Can I upgrade through Samsung if its halfway paid off from a carrier?
no
I don't see why not. As long as you continue to pay whatever you owe it should be fine.
JAMRZ69 said:
Can I upgrade through Samsung if its halfway paid off from a carrier?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can sell your phone as long as you keep paying the bill. Wether Samsung allow you to trade it in is another matter though. All you can do is fill out the trade in form on the website to see.
Sent from my SM-G986B using Tapatalk
Yeah I'm afraid if I send it to Samsung and everything else is fine condition wise that the fact I'm still paying on it to At&t that it will flag it on Samsungs end and I really don't want that.
if phone not paid off imei would likely be flagged. Don't think trade in would process correctly however you can TRY, Samsung would just send you back the phone tho to keep paying off i think if you are able to submit it online even
JAMRZ69 said:
Yeah I'm afraid if I send it to Samsung and everything else is fine condition wise that the fact I'm still paying on it to At&t that it will flag it on Samsungs end and I really don't want that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As Jason says above, the IMEI might get flagged. Fill in the form on the website and check though. It will ask for the IMEI number and if it goes through ok everything should be fine I guess.
Sent from my SM-G986B using Tapatalk
JAMRZ69 said:
Yeah I'm afraid if I send it to Samsung and everything else is fine condition wise that the fact I'm still paying on it to At&t that it will flag it on Samsungs end and I really don't want that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can trade in a carrier locked phone to Samsung. I traded in a carrier iphone, that was only half paid off, for the S10 and didn't have any problems.
People telling you that you can't are just spouting words out the wrong end of their body.
javitogomezzzz said:
I don't see why not. As long as you continue to pay whatever you owe it should be fine.
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Click to collapse
samsung doesnt accept devices that are being financed.. or at least its in the fine print but dont think they check it really..
either way ull still need to pay it off.. ull owe on the new phone and the old one.. if u dont tell ur carrier u can prolly continue paying monthly until its paid off but if for w.e reason they catch on or u cancel the agreement ull be billed whatever is remaining in one lump sum
Hedrush said:
You can sell your phone as long as you keep paying the bill. Wether Samsung allow you to trade it in is another matter though. All you can do is fill out the trade in form on the website to see.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thats not good advice in my opinion lol.. selling a phone that isnt paid yet can cause problems.. if for example he decides hes not gonna pay it then it can b blacklisted and new owner will b screwed lol
plus they cant get it unlocked until its paid off unless they put out some $$$ for a third party service
jasons1004 said:
if phone not paid off imei would likely be flagged. Don't think trade in would process correctly however you can TRY, Samsung would just send you back the phone tho to keep paying off i think if you are able to submit it online even
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
and of course if this happens any trade in credit would be reversed and hed end up paying full price which i assume defeats the purpose of trading it in to begin with lol
708408 said:
You can trade in a carrier locked phone to Samsung. I traded in a carrier iphone, that was only half paid off, for the S10 and didn't have any problems.
People telling you that you can't are just spouting words out the wrong end of their body.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
bcuz samsung probably only checks if its blacklisted or not and to identify device to make sure it belong to the device the customer is claiming..
chances r itll go through and nothing will happen on samsungs end.. carrier prolly dont care either as lomg as u pay it off eventually.. if they do for some reason blacklist it then it wouldnt matter since hed already have traded it in and no longer has it to use it anyway
elliwigy said:
bcuz samsung probably only checks if its blacklisted or not and to identify device to make sure it belong to the device the customer is claiming..
chances r itll go through and nothing will happen on samsungs end.. carrier prolly dont care either as lomg as u pay it off eventually.. if they do for some reason blacklist it then it wouldnt matter since hed already have traded it in and no longer has it to use it anyway
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I checked the IMEI on Samsungs site and It came up clean so I'm pretty sure trading it in will be ok,I'm gonna pay it off monthly with my plan don't really owe that much on it.just didn't want to lump sum it on the phone.
elliwigy said:
thats not good advice in my opinion lol.. selling a phone that isnt paid yet can cause problems.. if for example he decides hes not gonna pay it then it can b blacklisted and new owner will b screwed lol
plus they cant get it unlocked until its paid off unless they put out some $$$ for a third party service
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How's it not good advice? It's his phone, he owns it and can do with it as he pleases. Thousands of people upgrade their contract phones but like to keep the phone they already have and sell the new one and continue to pay their contract. It's not illegal.
As for him screwing people over. Well that's on him and how honest he is. Also, anyone who buys a phone off someone wether it is locked to a network or not takes the chance that that person is legit, and for example the phone is not stolen and won't be IMEI locked by the carrier.
Sent from my SM-G986B using Tapatalk
---------- Post added at 12:07 ---------- Previous post was at 12:04 ----------
JAMRZ69 said:
I checked the IMEI on Samsungs site and It came up clean so I'm pretty sure trading it in will be ok,I'm gonna pay it off monthly with my plan don't really owe that much on it.just didn't want to lump sum it on the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah don't listen to him dude. You're obviously a legit person who isn't going out to rip someone off.
Sent from my SM-G986B using Tapatalk
Hedrush said:
How's it not good advice? It's his phone, he owns it and can do with it as he pleases. Thousands of people upgrade their contract phones but like to keep the phone they already have and sell the new one and continue to pay their contract. It's not illegal.
As for him screwing people over. Well that's on him and how honest he is. Also, anyone who buys a phone off someone wether it is locked to a network or not takes the chance that that person is legit, and for example the phone is not stolen and won't be IMEI locked by the carrier.
Sent from my SM-G986B using Tapatalk
---------- Post added at 12:07 ---------- Previous post was at 12:04 ----------
Yeah don't listen to him dude. You're obviously a legit person who isn't going out to rip someone off.
Sent from my SM-G986B using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No I always pay my phones off and usually order unlocked from Samsung but I switched to AT&T recently and got the phone from them when I added lines so I have like 5 lines I'm paying on plus At&t credits the price of your phone monthly instead of an allout upfront credit.
elliwigy said:
thats not good advice in my opinion lol.. selling a phone that isnt paid yet can cause problems.. if for example he decides hes not gonna pay it then it can b blacklisted and new owner will b screwed lol
plus they cant get it unlocked until its paid off unless they put out some $$$ for a third party service
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Selling the phone, in and if itself, doesn't cause problems. Not paying for it can and will cause problems.
I don't think anyone should tell someone not to sell the phone, I don't think anyone should buy phones that aren't paid off.
Hedrush said:
How's it not good advice? It's his phone, he owns it and can do with it as he pleases. Thousands of people upgrade their contract phones but like to keep the phone they already have and sell the new one and continue to pay their contract. It's not illegal.
As for him screwing people over. Well that's on him and how honest he is. Also, anyone who buys a phone off someone wether it is locked to a network or not takes the chance that that person is legit, and for example the phone is not stolen and won't be IMEI locked by the carrier.
Sent from my SM-G986B using Tapatalk
---------- Post added at 12:07 ---------- Previous post was at 12:04 ----------
Yeah don't listen to him dude. You're obviously a legit person who isn't going out to rip someone off.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are incorrect.. the device isn't his until its fully paid off. Until then it is still owned by the carrier. He signed the agreement when he got the phone which surely broke it all down.
I never claimed he was doing anything illegal. I was simply saying recommending he sell a phone not paid off that is still owned by the carrier is unethical. People do this all the time and unexpecting people buy these phones and it up getting screwed for various reasons such as insurance fraud, unpaid leases, blacklisted and more.
im not saying he is bad or good bcuz i dont know him and ultimately he can do what he wants. Either wayhe will have to pay the phone off regardless.
elliwigy said:
You are incorrect.. the device isn't his until its fully paid off. Until then it is still owned by the carrier. He signed the agreement when he got the phone which surely broke it all down.
I never claimed he was doing anything illegal. I was simply saying recommending he sell a phone not paid off that is still owned by the carrier is unethical. People do this all the time and unexpecting people buy these phones and it up getting screwed for various reasons such as insurance fraud, unpaid leases, blacklisted and more.
im not saying he is bad or good bcuz i dont know him and ultimately he can do what he wants. Either wayhe will have to pay the phone off regardless.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are incorrect. The phone is yours to do with as you please. The carrier extends you a line of unsecured credit meaning they can't repossess the phone.
Look through your own agreement and you will see that the carrier does not place a lien on your phone. The provider retracts their right to repossess it and grants you legal ownership of it.
The phone will remain locked to, in his case, AT&T until paid off though at which point it can then be unlocked.
Sent from my SM-G986B using Tapatalk
Hedrush said:
You are incorrect. The phone is yours to do with as you please. The carrier extends you a line of unsecured credit meaning they can't repossess the phone.
Look through your own agreement and you will see that the carrier does not place a lien on your phone. The provider retracts their right to repossess it and grants you legal ownership of it.
The phone will remain locked to, in his case, AT&T until paid off though at which point it can then be unlocked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you are missing the point entirely.. its bad business to sell a phone that is not paid off yet cuz it can still be blacklisted screwing over the potential buyer.
regardless, it depends on the carrier and what the agreement is. Some use leases and some use installment billings.. My contracts with Sprint are very clear that it remains their propert until fully paid off. One can even lease the device indefinitely even.
I suppose if hes up front and tells the buyer its not paid off yet then sure but I dont know many that would knowingly purchase it in this case unless theres a significant discount.
Try telling someone who buys a phone that gets blacklisted due to an unpaid balance that you own the device and its your property but cant remove it from the blacklist cuz its not paid off lol.. but hey, if thats the type of businessman you are then so be it. At least I know better so I wouldnt fall imto that trap to begin with lol. Thats like making payments on a car then selling it before paying it off then it gets impounded from new owner lol.. its just wrong and unethical.
elliwigy said:
you are missing the point entirely.. its bad business to sell a phone that is not paid off yet cuz it can still be blacklisted screwing over the potential buyer.
regardless, it depends on the carrier and what the agreement is. Some use leases and some use installment billings.. My contracts with Sprint are very clear that it remains their propert until fully paid off. One can even lease the device indefinitely even.
I suppose if hes up front and tells the buyer its not paid off yet then sure but I dont know many that would knowingly purchase it in this case unless theres a significant discount.
Try telling someone who buys a phone that gets blacklisted due to an unpaid balance that you own the device and its your property but cant remove it from the blacklist cuz its not paid off lol.. but hey, if thats the type of businessman you are then so be it. At least I know better so I wouldnt fall imto that trap to begin with lol. Thats like making payments on a car then selling it before paying it off then it gets impounded from new owner lol.. its just wrong and unethical.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm missing the point? My point is that the phone is the property of the person who has taken out the contract to do with as they please, which is correct. I don't understand what you don't get about that. It's the same with anything really bar a car or a house where the lender can reposses them if payments aren't made.
If you buy a TV for example and take it out over 24 months but don't keep up the payments the lender isn't going to pop round and repossess the TV. They take you to court for the outstanding balance plus interest.
As for it being bad business, it's not bad business on the seller, it's bad business on the buyer buying a second hand phone off eBay or wherever. You take a risk as you don't know the history of the device, wether the phone is stolen or not and it could be blocked at any point.
We are going to need to agree to disagree on this.
Sent from my SM-G986B using Tapatalk
Related
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
If you're considering it, maybe do it before then!
http://mashable.com/2013/01/23/unlocking-cellphones-illegal/
They can take their "laws" and shove'em. Might as well openly tell us they are doing as told to do so by the rich companies. At the end of the day people will still do it and most likely users on craigslist will end up making more money by unlocking them for users. =s
vanberge said:
If you're considering it, maybe do it before then!
http://mashable.com/2013/01/23/unlocking-cellphones-illegal/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
but that's only for flashing phones to diff. carriers not unlocking bootloaders or rooting phones no?
luisrod03 said:
but that's only for flashing phones to diff. carriers not unlocking bootloaders or rooting phones no?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correct. Rooting is still legal.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
(Note that unlocking is different from "jailbreaking," which opens the phone up for running additional software and remains legal for smartphones.)
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda app-developers app
Making things like this illegal will just make people do it more. When the government steps in an says no you cannot do something to something you have purchased then that becomes a major issue. As far as I am concerned once you enter a contract the phone is yours to do with what you want. If you break that contract then there is an ETF. If you refuse to pay the ETF then the carrier must go after you VIA other channels. It would be the same as leasing a car and then not paying on it but while you owned it you repainted it. LOL
this is just dumb.
all thats going to result from this is that you can charge allot more when unlocking a phone on craigslist or something like that. **** i used to charge 20 bucks to unlock iphones before i got tired of handling icrap
remember laws are meant to be broken so who cares what they come up with... besides this goes back to the arguments many have had on this forum and other ones ...
if i bought the device with my money that i earned the device is mine and i can do whatever i want to do with it . if i put sprint phone on verizon and i pay my bill then im not stealing or anything like that yeah its not "right" or what they want us to do but $hit many of the things carriers do to us the consumers aint right either... as long as your doing this things for your personal device and not for stalking or in any way affect or hurt someone else who cares what the law says.....
oh and to those who follow the rules to the T and dont like my statement dont even bother replying ...
Ma$etas said:
remember laws are meant to be broken so who cares what they come up with... besides this goes back to the arguments many have had on this forum and other ones ...
if i bought the device with my money that i earned the device is mine and i can do whatever i want to do with it . if i put sprint phone on verizon and i pay my bill then im not stealing or anything like that yeah its not "right" or what they want us to do but $hit many of the things carriers do to us the consumers aint right either... as long as your doing this things for your personal device and not for stalking or in any way affect or hurt someone else who cares what the law says.....
oh and to those who follow the rules to the T and dont like my statement dont even bother replying ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I like your statement!!! I IGNORE rules to the T.:beer::beer::beer::screwy::sly:
Pp.
Transmitted from another galaxy with a Jellybean infused P-5113 full of Unicorn porn.
Lasted I checked I bought my phone with my money and I will do whatever I want to do with it. Government can go stick it up their butts.
Can you even use this phone on another carrier? If so, what are the adverse consequences of unlocking it now?
I dont think the reasoning behind the law is to stop individual users, but to be able to stop stores/phiscal locations that unlock phones. There's about a bazillion phone stores that you literally can walk in and have a phone unlocked and activated.
bobturismo said:
I dont think the reasoning behind the law is to stop individual users, but to be able to stop stores/phiscal locations that unlock phones. There's about a bazillion phone stores that you literally can walk in and have a phone unlocked and activated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If the carrier allows you to bring your own device the government needs to stay the hell out of it. This is just one more law to generate revenue that will be next to impossible to fully enforce, just like drug laws. There's more damn drugs imported to this country and on the streets than there was when the "war on drugs" began. Land of the free my ass, if the person is hurting no one other than themselves thats their choice. Just like you should be able to do whatever the fork you want with your device that you paid for and no one should be able to say boo about it. What's next? Gonna say I can't install linux on my PC cuz it shipped with windoze? Guess where you can stick your "laws"?
I like to break stuff!
Not only is the company making money off you when you sign the contract, they're making money when you buy a phone from them. They're pissed off because they're not getting any money for the device. Greed pure and simple. Another bit of proof that large companies have the government in their pockets. They tell the politicians to make laws that protect the company's interests. I say screw those companies and stop doing business with them. Let your money do the talking and voting.
The revolving door. Smh
Sorry but it makes sense to me... in some areas. I bought my E4GT used with a clean ESN and had it flashed to Cricket. $250 total investment (including flash and porting my existing number over), and I pay less than $60 a month. I don't get 4g but I'm always around WiFi anyway, so it's a sweet deal. But...
A few years back, my old BlackBerry on Sprint was stolen. The jackhole that took it most likely walked into a Cricket store and had it flashed and activated the same day without issue.
Also, who's to stop a contract Sprint customer from reporting a phone stolen, paying a deductible for a nice replacement, then selling the "stolen" phone on Craigslist (with a clearly advertised bad ESN for Cricket/Boost/Metro only) for a handsome profit? It only takes a few to spoil the bunch, but this is actually pretty common.
But if I buy a clean and clear phone outright LEGALLY, shouldn't I have the right to flash it to whatever carrier is compatible? There really should be some kind of middle ground, where only clean ESN phones can be legally flashed. I can see some good intentions here, but as usual, Uncle Sam goes about it in a really dumb way, bending everybody over while smiling and trying to convince us it's for the best
Trolling from my Cricket-flashed Galaxy S2 E4GT using Tapatalk 2
Im sure CDMA has long gone bee shafted. This is more as the shaft to GSM American users. Guess american businesses will lose more cash at the end of day with users either preferring to buy international unlocked phones or going the "breaking the law" route. Who is there to enforce it? And how.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Anyone able to offer a tutorial so I can unlock my phone today before it's illegal? No joke either I really want to do this before it's illegal.
It's a E4GT on Sprint wanting to flash to Metro in the Bay Area.
Zspy1985 said:
Anyone able to offer a tutorial so I can unlock my phone today before it's illegal? No joke either I really want to do this before it's illegal.
It's a E4GT on Sprint wanting to flash to Metro in the Bay Area.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Assuming you got a sprint e4gt why even ask? This applies to GSM devices when they mean unlock, they mean unlock it network wise ATT/T-Mobile vice versa.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Yes. I believe ESN swapping is still considered illegal.
But you can still unlock your gsm phone legally, you just have to ask the carrier first. Just tell them you are going oversees
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
So in nov I signed up with tmobile and got the note and a gs3 for my wife. I plan on selling the note and getting the s4 in march. I call tmobile to pay it off and they tell me I have to pay both phones off? This isn't what the agent told me when I signed up. He knew I swap phones about every 6 months. So my question is why can't I pay the note off separate? My wife never upgrades her phone plus it would lower my bill per month down. Tmobile is ending the subsidiaries anyways so I don't see what the issue is? The reason I went gsm is to be able to put any phone on the carrier as I like, such as international versions.
Talk to a different rep. Cause that rep is an asshole
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda app-developers app
Nope just spoke to customer relations and was told it cannot be done until tmobile ends the subsidiaries in a few months. No way in hell I'm paying $700+ for both phones. Basically the rep I signed up with flat out lied to me. If I would of known this I would of just bought my note full retail. Really ticked off right now.
$720 for both phones + $600 or so for the s4 is just too much for me.
3rd damn carrier that seems to lure their customers in with lies. Who would refuse me paying off a phone today? Basically I was told their systems cannot allow only one device to be payed off until may when they change their policies. This is really going to screw over a lot of people. I just don't get it.
Can anyone explain tmobiles logic in this? I'm baffled.
I've heard that since it was Even More Plus. The credit line is for everything combined, you can't separate them out. No idea if that's the truth, but they have been consistent in telling me that. If you were lied to, that really sucks and, IMO, they should try to do something for you. No idea what, but they could offer something.
Not much help, but at least confirming what they are telling you now anyway.
ttabbal said:
I've heard that since it was Even More Plus. The credit line is for everything combined, you can't separate them out. No idea if that's the truth, but they have been consistent in telling me that. If you were lied to, that really sucks and, IMO, they should try to do something for you. No idea what, but they could offer something.
Not much help, but at least confirming what they are telling you now anyway.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I have it in writing too from the original kiosk rep. I'm really ticked as I talk to this guy all the time when I'm at the mall. Tmobile is investigating what he told me and I've notified his manger. This really screws anyone who wants to get another phone anytime before may. I just don't understand the logic. Why would they care if I decide to pay the device off? Now I'm screwed if I wanted to get the s4 in a few weeks unless I add a 3rd line.
Now I can see why so many go prepaid. To avoid all of the carrier BS. This is worse then what I dealt with on both sprint and Verizon.
There has to be a loophole for this. Any ideas guys?
It does make sense that the credit extended is put into one loan. I'm sure it makes it easier on the accounting for them....... BUT...... If that guy told you something different, I would go straight to him and have him help you get this sorted out immediately. He's the one that gave you misinformation, I would make him spend time working to correct it also.
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda premium
yeah, this really makes no sense to me why they would require this just because the phone accounts are linked? Just to be sure though, I'm going to make sure I buy my phone and my wife's phone separately.
Im told its becuase both phones were purchased together but that was becuase thats the day i switched from verizon to tmobile. The rep knew i switch devices often and told me it wouldnt be an issue. I got an email from the manager that they are investigating. If any of you bought the phones together id check on this. Im glad they are ending the pay per month on the phones BS. From now on ill pay full price.
This happened to me too. Opened a tmo business account and bought an S3 and a cheap text phone for the wife. Financed $500 between the two, and was told I could pay them off seperately. The note 2 comes out, so I go to pay the balance of the S3. I was told the same, you have to pay both off because they where contracted at ths same time. But I still had enough available credit to finance the note 2, swap the sim from the S3 in to the note 2, put the S3 on Craigslist, it sold the next day for the $400 balance I had on the note 2. Walked in to tmo the very next day and paid the note 2 off.
This is just an idea, I don't know for sure if it will work, but when I bought
my Note and my wife's phone, they told me that is no penalty if I pay
the phone(s) in advance OR if I pay more per month to shorten the pay
period of 20 months.
So, I guess you can go into the store and tell them you want to pay, let's say
$300 in the account for the phones. That will lower your montly payment, just
like you payed yours out and not "mess" with they're account number.
It's worth a try anyway....
Wait. So I have a $2000 credit on my account for devices. There's like $700 available. Your saying they won't let me pay a partial payment towards that?
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda premium
I think you can make a partial payment, but your monthly bill stays the same until its all paid off
mikeyinid said:
Wait. So I have a $2000 credit on my account for devices. There's like $700 available. Your saying they won't let me pay a partial payment towards that?
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i was told flat out i cannot pay off just one device, it has to be all of them or none until they end the subsidies and change their systems in may. im waiting to hear back from the store manager.
stevessvt said:
I think you can make a partial payment, but your monthly bill stays the same until its all paid off
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the way tmobile does business is BS. never had this issue on sprint or verizon, i could swap phones when ever i wanted without penalties. knowing me the s4 will be announced and ill get impatient and just pay the $720 off and get the new phone lol. from now on ill always just buy my devices outright.
You could do what I did. Pay the deposit on the new phone and finance the rest, sell the old phone, then pay off the new phone.
premiatul said:
This is just an idea, I don't know for sure if it will work, but when I bought
my Note and my wife's phone, they told me that is no penalty if I pay
the phone(s) in advance OR if I pay more per month to shorten the pay
period of 20 months.
So, I guess you can go into the store and tell them you want to pay, let's say
$300 in the account for the phones. That will lower your montly payment, just
like you payed yours out and not "mess" with they're account number.
It's worth a try anyway....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i get what your saying but until these phones are payed off i wouldn't be able to activate the s4 or whatever phone on the current lines without penalty. id have to open a 3rd line. if i cannot get this resolved i guess ill just have to wait until they change their systems in late april or may.
stevessvt said:
You could do what I did. Pay the deposit on the new phone and finance the rest, sell the old phone, then pay off the new phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that's when tmobile gets the s4, i was planning on buying the international version as it will ship much sooner than the US carriers will get it. plus from now on i won't finance phones from tmobile, ill buy them outright. if that's what you meant buy putting a deposit down.
it's my fault for believing the rep and not reading all of the fine print. the dude must be like a car salesman. says anything for a sale.
fix-this! said:
i was told flat out i cannot pay off just one device, it has to be all of them or none until they end the subsidies and change their systems in may. im waiting to hear back from the store manager.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If that is the case, which I will call tomorrow and find out, me and tmobile are gonna have a huge problem. I upgrade very often. If I can't pay a portion of that off to free up space for a new device there's no point.
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda premium
mikeyinid said:
If that is the case, which I will call tomorrow and find out, me and tmobile are gonna have a huge problem. I upgrade very often. If I can't pay a portion of that off to free up space for a new device there's no point.
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
same here man, i upgrade very often. go ahead and call and i bet you get the same response i was given. once they end the subsidies and change the policies you will be able to pay just one device off. "take that with a grain of salt". to me this just doesn't make much business sense. if i finance two cars at the same time for lets say 2 years and decide to pay one of them off early i doubt anyone would be complaining getting their money early.
fix-this! said:
Nope just spoke to customer relations and was told it cannot be done until tmobile ends the subsidiaries in a few months. No way in hell I'm paying $700+ for both phones. Basically the rep I signed up with flat out lied to me. If I would of known this I would of just bought my note full retail. Really ticked off right now.
$720 for both phones + $600 or so for the s4 is just too much for me.
3rd damn carrier that seems to lure their customers in with lies. Who would refuse me paying off a phone today? Basically I was told their systems cannot allow only one device to be payed off until may when they change their policies. This is really going to screw over a lot of people. I just don't get it.
Can anyone explain tmobiles logic in this? I'm baffled.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Business 101.... get it in writing otherwise it's hearsay
Sent from my SGH-T889 using Tapatalk 2
---------- Post added at 05:22 AM ---------- Previous post was at 05:17 AM ----------
fix-this! said:
same here man, i upgrade very often. go ahead and call and i bet you get the same response i was given. once they end the subsidies and change the policies you will be able to pay just one device off. "take that with a grain of salt". to me this just doesn't make much business sense. if i finance two cars at the same time for lets say 2 years and decide to pay one of them off early i doubt anyone would be complaining getting their money early.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ummmm a car and a cellphone are two different anomalies... .
Sent from my SGH-T889 using Tapatalk 2
Hey guys, i've got a problem and I need some advice/options.
Long story short, as some of you may know, I bought my T-Mobile branded Note 3 on Swappa in November. Of course, Swappa says that they check IMEIs and the seller assured me that the phone was fully paid for, but a few days ago my Note 3 IMEI was blocked/blacklisted (whatever you call it) by T-Mobile for non-payment of EIP.
I have tried to resolve the issue through communicating with the seller and Swappa, but there's really nothing to be done. The seller won't refund my money, Swappa is powerless, and Paypal says the transaction is past their 45 day dispute period. The phone isn't even unlocked, so I can't even try and use it on another carrier right now.
So at this point i'm trying to minimize my losses. I am open to any suggestions as to how I can either:
1. find a way to get the phone unlocked and use it on another carrier (I know that when a T-Mobile IMEI is blocked or blacklisted, they share that info now with AT&T, but i'm hoping I can use it on Simple Mobile or Straight Talk or Walmart's service)
or
2. sell the phone internationally (with full disclosure of the fact that the phone is blocked on T-Mobile/AT&T of course, but it shouldn't matter if someone wants to use it outside of the US, right?)
or
3. sell the phone as a 'dev' device (at a substantial loss i'm sure), but I have no idea how to do this or even whether a dev would want a phone that is blocked (don't they need to test network stuff?).
I'm trying to find a way to make the best of a bad situation. Any one who reads this post and wants to give me some decent advice is welcome. But if you just want to start trolling PLEASE JUST GO AWAY. I have enough problems as it is right now.
In any case, i've learned my lesson. No more Craigslist, no more Negri, no more Swappa. I'm just gonna pony up the money and get my phones directly from T-Mobile. The money I thought I was saving doesn't look like such a deal anymore.
Never used them, but I thought they provided protection. Looking at the faq however, http://swappa.com/faq/buy/imei_blacklist_future apparently not. that's pretty weak.
I would think you might have some legal recourse if the seller is in the same state, they are committing fraud. You perhaps may have some even if they are out of state??
As for you options... Not really good choices.
Not a big BBB fan as I think they are skewed towards companies that are "Accredited" (ie paid lots of money), but Swapp doesn't look very good http://www.bbb.org/kansas-city/busi...-services/swappa-in-kansas-city-mo-1000002683
You have no options unless the guy called T-Mobile in front of you and u asked them. Sorry bro
TWEAKED 1.0 NOTE 3
I think it can be unlocked still and be used on another network that doesn't rely on tmos spectrum
Sent from my SM-N900T using xda app-developers app
chuko303 said:
I think it can be unlocked still and be used on another network that doesn't rely on tmos spectrum
Sent from my SM-N900T using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unless they share blacklist. I feel for the guy.
TWEAKED 1.0 NOTE 3
pay to get the phone unlocked and try pre-service before deciding to sell internationally. Or go to Play Store and buy regionLock Away, that might unlock the phone or it might not but worth a shot. I would try regionlock away first since that is the cheapest before buying an unlock code.
Same thing happened to me a year ago. Had to get it unlocked to work on aTt. It's cheaper to get it unlock on a online site and see how it goes.
krelvinaz said:
Never used them, but I thought they provided protection. Looking at the faq however, http://swappa.com/faq/buy/imei_blacklist_future apparently not. that's pretty weak.
I would think you might have some legal recourse if the seller is in the same state, they are committing fraud. You perhaps may have some even if they are out of state??
As for you options... Not really good choices.
Not a big BBB fan as I think they are skewed towards companies that are "Accredited" (ie paid lots of money), but Swapp doesn't look very good http://www.bbb.org/kansas-city/busi...-services/swappa-in-kansas-city-mo-1000002683
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, we're not in the same state, unfortunately.
BACARDILIMON said:
Unless they share blacklist. I feel for the guy.
TWEAKED 1.0 NOTE 3
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, but the problem is knowing who shares what. I've been searching all over, and there doesn't seem to be a consensus on who shares and who doesn't. Some say a blocked T-Mobile phone will work on AT&T, some say definitely not. And many of the GSM MVNOs use T-Mobile networks, so i'm not sure if that would automatically mean it would also be blocked on their networks too. I guess i'll have to try them one by one, which will be more money out of my pocket.
RMXO said:
pay to get the phone unlocked and try pre-service before deciding to sell internationally. Or go to Play Store and buy regionLock Away, that might unlock the phone or it might not but worth a shot. I would try regionlock away first since that is the cheapest before buying an unlock code.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What do you mean when you say 'pre-servicing'? Never heard that term before.
I think I will try region unlock first. There's a thread that I saw today that looked promising, but some had success and some didn't.
Dattack said:
Same thing happened to me a year ago. Had to get it unlocked to work on aTt. It's cheaper to get it unlock on a online site and see how it goes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So your phone still works on AT&T a year later? That's good news. One of the worst things about this is that I will lose my $30 5GB T-Mobile plan. I was planning on using that plan until I had kids, then putting each of them on the plan too.
Techngro said:
No, we're not in the same state, unfortunately.
Yeah, but the problem is knowing who shares what. I've been searching all over, and there doesn't seem to be a consensus on who shares and who doesn't. Some say a blocked T-Mobile phone will work on AT&T, some say definitely not. And many of the GSM MVNOs use T-Mobile networks, so i'm not sure if that would automatically mean it would also be blocked on their networks too. I guess i'll have to try them one by one, which will be more money out of my pocket.
What do you mean when you say 'pre-servicing'? Never heard that term before.
I think I will try region unlock first. There's a thread that I saw today that looked promising, but some had success and some didn't.
So your phone still works on AT&T a year later? That's good news. One of the worst things about this is that I will lose my $30 5GB T-Mobile plan. I was planning on using that plan until I had kids, then putting each of them on the plan too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought it from a used S3 on craiglists beginnng of last year. I pleaded to Tmobile that I would pay the remainder of the balance if the guy didn't pay his payments but they said I am crap out of luck. Used it for about 6 months and sold it. They said they share IEMIs but AT&T seems to me they don't care. They just want customers. If I spent $700 on a note, maybe an extra $20 to get it unlocked isn't so bad. Luckily my friend uses ATT for me to test out.
But they might be more aggressive now, considering Tmobile andATT sell same high end phones now like iphone and note 3.
---------- Post added at 10:15 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:59 PM ----------
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2471742
I think it will only cost you $3 to get it unlocked.
Dattack said:
I bought it from a used S3 on craiglists beginnng of last year. I pleaded to Tmobile that I would pay the remainder of the balance if the guy didn't pay his payments but they said I am crap out of luck. Used it for about 6 months and sold it. They said they share IEMIs but AT&T seems to me they don't care. They just want customers. If I spent $700 on a note, maybe an extra $20 to get it unlocked isn't so bad. Luckily my friend uses ATT for me to test out.
But they might be more aggressive now, considering Tmobile andATT sell same high end phones now like iphone and note 3.
---------- Post added at 10:15 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:59 PM ----------
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2471742
I think it will only cost you $3 to get it unlocked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I just found that thread too. Tomorrow I will find out, but I need to get an AT&T or Straight Talk sim card first. I'll do that first thing.
Another option?
I really don't want to lose my $30 5GB plan. I've been looking on Amazon and saw that they have some cheap T-Mobile 4G phones like this Nokia Lumia 521: http://goo.gl/KgvOgR
My thought is, I can purchase that, tether my Note 3 to it and keep using it. 90% of what I do on my Note 3 is data/browsing, gaming, etc. So if I can tether to the Lumia, I guess it would work.
Any thoughts?
Techngro said:
I really don't want to lose my $30 5GB plan. I've been looking on Amazon and saw that they have some cheap T-Mobile 4G phones like this Nokia Lumia 521: http://goo.gl/KgvOgR
My thought is, I can purchase that, tether my Note 3 to it and keep using it. 90% of what I do on my Note 3 is data/browsing, gaming, etc. So if I can tether to the Lumia, I guess it would work.
Any thoughts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Couldn't you try calling T-Mobile and have them un-block it or explain the situation to retentions? I just sold a phone on Swappa and they were pretty strict about a clean IMEI. I would reach out more to them.
People financing T-Mobile phones should NOT be allowed to sell them unless they're entirely paid off. PERIOD.
MattMJB0188 said:
Couldn't you try calling T-Mobile and have them un-block it or explain the situation to retentions? I just sold a phone on Swappa and they were pretty strict about a clean IMEI. I would reach out more to them.
People financing T-Mobile phones should NOT be allowed to sell them unless they're entirely paid off. PERIOD.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've already spoken to T-Mobile. Their position is, it isn't their problem. In their system, I'm not the original owner, so that's that. Until the original owner pays the money, the phone will remain blocked.
As for Swappa, I'm pretty disappointed in them. Their sales pitch is that they check IMEIs, which is great, but that doesn't really mean anything. My situation is proof of that. I thought using PayPal would give me protection, but after 45 days, they won't even let you open a dispute.
I have been communicating with Swappa (and the seller). They act like they are going to help you (for example, they said they considered what the seller did to be 'fraud'), but at the end of the day, they can't actually do anything about it.
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk
pm sent about my own situation. maybe some hope.
Generally they only share data with other carriers when it (the device) is stolen. Blocked usually only applies to the original network. Just go use it on AT&T or equiv.
Sent from my GT-N5100 using Tapatalk
the same happen to my boss he bought a note 3 on swappa for 630 now its block
b4 i waas able to chanhe the emei on the note 2 but i cant doit on the note 3 because of 4.3
Techngro said:
I thought using PayPal would give me protection, but after 45 days, they won't even let you open a dispute.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
PayPal is less protection than using a credit card. Just about any credit card you could report this and they would reverse the charge. PayPal's 45 days is a ridiculously short period of time for disputes.
Swappa would have a hard time getting a reversal reversed due to the fraud involved.
Techngro said:
I've already spoken to T-Mobile. Their position is, it isn't their problem. In their system, I'm not the original owner, so that's that. Until the original owner pays the money, the phone will remain blocked.
As for Swappa, I'm pretty disappointed in them. Their sales pitch is that they check IMEIs, which is great, but that doesn't really mean anything. My situation is proof of that. I thought using PayPal would give me protection, but after 45 days, they won't even let you open a dispute.
I have been communicating with Swappa (and the seller). They act like they are going to help you (for example, they said they considered what the seller did to be 'fraud'), but at the end of the day, they can't actually do anything about it.
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What's the seller saying? I am curious. See this is why I'd always just buy outright directly from the carrier. :/
MattMJB0188 said:
What's the seller saying? I am curious. See this is why I'd always just buy outright directly from the carrier. :/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have bought from swappa and sold. Never had this issue.
TWEAKED 1.0 NOTE 3
mrej201 said:
the same happen to my boss he bought a note 3 on swappa for 630 now its block
b4 i waas able to chanhe the emei on the note 2 but i cant doit on the note 3 because of 4.3
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, Note 3 seems to be locked down tight now. Oh well, them's the breaks.
BACARDILIMON said:
I have bought from swappa and sold. Never had this issue.
TWEAKED 1.0 NOTE 3
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is the messed up part. I did a lot of research before I bought my phone from Swappa. I Googled over and over searching for any mention of phones bought on Swappa being blocked or blacklisted, or buyers being scammed. Nothing came up, so I felt pretty confident about using them.
MattMJB0188 said:
What's the seller saying? I am curious. See this is why I'd always just buy outright directly from the carrier. :/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I have learned my lesson very thoroughly. Note 4 will be direct from T-Mobile.
When I was talking to the seller before the purchase, I asked if the phone was fully paid. He said it was. In addition, his listing said the phone was only 2 weeks old, so I assumed he was the original owner. After I contacted him about the block, he said that he wasn't the original owner and that T-Mobile told him the phone was not on EIP and was fully paid when he bought it from some guy. He says he doesn't have the money to refund, and can't find the person who sold him the phone. (What a shock!)
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.
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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.
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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....
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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.
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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.