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I bought my Samsung Galaxy S3 phone off craigslist 2 months ago brand new in box as of Saturday my IMEI has been blocked. This must have been a stolen phone or something. Yeah I was really mad but oh well.. Any suggestions at this point?? Can I unlock it and sell it that way??
HOw did you get notified. And it's good to check esnimei before buying
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
sell it on eBay or craigslist. Yes you can unlock it first and list that as one of the features
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium
---------- Post added at 06:20 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:13 AM ----------
I have one more piece of advice. Such a phone was probably stolen by a T-Mobile employee. Why not call and ask for the customer retention center? They can hook you up.
When I bought 2 s3s and switched my mom to my Hercules they jacked all the 32 and 64 gb cards. They know they are not paying their employees enough.
Insinuate you feel the phone was sold to you by a T-Mobile employee. extremely likely
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium
bipoler said:
HOw did you get notified. And it's good to check esnimei before buying
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didn't get notified..At first I thought I did a bad flash or something because I wasn't getting signal through out the day so I back tracked on everything I did. I went back to stock and started the process over again to root and ect.. I was still not getting signal or data so the next day I called T-Mobile and asked was something wrong with my account they said no all paid and up to date then they asked for the IMEI# and then the T-Mobile rep said " Oh I see what the problem is your imei/phone is blocked. Then right away I knew this must have been reported stolen.
Android_Monsters said:
sell it on eBay or craigslist. Yes you can unlock it first and list that as one of the features
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium
---------- Post added at 06:20 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:13 AM ----------
I have one more piece of advice. Such a phone was probably stolen by a T-Mobile employee. Why not call and ask for the customer retention center? They can hook you up.
When I bought 2 s3s and switched my mom to my Hercules they jacked all the 32 and 64 gb cards. They know they are not paying their employees enough.
Insinuate you feel the phone was sold to you by a T-Mobile employee. extremely likely
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This guy knows nothing of what he is talking about! Your phone was blocked because someone bought the phone and split it into payments on their account! Most likely their account was cancelled or couldn't pay it, so they figured they would sell the phone to offset what they owe. Only only only way to get it unblocked is to get a hold of the seller and have him reactivate the account or pay off what ever they owe for the phone on the account. This is starting to happen a lot now! So much everyone be careful! Another thing also is the guy did an insurance claim and sold you the phone that was supposedly lost. I would hit up the guy! Good luck!
You can unlock it and sell it for people to use on any other GSM service but T-Mobile!
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium
deviusdragger said:
This guy knows nothing of what he is talking about! Your phone was blocked because someone bought the phone and split it into payments on their account! Most likely their account was cancelled or couldn't pay it, so they figured they would sell the phone to offset what they owe. Only only only way to get it unblocked is to get a hold of the seller and have him reactivate the account or pay off what ever they owe for the phone on the account. This is starting to happen a lot now! So much everyone be careful! Another thing also is the guy did an insurance claim and sold you the phone that was supposedly lost. I would hit up the guy! Good luck!
You can unlock it and sell it for people to use on any other GSM service but T-Mobile!
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You may be right, however the OP is a paying customer who (hopefully) is in good standing with T-Mobile. If you have a _napkin_receipt (or invent one...) you could get with retention and email them your information.
OP, you made a purchase in good faith and hoped to pay for T-Mobile service in good faith. You want to continue paying T-Mobile and regardless if you were scammed, they could accommodate you.
Otherwise I would unlock the phone and try to sell it to a Wind subscriber. At least make a trade and get a decent phone in return, like a note. If you were honest with me and I was on Wind with a Note or GS2 or whatever they have, I would consider a trade.
You guys must think that T-Mobile is stupid, the invoices are all the same through all locations, and they track them and verify in their systems that the phone was paid. No way around, no matter what you do! You can call and cry and tell them you were ripped off! Phone will no get unblocked unless it shows in their system that the installment plan that was started on that device is paid off!
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium
And that's why you don't upgrade through T-Mobile... If you want a phone it's cheaper to go to like Wal-Mart or some other store (Not Best Buy) pay it in full.. It's screwed up people screw other people over like this...
konceptz said:
You may be right, however the OP is a paying customer who (hopefully) is in good standing with T-Mobile. If you have a _napkin_receipt (or invent one...) you could get with retention and email them your information.
OP, you made a purchase in good faith and hoped to pay for T-Mobile service in good faith. You want to continue paying T-Mobile and regardless if you were scammed, they could accommodate you.
Otherwise I would unlock the phone and try to sell it to a Wind subscriber. At least make a trade and get a decent phone in return, like a note. If you were honest with me and I was on Wind with a Note or GS2 or whatever they have, I would consider a trade.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It don't matter how if he is in good standing with Tmobile, the phone he bought off the craigslist person account is not. That's what's scary about buying from CL. You can try to talk to customer Service, but I think you are screwed.
How i unblocked my imei from o2.
you may get lucky i had the same issue with o2, all i did was got lucky to be honest i unlocked the network and have since been useing a 3 sim works fine cheap to try like £1 so not breaking the bank if not try a few networks like vodafone as they dont piggyback from anyone so they may not get notified that your imei has been blocked.
It probably wasn't stolen but purchased on an EIP and never paid for.. stop buying phones on craigslist unless you have a receipt and proof that it's not on an EIP
that is what happens when you buy second hand, trying to save money cost you alot more than you think. you better find out if it is stolen, first off.
sell it to some developer or someone .. that way you could recover some money
sorry man but now you have an expensive media player. but I see many ppl trying to sell their phone with IMEI blocked.
help ASAP
[hey my cusin locked up my phone{reason i told him im saling it an he wanted to buy it an i said no} its a tmobile galaxy s is there a way tht i can unlock it
Very scary. I bought mine on CL new in box also.
asr10user said:
Very scary. I bought mine on CL new in box also.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe legit, but keep in mind, alot of carrier employee's will steal phones, and those places are exactly where they can get rid of them, I have a friend that got burn twice....I told him stop looking on CL. Just becuase it is new in box, don't mean a damn thing. It may take 2-3mo for the carrier to do inventory, and bingo, that is when they will block it.
Ugh.. the chances of it being an employee are slim. The chances of it being a defaulted Value EIP are most likely.
jmares214 said:
I didn't get notified..At first I thought I did a bad flash or something because I wasn't getting signal through out the day so I back tracked on everything I did. I went back to stock and started the process over again to root and ect.. I was still not getting signal or data so the next day I called T-Mobile and asked was something wrong with my account they said no all paid and up to date then they asked for the IMEI# and then the T-Mobile rep said " Oh I see what the problem is your imei/phone is blocked. Then right away I knew this must have been reported stolen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
deviusdragger said:
This guy knows nothing of what he is talking about! Your phone was blocked because someone bought the phone and split it into payments on their account! Most likely their account was cancelled or couldn't pay it, so they figured they would sell the phone to offset what they owe. Only only only way to get it unblocked is to get a hold of the seller and have him reactivate the account or pay off what ever they owe for the phone on the account. This is starting to happen a lot now! So much everyone be careful! Another thing also is the guy did an insurance claim and sold you the phone that was supposedly lost. I would hit up the guy! Good luck!
You can unlock it and sell it for people to use on any other GSM service but T-Mobile!
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey OP, what happened to this phone eventually? Did you get it to work? Do you know if it works on Straight Talk with Tmobile based SIM?
I am buying an S3 tomorrow off Craigslist and not sure what's is going to happen. I have a Tmobile based straight talk sim I don't know what happens when Tmobile blocks the IMEI does it affect the straight talk users too?
---------- Post added at 09:35 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:32 PM ----------
heygrl said:
Ugh.. the chances of it being an employee are slim. The chances of it being a defaulted Value EIP are most likely.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you know if tmobile blocked s3 phones work on straight talk with Tmobile based sim cards? (or AT&T)
Just unlock it and go to att or tell tmobile customer service there going to lose a paying customer.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium
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).
Click to expand...
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
If u can help me please pm me
I called tmobile and ask politely and said the right answers and they unblocked my imei
What were the right answers? I bought one off the craigs that stopped working a month later. Had to sell it on ebay and broke even.
pcm2a said:
What were the right answers? I bought one off the craigs that stopped working a month later. Had to sell it on ebay and broke even.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Right answer? Perhaps giving his credit card number to pay off device outstanding amount.
sixk said:
I called tmobile and ask politely and said the right answers and they unblocked my imei
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How did that work? I bought my Note 3 on Swappa, and after it was blocked, T-Mobile basically told me to go suck a duck. They wouldn't give me any info, except to tell me what I already knew (that the phone was blocked). They wouldn't tell me how much was owed either.
But please tell us what you said. There are many people who have been scammed and would like to be able to get their device unblocked.
---------- Post added at 10:31 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:26 PM ----------
Digitalx1 said:
If u can help me please pm me
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I went through something very similar, except Swappa, not Craigslist. Is the phone just blocked for non-payment of EIP, or is it reported stolen and blacklisted? That might affect your options.
You have a couple of choices, none of which are ideal.
1. Sell the phone on Ebay for a loss. If you sell it internationally, you might be better off since non-US buyers wouldn't care about it being blocked on T-Mobile.
2. Do what I did. Unlock the device (use Chainfire or something similar) and go to another carrier. I ended up going to Straight Talk (AT&T). All in all, it cost me about $10 to unlock and buy the SIM card. I lost my favorite T-Mobile plan, and now pay more for less data (I cry silently each night), but at least your phone will be usable again.
Hope that helps.
Sorry if I am a noob about this but can someone share some light what is happening exactly? I don't want to fall in this category.
People sell their phones to the customer (via Craigslist or Swappa) and the seller does not pay it off which causes T-Mobile to blacklist them?
Try use region unlock that might help you
Sent from my SM-N900T using xda app-developers app
Pedro2NR said:
Sorry if I am a noob about this but can someone share some light what is happening exactly? I don't want to fall in this category.
People sell their phones to the customer (via Craigslist or Swappa) and the seller does not pay it off which causes T-Mobile to blacklist them?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think there has been at least one instance in which the phone seemed to have been reported as lost or stolen via insurance. That's based on a phone which was supposedly not on EIP being blacklisted by Tmo. Can't find the thread right now, so that's based entirely on vague recollection.
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk
Pedro2NR said:
Sorry if I am a noob about this but can someone share some light what is happening exactly? I don't want to fall in this category.
People sell their phones to the customer (via Craigslist or Swappa) and the seller does not pay it off which causes T-Mobile to blacklist them?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pretty much. Most likely these people are getting their T-mo service cut off for non-payment and since the phone still has a balance, the IMEI gets blacklisted. Shady seller sells it anyway. Poor buyer gets home, finds out its blocked, and has very little recourse especially if it was a CL deal. People also frequently steal phones and try to sell them as well. I work as a phone tester for a popular "sell us your phone!" service that has commercials all over TV right now, and I see TONS of stolen phones. I open the package, turn it on, see the "you have entered the wrong pin too many times, phone locked" screen, and then the ESN/IMEI comes up blacklisted.
Bottom line- people are terrible and will think nothing of scamming you if they can make a quick buck. Trust no one. I won't buy high-end electronics anywhere but a brick & mortar store or a reputable online dealer who guarantees their products. Saving a couple hundred bucks is not worth the risk of getting scammed.
T-mobile has the best customer-service I've ever talked to. On the phone that is
Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk
Right answer = lies
Im not sure if its the right place to say this.
My N3 was paid off
what I told them was I bought this phone off my girlfriend who wanted to stick with an iphone.
And while she changed back to her iphone there must have been a mistake which blocked the phone.
and after about an hour they said they would review this and call me back... but never got a call back.
So I called back a week later and talked to another person and asked about my phone's status and she told it was not blocked anymore.
Hope that helps.
sixk said:
Right answer = lies
Im not sure if its the right place to say this.
My N3 was paid off
what I told them was I bought this phone off my girlfriend who wanted to stick with an iphone.
And while she changed back to her iphone there must have been a mistake which blocked the phone.
and after about an hour they said they would review this and call me back... but never got a call back.
So I called back a week later and talked to another person and asked about my phone's status and she told it was not blocked anymore.
Hope that helps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds so easy. I am assuming you bought the N3 used from a woman at least?
Was actually a guy.
everything was good and was easy to contact but after i bought it he turned off the phone and never heard from him again.
And yea it was craigslist I bought it from.
sixk said:
Was actually a guy.
everything was good and was easy to contact but after i bought it he turned off the phone and never heard from him again.
And yea it was craigslist I bought it from.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So you basically called T Mobile up and explained you bought this from your girlfriend and get angry and after splitting up black listed the phone or to that effect?
I had an issue like this with my note 3, i purchased it back around October 15 off swappa, then 2 months and about 3 days later my phone stopped working, i looked up the imei and it said it was stolen, conveniently just 3 days too late to file a claim with paypal, I called up tmobile, told them I purchased the phone used, and the date i had started using the phone on their service and said it was now saying it was stolen more than 2 months after this and the person told me they were going to unblock the phone for me, and it would take about 24 hours, it actually took closer to 48 hours but they did unblock it and I've had no problems since.
this is why you do trades at a t-mobile store to verify that it works.
guaneet said:
this is why you do trades at a t-mobile store to verify that it works.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That only helps if you are SURE to ask the rep to verify nothing is owed........a simple imei scan just states that at the moment it's not flagged. ....had this happen. ..met seller at tmobile. ..rep scanned said it was good to go....literally as I started to hand the money to the dude he mentioned that he owed $500 but had arranged to make payments and that no way he would let his credit get messed up because of it.....I said..."can't do it" and ended up just getting a brand new one from tmobile the next day......glad to not have to deal with the nightmare....
---------- Post added at 07:15 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:11 PM ----------
louforgiveno said:
That only helps if you are SURE to ask the rep to verify nothing is owed........a simple imei scan just states that at the moment it's not flagged. ....had this happen. ..met seller at tmobile. ..rep scanned said it was good to go....literally as I started to hand the money to the dude he mentioned that he owed $500 but had arranged to make payments and that no way he would let his credit get messed up because of it.....I said..."can't do it" and ended up just getting a brand new one from tmobile the next day......glad to not have to deal with the nightmare....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh yeah and the rep had to look up more info to see that money was owed......the guy had left tmobile but his billing hadn't cycled yet so to anyone checking it all seemed legit....be careful guys....even to this day I see Craigslist postings and when you ask if they will meet at store to confirm no money owed...no response. ....use that as a litmus test if you must dabble
you can ask the t mob rep to check it. they arent restricted at doing that with the owner there, you just have to be polite and get the right person.
guaneet said:
you can ask the t mob rep to check it. they arent restricted at doing that with the owner there, you just have to be polite and get the right person.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What I'm trying to point out is that generally the question is whether the imei is clean.....the "Yes" answer is not a guarantee at all....it may take tmobile 30 days to realize non - payment before it gets flagged....just make sure to also ask whether all handset fees have been payed off as well as imei status.
well basically this is what happens in craigslist, and very rarely on ebay,....
Someone sells there phone, then they report is lost or stolen, then they probably receive another at a cost of $150 pr $175 for a replacement phone.
If you buy this on ebay, call ebay up a tell them to look at the seller of this phone, they will see that it was sold by the seller claiming this imei is in good standards, they should reimburse you... or paypal....
in craigslist you can make sure you print out the add, keep it in a safe place, so when they sell you the phone and you get scammed, try going to the police and let them know you purchased this, they can probably trace everything back to the seller, and probably arrest them, if they claim a good imei and then they have reported it stolen. to receive another phone from the insurance company.
because when someone reports it stolen and does an insurance job, they have to usually get a police report number, then they have to give Assurance or Assurant (insurance company for the cell phones) the police report number then the insurance company... now if they falsified information to the police they can get in trouble. this will really work for the people that sell there phone to do an insurance job. they sell their phone, call the insurance company and get another one.
i bought this Verizon note 4 from craigslist to use on t-mobile network when i bought it i checked it and tmobile lte worked perfectly as the phone was factory unlocked and esn was clean for verizon. so i thought it was a good deal.
but now the seller has reported it lost or stolen and the phone is no more accepting t-mobile simcard and its getting no signal.
pls help what can i do i don't care about bad esn on verizon network i just want to use it on t-mobile.
Find the seller and beat the **** out of him?
2nd thread I've seen on here about this happening if dealing with Craigslist you need to meet at the carrier location have both parties sign in and let a rep do the switch , well in your case let a rep verify the imei. That way you have some type of record somewhere with just handing a no name stranger your money it's pretty much nothing you can do.if you know him report it but honestly I don't think it's much you can do besides use it as a WiFi device
I tried contacting seller but his phone is disconnected.
So now i found the listing on ebay which promises to make bad esn into clean esn in $50 . I purchased it and it did work now the imei is clean i checked it on verizon website and swappa . But it is still not accepting signal from t-mobile . But it works fine with verizon sim
was it a white note 4 or a black note 4 cuz I lost mine recently and want my pictures back. I'm very curious if this could be my phone. If it is white please provide the last 5 of esn for comparison.
asjassar said:
I tried contacting seller but his phone is disconnected.
So now i found the listing on ebay which promises to make bad esn into clean esn in $50 . I purchased it and it did work now the imei is clean i checked it on verizon website and swappa . But it is still not accepting signal from t-mobile . But it works fine with verizon sim
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Where was this listing? Do you have a link please? I'm having the same problem. :/
Craigslist. That place just f*cks my blood pressure up.
God forbid you try and sell electronics on there. I have used it to sell a phone and tablet, but these countless scammers Kill me.
"I'm in the military overseas and want to buy this for my brother. I will pay you double to ship it just send your paypal info"
People really fall for that?
When buying from Craigslist ask for the receipt to show it's paid in full. Some people will finance it and sell it, then stop payment leaving you with a brick.
Ask for a bill of sale with their name and ID number. (protection from insurance scams)
Check if the phone is a counterfiet! (i still don't know how to spot these, hopefully others can add that).
I've answered to a dozen ads in the last few weeks hoping to score a tmo variant and as soon as i mentioned the receipt and bill of sale the seller stops replying. That just tells you how rampant scams are!
Airtioteclint said:
When buying from Craigslist ask for the receipt to show it's paid in full. Some people will finance it and sell it, then stop payment leaving you with a brick.
Ask for a bill of sale with their name and ID number. (protection from insurance scams)
Check if the phone is a counterfiet! (i still don't know how to spot these, hopefully others can add that).
I've answered to a dozen ads in the last few weeks hoping to score a tmo variant and as soon as i mentioned the receipt and bill of sale the seller stops replying. That just tells you how rampant scams are!
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What good would the receipt do? I can show you that I purchased my device 10 months ago from Verizon for the contract price but got my normal upgrade and am now selling this one. In fact, I just listed my note 3 on craigslist after a note 4 just showed up 10 months after I purchased the note 3. And 10 months from now, I will get a note 5.
---------- Post added at 05:29 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:23 PM ----------
sprintuser1977 said:
Craigslist. That place just f*cks my blood pressure up.
God forbid you try and sell electronics on there. I have used it to sell a phone and tablet, but these countless scammers Kill me.
"I'm in the military overseas and want to buy this for my brother. I will pay you double to ship it just send your paypal info"
People really fall for that?
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I love screwing with these guys. I have gotten checks next day air (a forged check shipped by a stolen UPS account), numerous fake paypal payments that I strong them along with (oh, lucky you, I dont have to ship it as I will be in Nigeria tomorrow and will hand this to you)..... etc
take a look at 419eater.com and thescambaiter.com
billinaz said:
What good would the receipt do? I can show you that I purchased my device 10 months ago from Verizon for the contract price but got my normal upgrade and am now selling this one. In fact, I just listed my note 3 on craigslist after a note 4 just showed up 10 months after I purchased the note 3. And 10 months from now, I will get a note 5.
---------- Post added at 05:29 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:23 PM ----------
I love screwing with these guys. I have gotten checks next day air (a forged check shipped by a stolen UPS account), numerous fake paypal payments that I strong them along with (oh, lucky you, I dont have to ship it as I will be in Nigeria tomorrow and will hand this to you)..... etc
take a look at 419eater.com and thescambaiter.com
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Half of my requests for a receipt resulted in no replies from the seller while the other half admitted that the still owe money on the phone, so it has worked for me.
Do you have some solutions to offer or are you just a scammer here trying to plant the seeds of doubt.
you really are full of yourself huh?
asjassar said:
i bought this Verizon note 4 from craigslist to use on t-mobile network when i bought it i checked it and tmobile lte worked perfectly as the phone was factory unlocked and esn was clean for verizon. so i thought it was a good deal.
but now the seller has reported it lost or stolen and the phone is no more accepting t-mobile simcard and its getting no signal.
pls help what can i do i don't care about bad esn on verizon network i just want to use it on t-mobile.
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Click to collapse
I'm having a same problem. I purchase a note4 from Ebay seller (rodomin1016)to use on Tmobile.
the note4 works good for over 3 months, now I'm getting "not register on a network" I cantact Tmobile Techsupport.
they said the imei number was black listed and there's nothing they can do unless the previous owner pay for the bills. I think the place you paid $50 to have imei repair did not do anything for you, if the imei was repaired then you should be able to use it on Tmobile.
I think there's a way to change the imei number after rooting it.. I'm not sure if talking about stuff like this is allowed on here though and I apologize if it isn't!
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?
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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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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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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?
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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?
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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.......
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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....
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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....
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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.