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I'm in a dilemma and in need of some advice. I'm in the market for a new Windows Mobile Phone. The last phone I had (The HP Ipaq 910c) went sour on me 3 times before I finally sold it off. I've been using a phone that's 8 years old for the past several months...trying to patiently wait for the Touch Pro 2 on AT&T.
Here's my problem...I'm on an unlimited data plan right now with AT&T that's relatively cheap. If I were to sign a new 2 year contract with them with the Tilt 2, my monthly bill would increase by about $30-$40 dollars with the new data plans they put in place. (I'm on a family plan). I'm due for an upgrade because my HP 910c was unlocked and I didn't have to sign a contract, but I still used it on the AT&T networks. I guess my question is...is there a way to do this with the Tilt 2 ...get it unlocked and still use the data plan I have without having to go through AT&T and have all the sluggish software they install put on the phone. Not to mention I was using CoPilot GPS on my HP 910c and I wanted to be still use that on my Tilt 2 (doesn't AT&T have the GPS locked or charge for the service?) ...I'm not the expert on phones and how carriers change things up so I apologize if I'm completely off in left field with these statements. I know you can also buy the phone...non commitment with AT&T for $550ish, but I'm worried they'd still charge me for some of these services I'm wanting. Soooooooo...
I've looked at these two sites who are selling an unlocked version of the AT&T Tilt 2:
($600) Negri Electronics: http://www.negrielectronics.com/product_info.php?currency=USD&products_id=2758
&
($550) Wireless Networks: http://www.ewirelessexperts.com/product_info.php?products_id=1361
Can anybody recommend one of these sellers and/or tell me if they are legit and point me in the right direction?
OR am I better off just signing a new contract with either AT&T or Verizon. I'm basically trying to find the least expensive way to get this phone and use it how I want to use it. I don't want to be paying extra for monthly services and data plans that I COULD already have available to myself. I really like Verizon's version (I've heard its the closest to the original HTC Touch Pro 2 as far as the software. And that there is virtually no carrier bloat pre-installed...not to mention there's a 3.5mm jack...but that's not a deal breaker for me) ...OR is there anyway I CAN get the Verizon version UNLOCKED and still use it on the AT&T networks somehow? I've heard the 3G bands are different. Could anyone confirm if this is even a possibility? (Also I'm wanting to run Windows Mobile 6.5 on this phone...so I need to take into account how much it would be to upgrade if I did take the Verizon route and when the update would be available)
I definitely want 3G...I know there are unlocked versions of this phone that don't have it and I want to STAY AWAY from that. I've also heard stories that AT&T can somehow detect now when you're using a new phone and switch your SIM card to a different model (and that they can change or start charging you differently if they catch you). BASICALLY ...is there a way to avoid all this and finally get myself an ever-so-lovely Unlocked Touch Pro 2? And...from WHERE?
OK here is the deal. If you want 3G then either find an unlocked version or pay retail for the ATT TP2 549.99. As long as you dont upgrade your account then you are grandfathered in for your data. I would pay the retail price which is cheaper then an unlocked version and then call ATT to get the unlock code. You can remove the bloat ware easy enough, Custom rom.
Does anyone know about the legitimacy of the Negri or Wireless Networks sellers? I'm skeptical to buy it directly from AT&T...Just having to deal with the additional software and having to unlock it...and them possibly noticing a change and changing up the price of my service...just seems like a hassle. I just wanna buy it, get it, put in my SIM card, and live happily ever after with no worries.
TheScPCrew said:
Does anyone know about the legitimacy of the Negri or Wireless Networks sellers? I'm skeptical to buy it directly from AT&T...Just having to deal with the additional software and having to unlock it...and them possibly noticing a change and changing up the price of my service...just seems like a hassle. I just wanna buy it, get it, put in my SIM card, and live happily ever after with no worries.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No matter where you get it after awhile your IMEI will reg on the system and they will know you are using a TP2. Even with an unlocked version of ATT touch pro 2 it will still come with all the att software as it is the only version that comes with 6.5. If you look at the screen shot it still has the ATT tab in TF3d. I cant say about those places but on the go solutions I have delt with and when I got an unlocked carrier version it still had all the bloatware installed. I called them and they stated that they only unlock them, they dont change anything else.
Will At&T just give you the unlock code... no questions asked? I thought they kept it locked for a reason. And if I buy it from At&T for $550 do I get any kind of warranty if say a part fails on the device?
TheScPCrew said:
Will At&T just give you the unlock code... no questions asked? I thought they kept it locked for a reason. And if I buy it from At&T for $550 do I get any kind of warranty if say a part fails on the device?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They will give you the unlock code if you buy it out right and tell them you travel overseas. It will have the normal one year warrenty if you buy it at one of the stores. You can always add insurence to the plan when you buy it out right with in 30 days.
Getting your AT&T phone unlocked
zelendel said:
They will give you the unlock code if you buy it out right and tell them you travel overseas. It will have the normal one year warrenty if you buy it at one of the stores. You can always add insurence to the plan when you buy it out right with in 30 days.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This only works if you've been with AT&T for at least 3 months. If you're starting a new plan/new account with AT&T, you have to wait 3 months before unlocking your phone. Otherwise, just tell CS that you want it unlocked for overseas travel.
i got my tilt2 directly from att for 425. dont have it unlocked yet, as i dunno if i want to keep the phone or go under a contract (prices are around 99 with 2yr). with contract prices so low, maybe it makes sense to pay the extra $10-15 for their new data plan? especially with att new data plan rules for all smartphones. I'd hate to pay full price and the have att bump me up 2 months or so down the line, when I can't return the phone..
motoq9h said:
i got my tilt2 directly from att for 425. dont have it unlocked yet, as i dunno if i want to keep the phone or go under a contract (prices are around 99 with 2yr). with contract prices so low, maybe it makes sense to pay the extra $10-15 for their new data plan? especially with att new data plan rules for all smartphones. I'd hate to pay full price and the have att bump me up 2 months or so down the line, when I can't return the phone..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If they bump up prices, you can call them and they HAVE to let you out of your contract, without any penalty at all
i recomend you buy a locked one and unlock it here using Olipro programs , are 100% safe , and locked phones are cheaper
arreguingalindo said:
i recomend you buy a locked one and unlock it here using Olipro programs , are 100% safe , and locked phones are cheaper
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow, way to go replying to a thread that's over a year old.
Recently I've been seeing a lot of T-Mobile USA & AT&T phones on eBay and such that have their IMEI blocked by the provider they are made for. I was thinking if there's a way to prevent getting scammed and buying one of these used phones where the IMEI ends up getting blocked (perhaps months later) because the original owner didn't make a phone or service payment & I was wondering if T-Mobile USA or AT&T would ever block the IMEI of a Galaxy Nexus GSM Unlocked Phone?
It obviously has an IMEI but does anyone know if T-Mobile USA or AT&T would block the IMEI of a phone like the Nexus that they don't sell themselves if someone reported it stolen, didn't make a bill payment of some kind, etc.?
LS1_01 said:
Recently I've been seeing a lot of T-Mobile USA & AT&T phones on eBay and such that have their IMEI blocked by the provider they are made for. I was thinking if there's a way to prevent getting scammed and buying one of these used phones where the IMEI ends up getting blocked (perhaps months later) because the original owner didn't make a phone or service payment & I was wondering if T-Mobile USA or AT&T would ever block the IMEI of a Galaxy Nexus GSM Unlocked Phone?
It obviously has an IMEI but does anyone know if T-Mobile USA or AT&T would block the IMEI of a phone like the Nexus that they don't sell themselves if someone reported it stolen, didn't make a bill payment of some kind, etc.?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not for missing a bill payment. The phone isn't sold or subsidized by them so they would have no right to block it.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus
I was wondering the same thing too. If I buy a used international Galaxy S3 i9300 would they block the imei if the previous owner report it stolen a short while after selling it? Also will the phone be block if the insurance is from third party?
These new imei blocking idea seems to create a whole new set of problems (for us consumers at least). The big carriers would probably benefit from sales of new device as people are too afraid to buy devices that can be blacklisted whenever.
whatsitsnamenow said:
I was wondering the same thing too. If I buy a used international Galaxy S3 i9300 would they block the imei if the previous owner report it stolen a short while after selling it? Also will the phone be block if the insurance is from third party?
These new imei blocking idea seems to create a whole new set of problems (for us consumers at least). The big carriers would probably benefit from sales of new device as people are too afraid to buy devices that can be blacklisted whenever.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't blame the carriers . Blame criminals who benefit by reselling stolen phones on the used market. The theft of smartphones is huge right now as this is so easy and profits are huge. Anything that can slow this down is worth doing.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
whatsitsnamenow said:
I was wondering the same thing too. If I buy a used international Galaxy S3 i9300 would they block the imei if the previous owner report it stolen a short while after selling it? Also will the phone be block if the insurance is from third party?
These new imei blocking idea seems to create a whole new set of problems (for us consumers at least). The big carriers would probably benefit from sales of new device as people are too afraid to buy devices that can be blacklisted whenever.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Never thought about the insurance aspect but when I called T-Mobile they said that any phone could be blocked if reported stolen including something like a Nexus...but who knows if it ever happens.
Its not about blaming who. I just think this is not very thought out solution. It puts a dent on phones that are actually stolen but does nothing to stop fraud. Example
I buy new Galaxy S3 from Att
I buy insurance for phone
I sell phone for $450 (good imei standing currently) on Craigslist or on Marketplace
One week later I report my phone stolen and pay my $100 deductible
Phone gets blocked and buyer gets screwed.
I receive new Samsung Galaxy S3
Next week I sell my new Galaxy S3 for $450 and start the whole process over again.
In this scenario there is no way to check for IMEI clean or not because at the time of sale the IMEI is clean.
Also CDMA phones are better protected against this scenario as the CDMA phone's ESN is link to the account holder.
whatsitsnamenow said:
Its not about blaming who. I just think this is not very thought out solution. It puts a dent on phones that are actually stolen but does nothing to stop fraud. Example
I buy new Galaxy S3 from Att
I buy insurance for phone
I sell phone for $450 (good imei standing currently) on Craigslist or on Marketplace
One week later I report my phone stolen and pay my $100 deductible
Phone gets blocked and buyer gets screwed.
I receive new Samsung Galaxy S3
Next week I sell my new Galaxy S3 for $450 and start the whole process over again.
In this scenario there is no way to check for IMEI clean or not because at the time of sale the IMEI is clean.
Also CDMA phones are better protected against this scenario as the CDMA phone's ESN is link to the account holder.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought a G1 from eBay when they were first released (listed as new in box) and it was blocked after a month.
It took me 4 months to get my money back from the seller and I only succeeded because I got the police involved. Personally I just wouldn't buy a phone again from a private seller.
In the UK at least there is no process to appeal an IMEI block.
That said, I still think its a good way of reducing phone theft - they just really need some kind of escrow / transfer service for IMEIs
Blacklisting a Phone that's not lost or stolen
LS1_01 said:
Recently I've been seeing a lot of T-Mobile USA & AT&T phones on eBay and such that have their IMEI blocked by the provider they are made for. I was thinking if there's a way to prevent getting scammed and buying one of these used phones where the IMEI ends up getting blocked (perhaps months later) because the original owner didn't make a phone or service payment & I was wondering if T-Mobile USA or AT&T would ever block the IMEI of a Galaxy Nexus GSM Unlocked Phone?
It obviously has an IMEI but does anyone know if T-Mobile USA or AT&T would block the IMEI of a phone like the Nexus that they don't sell themselves if someone reported it stolen, didn't make a bill payment of some kind, etc.?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just bought an HTC One X on ebay that the seller said was a return by someone who decided on a different phone. I can confirm that the device was unlocked because it worked for a day on Straight Talk before the phone was blacklisted with the message "This device has been blocked for network use". I contacted the ebay seller to let them know what the situation was and I called AT&T to see if I could figure out why the device was blocked, thinking that maybe it could be unblocked or returned to the original purchaser in case it had been lost or stolen.
When I talked to the AT&T rep they said that the phone was not lost or stolen, just that it wasn't eligible to be unlocked until November - but the device itself was unlocked. I suspected that the phone had been blocked for being unlocked and told them that I thought that that was unethical and maybe even ilegal. They refused to give me more information and I left a different, working phone number for my girlfriend for the original owner to contact just in case the phone was lost or stolen (they wouldn't confirm whether it was or not despite assuring me it wasn't before I talked with a manager).
Today, I just got this message back from the ebay seller "we received the phone , i tried getting another out to you but att will not unlock it unless its under contarct , its some new policy."
So, apparently if the phone isn't unlocked by the person with the contract AT&T will blacklist it even though the device is unlocked and they are abusing the "lost or stolen" blacklist to carry this out. This is nothing short of an attempt to kill off the market for used phones under the guise of protecting consumers from theft or lost phones. I can't believe this isn't ilegal and I can barely believe that AT&T is cynical enough to do this.
For the time being, be warned that in the US, a used phone now must be physically unlocked as well as blessed by the carrier to not be blacklisted. It seems like a fairly risky proposal to do something as straight forward as buying a used phone.
akr884 said:
I just bought an HTC One X on ebay that the seller said was a return by someone who decided on a different phone. I can confirm that the device was unlocked because it worked for a day on Straight Talk before the phone was blacklisted with the message "This device has been blocked for network use". I contacted the ebay seller to let them know what the situation was and I called AT&T to see if I could figure out why the device was blocked, thinking that maybe it could be unblocked or returned to the original purchaser in case it had been lost or stolen.
When I talked to the AT&T rep they said that the phone was not lost or stolen, just that it wasn't eligible to be unlocked until November - but the device itself was unlocked. I suspected that the phone had been blocked for being unlocked and told them that I thought that that was unethical and maybe even ilegal. They refused to give me more information and I left a different, working phone number for my girlfriend for the original owner to contact just in case the phone was lost or stolen (they wouldn't confirm whether it was or not despite assuring me it wasn't before I talked with a manager).
Today, I just got this message back from the ebay seller "we received the phone , i tried getting another out to you but att will not unlock it unless its under contarct , its some new policy."
So, apparently if the phone isn't unlocked by the person with the contract AT&T will blacklist it even though the device is unlocked and they are abusing the "lost or stolen" blacklist to carry this out. This is nothing short of an attempt to kill off the market for used phones under the guise of protecting consumers from theft or lost phones. I can't believe this isn't ilegal and I can barely believe that AT&T is cynical enough to do this.
For the time being, be warned that in the US, a used phone now must be physically unlocked as well as blessed by the carrier to not be blacklisted. It seems like a fairly risky proposal to do something as straight forward as buying a used phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is unacceptable and illegal.
You should ask them to show proof of documentation......
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app
akr884 said:
I just bought an HTC One X on ebay that the seller said was a return by someone who decided on a different phone. I can confirm that the device was unlocked because it worked for a day on Straight Talk before the phone was blacklisted with the message "This device has been blocked for network use". I contacted the ebay seller to let them know what the situation was and I called AT&T to see if I could figure out why the device was blocked, thinking that maybe it could be unblocked or returned to the original purchaser in case it had been lost or stolen.
When I talked to the AT&T rep they said that the phone was not lost or stolen, just that it wasn't eligible to be unlocked until November - but the device itself was unlocked. I suspected that the phone had been blocked for being unlocked and told them that I thought that that was unethical and maybe even ilegal. They refused to give me more information and I left a different, working phone number for my girlfriend for the original owner to contact just in case the phone was lost or stolen (they wouldn't confirm whether it was or not despite assuring me it wasn't before I talked with a manager).
Today, I just got this message back from the ebay seller "we received the phone , i tried getting another out to you but att will not unlock it unless its under contarct , its some new policy."
So, apparently if the phone isn't unlocked by the person with the contract AT&T will blacklist it even though the device is unlocked and they are abusing the "lost or stolen" blacklist to carry this out. This is nothing short of an attempt to kill off the market for used phones under the guise of protecting consumers from theft or lost phones. I can't believe this isn't ilegal and I can barely believe that AT&T is cynical enough to do this.
For the time being, be warned that in the US, a used phone now must be physically unlocked as well as blessed by the carrier to not be blacklisted. It seems like a fairly risky proposal to do something as straight forward as buying a used phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you sure the phone is unlocked? Were you using a Straight Talk AT&T Compatible SIM or a Straight Talk T-Mobile Compatible SIM? If the AT&T one that will work on all AT&T phones even if it is not unlocked but if you put a ST T-Mobile SIM into an AT&T phone like AT&T's version of the HTC One X then it needs to be unlocked...
LS1_01 said:
Recently I've been seeing a lot of T-Mobile USA & AT&T phones on eBay and such that have their IMEI blocked by the provider they are made for. I was thinking if there's a way to prevent getting scammed and buying one of these used phones where the IMEI ends up getting blocked (perhaps months later) because the original owner didn't make a phone or service payment & I was wondering if T-Mobile USA or AT&T would ever block the IMEI of a Galaxy Nexus GSM Unlocked Phone?
It obviously has an IMEI but does anyone know if T-Mobile USA or AT&T would block the IMEI of a phone like the Nexus that they don't sell themselves if someone reported it stolen, didn't make a bill payment of some kind, etc.?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, I highly doubt T-mobile/ATT would block it because it's not sold, or covered by them.
Imei blocking
My phone was stolen 2 days ago, i then called att and have them block the imei but i would like to know if the phone still can be unlocked to work on another network abroad lets say in the Caribbean??? the phone in question is the samsung s 3 i747........please can someone verify if it is possible to work on a foreign network even though att has blacklisted the imei????
Fedz7 said:
My phone was stolen 2 days ago, i then called att and have them block the imei but i would like to know if the phone still can be unlocked to work on another network abroad lets say in the Caribbean??? the phone in question is the samsung s 3 i747........please can someone verify if it is possible to work on a foreign network even though att has blacklisted the imei????
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Funny story.
I bought my gf an unlocked iPhone 3GS from gamestop as a refurbished unit a few months ago. Traded some games and got a good discount. Anyway I tried to unlock it through AT&T and was told it had a stolen IMEI.... although she was using it for like 6 months.
I called Gamestop corporate and they issued me a full refund of $185, after 6 months of use. I only spent like $60 on it after one of their 20-30-40-50% trade in bonus and 10% gamers club.
So you can use stolen IMEI phones on the carrier but probably not with new service. She used her existing service. Had she tried to activate it in a store it woulda been different. The phone still worked... they just wouldn't unlock it.
I turned around and bought a 4S from a buddy for $150 and profit!
Sent from my Nexus 7 using XDA Premium HD app
player911 said:
Funny story.
I bought my gf an unlocked iPhone 3GS from gamestop as a refurbished unit a few months ago. Traded some games and got a good discount. Anyway I tried to unlock it through AT&T and was told it had a stolen IMEI.... although she was using it for like 6 months.
I called Gamestop corporate and they issued me a full refund of $185, 6 months later. I only spent like $60 on it after one of their 20-30-40-50% trade in bonus and 10% gamers club.
So you can use stolen IMEI phones on the carrier but probably not with new service. She used her existing service. Had she tried to activate it in a store it woulda been different. The phone still worked... they just wouldn't unlock it.
I turned around and bought a 4S from a buddy for $150 and profit!
Sent from my Nexus 7 using XDA Premium HD app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok thanks for that bit of info...
Fedz7 said:
Ok thanks for that bit of info...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would be very upset if I spent a few hundred on a phone and had it shut down or repossessed.
I've had my Nexus 7 stolen out of my car recently so it goes both ways. The only people getting hurt are the good guys who actually purchase things.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using XDA Premium HD app
Fedz7 said:
My phone was stolen 2 days ago, i then called att and have them block the imei but i would like to know if the phone still can be unlocked to work on another network abroad lets say in the Caribbean??? the phone in question is the samsung s 3 i747........please can someone verify if it is possible to work on a foreign network even though att has blacklisted the imei????
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As someone who lives in the Caribbean and works at a cell phone repair shop. I can say yes it will work over here but extremely limited. I live in Puerto Rico, technically we're US but you'd be surprised what flies around here. We have all the major carriers except for Verizon, and if att blacklisted your imei then it won't work on att or any of their prepaid companies who run on the same network (net10, straight talk, tracfone) but it will work on another carrier such as tmobile or a company we have over here called claro. A lot of people over here go crazy for iphones and when they buy a used one they're almost always stolen, then when they try and take it to our shop cause its not working or cause they want to unlock it, they're hit with a blacklist. Most of these people switch to claro, its not an American based company and they're aren't blacklisting phones. And then they end up with a perfectly good working stolen phone having effectively found a way around the original blacklist.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
oby2 said:
As someone who lives in the Caribbean and works at a cell phone repair shop. I can say yes it will work over here but extremely limited. I live in Puerto Rico, technically we're US but you'd be surprised what flies around here. We have all the major carriers except for Verizon, and if att blacklisted your imei then it won't work on att or any of their prepaid companies who run on the same network (net10, straight talk, tracfone) but it will work on another carrier such as tmobile or a company we have over here called claro. A lot of people over here go crazy for iphones and when they buy a used one they're almost always stolen, then when they try and take it to our shop cause its not working or cause they want to unlock it, they're hit with a blacklist. Most of these people switch to claro, its not an American based company and they're aren't blacklisting phones. And then they end up with a perfectly good working stolen phone having effectively found a way around the original blacklist.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
can it be unlocked outside the US via imei unlock code even though its blacklisted?
akr884 said:
I just bought an HTC One X on ebay that the seller said was a return by someone who decided on a different phone. I can confirm that the device was unlocked because it worked for a day on Straight Talk before the phone was blacklisted with the message "This device has been blocked for network use". I contacted the ebay seller to let them know what the situation was and I called AT&T to see if I could figure out why the device was blocked, thinking that maybe it could be unblocked or returned to the original purchaser in case it had been lost or stolen.
When I talked to the AT&T rep they said that the phone was not lost or stolen, just that it wasn't eligible to be unlocked until November - but the device itself was unlocked. I suspected that the phone had been blocked for being unlocked and told them that I thought that that was unethical and maybe even ilegal. They refused to give me more information and I left a different, working phone number for my girlfriend for the original owner to contact just in case the phone was lost or stolen (they wouldn't confirm whether it was or not despite assuring me it wasn't before I talked with a manager).
Today, I just got this message back from the ebay seller "we received the phone , i tried getting another out to you but att will not unlock it unless its under contarct , its some new policy."
So, apparently if the phone isn't unlocked by the person with the contract AT&T will blacklist it even though the device is unlocked and they are abusing the "lost or stolen" blacklist to carry this out. This is nothing short of an attempt to kill off the market for used phones under the guise of protecting consumers from theft or lost phones. I can't believe this isn't ilegal and I can barely believe that AT&T is cynical enough to do this.
For the time being, be warned that in the US, a used phone now must be physically unlocked as well as blessed by the carrier to not be blacklisted. It seems like a fairly risky proposal to do something as straight forward as buying a used phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is the htc one x att ? if so your phone does not have to be unlocked cuz st8 talk is att. Did you use a sim from an origanal st8 talk phone? some work but eventualy get kicked off the network.
Hi All,
I searched and saw many threads about a similar problem, but my specific question is what can I do about this as far as getting rid of the phone? I learned my lesson the hard way - I dropped my HTC One and broke it a day before a business trip and I needed a phone. I am planning on switching to T-mobile in a month when my AT&T contract is up, so I decided to purchase a T-mobile variant of the Galaxy S4 on Craigslist. It was new, sealed, and cost $500 from what seemed like a somewhat reputable seller.
I got the phone and all was great. It was unlocked and worked perfectly with my AT&T SIM. I got home from the business trip, put in a T-mobile prepaid SIM card (so I could test the service at my house before switching) and got the dreaded "Not registered on network" error message when I tried to make a call. Sure enough, T-mobile said the IMEI had been blacklisted for "fraudulent activity." I believe the seller opened an account and then simply didn't pay the bill for the phone. I've bought quite a few used phones, but I learned my lesson this time. I even asked T-mobile if I could pay the remaining balance, or if they even wanted the phone back. I received a prompt "no" to each question. I asked if the phone was "stolen" and they said no as well - it was marked as fraudulent, but not lost of stolen. Whatever they want to call it, it don't work!
So my question is this (and sorry for the long-winded vent): can I sell this phone? I just want it gone. I look at it and I get angry and upset with myself for making this mistake. I know I will lose a ton of $$$, but I would rather sell it on eBay while FULLY disclosing the phone's history and let someone overseas use it or someone on AT&T use it. Am I violating any rules by doing this as long as I fully disclose everything I know? Also, if this is the wrong forum, I apologize. Thank you for any insight and to save you all the trouble - yes I screwed up and I'm an idiot. But, I'm not the thief here. I sure wish I could get a hole of the seller!
-Collin-
i had the same happen to me this weekend i bought a sealed s4 from cl i also payed 500$ it was for great for 3 weeks up until this weekend i wasn;t getting 4g data so i called tmobile and they told me that that they blocked the imei sue to the person deciding not to pay for the phone..i learned my lesson NEVER TO BUY any phones from Cl. i went to the store and paid retail price for a s4 and i have the receipt just in case tmobile comes back and try to screw me
CollinFX45 said:
Hi All,
I searched and saw many threads about a similar problem, but my specific question is what can I do about this as far as getting rid of the phone? I learned my lesson the hard way - I dropped my HTC One and broke it a day before a business trip and I needed a phone. I am planning on switching to T-mobile in a month when my AT&T contract is up, so I decided to purchase a T-mobile variant of the Galaxy S4 on Craigslist. It was new, sealed, and cost $500 from what seemed like a somewhat reputable seller.
I got the phone and all was great. It was unlocked and worked perfectly with my AT&T SIM. I got home from the business trip, put in a T-mobile prepaid SIM card (so I could test the service at my house before switching) and got the dreaded "Not registered on network" error message when I tried to make a call. Sure enough, T-mobile said the IMEI had been blacklisted for "fraudulent activity." I believe the seller opened an account and then simply didn't pay the bill for the phone. I've bought quite a few used phones, but I learned my lesson this time. I even asked T-mobile if I could pay the remaining balance, or if they even wanted the phone back. I received a prompt "no" to each question. I asked if the phone was "stolen" and they said no as well - it was marked as fraudulent, but not lost of stolen. Whatever they want to call it, it don't work!
So my question is this (and sorry for the long-winded vent): can I sell this phone? I just want it gone. I look at it and I get angry and upset with myself for making this mistake. I know I will lose a ton of $$$, but I would rather sell it on eBay while FULLY disclosing the phone's history and let someone overseas use it or someone on AT&T use it. Am I violating any rules by doing this as long as I fully disclose everything I know? Also, if this is the wrong forum, I apologize. Thank you for any insight and to save you all the trouble - yes I screwed up and I'm an idiot. But, I'm not the thief here. I sure wish I could get a hole of the seller!
-Collin-
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Hey Collin. I had a similar issue with an HTC one being blacklisted but thankfully I bought it from eBay and their buyers protection came into play and I got a full refund. Because blacklisting is a very effective way to lose a heck load of money, I now suggest not getting phones from craisgslist or actually meeting at a carrier store to check phone status before the purchase is made. I'd stick to buying on eBay or swappa..now my suggestion is selling the phone overseas where the blocked imei doesn't really work. That would be the best option for now and you'll lose money but because it is basically a relatively new phone, you should not loose too much. Hope this helps.
-piterson
Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
Thank you guys for the thoughts. It's terrible that this sort of thing happens and personally, I wouldn't risk jail for 500 bucks. Hell, I wouldn't risk jail for any amount of money. It just blows me away that these people do this.
I guess what I will likely do is list it on eBay internationally with a full disclosure. Thankfully, my HTC One repair is finally complete and the phone should be back in my hands any day now. But, it's the developer edition and doesn't work well on T-mobile, so I'm back to square one for a T-mobile phone!
Anyway, sorry that this happened to you guys as well. It's just not as simple as it used to be, is it. Though I guess blacklisting has been used for a while now.
-Collin-
i listed mine on ebay with full disclosure and its not looking good..so far i have 4 days left in the auction and 1 day has passed & no one bid on it yet lol your best bet to purchase a new phone is go straight through tmobile unless you want to risk swappa or ebay then a month later if they cancel or don;t pay for the phone for it to happen again ... i would n;t risk it
CollinFX45 said:
Thank you guys for the thoughts. It's terrible that this sort of thing happens and personally, I wouldn't risk jail for 500 bucks. Hell, I wouldn't risk jail for any amount of money. It just blows me away that these people do this.
I guess what I will likely do is list it on eBay internationally with a full disclosure. Thankfully, my HTC One repair is finally complete and the phone should be back in my hands any day now. But, it's the developer edition and doesn't work well on T-mobile, so I'm back to square one for a T-mobile phone!
Anyway, sorry that this happened to you guys as well. It's just not as simple as it used to be, is it. Though I guess blacklisting has been used for a while now.
-Collin-
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Romcrazguy said:
i listed mine on ebay with full disclosure and its not looking good..so far i have 4 days left in the auction and 1 day has passed & no one bid on it yet lol your best bet to purchase a new phone is go straight through tmobile unless you want to risk swappa or ebay then a month later if they cancel or don;t pay for the phone for it to happen again ... i would n;t risk it
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That's a bummer. Did you list it internationally? I know you probably can't link to eBay, but can you give me the auction number? I want to watch and cheer you on
-Collin-
There are services on ebay that will change the IMEI for $50.
lancemoreland said:
There are services on ebay that will change the IMEI for $50.
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Click to collapse
I appreciate that information. Unfortunately from my limited research, I think this thread will get locked if we even go down that road since it is illegal. Argh.
-Collin-
Wow. that sucks so much. The worst I have experienced in craigslist is some guy tried to scam me out of an iPod touch that i found. I still remember the email. It said something along the lines of:
Can you please send this device to my son in Africa? I will pay you full price for the phone + $50 dollars of shipping!
I knew it was a fake because 1) the email they sent was a very random email. (like [email protected]) and 2) PHONE? it's not a phone. thats how i knew that he was scamming multiple people and just copying and pasting.
Oh craigslist is full of scammers and idiots.
Yeah that's what these scammers are doing, buy the phone on a payment plan and not make the payment. A lot of times unknowing buyers get the phone and it will work for a month till payment is due but not paid. I see great deals on CL but steer clear.
The best thing to do is unlocked the device and sell it Internationally via eBay. I have a GS3 in my possesion that my wife's little brother bought from CL and was later blacklisted since the person reported it stolen two hours later after he took the cash.
lancemoreland said:
There are services on ebay that will change the IMEI for $50.
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Click to collapse
He is right it is illegal and if caught could face jail time.
Wayne Tech Nexus
i just got a s4 on ebay for 420 i call tmobile they told the imei is clean that dont worry about future non payment fraud or blacklisted the lady told me when i get the phone is going to be in my account so the owner will have to pay any remaining balance but they cannot block the phone idk know im worry
Whenever I buy something from craiglist I always ask for 2 valid ID and have them photocopy.
I'll buy it for parts. If interested inbox me. Thanks!
I had the same damn thing happen but with a Galaxy S2 a while back. What I had to do is buy a used motherboard from a cracked screen one on eBay. Spent way more on the phone than I intended but all I did was switch the motherboards and voila. Good as new.
Sent from my SGH-M919 using xda app-developers app
Just sell try and sell it on Craigslist and ebay. Specify that it is blacklisted with tmobile but it ia unlocked so you can use it with att. Here's one and it's at almost 300 with 17h left on the auction
http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=200948373767
Sent from Flip's Galaxy S4
elflip88 said:
Just sell try and sell it on Craigslist and ebay. Specify that it is blacklisted with tmobile but it ia unlocked so you can use it with att. Here's one and it's at almost 300 with 17h left on the auction
http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=200948373767
Sent from Flip's Galaxy S4
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Click to collapse
I read not long ago that AT&T and T-Mobile started sharing IMEI blacklist. Not sure if the policy is in effect yet or not.
baseballfanz said:
I read not long ago that AT&T and T-Mobile started sharing IMEI blacklist. Not sure if the policy is in effect yet or not.
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Click to collapse
Op said he used it on att network so my guess is no
Sent from Flip's Galaxy S4
rona809 said:
i just got a s4 on ebay for 420 i call tmobile they told the imei is clean that dont worry about future non payment fraud or blacklisted the lady told me when i get the phone is going to be in my account so the owner will have to pay any remaining balance but they cannot block the phone idk know im worry
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Click to collapse
No.
Walk away.
Hey guys, i've got a problem and I need some advice/options.
Long story short, as some of you may know, I bought my T-Mobile branded Note 3 on Swappa in November. Of course, Swappa says that they check IMEIs and the seller assured me that the phone was fully paid for, but a few days ago my Note 3 IMEI was blocked/blacklisted (whatever you call it) by T-Mobile for non-payment of EIP.
I have tried to resolve the issue through communicating with the seller and Swappa, but there's really nothing to be done. The seller won't refund my money, Swappa is powerless, and Paypal says the transaction is past their 45 day dispute period. The phone isn't even unlocked, so I can't even try and use it on another carrier right now.
So at this point i'm trying to minimize my losses. I am open to any suggestions as to how I can either:
1. find a way to get the phone unlocked and use it on another carrier (I know that when a T-Mobile IMEI is blocked or blacklisted, they share that info now with AT&T, but i'm hoping I can use it on Simple Mobile or Straight Talk or Walmart's service)
or
2. sell the phone internationally (with full disclosure of the fact that the phone is blocked on T-Mobile/AT&T of course, but it shouldn't matter if someone wants to use it outside of the US, right?)
or
3. sell the phone as a 'dev' device (at a substantial loss i'm sure), but I have no idea how to do this or even whether a dev would want a phone that is blocked (don't they need to test network stuff?).
I'm trying to find a way to make the best of a bad situation. Any one who reads this post and wants to give me some decent advice is welcome. But if you just want to start trolling PLEASE JUST GO AWAY. I have enough problems as it is right now.
In any case, i've learned my lesson. No more Craigslist, no more Negri, no more Swappa. I'm just gonna pony up the money and get my phones directly from T-Mobile. The money I thought I was saving doesn't look like such a deal anymore.
Never used them, but I thought they provided protection. Looking at the faq however, http://swappa.com/faq/buy/imei_blacklist_future apparently not. that's pretty weak.
I would think you might have some legal recourse if the seller is in the same state, they are committing fraud. You perhaps may have some even if they are out of state??
As for you options... Not really good choices.
Not a big BBB fan as I think they are skewed towards companies that are "Accredited" (ie paid lots of money), but Swapp doesn't look very good http://www.bbb.org/kansas-city/busi...-services/swappa-in-kansas-city-mo-1000002683
You have no options unless the guy called T-Mobile in front of you and u asked them. Sorry bro
TWEAKED 1.0 NOTE 3
I think it can be unlocked still and be used on another network that doesn't rely on tmos spectrum
Sent from my SM-N900T using xda app-developers app
chuko303 said:
I think it can be unlocked still and be used on another network that doesn't rely on tmos spectrum
Sent from my SM-N900T using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unless they share blacklist. I feel for the guy.
TWEAKED 1.0 NOTE 3
pay to get the phone unlocked and try pre-service before deciding to sell internationally. Or go to Play Store and buy regionLock Away, that might unlock the phone or it might not but worth a shot. I would try regionlock away first since that is the cheapest before buying an unlock code.
Same thing happened to me a year ago. Had to get it unlocked to work on aTt. It's cheaper to get it unlock on a online site and see how it goes.
krelvinaz said:
Never used them, but I thought they provided protection. Looking at the faq however, http://swappa.com/faq/buy/imei_blacklist_future apparently not. that's pretty weak.
I would think you might have some legal recourse if the seller is in the same state, they are committing fraud. You perhaps may have some even if they are out of state??
As for you options... Not really good choices.
Not a big BBB fan as I think they are skewed towards companies that are "Accredited" (ie paid lots of money), but Swapp doesn't look very good http://www.bbb.org/kansas-city/busi...-services/swappa-in-kansas-city-mo-1000002683
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Click to collapse
No, we're not in the same state, unfortunately.
BACARDILIMON said:
Unless they share blacklist. I feel for the guy.
TWEAKED 1.0 NOTE 3
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Click to collapse
Yeah, but the problem is knowing who shares what. I've been searching all over, and there doesn't seem to be a consensus on who shares and who doesn't. Some say a blocked T-Mobile phone will work on AT&T, some say definitely not. And many of the GSM MVNOs use T-Mobile networks, so i'm not sure if that would automatically mean it would also be blocked on their networks too. I guess i'll have to try them one by one, which will be more money out of my pocket.
RMXO said:
pay to get the phone unlocked and try pre-service before deciding to sell internationally. Or go to Play Store and buy regionLock Away, that might unlock the phone or it might not but worth a shot. I would try regionlock away first since that is the cheapest before buying an unlock code.
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Click to collapse
What do you mean when you say 'pre-servicing'? Never heard that term before.
I think I will try region unlock first. There's a thread that I saw today that looked promising, but some had success and some didn't.
Dattack said:
Same thing happened to me a year ago. Had to get it unlocked to work on aTt. It's cheaper to get it unlock on a online site and see how it goes.
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Click to collapse
So your phone still works on AT&T a year later? That's good news. One of the worst things about this is that I will lose my $30 5GB T-Mobile plan. I was planning on using that plan until I had kids, then putting each of them on the plan too.
Techngro said:
No, we're not in the same state, unfortunately.
Yeah, but the problem is knowing who shares what. I've been searching all over, and there doesn't seem to be a consensus on who shares and who doesn't. Some say a blocked T-Mobile phone will work on AT&T, some say definitely not. And many of the GSM MVNOs use T-Mobile networks, so i'm not sure if that would automatically mean it would also be blocked on their networks too. I guess i'll have to try them one by one, which will be more money out of my pocket.
What do you mean when you say 'pre-servicing'? Never heard that term before.
I think I will try region unlock first. There's a thread that I saw today that looked promising, but some had success and some didn't.
So your phone still works on AT&T a year later? That's good news. One of the worst things about this is that I will lose my $30 5GB T-Mobile plan. I was planning on using that plan until I had kids, then putting each of them on the plan too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought it from a used S3 on craiglists beginnng of last year. I pleaded to Tmobile that I would pay the remainder of the balance if the guy didn't pay his payments but they said I am crap out of luck. Used it for about 6 months and sold it. They said they share IEMIs but AT&T seems to me they don't care. They just want customers. If I spent $700 on a note, maybe an extra $20 to get it unlocked isn't so bad. Luckily my friend uses ATT for me to test out.
But they might be more aggressive now, considering Tmobile andATT sell same high end phones now like iphone and note 3.
---------- Post added at 10:15 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:59 PM ----------
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2471742
I think it will only cost you $3 to get it unlocked.
Dattack said:
I bought it from a used S3 on craiglists beginnng of last year. I pleaded to Tmobile that I would pay the remainder of the balance if the guy didn't pay his payments but they said I am crap out of luck. Used it for about 6 months and sold it. They said they share IEMIs but AT&T seems to me they don't care. They just want customers. If I spent $700 on a note, maybe an extra $20 to get it unlocked isn't so bad. Luckily my friend uses ATT for me to test out.
But they might be more aggressive now, considering Tmobile andATT sell same high end phones now like iphone and note 3.
---------- Post added at 10:15 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:59 PM ----------
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2471742
I think it will only cost you $3 to get it unlocked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I just found that thread too. Tomorrow I will find out, but I need to get an AT&T or Straight Talk sim card first. I'll do that first thing.
Another option?
I really don't want to lose my $30 5GB plan. I've been looking on Amazon and saw that they have some cheap T-Mobile 4G phones like this Nokia Lumia 521: http://goo.gl/KgvOgR
My thought is, I can purchase that, tether my Note 3 to it and keep using it. 90% of what I do on my Note 3 is data/browsing, gaming, etc. So if I can tether to the Lumia, I guess it would work.
Any thoughts?
Techngro said:
I really don't want to lose my $30 5GB plan. I've been looking on Amazon and saw that they have some cheap T-Mobile 4G phones like this Nokia Lumia 521: http://goo.gl/KgvOgR
My thought is, I can purchase that, tether my Note 3 to it and keep using it. 90% of what I do on my Note 3 is data/browsing, gaming, etc. So if I can tether to the Lumia, I guess it would work.
Any thoughts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Couldn't you try calling T-Mobile and have them un-block it or explain the situation to retentions? I just sold a phone on Swappa and they were pretty strict about a clean IMEI. I would reach out more to them.
People financing T-Mobile phones should NOT be allowed to sell them unless they're entirely paid off. PERIOD.
MattMJB0188 said:
Couldn't you try calling T-Mobile and have them un-block it or explain the situation to retentions? I just sold a phone on Swappa and they were pretty strict about a clean IMEI. I would reach out more to them.
People financing T-Mobile phones should NOT be allowed to sell them unless they're entirely paid off. PERIOD.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've already spoken to T-Mobile. Their position is, it isn't their problem. In their system, I'm not the original owner, so that's that. Until the original owner pays the money, the phone will remain blocked.
As for Swappa, I'm pretty disappointed in them. Their sales pitch is that they check IMEIs, which is great, but that doesn't really mean anything. My situation is proof of that. I thought using PayPal would give me protection, but after 45 days, they won't even let you open a dispute.
I have been communicating with Swappa (and the seller). They act like they are going to help you (for example, they said they considered what the seller did to be 'fraud'), but at the end of the day, they can't actually do anything about it.
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk
pm sent about my own situation. maybe some hope.
Generally they only share data with other carriers when it (the device) is stolen. Blocked usually only applies to the original network. Just go use it on AT&T or equiv.
Sent from my GT-N5100 using Tapatalk
the same happen to my boss he bought a note 3 on swappa for 630 now its block
b4 i waas able to chanhe the emei on the note 2 but i cant doit on the note 3 because of 4.3
Techngro said:
I thought using PayPal would give me protection, but after 45 days, they won't even let you open a dispute.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
PayPal is less protection than using a credit card. Just about any credit card you could report this and they would reverse the charge. PayPal's 45 days is a ridiculously short period of time for disputes.
Swappa would have a hard time getting a reversal reversed due to the fraud involved.
Techngro said:
I've already spoken to T-Mobile. Their position is, it isn't their problem. In their system, I'm not the original owner, so that's that. Until the original owner pays the money, the phone will remain blocked.
As for Swappa, I'm pretty disappointed in them. Their sales pitch is that they check IMEIs, which is great, but that doesn't really mean anything. My situation is proof of that. I thought using PayPal would give me protection, but after 45 days, they won't even let you open a dispute.
I have been communicating with Swappa (and the seller). They act like they are going to help you (for example, they said they considered what the seller did to be 'fraud'), but at the end of the day, they can't actually do anything about it.
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What's the seller saying? I am curious. See this is why I'd always just buy outright directly from the carrier. :/
MattMJB0188 said:
What's the seller saying? I am curious. See this is why I'd always just buy outright directly from the carrier. :/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have bought from swappa and sold. Never had this issue.
TWEAKED 1.0 NOTE 3
mrej201 said:
the same happen to my boss he bought a note 3 on swappa for 630 now its block
b4 i waas able to chanhe the emei on the note 2 but i cant doit on the note 3 because of 4.3
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, Note 3 seems to be locked down tight now. Oh well, them's the breaks.
BACARDILIMON said:
I have bought from swappa and sold. Never had this issue.
TWEAKED 1.0 NOTE 3
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is the messed up part. I did a lot of research before I bought my phone from Swappa. I Googled over and over searching for any mention of phones bought on Swappa being blocked or blacklisted, or buyers being scammed. Nothing came up, so I felt pretty confident about using them.
MattMJB0188 said:
What's the seller saying? I am curious. See this is why I'd always just buy outright directly from the carrier. :/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I have learned my lesson very thoroughly. Note 4 will be direct from T-Mobile.
When I was talking to the seller before the purchase, I asked if the phone was fully paid. He said it was. In addition, his listing said the phone was only 2 weeks old, so I assumed he was the original owner. After I contacted him about the block, he said that he wasn't the original owner and that T-Mobile told him the phone was not on EIP and was fully paid when he bought it from some guy. He says he doesn't have the money to refund, and can't find the person who sold him the phone. (What a shock!)
Hi all,
Just got a 3 XL, bought it from a Best Buy marketplace seller in Canada, said it was unlocked but when I put my sim in says contact network to unlock, nothing about entering a code like I've seen on locked phones before.
Contacted Sprint in US who found it from the EMEI and say it's not eligable for unlocking as it's either stolen or someone stopped paying their contract and sold it.
Is there any way of unlocking still or am I going to have to return it?
Thanks!
kaligula1234 said:
Hi all,
Just got a 3 XL, bought it from a Best Buy marketplace seller in Canada, said it was unlocked but when I put my sim in says contact network to unlock, nothing about entering a code like I've seen on locked phones before.
Contacted Sprint in US who found it from the EMEI and say it's not eligable for unlocking as it's either stolen or someone stopped paying their contract and sold it.
Is there any way of unlocking still or am I going to have to return it?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would return it. Sprint isn't going to release a contract phone.
ktmom said:
I would return it. Sprint isn't going to release a contract phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Damnit, thanks tho
kaligula1234 said:
Damnit, thanks tho
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
he is correct. per sprint policy device needs to b paid in full and active for 50 days and acct needs to b in good standing before theyll unlock a device.
not to mention sounds like u dunno who the previous owners were. Sprint cannot provide u with any specific information attached to the previous owner for security reasons. This means u cant find out how much is owed or who to contact or anything.
Also to add, this sounds very suspicious.. ur saying a best buy retailer sold u a sprint device that was blacklisted or not paid off by another person? I would take it back n get ur money lol i nvr heard of them selling devices that r attached to someone else with unpaid balance or w.e the case is...if they took it in a trade or something they usually will check to see if its free and clear to avoid these types of situations..
elliwigy said:
...
Also to add, this sounds very suspicious.. ur saying a best buy retailer sold u a sprint device that was blacklisted or not paid off by another person? ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It was said that it was bought from a marketplace seller. Not BestBuy directly. Kinda like buying from a third party seller off Amazon