice committed fraud, or theft by deception (or something like that). First against T-Mobile, then against you.
Once unlocked, it might work on other carriers here, but not for long. I'm told all US carriers will be sharing the same blacklist by year's end. I've also heard it may also be shared with Canadian carriers as well.
Sorry to hear that happened to you. You're definitely not alone! This happens all the time, unfortunately.
Never buy used unless you make the transaction in person at a T-Mobile store where the seller can prove they have paid for the device in full and are allowed to sell it. Also, have a note made on both accounts (preferably by a manager) that the sale is made so they can't report it stolen a few weeks later.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 4
I hear you, but it never goes down like that. I've bought and sold 30 or 40 smartphones. First time I've ever got burnt. I make small profit along, but this one is a stinger. I've had people want to meet me at Verizon, ATT and T-Mobile and every time I met them there all the store employees would say is if the sim card works it's ok.
Of course you could ask for a receipt...but what if it's a reseller like myself? I've had one receipt the whole time. Most of the time you can spot a fraud and steer clear. I check esn on swappa and/or Verizon site. I guess it's just a risky thing and I've been very lucky so far.
I did get a guy on ebay to unlock the phone for $10 last night. It works with a Lycamobile sim(T-Mobile reseller) and also works with a new LTE ATT Straight Talk sim...recieves LTE even. Maybe not for long...but it works fine now and it's been blacklisted about a month.
Guy on ebay unlocks clean phones for $5 & blacklisted for $10, he does remote into your pc to do it, but it only takes 2-3 minutes. He gave me the code, but it was never needed.
I'm a PagePlus dealer and I do alot of carrier flashing, not to beat blacklist, but to get more use from older 3G devices. Anytime I sell a phone I always give a 2 days return policy if they change their mind.
The seller of the phone should be able to get some sort of confirmation off of his own account showing he is not currently making payments on it. If the employees are only saying to see if the SIM works, they are just being lazy or ignorant! With the owners permission they can look it up, or call support from the phone and have him ask them to verify on speaker so you can hear. I'm just trying to say there's other ways to get the info before buying.
I'd say that if you've bought that many you are pretty lucky. But for the blacklisted one that worked on other carriers...expect it not to on AT&T very soon and all other US carriers around the end of the year. Right now T-Mobile and AT&T share their lists, but don't use the same one, so it'll often take a few weeks to catch up. As I understand it, once the national list is in place, all carriers will be using the same one so it'll be more instant.
I have spoken to a few people who bought their phone used and all seemed good, but then nearly 2 months later it got blacklisted! Some people are apparently selling it, but then waiting a month or two to report it stolen!
I just hope that if one of your customers gets blacklisted a few weeks after buying from you, you will be willing to at least exchange it.
But before you try and sell this one, please consider that it's practically a given that it's not gonna work for very long.
Also, (and I'm not sure of the ramifications here) keep in mind that you are knowingly in possession of stolen property. That by itself is probably not a big deal for you, legally speaking, since it happens to so many people and hardly no one knows what they are buying when this happens to them. But if you sell it, you will be knowingly selling stolen goods. If one of your customers gets blacklisted, you could be the one held liable.
Don't take it wrong, I'm just trying to help!
And I'm just curious, what do you mean by "carrier flashing"?
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 4
I understand where you're coming from and I will not sell this phone except to one particular customer who takes them outside the country. My son is using it now on LycaMobile which is a UK based reseller using T-Molile towers. We will see how long it lasts...strange circumstance there since the provider is not from the US, will they also adhere to universal blacklist? I dunno...time will tell. At $30 per month they are cheapest unlimited I know of(Only 50MB 4G data, then 2G/3G).
I run a legitimate part time business and have rarely had phones returned, but always made the customer happy. Happy customers come back and most of my profit is selling refills and flashing/rooting/unlocking...not the actual phone sales.
Carrier flashing: Mainly I've flashed older Metro phones to work on PagePlus and GS3's from Sprint or Verizon must be flashed for pageplus because they don't yet allow 4G phones. I never do any ESN changes. I'm an old techie and I go way back to Nextel mods in mid 90's. lol
BTW I installed CM 10.1.2 RC2 right from the phone yesterday after originally flashing the CM10 linked in Doc's T999L thread. It flashed perfect right through CM update utility automatically and seems to run perfectly.

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