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Ok, so due to new IMEI policy by t-mobile, this galaxy s4 I bought on craigslist brand new worked perfectly for 2 weeks and then the guy reported it stolen and got a new one (insurance fraud.) I'm having the man prosecuted, but that is largely for revenge purposes. Me getting my money back is slim chance. What should I do with the phone to make the most money to buy a new one? Can I sim unlock it and sell it for use on other carriers? Or are imei blocked on all? Can I break it down and sell parts? Do people buy those? haha. I'm just looking to make the best of a ****ty situation, help appreciated Thanks in advance
milesmarrero said:
Ok, so due to new IMEI policy by t-mobile, this galaxy s4 I bought on craigslist brand new worked perfectly for 2 weeks and then the guy reported it stolen and got a new one (insurance fraud.) I'm having the man prosecuted, but that is largely for revenge purposes. Me getting my money back is slim chance. What should I do with the phone to make the most money to buy a new one? Can I sim unlock it and sell it for use on other carriers? Or are imei blocked on all? Can I break it down and sell parts? Do people buy those? haha. I'm just looking to make the best of a ****ty situation, help appreciated Thanks in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think best is try to get it unlocked and sell it overseas.
Once AT&T and T-Mobile merge their blacklist it probably won't work on any US GSM carrier.
There is really no protection now for the second hand buyer when it comes to GSM phones. The original owner will most likely file a claim for the phone as being lost/stolen so they can profit and the buyer will always get boned in the end.
I say if you do buy a used phone, at least buy it on eBay. That way there is at least some accountability and the original owner would think twice before reporting the phone stolen/lost.
Dan37tz said:
I think best is try to get it unlocked and sell it overseas.
Once AT&T and T-Mobile merge their blacklist it probably won't work on any US GSM carrier.
There is really no protection now for the second hand buyer when it comes to GSM phones. The original owner will most likely file a claim for the phone as being lost/stolen so they can profit and the buyer will always get boned in the end.
I say if you do buy a used phone, at least buy it on eBay. That way there is at least some accountability and the original owner would think twice before reporting the phone stolen/lost.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Think it will actually get purchased?
milesmarrero said:
Think it will actually get purchased?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He is saying the future you should buy a used phone on eBay since you will get eBay and PayPal buyer protections.
If you are selling a phone with a bad IMEI you really should have a ton of documentation to support how you obtained the device. That means all the paperwork from the court about the prosecution you are involved in.
And this isn't a new policy by T Mobile. This is a long standing policy to black list phones with IMEI's that are reported stolen.
You also need to be careful when talking about how to sell and profit from a phone with a bad IMEI on XDA. It's a touchy subject here.
Dan37tz said:
I say if you do buy a used phone, at least buy it on eBay. That way there is at least some accountability and the original owner would think twice before reporting the phone stolen/lost.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I purchased the S3 last year on eBay. The seller waited until after the 60 days were up (to be able to dispute on paypal) to report the phone stolen/lost. eBay was also of no help. So becareful!
Agent3 said:
I purchased the S3 last year on eBay. The seller waited until after the 60 days were up (to be able to dispute on paypal) to report the phone stolen/lost. eBay was also of no help. So becareful!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's why you use a credit card with a long dispute time.
Agent3 said:
I purchased the S3 last year on eBay. The seller waited until after the 60 days were up (to be able to dispute on paypal) to report the phone stolen/lost. eBay was also of no help. So becareful!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But at least you have the record of the sale right? Couldn't you have gone to the T-Mobile store or called up CS and tell them you have proof that that you purchased the phone on eBay? Wouldn't T-Mobile help unblock it in your situation since you have proof with the seller information? You could have gone a few steps further and maybe get the police involved since you have nothing to worry about, you have proof of the transaction.
People like the ones you guys describe deserve to have both kneecaps broken.
Kind of makes me wonder about mine....I bought mine on CL. It was NIB. The dude bought it from Best Buy and brought it out to me. I took it home, popped my SIM in and Voila...Wonder if it would even be possible on mine since I don't think it was ever turned on on his.
hkbladelawhk said:
People like the ones you guys describe deserve to have both kneecaps broken.
Kind of makes me wonder about mine....I bought mine on CL. It was NIB. The dude bought it from Best Buy and brought it out to me. I took it home, popped my SIM in and Voila...Wonder if it would even be possible on mine since I don't think it was ever turned on on his.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I got **** on. There are terrible people out there.
For people buying phones on Craigslist either for T mobile or AT&T ask the seller to meet you at a store and advise a sales person to notate their account that they are selling the phone. If seller is legit they will gladly go to the store with you.
That's what I did when I sold my S3 and Nexus 4. The sales person notated my account in front of buyer so that I can not report it for insurance fraud...
saldebot said:
For people buying phones on Craigslist either for T mobile or AT&T ask the seller to meet you at a store and advise a sales person to notate their account that they are selling the phone. If seller is legit they will gladly go to the store with you.
That's what I did when I sold my S3 and Nexus 4. The sales person notated my account in front of buyer so that I can not report it for insurance fraud...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wish I thought of that.
OP: What did you end up doing with the phone?
That's what I did when I traded my Note 2 for the S4. Haven't had any issues to date.
Sent from my SGH-M919 using xda premium
hkbladelawhk said:
Wish I thought of that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good God that's brilliant! You win one internets!
I use to program my epic all the time, you could change the imei to a good one, however you'd need a donor phone and all of this is theorhetical.
Sent from my SGH-M919 using xda premium
Shinydude100 said:
I use to program my epic all the time, you could change the imei to a good one, however you'd need a donor phone and all of this is theorhetical.
Sent from my SGH-M919 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nothing about how to change imei's, regardless of you might use that ability for honest purposes, should ever be discussed on XDA at any time for any reason.
Any discussion about changing imei's is a big no-no on XDA. Its also illegal in most places in the world to mess with an imei, much like messing with the vin number on a car, no matter if you have a legitimate need to fix an old broken phone or not.
9 out of 10 people who will want to change an imei will want to do so for less than legal reasons. (Bought stolen phone. Stole phone. Want to sell a stolen phone, etc) XDA will not be a party to the distribution of that information as a result. So please do not discuss it here.
Thank you
Sent from your phone. You should be careful where you leave that thing.
Skipjacks said:
Nothing about how to change imei's, regardless of you might use that ability for honest purposes, should ever be discussed on XDA at any time for any reason.
Any discussion about changing imei's is a big no-no on XDA. Its also illegal in most places in the world to mess with an imei, much like messing with the vin number on a car, no matter if you have a legitimate need to fix an old broken phone or not.
9 out of 10 people who will want to change an imei will want to do so for less than legal reasons. (Bought stolen phone. Stole phone. Want to sell a stolen phone, etc) XDA will not be a party to the distribution of that information as a result. So please do not discuss it here.
Thank you
Sent from your phone. You should be careful where you leave that thing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for understanding, disclaiming, and not attacking. I do indeed do it at my own risk/discretion, however I know what I'm doing. Either way, sorry op, that's literally the best I can do, and still be a good xda user, seek and ye shall find.
Sent from my SGH-M919 using xda premium
Dan37tz said:
....Once AT&T and T-Mobile merge their blacklist it probably won't work on any US GSM carrier...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
they are not merging. Prolly never will either. Fcc shut that down awhile ago. It's metro PCs who just recently merged with T-Mobile.
But I do believe att and T-Mobile share a blacklist. Think this exact situation happened to a person on the s3 forums. Said they couldn't use it on att either.
But OP. Should be able to unlock and sell over seas. Try eBay. If no buyers then part it out. Screen and digitizer as one is a good 200 if not more.
Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk 2
Just change out the IMEI
milesmarrero said:
Ok, so due to new IMEI policy by t-mobile, this galaxy s4 I bought on craigslist brand new worked perfectly for 2 weeks and then the guy reported it stolen and got a new one (insurance fraud.) I'm having the man prosecuted, but that is largely for revenge purposes. Me getting my money back is slim chance. What should I do with the phone to make the most money to buy a new one? Can I sim unlock it and sell it for use on other carriers? Or are imei blocked on all? Can I break it down and sell parts? Do people buy those? haha. I'm just looking to make the best of a ****ty situation, help appreciated Thanks in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just change out the IMEI number so it is not blacklisted. It is not illegal in the United States, and if any moron tells you it is ask him for the link to the law. You will not find one. I got mine fixed on ebay from a company called kingpin unlockers. It cost me 60 dollars and they did it remotely in less than 30 minutes. Remotely, yes i did not have to send my phone in anywhere. Just go to ebay and copy and paste the following text in the search box:
Bad IMEI ESN repair service Samsung T-MOBILE Galaxy S4 S 4 IV M919 Blacklisted
They do both att and tmobile and also do note 2 and s3 imei changes remotely.
boredndsm3 said:
Just change out the IMEI number so it is not blacklisted. It is not illegal in the United States, and if any moron tells you it is ask him for the link to the law. You will not find one. I got mine fixed on ebay from a company called kingpin unlockers. It cost me 60 dollars and they did it remotely in less than 30 minutes. Remotely, yes i did not have to send my phone in anywhere. Just go to ebay and copy and paste the following text in the search box:
Bad IMEI ESN repair service Samsung T-MOBILE Galaxy S4 S 4 IV M919 Blacklisted
They do both att and tmobile and also do note 2 and s3 imei changes remotely.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just take a look at the imei cloning laws before you talk about things you have no idea about. The only people that can legally change the IMEI is the OEM.
Wayne Tech Nexus
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-
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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-
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
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.
Click to expand...
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
Click to expand...
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.
Click to expand...
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
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No.
Walk away.
Hi,
I bought a used HTC one on craiglist only to find out that is is stolen. Att wouldnt allow me to activate it.
I am so stressful now. What other option do I have with other carrier at all? Don't tell me to use as a wifi fone please.
Here is my IMEI. I dont understand that I already check that IMEI first hand, it shows clean, but somehow I still got scam.
354439052041318
stagius24 said:
Hi,
I bought a used HTC one on craiglist only to find out that is is stolen. Att wouldnt allow me to activate it.
I am so stressful now. What other option do I have with other carrier at all? Don't tell me to use as a wifi fone please.
Here is my IMEI. I dont understand that I already check that IMEI first hand, it shows clean, but somehow I still got scam.
354439052041318
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ESN: 354439052041318 (IMEI)
IMEI Check
Valid ESN is not blacklisted.
ESN is does not appear to be blacklisted suggesting it should be activation ready.
T-Mobile
Valid ESN appears ready for activation!
This indicates the ESN is valid and should be ready for activation.
IT SAYS ITS NOT BLACKLISTED CAN WORK WITH T-MOBILE IT SAYS
But I thought ATT and Tmobile share the same list. If one is report, the other carrier should have it as well.
stagius24 said:
but i thought att and tmobile share the same list. If one is report, the other carrier should have it as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it dosent both are diffent not the same so your good
bigceez said:
it dosent both are diffent not the same so your good
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not saying I am not trusting you. But I just read on the forum that if carrier got report for stolen, other GSM will do the same. If I am wrong, I will be so happy.
If so, do I need to unlock or do anything or it will work right away with tmoble.
stagius24 said:
Not saying I am not trusting you. But I just read on the forum that if carrier got report for stolen, other GSM will do the same. If I am wrong, I will be so happy.
If so, do I need to unlock or do anything or it will work right away with tmoble.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This forum is for the Verizon version of the phone, you might have more luck asking in forums for the GSM-carrier version: http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=2115
maybe the reason it isn't working is because you bought a t-mobile htc one and tried to use on at&t?
stagius24 said:
Hi,
I bought a used HTC one on craiglist only to find out that is is stolen. Att wouldnt allow me to activate it.
I am so stressful now. What other option do I have with other carrier at all? Don't tell me to use as a wifi fone please.
Here is my IMEI. I dont understand that I already check that IMEI first hand, it shows clean, but somehow I still got scam.
354439052041318
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://checkesnfree.com/
.........................
"Provider ESN Date Response Extra
Sprint 354439052041318 09.04.2013 errorCREDITED
NCIC 354439052041318 09.04.2013 cleanESN
MyStolenPhone.com 354439052041318 09.04.2013 cleanESN"
"Provider ESN Date Response Extra
Blacklist 354439052041318 09.04.2013 isBlacklisted stolen CLEAN
NCIC 354439052041318 09.04.2013 cleanESN
MyStolenPhone.com 354439052041318 09.04.2013 cleanESN"
says clean ESN.
Just go to ebay or another website and get the phone carrier/sim unlocked and you can pop in any GSM sim card and be good to go.
nrfitchett4 said:
maybe the reason it isn't working is because you bought a t-mobile htc one and tried to use on at&t?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
no. he definitely bought the att version.
.kronos. said:
no. he definitely bought the att version.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From "CheckESNFree.com"
Blacklist 354439052041318 09.04.2013 isBlacklisted stolen
From Swappa.com
ESN: 354439052041318 (IMEI)
IMEI Check
Blacklist This device is blacklisted.
This device has been reported stolen.
Someone got scammed.
It also could have been someone that didn't pay their bill. Phones get blacklisted when the ETF is unpaid.
Anyway, OP sorry to hear you got scammed.
Once on the list, almost impossible to get it off.
Best place to buy used phones is "Swappa.com"
Phones do NOT get blacklisted if the ETF is not paid.
The GSMA does NOT allow any company to report a device as lost or stolen because of contractual disputes, or failure to pay the ETF.
And, no matter where you buy a used phone, any AT&T and T-Mobile device can be reported lost or stolen by anyone who has activated it, after the sale and the new owner has possession.
It doesn't matter if you got it off Swappa, eBay, Craigslist, or Gazelle, if the individual who is selling it, or the individual who previously had it active on their account wants to, they can report it was stolen 30-45-60 days after selling it and in the end, you're still screwed.
Thanks.
deathtrip said:
Phones do NOT get blacklisted if the ETF is not paid.
The GSMA does NOT allow any company to report a device as lost or stolen because of contractual disputes, or failure to pay the ETF.
And, no matter where you buy a used phone, any AT&T and T-Mobile device can be reported lost or stolen by anyone who has activated it, after the sale and the new owner has possession.
It doesn't matter if you got it off Swappa, eBay, Craigslist, or Gazelle, if the individual who is selling it, or the individual who previously had it active on their account wants to, they can report it was stolen 30-45-60 days after selling it and in the end, you're still screwed.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, I meant black listed on that particular carrier.
Actually, it's difficult to blacklist a phone that is active on an account.
With Swappa, there is a transaction history. They also require registration and you need some kinds of account and a shipping address.
Craigslist leaves you absolutely no protection.
eBay gives buyer protection and dispute resolution. I've gotten a blacklisted phone via eBay. Went through dispute resolution and had my cash back in a few days.
There are always ways people will try to scam and you can mitigate that by being careful.
If it's a Craigslist purchase, meet at the store and activate it in the store. Someone not willing to meet you at the tMobile, AT&T or Verizon store for activation is probably a crook. I'm just saying.
tech_head said:
Actually, I meant black listed on that particular carrier.
Actually, it's difficult to blacklist a phone that is active on an account.
With Swappa, there is a transaction history. They also require registration and you need some kinds of account and a shipping address.
Craigslist leaves you absolutely no protection.
eBay gives buyer protection and dispute resolution. I've gotten a blacklisted phone via eBay. Went through dispute resolution and had my cash back in a few days.
There are always ways people will try to scam and you can mitigate that by being careful.
If it's a Craigslist purchase, meet at the store and activate it in the store. Someone not willing to meet you at the tMobile, AT&T or Verizon store for activation is probably a crook. I'm just saying.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yea man I hate/love Craigslist, I always have ppl offer to meet at their homes, and I'm like NO WAY, public play only, and if I am buying/selling phone I only meet at VZW s well.
it was funny the latest CL I sold sunglasses the guy asked to meet at his house, it was some 15 y/o with his parents lol.
never know what you're going to get, and he is one of the ones offered to have me come to his house. I would never give some random CL guy my address.
According to PayPal, you can file a claim regarding Craigslist purchases
Also, even with transaction history and sales documentation on sites like Swappa, the seller can still claim the device was stolen and have it blacklisted.
Now, the carrier can locally block the device from being used for a contractual or billing dispute, but that isn't blacklisted and can be used on a different carrier (not an MVNO from the blocked carrier).
deathtrip said:
According to PayPal, you can file a claim regarding Craigslist purchases
Also, even with transaction history and sales documentation on sites like Swappa, the seller can still claim the device was stolen and have it blacklisted.
Now, the carrier can locally block the device from being used for a contractual or billing dispute, but that isn't blacklisted and can be used on a different carrier (not an MVNO from the blocked carrier).
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Click to collapse
I'm sure you can file a claim for Craigslist, but you must use PayPal.
Craigslist is fine, but get a photo of the guys ID and a Bill Of Sale. But, I would go into the VZW or whatever store and activate on the spot as part of the transaction. That prevents the fraud.
The seller on Swappa, can claim theft, but you have a trail and the person's name and address and if you do it via PayPal, I always do, you get the protection.
I really feel bad for the OP.
I guess the moral of the story is, you can get ripped off anywhere and to mitigate that risk one must be very careful. Use transaction avenues that have the ability to get your money back should something go sideways.
Fortunately in the 15 or so phone transactions I've had; I've only had one issue and the seller made it right.
You must remember, when it comes to T-Mobile or AT&T devices, it doesn't matter where you are or if you activate it at the store or not.
What I'm saying is, right now, when it comes to T-Mobile or AT&T, anyone who has had the phone active on their account within a reasonable amount of time (not sure how many days prior to reporting) can report the device as lost or stolen, and as I said above, even if you meet at the wireless store to do the transaction.
That's just how screwed up the GSM market is right now.
deathtrip said:
You must remember, when it comes to T-Mobile or AT&T devices, it doesn't matter where you are or if you activate it at the store or not.
What I'm saying is, right now, when it comes to T-Mobile or AT&T, anyone who has had the phone active on their account within a reasonable amount of time (not sure how many days prior to reporting) can report the device as lost or stolen, and as I said above, even if you meet at the wireless store to do the transaction.
That's just how screwed up the GSM market is right now.
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Wow; and wow spelled backwards is still wow.
But upside down it spells MoM and mom upside down makes dad happy ; but I digress.
Haha, that's funny. Haven't heard that one before.
tech_head said:
From "CheckESNFree.com"
Blacklist 354439052041318 09.04.2013 isBlacklisted stolen
From Swappa.com
ESN: 354439052041318 (IMEI)
IMEI Check
Blacklist This device is blacklisted.
This device has been reported stolen.
Someone got scammed.
It also could have been someone that didn't pay their bill. Phones get blacklisted when the ETF is unpaid.
Anyway, OP sorry to hear you got scammed.
Once on the list, almost impossible to get it off.
Best place to buy used phones is "Swappa.com"
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ahh man never though to check Swappa, good thinking my friend!
OP, sorry to hear this bro..
Karma is real and it will come back.
Best of luck.
Any tips or suggestions on how I can buy a tmobile note 3? How can I be sure it's a good esn/imei without it being reported stolen from tmobile?
Sent from my C6602
snoopycr said:
Any tips or suggestions on how I can buy a tmobile note 3? How can I be sure it's a good esn/imei without it being reported stolen from tmobile?
Sent from my C6602
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My best advice would be to ask the seller if he/ she would be willing to meet at a T-mobile location to make sure the handset is legitimate. Tell the seller a friend or relative of yours was ripped off in the past and you just want to make sure. Best of luck to you friend.
sent from my note 3
Meet in a Tmobile store and have the seller have the tmobile rep look at their account and verify the phone is not on an equipment installment plan and the imei is not reported as lost or stolen. Also get a signed recepiet (with both parties printed name and the description of the item sold)from the seller stating they sold you the phone. There are many stories where a phone is reported lost or stolen after the sale and after the imei was checked to be in good standing.
Sent from my SM-N900T using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
If meeting at a store isn't possible you can call T-Mobile and have them switch it over to you over the phone while standing there with the guy before any money exchanges hands.
Shouldnt there be less problems with this now? I mean, even if someone cancels, they are charged the remaining value on the phone, right? So none of these phones should be blacklisted at all, ever. I mean, they cant make you pay if you leave and still blacklist the phone. Even if u never pay the final bill, if its even on your credit report, you're responsible for it. Is my train of thought here wrong?
tony yayo said:
Shouldnt there be less problems with this now? I mean, even if someone cancels, they are charged the remaining value on the phone, right? So none of these phones should be blacklisted at all, ever. I mean, they cant make you pay if you leave and still blacklist the phone. Even if u never pay the final bill, if its even on your credit report, you're responsible for it. Is my train of thought here wrong?
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Tmo will block the phone until the bill is paid in full. So if they never pay the bill with the phone balance due the phone bought will not work. And now tmo and att share a blcklist so cant use it on att network either. Also as stated even after the sale some people report the phone as lost or stolen and claim a warranty on it making the phone sold useless.
Sent from my SM-N900T using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
blakkheartt12 said:
Tmo will block the phone until the bill is paid in full. So if they never pay the bill with the phone balance due the phone bought will not work. And now tmo and att share a blcklist so cant use it on att network either. Also as stated even after the sale some people report the phone as lost or stolen and claim a warranty on it making the phone sold useless.
Sent from my SM-N900T using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
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What happens when the bill goes to collections? Tmo gets paid by the collection agency but when the collectors get paid will they unblock the phone?
Besides, if they were to report it stolen 2 months later, who would believe you would wait 2 months to report a stolen $700 phone?
tony yayo said:
What happens when the bill goes to collections? Tmo gets paid by the collection agency but when the collectors get paid will they unblock the phone?
Besides, if they were to report it stolen 2 months later, who would believe you would wait 2 months to report a stolen $700 phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Apparently people do. Just search on xda for phone stop working or phone doesnt get service after working for a few months (there were a lot of threads like that in the tmo note 2 forum). Many said tmo wont unblock it until the original owner pays it off. They wont even allow you to pay it off if you wanted to. So its better to have all the evidence as possible that the phone was sold to you.
Sent from my SM-N900T using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
I personally wouldn't buy new T-Mo phone on craigslist nowa days, and I would be super careful and do due diligence when purchasing on eBay. Even eBay is subject to these issues, just look at how many people are selling Note 3(s) on eBay that are listed as having bad IMEI(s). Why do you think that is? People are are doing multiple different scams and such that involve the IMEI getting blacklisted after a while.
One involves people selling the phones and then not paying their bill after it was purchased on a payment plan. Once they don't pay their bill they blacklist the IMEI. The ONLY way to unblacklist the IMEI is for the original purchaser to pay their payment plan bill. Even if you legitimately purchased the phone they will not unblock it for you. I know of more then one person that has tried to resolve this with ZERO success. Going to a T-Mobile store to do the transaction will not help in this situation because often the account is not in a negative standing yet and doesn't happen till a later date. The only thing a T-Mobile store can help with is identifying if the phone is stolen or not, which doesn't help with these latest scams.
The only way to avoid this is to 100% make sure that the phone you purchased was paid for in full at full price and not on a payment plan. Even then I have heard of sellers providing photoshopped receipts to buyers only to get their phones blacklisted months or weeks later because the phones were not really paid off. One might think that eBay is safer from a seller that has feedback but no not really. Often by the time you get blacklisted you cannot leave bad feedback or file a dispute. However with that said, most card companies (VISA, MC, ETC) allow you to do a chargeback within six months of a purchase if its some type of fraud that happened as a result.
The other way involves a more scammy way that I will not explain, with again the outcome being a blacklisted phone that the 2nd purchaser cannot resolve. However these are happening all over the place and there's not a sure fire way to avoid it. The best way to avoid this is to simply buy a phone directly from a authorized seller like T-Mo, or to trust your buyer 100%.
Just saying.
There is no way to be 100% sure that a T-Mobile phone is a safe bet, unless it is coming from someone you trust.
Even if you go to a store with the seller and verify that the phone is fully paid for, they still have 30 days from the incident date to report it stolen or lost if they have insurance or JUMP! Yes it is fraud, but it is almost impossible to combat. Police will record your incident and file it, but will not actively pursue a situation such as this in most cases. T-Mobile will suggest that you contact your local police and will not do anything to help you.
Another note: If you call or go into a store and ask them to check the IMEI number, they can't give you information regarding financing unless the phone is being financed under your name or a authorized account manager. You will need the phone seller to go in to the store to verify this information for you.
I'm sure there are plenty of people out there trying to sell their TMO phones honestly, but do you want to take a high percentage chance that you are being ripped off? That percentage rises if the phone is brand new selling at a huge discount. EX. Craigslist in my city shows a guy selling 4 TMO Note 3's brand new for 550.00 each. I can almost guarantee that those phones will be blacklisted sooner or later.
buy it on swappa
There is a certain amount of risk involved. It all depends on how good of a deal you get. I've bought quite a few phones from CL then sold later on Ebay. Right now I'm using a Note 3 bought on CL for $400. I could sell it with a bad IMEI on Ebay and still make a good profit. I always disclose in my auction that the phone has been verified as clean at the time of sale but that could change in the future since I don't know the history of the phone. it doesn't seem to stop people from buying the phones.
Just last weekend I found a great deal on a S4 international version, or so I thought. After getting home and messing with it I found out it was a fake! The owner never answered my calls or texts, go figure. I was able to sell it on Ebay fully disclosed as a fake and only take about a $40 hit. If you're going to use CL you better be willing to take some risk.
Also my research leads me to belive that Tmo and att do not SHARE blacklist info for phones that the bill is not paid on, only units reported lost or stolen. Nobody had been able to prove to me they do. Since I use Straight Talk with att sim card that eliminates some risk of my phone becoming blacklisted. In my mind anyhow it makes me feel better!
Sent from my SM-N900T using xda app-developers app
snoopycr said:
Any tips or suggestions on how I can buy a tmobile note 3? How can I be sure it's a good esn/imei without it being reported stolen from tmobile?
Sent from my C6602
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Best way to buy it is to PRESUME the phone you are buying is ALREADY blacklisted. Next is to buy it at the lowest price you think it fair. For example, I bought a Note 3 T-Mobile from craighstlist for 525. The guy said it had a clean IMEI but I was skeptical of it but since it was at 525, I could not have cared less since I was planning on using it with AT&T. I later unlocked it using RegionLock Away and everything is SMOOTH. Love the phone.
i wouldnt trust craigslist.. i had bought a phone on it that i thought worked. when i came home it bricked.
Just thought I'd share my craigslist experience this morning. I wanted to post a screenshot but cannot for some reason so copy and pastiing.
Me: you still got the note 4 for sale?
Him: yes
Me: Can you provide a reciept to show that its fulky paid for and a bill of sale with your name and id number? I'm just trying to avoid insurance scammers.
Him: It's not fully paid off. I just got the phone because it came with the line which is all i needed at no additional cost to me.
Him: But I'm not eligible for insurance because I've used my two for the year up already.
Me: Well if you're selling a phone that isn't fully paid off tmobile will block it when you stop making payments. Which makes the phine useless and you're trying to sell it is fraud.
Me: lol good luck man
Him: Umm your wrong
Him: but ok
Funny how his insurance is already used up, i wonder what became of those phones hmmm. So I would encourage anybody buying off craigslist to ask the same questions i did. They're are some genuine sellers i buy and sell from Craigslist all the time.
Make sure the box is a genuine t-mobile box the phone will set in a recessed form fitted area and not just on top of flat paper.
So I bought a phone that was working until today and all of the sudden it is a reported stolen phone and I can't get in touch with the seller. It was a Verizon Pixel 2 xl. I was using it on MetroPCS successfully until today. Can this be unlocked somehow?
I think you better report to the police. Possession of stolen property is a crime
Unless it belonged to the seller and he didn't pay it off..... Thanks for the lack of help.
Can you go to a Verizon or Metropcs store to check it out...
You are out of luck unless you can straighten it out with Verizon.
Nickdroid86 said:
So I bought a phone that was working until today and all of the sudden it is a reported stolen phone and I can't get in touch with the seller. It was a Verizon Pixel 2 xl. I was using it on MetroPCS successfully until today. Can this be unlocked somehow?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If Seller will not immediately refund the purchase, the Only thing to do with a stolen phone is tell local police the entire story about Seller.
You can't get a stolen phone to function once blacklisted. If you could find a shady character to "flash" something, you would sooner or later be found out.
Not worth it.
michaelbsheldon said:
If Seller will not immediately refund the purchase, the Only thing to do with a stolen phone is tell local police the entire story about Seller.
You can't get a stolen phone to function once blacklisted. If you could find a shady character to "flash" something, you would sooner or later be found out.
Not worth it.
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Click to collapse
I know this doesn't help now, but you have to keep it in mind about a deal that is too good to be true -- it usually isn't.
But let me ask you this; how exactly do you know that its been reported stolen? If you're trying unsuccessfully to connect a stolen phone to a network using your sim card, that would alert your service provider to the fact that you have a stolen phone, and so I would suspect that you can expect the police to knock on your door shortly.
Ok, so let's get the 800-lb gorilla out of the way here. The phone has been blacklisted. Why has it been blacklisted? Either the seller cancelled their service and refused to pay the ETF fee, or the device was stolen. Regardless of why, both options lead to the same end result: an unusable device.
If the device is blacklisted due to the seller refusing to pay the ETF, the only way to resolve the issue is to pay the ETF fee.
If the device is blacklisted due to being stolen, nothing will resolve the issue. The P2XL would need to be sold, either as a parts device, or to a buyer out of the country.
Unlocking a device will not help here, and in the case of Verizon is moot: Verizon does not SIM lock their devices. A few years ago it was possible to switch carriers and get around the blacklist, but that has changed. The carriers all access the same blacklist, and a device blacklisted on one carrier is blacklisted on all of them. The one loophole in the blacklist is if the device is transported outside of North America. The blacklist in the US is not used worldwide, and thus devices outside of the country will work.
Now that we've covered the issue of blacklisting, let's touch on the theft issue. It's very unlikely that Verizon is going to send anyone to retrieve the device. Even though the device costs a fair amount of cash, the carriers cannot pinpoint exactly where the device is, except to note that it's using a specific cell tower. By blacklisting the device they have rendered it unusable and have already written it off.
if you bought it via swappa or something like that you can file a claim against the user
if via craigslist or in person, you have no real recourse
96carboard said:
I know this doesn't help now, but you have to keep it in mind about a deal that is too good to be true -- it usually isn't.
But let me ask you this; how exactly do you know that its been reported stolen? If you're trying unsuccessfully to connect a stolen phone to a network using your sim card, that would alert your service provider to the fact that you have a stolen phone, and so I would suspect that you can expect the police to knock on your door shortly.
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Click to collapse
It worked yesterday when i first added it to my ascot. Today, this afternoon it stopped working and when i checked the IMEI, it was reported lost or stolen. It wasn't yesterday when I checked it. Seller is MIA. Can I order a motherboard or something for it that will fix the issue?
Nickdroid86 said:
It worked yesterday when i first added it to my ascot. Today, this afternoon it stopped working and when i checked the IMEI, it was reported lost or stolen. It wasn't yesterday when I checked it. Seller is MIA. Can I order a motherboard or something for it that will fix the issue?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, if it is listed as stolen you are done. You can give it to the cops, and the info you have on the seller if you want.
Couple of concerns here.
If I give up the phone, I am out both my money, and the phone. In which case the police will literally do nothing. The phones already been written off and likely replaced.
If I keep it, I have seen multiple claims of company's that can clear a bad IMEI for a fee.
However, I thought that my phone being a Verizon variant, just wouldn't work on Verizon but would work on gsm still? What ever happened to that?
Nickdroid86 said:
Couple of concerns here.
If I give up the phone, I am out both my money, and the phone. In which case the police will literally do nothing. The phones already been written off and likely replaced.
If I keep it, I have seen multiple claims of company's that can clear a bad IMEI for a fee.
However, I thought that my phone being a Verizon variant, just wouldn't work on Verizon but would work on gsm still? What ever happened to that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It was explained for you in an earlier post. YOUR PHONE WILL NOT WORK IN THE USA BECAUSE ALL USA CARRIERS USE THE SAME BLACKLIST. YOU WOULD HAVE TO MOVE OUT OF THE COUNTRY OR FIND SOMEONE OUTSIDE OF THE COUNTRY TO PURCHASE IT OFF OF YOU.
twiz0r said:
It was explained for you in an earlier post. YOUR PHONE WILL NOT WORK IN THE USA BECAUSE ALL USA CARRIERS USE THE SAME BLACKLIST. YOU WOULD HAVE TO MOVE OUT OF THE COUNTRY OR FIND SOMEONE OUTSIDE OF THE COUNTRY TO PURCHASE IT OFF OF YOU.
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Oh ok, well now that you say it in all caps lock, it makes sense.......
Nickdroid86 said:
Oh ok, well now that you say it in all caps lock, it makes sense.......
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well you didn't understand when someone typed it normally so...
twiz0r said:
Well you didn't understand when someone typed it normally so...
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Right but it still doesn't explain if you're just saying that because it's unethical, or actually impossible. Because like I said there's companies out there with decent reviews that claim they can fix this issue....
Nickdroid86 said:
Right but it still doesn't explain if you're just saying that because it's unethical, or actually impossible. Because like I said there's companies out there with decent reviews that claim they can fix this issue....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know anything about bypassing IMEI bans, but I would *assume* that there's some sort of rule on XDA about discussing things of that nature.
This is simple. Be sure you have all your info together about the seller. Print out all correspondences, screen shot and print out any communications (texts, call logs, etc), write down all of the phones info clearly (IMEI, model, etc, etc). Bring that paperwork to the police (don't bring the phone at this time) and file a report. Take said report and contact Google. Email them all of the info including the police report. Wait to hear from Google. Chances are good they will offer some form of assistance, possibly an offer to send in the phone for full reformatting if no one has made claim to that phones IMEI. They may offer a discount on another device. They may tell you to go pound sand. Either way, that's your best/only option at this point.
Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using XDA Labs
Nickdroid86 said:
Right but it still doesn't explain if you're just saying that because it's unethical, or actually impossible. Because like I said there's companies out there with decent reviews that claim they can fix this issue....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are now venturing into territory that is very much frowned upon by XDA moderators. Not giving you a hard time, just a heads up.
I agree, if anyone has info please pm me. Feel free to close the thread.