Develop Bugs

[Q] Skeptical about buying EVO off Craigslist

I'm finally getting an Evo - however I plan on buying it from craigslist. There are a few people selling in my area for about $300, but I talked to one guy and he was willing to go down to $200 for me since I asked for $250 but it's a bit of a drive. Now I've seen good deals like this before, but the guy seems a bit skeptical but having delt on craigslist before... I know some people are just like that.
The phone (HTC EVO obviously) is brand new and un-opened, but I've never seen the box (other than the picture he sent me of it) and I wanted to ask if there was anything I could do to make sure it really is brand new and has not been opened or replaced with rocks! I could ask him to open it in front of me... if there is nothing wrong with it as he claims then he should have no problem doing it since I'll be buying it.
That's my only idea.
Is there a way to find out if it's stolen or blacklisted by sprint?
Any help is appreciated.

You can ask him for the ESN, then you can call sprint and ask them is it is clear for activation....if so, be sure to visually inspect it to ensure that is the one you are buying
Sent from my froyo using the xda app

Askfor the esn and call sprint and tell them u wanna do a esn check then check the box its not like sealed or anything it just slides open but inside everthing needs to be sealed in plastic battery phone and ask l phone will have a sprint screen protrxtor on it thats new I get evos all day fromsprint for 300
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

Great!
Hey I can't beleive I didn't think of that! That's why I posted I guess haha. Thanks a ton guys.
Is the ESN visible if the phone packaging has never been opened?

Yes. It's on the outside barcode.

Thank you sir!
Call him now.

Vandelay007 said:
You can ask him for the ESN, then you can call sprint and ask them is it is clear for activation....if so, be sure to visually inspect it to ensure that is the one you are buying
Sent from my froyo using the xda app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i purchased my last phone, a Touch pro this way. met him in a parking lot(walmart, HIGH traffic) popped open the phone, called sprint, told them the situation(they were cool with it) read off the ESN, came back clean, done deal.
I very much recommend bring a buddy or two. just in case!

I got mine off Craigslist, I just met the person at a local Sprint store and had the sales rep check it right there, he even called into the activation center to double check for me. Then took it home rooted, blah blah, and then activated later on the website.

bbv203 said:
I got mine off Craigslist, I just met the person at a local Sprint store and had the sales rep check it right there, he even called into the activation center to double check for me. Then took it home rooted, blah blah, and then activated later on the website.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Best method I think u just meet at sprint get it done there I did tht when I got a sidekick of cl
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

sprint store +1

The best option would be to contact the seller and see if he would be willing to complete the transaction at a Sprint retailer. This way you will be in a public area, and it can be checked prior to handing over the dough. Good luck on the transaction, and enjoy your new EVO.

I think I'll write up a little 'Craigslist Buying Guide' with all this good information... And now experience!
I got two calls back last night, one of which would meet me at the sprint store! Her Idea too. But on my way out she called back and said she had another offer for more money... And I wasn't about to start a bidding war for her benefit so I was upset and went back to my original seller. The guy lived super far but I was potentially getting a great deal. Once I got there, I checked out the phone and tried to get a good read on the seller... he was VERY strange as most everyone I've dealt with on craigslist have been. This is my first craigslist phone purchase however.
So I called sprint, did the number thing and went through hours of customer service crap. Turns out, the guy has a business account (probably a made up bogus business but with a real fed tax ID and crap - anyone can start a business) and he buys the phones with pre-paid visa's, like you would use when making online purchases or give away as a xmas present. So these visa's look just like debt/credit cards that his "Business" would use and he gets the phones with plans so they're discounted (even though I can't see how he would get the MIR??). Once discounted he sells the devices or 'the hardware' for profit and at a good deal (seemingly) to the consumers like myself. I'm not sure how he makes much profit considering the EVO is $200 after MIR not to mention he had to have paid the first month of service and other fees/costs.... Maybe he was genuine and just bought the phone and changed his mind... but it seemed very skeptical.
Ok so the purpose of using the pre-paid visas was that in 30 days when the new billing cycle comes... Sprint will not be able to bill his visa because its out of money! It's not attached to his name or business like a normal credit card would be and now they'll try contacting him but I figure he'd probably just ignore them. Then a cancellation fee would be added ($200 more) but that wont get paid either and then I would assume Sprint will blacklist the ESN untill it's bill are paid.
What do you guys think? There was a lot more to the story so it may be hard to figure out what he was doing exactly. Maybe he genuinely was ignorant. Was it smart to not buy the phone off him? (even though it was only $200 unopened)

I had some people come to my home that were selling something on Craigslist. That night my home was burglarized. Figure it out.
Craigslist can have some good people on there but so many scumbags it isnt worth it.

Well I think it's obvious you should always meet in a public place. I would NEVER tell someone to meet me at my home!

this guy sounds shady and it sounds like Sprint not activate that phone if it's attached to an account that owes them money.

[Q] Buying a phone from craigslist or ebay

I bought a GS2 from someone off craigslist and then they reported it stolen and I had a device with a bad IMEI.
I think down the road I would like to see my GS2 for a One S. How can I do this safely? What should I require from the buyer to prevent that from happening again?

decko5 said:
I bought a GS2 from someone off craigslist and then they reported it stolen and I had a device with a bad IMEI.
I think down the road I would like to see my GS2 for a One S. How can I do this safely? What should I require from the buyer to prevent that from happening again?
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Click to collapse
Well... You would have to talk to a lawyer about this. If you could find a way of writing up a legal contract (which isn't too difficult) that would stop the seller from doing anything that would ruin the sale, then you might be ok. The problem is that doesn't stop them, and if they did something then you would have to take them to court. That's a lot of money for a little assurance.
I think the more typical answers is you would need some luck, or to buy from someone you trusted. On ebay you can look at their record and see if other people buying cellphones were happy and that no one had this issue, but that could still be sketchy (and cost more than your average used phone).

What if I make the seller meet me at a T-Mo store and have him make sure that the seller does not have insurance plan? maybe that'll be a way to prevent this?

He needs a police report to file that claim. You now have stolen property. I would make that your first concern. I would do what I had to do to prove insurance fraud just on principal alone.
Craigslist is hit or miss. I've been burned twice. But my most recent gs2 purchase went smooth.
Sent from my HTC_Amaze_4G using xda premium

I would recommend not using either. Use swappa. All the IMEIs are clean, no damage. Was gonna buy my SGS2 off of it, but got a better deal through the store.

You're right, the best way to prevent this if to meet at a store. We have an imei blocking tool that we can reference.
Only problem is that the if the claim is still being processed, it will show unblocked.
I guess it's a good sign if the seller is willing to meet at a store in the first place.

Not sure if it is unlocked. But if it is and the issue is not sorted, you can use it on another carrier still. Not a total loss atleast.

android4sunny said:
Not sure if it is unlocked. But if it is and the issue is not sorted, you can use it on another carrier still. Not a total loss atleast.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Except that the FCC just passed new regulations that require AT&T, Sprint, Verizon and T-mobile to share a database off blocked IMEIs.

I bought my SGS2 from Craigslist and what ended happening is I was way hesitant to buy.
Took longer than expected to meet up, but he explained the situation. The dude has a $500 tmobile bill and is moving back to Texas. And just this week I've actually abandoned my G2X and am using my GS2 as my main device.
Luckily I didn't get sold a banned IMIE
This is the reason I like GSM phones. I guess it makes sense for people snatching and selling stolen devices, but sucks you have to do more to make sure you don't get screwed.

If there is nothing preventing people from screwing you with ebay protecting you for 90 days then there is absolutely nothing protecting you in craigslist where they wouldn't care if you got stabbed in a transaction

G1ForFun said:
Except that the FCC just passed new regulations that require AT&T, Sprint, Verizon and T-mobile to share a database off blocked IMEIs.
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Click to collapse
Incorrect. The carriers are working with the FCC on a plan to curb phone theft that may involve using a shared database.
However, this is not regulation passed by FCC. It's also important to note that other countries have been using this type of theft tracking database since 2002, and the database itself has been in existence since 1996.
As usual, the US is behind the rest of the world by about 10 years.
On topic, it really is buyer beware when buying used. Meeting at a TMo store, having the rep verify if IMEI is valid, having it on record that the phone was sold and transferred to the buyer, all help in reducing the likelihood of getting burned.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium

honestly, try to buy devices with the box that has the matching imei number, although this has a chance of getting banned too, it is much slimmer.
Many of banned devices are results from stolen phones or are the replacement phones where the person goes "oh i did not receive my package" and ends up selling it.
You can meet in the t-mobile store, have them take note or call or rep and have them put a note that the IMEI is now in use by your account and should not be banned. You can even photocopy or take a picture of the guy's ID, if the guy is reluctant to give you his INFO, don't buy it.

I bought my phone on craigslist NIB, I never knew of this IMIE stuff. Luckily for me, my phone's been fine (knock on wood)

I talked to multiple customer service agents who told me there was nothing they could (or would) do about the situation. Even if the guy meets you at the store and the reps watch, they are just witnesses. It would help if you have to take the guy to court, but is it really worth it?
I mean, it sucks, but it's a gamble.

Well there are many honest people out there doing honest transactions but I think this latest burn has ruined me. I used to love swapping phones very often and I planned to swap this for the One S. It's a shame.

degeneration said:
I talked to multiple customer service agents who told me there was nothing they could (or would) do about the situation. Even if the guy meets you at the store and the reps watch, they are just witnesses. It would help if you have to take the guy to court, but is it really worth it?
I mean, it sucks, but it's a gamble.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Add in court fees to the total amount.

just unlock the phone and sell it and tell the buyer about it. Only issue is if they are using the phone on tmobile.
It'll work perfectly fine on another carrier. All of the phones I have been through I unlock for a local carrier. Past few years since the nexus one came out I've been through almost every higher end android phone and never once have had an issue.

funny this thread comes up, a year ago i acquire a tmobile G2 from CL, and it was stolen, all i had to do was cooperate with a detective and track down the thief, dont know if they caught them but i get to keep the phone.
in the future i think you should all your service and give them the IMEI numbers to see if it stolen. dont know if that works but doesnt hurt to try.

[Q] Lesson learned when buying on craigslist

So yeah, I have learned today to always be wary of where things come from, especially on Craigslist.
The story of how I got my Note 2. Normally I buy my phones full price and I found an incredible deal on a white iPhone 5 16GB for a mere $500 at launch date. Fast forward to a few months a so, I found someone selling a brand new wrapped T-mobile Note II. Offered the guy a direct trade, he agrees. Fast forward again to Dec. 26,
BAM!
Found out my phone has been blacklisted. Asked T-mobile about it, they says the owner defaulted on their bill so it was claimed lost or stolen.
Yeah, It was depressing. I though only CDMA carriers enforced the whole IMEI blacklisting thing, but I guess now GSM carriers in the US started blacklisting as well back in November. I never suspected the phone to be stolen or anything, and I was under the assumption that being a GSM phone I'd be ok. Guess not...
Moral of story: When buying phones even if its GSM, make sure its legit and you wont get screwed over somehow. Maybe ask for a receipt so you can track him down and beat his... I mean, have records to be safe and do business near a carrier store.
And now I come to the XDA gods, being that its been 18 hours without my beloved Note II, is it worth me dishing out money to buy full price (again, sorta) and buy another one at the T-Mo store? Or maybe look into newer and better options, if any? I'm leaning towards getting another one but yeah, I need the approval of the internet. :good:
FWIW I sold the Note on Craigslist for 300 ducks, clearly stating that it was blacklisted. Hate being scammed and I wont stoop down to that level.

Yeah, best thing is to call the carrier before purchase, or better yet have them meet you at a tmo store. Sorry ya lost out dude.

KillaHurtz said:
Yeah, best thing is to call the carrier before purchase, or better yet have them meet you at a tmo store. Sorry ya lost out dude.
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Click to collapse
Doesnt matter, sure the phone might be good that date but the original owner can stop paying their bill then default on it later, days/weeks/months whenever...
The best thing you can do is get a signed bill of sale with the IMEI number written on there, most craiglist sellers wont do it. actually here... just listen to my story.
So I sold my asus padfone last thursday 12/20/12. And immediately after that I started surfing craigslist for a new note 2 for tmobile, they were running from 550-570 brand new. I contacted MANY MANY people. Maybe 20 or so, everyone first asking if the phone was brand new then telling them I have cash in hand ready and ready to pay if they will sign a simple bill of sale with the IMEI of the phone written on there. Every single one of those 20 declined to sign anything. Now after using a phone I found in my closet (nokia 6800 from 2005) I was getting ancy because I felt like my life was crumbling around me since I didnt have internet on my phone. I went into a small korean owned tmobile store and asked if I could buy a note 2 straight out and how much it would be. They said 700 + tax and I asked if they had any used ones or if they could give me a better price cash. It just so happens that the owner bought a note 2 to test it out like he does all the phones and would sell one for 650 cash with a actual printed bill of sale. So thats how I got mine... got an extra battery, 32 gb samsung micro sd, case and screen protector thrown in for free. So it really wasnt a bad deal...

Damn dude. I would have called the cops & gotten your original phone back.

It's not that they defaulted on the their bill, it's if they defaulted on their eip (financing over 12 or 20 months.) still a bummer!
Sent from my SGH-T889 using Tapatalk 2

I also bought GS3 from craigslist that got blacklisted a week later. Luckily I tracked down the guy who sold it to me and got my money back.
If you could live without a sd slot and removable memory you might want to give Oppo Find 5 a try. If I didn't bought the Note 2 I would have probably gone with that phone.
Sent from my SGH-T889 using Tapatalk 2

That's the risk you take when buying off craiglist or even ebay.
I've had good experience so far on craiglist but my expense never exceeded $300

I would for sure track the guy down with the phone number or email. Also I would file charges with the police. I would go after him with every means possible including small claims court. Sometimes it's not just about the money, but the principle of the matter. Make sure he NEVER does it to anyone else!
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda premium

I would try to take this up with Tmobile. If the phone was blacklisted then they know the address of the person that got it blacklisted. If it was stolen it would have been blacklisted when you originally got the phone. Not sure how you would legally go after TMobile but without a doubt if you had TMobile service with the phone and then they blacklisted it they are full of ****. Also you said the phone was "brand new wrapped" did it have the original sticker on the screen? too many times people allow big companies to rip them off thinking they have no recourse. sprint tried that **** with me and with a quick call from my lawyer my contract was ended and i didn't have to pay an etf. BTW i always get the plate number of teh person I buy a phone from. and recently started to take a photo of their DL.

Its a shame that you cant trust anybody these days. Ruins it for the few of us honest people left.
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda app-developers app

bad4life07 said:
So yeah, I have learned today to always be wary of where things come from, especially on Craigslist.
The story of how I got my Note 2. Normally I buy my phones full price and I found an incredible deal on a white iPhone 5 16GB for a mere $500 at launch date. Fast forward to a few months a so, I found someone selling a brand new wrapped T-mobile Note II. Offered the guy a direct trade, he agrees. Fast forward again to Dec. 26,
BAM!
Found out my phone has been blacklisted. Asked T-mobile about it, they says the owner defaulted on their bill so it was claimed lost or stolen.
Yeah, It was depressing. I though only CDMA carriers enforced the whole IMEI blacklisting thing, but I guess now GSM carriers in the US started blacklisting as well back in November. I never suspected the phone to be stolen or anything, and I was under the assumption that being a GSM phone I'd be ok. Guess not...
Moral of story: When buying phones even if its GSM, make sure its legit and you wont get screwed over somehow. Maybe ask for a receipt so you can track him down and beat his... I mean, have records to be safe and do business near a carrier store.
And now I come to the XDA gods, being that its been 18 hours without my beloved Note II, is it worth me dishing out money to buy full price (again, sorta) and buy another one at the T-Mo store? Or maybe look into newer and better options, if any? I'm leaning towards getting another one but yeah, I need the approval of the internet. :good:
FWIW I sold the Note on Craigslist for 300 ducks, clearly stating that it was blacklisted. Hate being scammed and I wont stoop down to that level.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Man, you sold it WAYYY too cheap. If you would've put it on ebay you would've gotten at least 450 AFTER final value fees and shipping cost.

Hmm, now I'm worried. I did a trade from a guy who got it from a guy. Its unlocked. Been working fine for a month and a half...now I'm afraid it will eventually be reported as stolen or some other financial default due to it's shady past.
Great.

Sorry to hear that :/ Would it work on simple mobile if it's black listed on T-mobile? You could also try to unlock it and sell it to someone who uses AT&T...

bad4life07 said:
So yeah, I have learned today to always be wary of where things come from, especially on Craigslist.
The story of how I got my Note 2. Normally I buy my phones full price and I found an incredible deal on a white iPhone 5 16GB for a mere $500 at launch date. Fast forward to a few months a so, I found someone selling a brand new wrapped T-mobile Note II. Offered the guy a direct trade, he agrees. Fast forward again to Dec. 26,
BAM!
Found out my phone has been blacklisted. Asked T-mobile about it, they says the owner defaulted on their bill so it was claimed lost or stolen.
Yeah, It was depressing. I though only CDMA carriers enforced the whole IMEI blacklisting thing, but I guess now GSM carriers in the US started blacklisting as well back in November. I never suspected the phone to be stolen or anything, and I was under the assumption that being a GSM phone I'd be ok. Guess not...
Moral of story: When buying phones even if its GSM, make sure its legit and you wont get screwed over somehow. Maybe ask for a receipt so you can track him down and beat his... I mean, have records to be safe and do business near a carrier store.
And now I come to the XDA gods, being that its been 18 hours without my beloved Note II, is it worth me dishing out money to buy full price (again, sorta) and buy another one at the T-Mo store? Or maybe look into newer and better options, if any? I'm leaning towards getting another one but yeah, I need the approval of the internet. :good:
FWIW I sold the Note on Craigslist for 300 ducks, clearly stating that it was blacklisted. Hate being scammed and I wont stoop down to that level.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What I would of done is contacted t mobile and told em you want to run the imei number before u bought it. And if they blacklist it still contact the better business Bureau and tell em your story and u will see how fast they change their tone. When someone breaks contract t mobile needs to go after them for all of it.they cant black list it if they gonna collect the retail price for it.
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda app-developers app

tbukkos said:
Sorry to hear that :/ Would it work on simple mobile if it's black listed on T-mobile? You could also try to unlock it and sell it to someone who uses AT&T...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe tmo and att are gonna start cross checking their imei database. So if its blacklisted with either company, lets att, tmo's system will be able to see that its blacklisted for att or vice versa. Now im not sure when thatll take effect but I read it on one of the more popular tech blogs I.e engadget, verge..
When I deal with CL now, I request the person meet me at the store just like I did with sprint phones. No other way to do it. Then at that time maybe you can get the rep to document the his/her acciunt stating they sold the phone to you. Idk something...
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda app-developers app

Man, now you're scaring me. I've always been super honest on all my Craigslist and eBay posts and done my best to offer tip top service even if I only meet them once. So far I've only been annoyed once by a buyer who negliged on wanting to buy some video cards and wasted my time, but other than that I've been pretty successful in selling things.

To all that are worried about buying phones off of Craigslist:
They only blacklist the phones that are purchased under the EIP. You can call T-mobile with the IMEI to verify that the phone was not purchased under EIP before you buy it. If the phone was purchased subsidized with a classic plan, they can't blacklist the phone for an unpaid bill, because you own the phone. If it was purchased under EIP, you would have to go with the seller to a T-mobile store to pay off the balance to guarantee it won't be blacklisted.

That's nothing I got a warranty replacement device from mdpa insurance which I got when I bought it through wire fly. Worked fine for about a month then It suddenly dropped from tmobile network went to store got three new simcards etc etc. Called customer support then they told me it was blacklisted from it being associated with somebody else's account and the didnt pay there bill so I got screwed. But wait I got if from my insurance company ? So I called them and they sent me out a new one after stating my case. Any ways I got screwed with one through my insurance company so really your not safe a times unless I you buy new straight from a source I.e. bestbuy, tmobile, walmart get me. Cool then buy buy.
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda premium

Mod Edit:
Selling, trading and exchanging devices or any item will no longer be permitted in any forum or via Private Messages.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/announcement.php?a=81

lowandbehold said:
To all that are worried about buying phones off of Craigslist:
They only blacklist the phones that are purchased under the EIP. You can call T-mobile with the IMEI to verify that the phone was not purchased under EIP before you buy it. If the phone was purchased subsidized with a classic plan, they can't blacklist the phone for an unpaid bill, because you own the phone. If it was purchased under EIP, you would have to go with the seller to a T-mobile store to pay off the balance to guarantee it won't be blacklisted.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can have a phone blocked for many reasons. Not just lack of EIP payoff. It can be black listed even if the person got the 2 yr contract discount. And more importantly, people can sell a phone that works just fine the day of sale(passing all IMEI checks) then have it blacklisted days later. Buying on CL is a gamble. Also, there is no legal action you can take if someone sells you a phone and then does not pay the EIP. You bought a used phone. It's not stolen because you don't return the phone if you end your service. They just bill you for it. That's the cost of doing business.
Also, ATT and Tmobile are already using the cross check system on our phones. You would have to unlock it and use it on verizon or some network not att tmobile related.

Stolen Sprint Galaxy S3

Hey guys,
I need your help. I bought of Craigslist and it was stolen.
I am always cautious, so before buying I requested ESN number from seller and called sprint to check phone, some women answered me and said Phone had no problem and I could go ahead and buy with sellers ask price. So I went to that buy and paid 400$. Later that day I called sprint again to double check, cuz phone was without box, after second attempt guy from Sprint that it was reported.
What should I do. Probably I don't have chance to prove that I bought it honestly. But as every carrier service records customer call, I can prove them that they gave me false information. I thought that owner could report it during that two owner difference between first call and second call but chance of that is very low

paata01 said:
Hey guys,
I need your help. I bought of Craigslist and it was stolen.
I am always cautious, so before buying I requested ESN number from seller and called sprint to check phone, some women answered me and said Phone had no problem and I could go ahead and buy with sellers ask price. So I went to that buy and paid 400$. Later that day I called sprint again to double check, cuz phone was without box, after second attempt guy from Sprint that it was reported.
What should I do. Probably I don't have chance to prove that I bought it honestly. But as every carrier service records customer call, I can prove them that they gave me false information. I thought that owner could report it during that two owner difference between first call and second call but chance of that is very low
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It was probably not reported yet. By the time you called again it was updated in the system. So no false info was given. That's why you should always meet at a Sprint store and do the change and activation on the spot. Nothing you can do now.
Sent from my stock rooted Galaxy S3

wickedskills said:
It was probably not reported yet. By the time you called again it was updated in the system. So no false info was given. That's why you should always meet at a Sprint store and do the change and activation on the spot. Nothing you can do now.
Sent from my stock rooted Galaxy S3
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe, I don't know... I can't afford 400$ lose..If I bring it to dealer and they flash it on Metro or other carrier, will 3G or 4G work and which carrier is best..
I don't know what to do, If I call owner he/she may not request to unlock phone, so I'd rather flash

What you SHOULD do is return the phone to Sprint and get it back to it's rightful owner. You can call the police on the person who sold you the stolen property and go after them for your money. It's wrong of you to keep something that you know isn't yours.

Sorry to hear this happen to you. You should have activated it on the spot to make sure it was good to go. And second. Why did you pay $400. The phones worth $300 max
http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/TexasEpic/ThePeoplesROM-KennyGlass123/daniel4653.png

gyrospazjohn said:
What you SHOULD do is return the phone to Sprint and get it back to it's rightful owner. You can call the police on the person who sold you the stolen property and go after them for your money. It's wrong of you to keep something that you know isn't yours.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This. Do this.
Some guy ripped me off on an evo, lost $100.
Edit: meant to say the s3 back to it's owner lol
Go to the police, make the report, your likely to get your money back and the evo to its original owner. Do it ASAP or the report isn't credible.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda app-developers app

First of all unless this was a factory sealed phone you payed too much. I got my S3 in November 2012 and it was from a 3rd party Sprint seller on eBay, which is highly rated by a lot of people. It was an open box item and flawless, I got it for $350 with a 30 day return policy and some accessories. Second if you ever buy a phone off someone on craigslist make them meet you at a Sprint store and activate it while they are there then pay them, all done in the store in front of the workers. If they disagree say bye. Last but not least that could have been their phone for all you know. They could have sold you the phone that they got on their contract then the next day called Sprint and said my phone was lost/stolen here is my insurance cost of something like $150. They get new phone and make $250. Or they just stole it and sold it to you. So lesson learned I guess for you huh. Also Sprint "may record your call for quality assurance" not they record and keep every single phone made to them for quality assurance.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

gyrospazjohn said:
What you SHOULD do is return the phone to Sprint and get it back to it's rightful owner. You can call the police on the person who sold you the stolen property and go after them for your money. It's wrong of you to keep something that you know isn't yours.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Only problem there is the seller can always play stupid and say he bought the phone from someone and was not aware it was stolen.
Sent from my stock rooted Galaxy S3

When it boils down to it, OP is now is possession of stolen property, which is a crime.
Go to the police or sprint and give the phone up. You can try to go to the police and take the seller to court. But is that time and effort really worth $400?
Sent from a planet far far away.

Speedin07si said:
When it boils down to it, OP is now is possession of stolen property, which is a crime.
Go to the police or sprint and give the phone up. You can try to go to the police and take the seller to court. But is that time and effort really worth $400?
Sent from a planet far far away.
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OP, you said you couldn't afford to lose $400, I'm betting the real owner of the phone feels the same way. Do the right thing.

gyrospazjohn said:
OP, you said you couldn't afford to lose $400, I'm betting the real owner of the phone feels the same way. Do the right thing.
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Most likely, real owner is covered by insurance, but still it does not matter. I would be glad if someone would return my stolen phone, so I will do the same.. I hope I will get my money back.
Thanks guys

Speedin07si said:
When it boils down to it, OP is now is possession of stolen property, which is a crime.
Go to the police or sprint and give the phone up. You can try to go to the police and take the seller to court. But is that time and effort really worth $400?
Sent from a planet far far away.
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It wouldn't be like that. He just needs to go to the police. Sprint won't refund any money. If he goes to the police, they will figure everything out, and he will get his money back and likely not even have to go to court. Police have access to digital proof via messages or texts or various other things and can easily get it done.
Legally what happened would fall under fraud and robbery. As the item was stated as genuine and non stolen and in working order, and it happens to be stolen and not in activate able condition, that is fraud due to lying about the product, then he took your money knowingly for a broken product and getting away with money as if it was a clean esn. Ignore sprint, go straight to the police. Your money will be recovered and the phone returned to the right person. If it was him saying it was stolen, after the product was sold, then likely he will get the boot from sprint
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda app-developers app

paata01 said:
Hey guys,
I need your help. I bought of Craigslist and it was stolen.
I am always cautious, so before buying I requested ESN number from seller and called sprint to check phone, some women answered me and said Phone had no problem and I could go ahead and buy with sellers ask price. So I went to that buy and paid 400$. Later that day I called sprint again to double check, cuz phone was without box, after second attempt guy from Sprint that it was reported.
What should I do. Probably I don't have chance to prove that I bought it honestly. But as every carrier service records customer call, I can prove them that they gave me false information. I thought that owner could report it during that two owner difference between first call and second call but chance of that is very low
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ACTUALLY THIS PERSON YOU BOUGHT IT FROM WAS A TOTAL BUTT.... I GUARANTEE HE / SHE GOT CASH IN HAND THEY CALLED AND REPORTED IT STOLEN I HONESTLY WOULD BET $50 THATS WHAT THEY DID ONLY BAD THING HAVING A GSM PHONE KINDA MISS HAVING A SIM CARD
Sent From My Samsung Galaxy S3

otterboxfan4l said:
ACTUALLY THIS PERSON YOU BOUGHT IT FROM WAS A TOTAL BUTT.... I GUARANTEE HE / SHE GOT CASH IN HAND THEY CALLED AND REPORTED IT STOLEN I HONESTLY WOULD BET $50 THATS WHAT THEY DID ONLY BAD THING HAVING A GSM PHONE KINDA MISS HAVING A SIM CARD
Sent From My Samsung Galaxy S3
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HOLY CRAP CAPITAL LETTERS BATMAN! haha
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium

Guys. I had that same thing happen to me. Got it off CL, turned out to be stolen.
Typed ##786# to get the number of the previous owner, because when tried calling the guy who sold i to me, number was unresponsive.
So, when i called the real owner she said phone was stolen, i was not smart to call from a blocked numer, but from my cell, so she had all my information and googled me threatening to turn me in for stealing.
I decided to beat her to it, and handed it over to the cops. She then called me mltiple times threatening, to which i replied i no longer had the phone.
Interesting fact, when the cop took the phone, he ran some check and did not find to be tolen, only sprint knew it was stolen, so unless i would have give him her cell, the phone would have probably sat around. They are not as sufisticated as we thing, this is not FBI or CIA, just some cop.
If u return to the police, do the ##786# and call the previous owner to tell them the stoy, otherwise dont waste your time, it took me 3 hrs waiting for cops at the police station to only hear phone is not stolen.

ReapersDeath said:
It wouldn't be like that. He just needs to go to the police. Sprint won't refund any money. If he goes to the police, they will figure everything out, and he will get his money back and likely not even have to go to court. Police have access to digital proof via messages or texts or various other things and can easily get it done.
Legally what happened would fall under fraud and robbery. As the item was stated as genuine and non stolen and in working order, and it happens to be stolen and not in activate able condition, that is fraud due to lying about the product, then he took your money knowingly for a broken product and getting away with money as if it was a clean esn. Ignore sprint, go straight to the police. Your money will be recovered and the phone returned to the right person. If it was him saying it was stolen, after the product was sold, then likely he will get the boot from sprint
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda app-developers app
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Police don't have any type of access to any digital records and "various other things" you speak of.
Once in court, the judge would have to issue a subpoena. Once issued, Sprint has a legal department that can release certain digital items.
When you print emails, they can be falsified. I honestly don't think cops care for you buying stolen goods as CL is at your own liability. No one is responsible for it but yourself.
I like how if you don't know an answer, people make stuff or voice how they think the world should work.

chrischoi said:
Police don't have any type of access to any digital records and "various other things" you speak of.
Once in court, the judge would have to issue a subpoena. Once issued, Sprint has a legal department that can release certain digital items.
When you print emails, they can be falsified. I honestly don't think cops care for you buying stolen goods as CL is at your own liability. No one is responsible for it but yourself.
I like how if you don't know an answer, people make stuff or voice how they think the world should work.
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My whole family is police.. They deal with Craigs list stuff constantly. Most of the time they report results in the person getting their money back and the person who sold the stolen item gets dealt with whichever way they choose to,

Your not getting your money back unless you sell that phone to someone else. If you do that I highly doubt you get the full 400 but at least you get something back. It ain't right but hell I rather take that chance then waiting to take the person that sold you the phone to court . You won't win that case unless you signed a contract or have a receipt. These phones seriously need sim cards like T-Mobile and at&t and the rest of the world and you wouldn't have this problem. Whoever does this to somebody should seriously get a ass kicking, reading this pissed me off. The original owner of that phone sounds like the same person that sold it to you. He got the money then reported it stolen . Good luck on getting your money back but next time just add another line to your service and avoid the hassle.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using XDA Premium App

Yeah I got my S3 from Craigslist in December for $300. I never bought a phone like this before but meeting at Sprint seemed like a no brainer ( and a deal breaker if they won't meet there) Seller had no problem meeting meand as soon as the Sprint rep activated the phone and I made a call on it, I handed her the money. Awesome deal considering the phone was only 2 days old, like brand new, in the box with accessories.
I got lucky that this girl didn't like the S3, and wanted her iphone back
But for the op. Hopefully you communicated with the seller by text. That's a record of the communications you can show the cops when you tell them what happened.

You should have used xda's new market place
Swappa
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium

Galaxy S4 from Craigslist - IMEI Blacklisted...options?

Hi All,
I searched and saw many threads about a similar problem, but my specific question is what can I do about this as far as getting rid of the phone? I learned my lesson the hard way - I dropped my HTC One and broke it a day before a business trip and I needed a phone. I am planning on switching to T-mobile in a month when my AT&T contract is up, so I decided to purchase a T-mobile variant of the Galaxy S4 on Craigslist. It was new, sealed, and cost $500 from what seemed like a somewhat reputable seller.
I got the phone and all was great. It was unlocked and worked perfectly with my AT&T SIM. I got home from the business trip, put in a T-mobile prepaid SIM card (so I could test the service at my house before switching) and got the dreaded "Not registered on network" error message when I tried to make a call. Sure enough, T-mobile said the IMEI had been blacklisted for "fraudulent activity." I believe the seller opened an account and then simply didn't pay the bill for the phone. I've bought quite a few used phones, but I learned my lesson this time. I even asked T-mobile if I could pay the remaining balance, or if they even wanted the phone back. I received a prompt "no" to each question. I asked if the phone was "stolen" and they said no as well - it was marked as fraudulent, but not lost of stolen. Whatever they want to call it, it don't work!
So my question is this (and sorry for the long-winded vent): can I sell this phone? I just want it gone. I look at it and I get angry and upset with myself for making this mistake. I know I will lose a ton of $$$, but I would rather sell it on eBay while FULLY disclosing the phone's history and let someone overseas use it or someone on AT&T use it. Am I violating any rules by doing this as long as I fully disclose everything I know? Also, if this is the wrong forum, I apologize. Thank you for any insight and to save you all the trouble - yes I screwed up and I'm an idiot. But, I'm not the thief here. I sure wish I could get a hole of the seller!
-Collin-

i had the same happen to me this weekend i bought a sealed s4 from cl i also payed 500$ it was for great for 3 weeks up until this weekend i wasn;t getting 4g data so i called tmobile and they told me that that they blocked the imei sue to the person deciding not to pay for the phone..i learned my lesson NEVER TO BUY any phones from Cl. i went to the store and paid retail price for a s4 and i have the receipt just in case tmobile comes back and try to screw me
CollinFX45 said:
Hi All,
I searched and saw many threads about a similar problem, but my specific question is what can I do about this as far as getting rid of the phone? I learned my lesson the hard way - I dropped my HTC One and broke it a day before a business trip and I needed a phone. I am planning on switching to T-mobile in a month when my AT&T contract is up, so I decided to purchase a T-mobile variant of the Galaxy S4 on Craigslist. It was new, sealed, and cost $500 from what seemed like a somewhat reputable seller.
I got the phone and all was great. It was unlocked and worked perfectly with my AT&T SIM. I got home from the business trip, put in a T-mobile prepaid SIM card (so I could test the service at my house before switching) and got the dreaded "Not registered on network" error message when I tried to make a call. Sure enough, T-mobile said the IMEI had been blacklisted for "fraudulent activity." I believe the seller opened an account and then simply didn't pay the bill for the phone. I've bought quite a few used phones, but I learned my lesson this time. I even asked T-mobile if I could pay the remaining balance, or if they even wanted the phone back. I received a prompt "no" to each question. I asked if the phone was "stolen" and they said no as well - it was marked as fraudulent, but not lost of stolen. Whatever they want to call it, it don't work!
So my question is this (and sorry for the long-winded vent): can I sell this phone? I just want it gone. I look at it and I get angry and upset with myself for making this mistake. I know I will lose a ton of $$$, but I would rather sell it on eBay while FULLY disclosing the phone's history and let someone overseas use it or someone on AT&T use it. Am I violating any rules by doing this as long as I fully disclose everything I know? Also, if this is the wrong forum, I apologize. Thank you for any insight and to save you all the trouble - yes I screwed up and I'm an idiot. But, I'm not the thief here. I sure wish I could get a hole of the seller!
-Collin-
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Hey Collin. I had a similar issue with an HTC one being blacklisted but thankfully I bought it from eBay and their buyers protection came into play and I got a full refund. Because blacklisting is a very effective way to lose a heck load of money, I now suggest not getting phones from craisgslist or actually meeting at a carrier store to check phone status before the purchase is made. I'd stick to buying on eBay or swappa..now my suggestion is selling the phone overseas where the blocked imei doesn't really work. That would be the best option for now and you'll lose money but because it is basically a relatively new phone, you should not loose too much. Hope this helps.
-piterson
Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

Thank you guys for the thoughts. It's terrible that this sort of thing happens and personally, I wouldn't risk jail for 500 bucks. Hell, I wouldn't risk jail for any amount of money. It just blows me away that these people do this.
I guess what I will likely do is list it on eBay internationally with a full disclosure. Thankfully, my HTC One repair is finally complete and the phone should be back in my hands any day now. But, it's the developer edition and doesn't work well on T-mobile, so I'm back to square one for a T-mobile phone!
Anyway, sorry that this happened to you guys as well. It's just not as simple as it used to be, is it. Though I guess blacklisting has been used for a while now.
-Collin-

i listed mine on ebay with full disclosure and its not looking good..so far i have 4 days left in the auction and 1 day has passed & no one bid on it yet lol your best bet to purchase a new phone is go straight through tmobile unless you want to risk swappa or ebay then a month later if they cancel or don;t pay for the phone for it to happen again ... i would n;t risk it
CollinFX45 said:
Thank you guys for the thoughts. It's terrible that this sort of thing happens and personally, I wouldn't risk jail for 500 bucks. Hell, I wouldn't risk jail for any amount of money. It just blows me away that these people do this.
I guess what I will likely do is list it on eBay internationally with a full disclosure. Thankfully, my HTC One repair is finally complete and the phone should be back in my hands any day now. But, it's the developer edition and doesn't work well on T-mobile, so I'm back to square one for a T-mobile phone!
Anyway, sorry that this happened to you guys as well. It's just not as simple as it used to be, is it. Though I guess blacklisting has been used for a while now.
-Collin-
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Romcrazguy said:
i listed mine on ebay with full disclosure and its not looking good..so far i have 4 days left in the auction and 1 day has passed & no one bid on it yet lol your best bet to purchase a new phone is go straight through tmobile unless you want to risk swappa or ebay then a month later if they cancel or don;t pay for the phone for it to happen again ... i would n;t risk it
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That's a bummer. Did you list it internationally? I know you probably can't link to eBay, but can you give me the auction number? I want to watch and cheer you on
-Collin-

There are services on ebay that will change the IMEI for $50.

lancemoreland said:
There are services on ebay that will change the IMEI for $50.
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I appreciate that information. Unfortunately from my limited research, I think this thread will get locked if we even go down that road since it is illegal. Argh.
-Collin-

Wow. that sucks so much. The worst I have experienced in craigslist is some guy tried to scam me out of an iPod touch that i found. I still remember the email. It said something along the lines of:
Can you please send this device to my son in Africa? I will pay you full price for the phone + $50 dollars of shipping!
I knew it was a fake because 1) the email they sent was a very random email. (like [email protected]) and 2) PHONE? it's not a phone. thats how i knew that he was scamming multiple people and just copying and pasting.
Oh craigslist is full of scammers and idiots.

Yeah that's what these scammers are doing, buy the phone on a payment plan and not make the payment. A lot of times unknowing buyers get the phone and it will work for a month till payment is due but not paid. I see great deals on CL but steer clear.

The best thing to do is unlocked the device and sell it Internationally via eBay. I have a GS3 in my possesion that my wife's little brother bought from CL and was later blacklisted since the person reported it stolen two hours later after he took the cash.

lancemoreland said:
There are services on ebay that will change the IMEI for $50.
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He is right it is illegal and if caught could face jail time.
Wayne Tech Nexus

i just got a s4 on ebay for 420 i call tmobile they told the imei is clean that dont worry about future non payment fraud or blacklisted the lady told me when i get the phone is going to be in my account so the owner will have to pay any remaining balance but they cannot block the phone idk know im worry

Whenever I buy something from craiglist I always ask for 2 valid ID and have them photocopy.

I'll buy it for parts. If interested inbox me. Thanks!

I had the same damn thing happen but with a Galaxy S2 a while back. What I had to do is buy a used motherboard from a cracked screen one on eBay. Spent way more on the phone than I intended but all I did was switch the motherboards and voila. Good as new.
Sent from my SGH-M919 using xda app-developers app

Just sell try and sell it on Craigslist and ebay. Specify that it is blacklisted with tmobile but it ia unlocked so you can use it with att. Here's one and it's at almost 300 with 17h left on the auction
http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=200948373767
Sent from Flip's Galaxy S4

elflip88 said:
Just sell try and sell it on Craigslist and ebay. Specify that it is blacklisted with tmobile but it ia unlocked so you can use it with att. Here's one and it's at almost 300 with 17h left on the auction
http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=200948373767
Sent from Flip's Galaxy S4
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I read not long ago that AT&T and T-Mobile started sharing IMEI blacklist. Not sure if the policy is in effect yet or not.

baseballfanz said:
I read not long ago that AT&T and T-Mobile started sharing IMEI blacklist. Not sure if the policy is in effect yet or not.
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Op said he used it on att network so my guess is no
Sent from Flip's Galaxy S4

rona809 said:
i just got a s4 on ebay for 420 i call tmobile they told the imei is clean that dont worry about future non payment fraud or blacklisted the lady told me when i get the phone is going to be in my account so the owner will have to pay any remaining balance but they cannot block the phone idk know im worry
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No.
Walk away.