Related
Hi.
Just making sure. Anything I need to check in terms of stolen/reported or whatnot?
I am about to buy one, so just asking for your advice
thanks
Bring your SIM card and a sd card. Make a phone call then save something on the sd card.
If he let's you, download a benchmark app and check if the reported specs match to see if it's a fake or not.
At this point you've checked whether the phone is banned, has a working sd card slot and isn't fake. The only thing left is cosmetic damage.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk
kr3w1337 said:
Bring your SIM card and a sd card. Make a phone call then save something on the sd card.
If he let's you, download a benchmark app and check if the reported specs match to see if it's a fake or not.
At this point you've checked whether the phone is banned, has a working sd card slot and isn't fake. The only thing left is cosmetic damage.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks so much (i thanked u)!!!
I would never in a million years think it could be a fake one.....
wow!
You can also if they're willing to, meet at a t-mo store to have them check the ESN for a stolen phone or not
You can't check if the phone is banned. I just lost 450 dollars as I bought s2 from Cl. I used the phone for 2 months and it quit working. I called T-Mobile and they told me it was reported lost or stolen. Imei got banned.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk
theghazi said:
You can't check if the phone is banned. I just lost 450 dollars as I bought s2 from Cl. I used the phone for 2 months and it quit working. I called T-Mobile and they told me it was reported lost or stolen. Imei got banned.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's horrible! I am surprised that they can even do that (t-mobile, i mean)! But how is the IMEI related to their ability to shut it down? does the phone transmits this info to their servers? I was under the impression that only the CDMA phones can do that....
If your sim card on their network is in a phone, that phone has a specific number that is transmitted as your using the phone. If the number comes up as stolen or otherwise the network can stop that specific numbered phone from accessing the network.
Hence my above post.
I see.
But that means EVERY buyer is in risk!
That is what I though that only cdma phones. But since they signed the contract to get these phones. If they break the contract and don't pay their bills. They banned the imei number. The phone will not get any signal and it would say can't register to network. Same things happens when you claim the phone as lost or stolen. My first hand experience.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk
theghazi said:
That is what I though that only cdma phones. But since they signed the contract to get these phones. If they break the contract and don't pay their bills. They banned the imei number. The phone will not get any signal and it would say can't register to network. Same things happens when you claim the phone as lost or stolen. My first hand experience.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So how can one be protected?
benyben123 said:
So how can one be protected?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can either have the ESN checked on the phone before making any final deals, buy brand new phones, or buy straight from the carrier or phone manufacture.
icepally said:
You can either have the ESN checked on the phone before making any final deals, buy brand new phones, or buy straight from the carrier or phone manufacture.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If I had the money
theghazi said:
You can't check if the phone is banned. I just lost 450 dollars as I bought s2 from Cl. I used the phone for 2 months and it quit working. I called T-Mobile and they told me it was reported lost or stolen. Imei got banned.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I actually think that rep you talked to told you the wrong information. I highly doubt that the original owner could report a stolen phone that he has not used under his account after 2 months, I've played with a friend's t-mobile agents account and the IMEI of every phone you ever used is listed including the date used. It is most likely that asurion or t-mobile will not agree to do a insurance claim on a phone that he or she has not used for 2 months.
I actually believe that the original owner had a subsidized phone and stopped paying for it after he sold it to you, t-mobile probably warned him the first month and ended up banning the imei the 2nd month.
Now I am wondering myself, I thought T-mobile/asurion only bans a phone if it was reported STOLEN not LOST. Can someone clarify this for me? I use to buy a lot of phones off CL even though I bet many are reported "lost" and people filed insurance claims for them; however, I have yet to have a phone become "banned." Well I haven't bought any phones off CL since January.... sooo i guess things might have changed?
Phones can honestly be blocked for any reason, I usually have heard of them for non payment on the device or being stolen at the time of delivery
kylephillips66 said:
Phones can honestly be blocked for any reason, I usually have heard of them for non payment on the device or being stolen at the time of delivery
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If it was indeed blocked, is that the final story for the device? That's it? Dead? Gone? Nothing to do about it? Can't one unlock it, use it with a different number of the same carrier (tmobile)?
You could unlock the sim and go to at&t
Sent from next year on my CM 10ed G-Mobile Galaxy Note 2!
icepally said:
You can either have the ESN checked on the phone before making any final deals, buy brand new phones, or buy straight from the carrier or phone manufacture.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you can get scammed with brand new phones too. there's the "equipment installment plan" with tmobile. the way the scam works is to put a loan out on a phone, then don't pay the monthly payments.the scammer sells the phone, and then tmobile bans that phone
ceejay83 said:
you can get scammed with brand new phones too. there's the "equipment installment plan" with tmobile. the way the scam works is to put a loan out on a phone, then don't pay the monthly payments.the scammer sells the phone, and then tmobile bans that phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I respectfully have to disagree with you. I am a RSA with T-Mobile USA and the way the payment plan or the "equipment installment plan" works is that it is on your account so if your account gets cancelled due to non-payment it's gets charged off to your account including the ETF. One thing T-Mobile cannot do is ban your IMEI because it is unlawful, it is not different then you buying clothes on your macy's card and then not paying for it and them coming into your place to confiscate your clothes. the only time T-mobile will ban a IMEI is A. when it is stolen from a store i.e Demo phones or missing merchandise. or B customer calling in to report the phone missing. in the case where the gentleman stated his phone got banned after 2 months isn't because of a late insurance claim but much more likely due to a missing phone coming up in the quarterly inventory. the best way to ensure you are getting a legitimate deal is by calling 611 from your phone during the purchase and verifying the IMEI and then asking the rep to memo it in your account so if in the future the phone is reported missing the burden is on T-mobile and not you. I hope this helps you all.
willywonka84 said:
I respectfully have to disagree with you. I am a RSA with T-Mobile USA and the way the payment plan or the "equipment installment plan" works is that it is on your account so if your account gets cancelled due to non-payment it's gets charged off to your account including the ETF. One thing T-Mobile cannot do is ban your IMEI because it is unlawful, it is not different then you buying clothes on your macy's card and then not paying for it and them coming into your place to confiscate your clothes. the only time T-mobile will ban a IMEI is A. when it is stolen from a store i.e Demo phones or missing merchandise. or B customer calling in to report the phone missing. in the case where the gentleman stated his phone got banned after 2 months isn't because of a late insurance claim but much more likely due to a missing phone coming up in the quarterly inventory. the best way to ensure you are getting a legitimate deal is by calling 611 from your phone during the purchase and verifying the IMEI and then asking the rep to memo it in your account so if in the future the phone is reported missing the burden is on T-mobile and not you. I hope this helps you all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
interesting stuff, but there were a couple cases where reps told the customer that the phone is blocked because the owner stopped paying for the phone. I think there are a couple stories of that floating around this subforum.
But okay can you elaborate more on what you mean by the missing phone coming up in the quarterly inventory?
also make sure u plug the phone in and make sure it charges, bring a laptop and usb cable if u can too. If the microusb port doesn't work, u can't charge, root, or do anything else.
Ok, so due to new IMEI policy by t-mobile, this galaxy s4 I bought on craigslist brand new worked perfectly for 2 weeks and then the guy reported it stolen and got a new one (insurance fraud.) I'm having the man prosecuted, but that is largely for revenge purposes. Me getting my money back is slim chance. What should I do with the phone to make the most money to buy a new one? Can I sim unlock it and sell it for use on other carriers? Or are imei blocked on all? Can I break it down and sell parts? Do people buy those? haha. I'm just looking to make the best of a ****ty situation, help appreciated Thanks in advance
milesmarrero said:
Ok, so due to new IMEI policy by t-mobile, this galaxy s4 I bought on craigslist brand new worked perfectly for 2 weeks and then the guy reported it stolen and got a new one (insurance fraud.) I'm having the man prosecuted, but that is largely for revenge purposes. Me getting my money back is slim chance. What should I do with the phone to make the most money to buy a new one? Can I sim unlock it and sell it for use on other carriers? Or are imei blocked on all? Can I break it down and sell parts? Do people buy those? haha. I'm just looking to make the best of a ****ty situation, help appreciated Thanks in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think best is try to get it unlocked and sell it overseas.
Once AT&T and T-Mobile merge their blacklist it probably won't work on any US GSM carrier.
There is really no protection now for the second hand buyer when it comes to GSM phones. The original owner will most likely file a claim for the phone as being lost/stolen so they can profit and the buyer will always get boned in the end.
I say if you do buy a used phone, at least buy it on eBay. That way there is at least some accountability and the original owner would think twice before reporting the phone stolen/lost.
Dan37tz said:
I think best is try to get it unlocked and sell it overseas.
Once AT&T and T-Mobile merge their blacklist it probably won't work on any US GSM carrier.
There is really no protection now for the second hand buyer when it comes to GSM phones. The original owner will most likely file a claim for the phone as being lost/stolen so they can profit and the buyer will always get boned in the end.
I say if you do buy a used phone, at least buy it on eBay. That way there is at least some accountability and the original owner would think twice before reporting the phone stolen/lost.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Think it will actually get purchased?
milesmarrero said:
Think it will actually get purchased?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He is saying the future you should buy a used phone on eBay since you will get eBay and PayPal buyer protections.
If you are selling a phone with a bad IMEI you really should have a ton of documentation to support how you obtained the device. That means all the paperwork from the court about the prosecution you are involved in.
And this isn't a new policy by T Mobile. This is a long standing policy to black list phones with IMEI's that are reported stolen.
You also need to be careful when talking about how to sell and profit from a phone with a bad IMEI on XDA. It's a touchy subject here.
Dan37tz said:
I say if you do buy a used phone, at least buy it on eBay. That way there is at least some accountability and the original owner would think twice before reporting the phone stolen/lost.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I purchased the S3 last year on eBay. The seller waited until after the 60 days were up (to be able to dispute on paypal) to report the phone stolen/lost. eBay was also of no help. So becareful!
Agent3 said:
I purchased the S3 last year on eBay. The seller waited until after the 60 days were up (to be able to dispute on paypal) to report the phone stolen/lost. eBay was also of no help. So becareful!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's why you use a credit card with a long dispute time.
Agent3 said:
I purchased the S3 last year on eBay. The seller waited until after the 60 days were up (to be able to dispute on paypal) to report the phone stolen/lost. eBay was also of no help. So becareful!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But at least you have the record of the sale right? Couldn't you have gone to the T-Mobile store or called up CS and tell them you have proof that that you purchased the phone on eBay? Wouldn't T-Mobile help unblock it in your situation since you have proof with the seller information? You could have gone a few steps further and maybe get the police involved since you have nothing to worry about, you have proof of the transaction.
People like the ones you guys describe deserve to have both kneecaps broken.
Kind of makes me wonder about mine....I bought mine on CL. It was NIB. The dude bought it from Best Buy and brought it out to me. I took it home, popped my SIM in and Voila...Wonder if it would even be possible on mine since I don't think it was ever turned on on his.
hkbladelawhk said:
People like the ones you guys describe deserve to have both kneecaps broken.
Kind of makes me wonder about mine....I bought mine on CL. It was NIB. The dude bought it from Best Buy and brought it out to me. I took it home, popped my SIM in and Voila...Wonder if it would even be possible on mine since I don't think it was ever turned on on his.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I got **** on. There are terrible people out there.
For people buying phones on Craigslist either for T mobile or AT&T ask the seller to meet you at a store and advise a sales person to notate their account that they are selling the phone. If seller is legit they will gladly go to the store with you.
That's what I did when I sold my S3 and Nexus 4. The sales person notated my account in front of buyer so that I can not report it for insurance fraud...
saldebot said:
For people buying phones on Craigslist either for T mobile or AT&T ask the seller to meet you at a store and advise a sales person to notate their account that they are selling the phone. If seller is legit they will gladly go to the store with you.
That's what I did when I sold my S3 and Nexus 4. The sales person notated my account in front of buyer so that I can not report it for insurance fraud...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wish I thought of that.
OP: What did you end up doing with the phone?
That's what I did when I traded my Note 2 for the S4. Haven't had any issues to date.
Sent from my SGH-M919 using xda premium
hkbladelawhk said:
Wish I thought of that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good God that's brilliant! You win one internets!
I use to program my epic all the time, you could change the imei to a good one, however you'd need a donor phone and all of this is theorhetical.
Sent from my SGH-M919 using xda premium
Shinydude100 said:
I use to program my epic all the time, you could change the imei to a good one, however you'd need a donor phone and all of this is theorhetical.
Sent from my SGH-M919 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nothing about how to change imei's, regardless of you might use that ability for honest purposes, should ever be discussed on XDA at any time for any reason.
Any discussion about changing imei's is a big no-no on XDA. Its also illegal in most places in the world to mess with an imei, much like messing with the vin number on a car, no matter if you have a legitimate need to fix an old broken phone or not.
9 out of 10 people who will want to change an imei will want to do so for less than legal reasons. (Bought stolen phone. Stole phone. Want to sell a stolen phone, etc) XDA will not be a party to the distribution of that information as a result. So please do not discuss it here.
Thank you
Sent from your phone. You should be careful where you leave that thing.
Skipjacks said:
Nothing about how to change imei's, regardless of you might use that ability for honest purposes, should ever be discussed on XDA at any time for any reason.
Any discussion about changing imei's is a big no-no on XDA. Its also illegal in most places in the world to mess with an imei, much like messing with the vin number on a car, no matter if you have a legitimate need to fix an old broken phone or not.
9 out of 10 people who will want to change an imei will want to do so for less than legal reasons. (Bought stolen phone. Stole phone. Want to sell a stolen phone, etc) XDA will not be a party to the distribution of that information as a result. So please do not discuss it here.
Thank you
Sent from your phone. You should be careful where you leave that thing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for understanding, disclaiming, and not attacking. I do indeed do it at my own risk/discretion, however I know what I'm doing. Either way, sorry op, that's literally the best I can do, and still be a good xda user, seek and ye shall find.
Sent from my SGH-M919 using xda premium
Dan37tz said:
....Once AT&T and T-Mobile merge their blacklist it probably won't work on any US GSM carrier...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
they are not merging. Prolly never will either. Fcc shut that down awhile ago. It's metro PCs who just recently merged with T-Mobile.
But I do believe att and T-Mobile share a blacklist. Think this exact situation happened to a person on the s3 forums. Said they couldn't use it on att either.
But OP. Should be able to unlock and sell over seas. Try eBay. If no buyers then part it out. Screen and digitizer as one is a good 200 if not more.
Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk 2
Just change out the IMEI
milesmarrero said:
Ok, so due to new IMEI policy by t-mobile, this galaxy s4 I bought on craigslist brand new worked perfectly for 2 weeks and then the guy reported it stolen and got a new one (insurance fraud.) I'm having the man prosecuted, but that is largely for revenge purposes. Me getting my money back is slim chance. What should I do with the phone to make the most money to buy a new one? Can I sim unlock it and sell it for use on other carriers? Or are imei blocked on all? Can I break it down and sell parts? Do people buy those? haha. I'm just looking to make the best of a ****ty situation, help appreciated Thanks in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just change out the IMEI number so it is not blacklisted. It is not illegal in the United States, and if any moron tells you it is ask him for the link to the law. You will not find one. I got mine fixed on ebay from a company called kingpin unlockers. It cost me 60 dollars and they did it remotely in less than 30 minutes. Remotely, yes i did not have to send my phone in anywhere. Just go to ebay and copy and paste the following text in the search box:
Bad IMEI ESN repair service Samsung T-MOBILE Galaxy S4 S 4 IV M919 Blacklisted
They do both att and tmobile and also do note 2 and s3 imei changes remotely.
boredndsm3 said:
Just change out the IMEI number so it is not blacklisted. It is not illegal in the United States, and if any moron tells you it is ask him for the link to the law. You will not find one. I got mine fixed on ebay from a company called kingpin unlockers. It cost me 60 dollars and they did it remotely in less than 30 minutes. Remotely, yes i did not have to send my phone in anywhere. Just go to ebay and copy and paste the following text in the search box:
Bad IMEI ESN repair service Samsung T-MOBILE Galaxy S4 S 4 IV M919 Blacklisted
They do both att and tmobile and also do note 2 and s3 imei changes remotely.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just take a look at the imei cloning laws before you talk about things you have no idea about. The only people that can legally change the IMEI is the OEM.
Wayne Tech Nexus
Hi,
I bought a used HTC one on craiglist only to find out that is is stolen. Att wouldnt allow me to activate it.
I am so stressful now. What other option do I have with other carrier at all? Don't tell me to use as a wifi fone please.
Here is my IMEI. I dont understand that I already check that IMEI first hand, it shows clean, but somehow I still got scam.
354439052041318
stagius24 said:
Hi,
I bought a used HTC one on craiglist only to find out that is is stolen. Att wouldnt allow me to activate it.
I am so stressful now. What other option do I have with other carrier at all? Don't tell me to use as a wifi fone please.
Here is my IMEI. I dont understand that I already check that IMEI first hand, it shows clean, but somehow I still got scam.
354439052041318
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ESN: 354439052041318 (IMEI)
IMEI Check
Valid ESN is not blacklisted.
ESN is does not appear to be blacklisted suggesting it should be activation ready.
T-Mobile
Valid ESN appears ready for activation!
This indicates the ESN is valid and should be ready for activation.
IT SAYS ITS NOT BLACKLISTED CAN WORK WITH T-MOBILE IT SAYS
But I thought ATT and Tmobile share the same list. If one is report, the other carrier should have it as well.
stagius24 said:
but i thought att and tmobile share the same list. If one is report, the other carrier should have it as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it dosent both are diffent not the same so your good
bigceez said:
it dosent both are diffent not the same so your good
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not saying I am not trusting you. But I just read on the forum that if carrier got report for stolen, other GSM will do the same. If I am wrong, I will be so happy.
If so, do I need to unlock or do anything or it will work right away with tmoble.
stagius24 said:
Not saying I am not trusting you. But I just read on the forum that if carrier got report for stolen, other GSM will do the same. If I am wrong, I will be so happy.
If so, do I need to unlock or do anything or it will work right away with tmoble.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This forum is for the Verizon version of the phone, you might have more luck asking in forums for the GSM-carrier version: http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=2115
maybe the reason it isn't working is because you bought a t-mobile htc one and tried to use on at&t?
stagius24 said:
Hi,
I bought a used HTC one on craiglist only to find out that is is stolen. Att wouldnt allow me to activate it.
I am so stressful now. What other option do I have with other carrier at all? Don't tell me to use as a wifi fone please.
Here is my IMEI. I dont understand that I already check that IMEI first hand, it shows clean, but somehow I still got scam.
354439052041318
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://checkesnfree.com/
.........................
"Provider ESN Date Response Extra
Sprint 354439052041318 09.04.2013 errorCREDITED
NCIC 354439052041318 09.04.2013 cleanESN
MyStolenPhone.com 354439052041318 09.04.2013 cleanESN"
"Provider ESN Date Response Extra
Blacklist 354439052041318 09.04.2013 isBlacklisted stolen CLEAN
NCIC 354439052041318 09.04.2013 cleanESN
MyStolenPhone.com 354439052041318 09.04.2013 cleanESN"
says clean ESN.
Just go to ebay or another website and get the phone carrier/sim unlocked and you can pop in any GSM sim card and be good to go.
nrfitchett4 said:
maybe the reason it isn't working is because you bought a t-mobile htc one and tried to use on at&t?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
no. he definitely bought the att version.
.kronos. said:
no. he definitely bought the att version.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From "CheckESNFree.com"
Blacklist 354439052041318 09.04.2013 isBlacklisted stolen
From Swappa.com
ESN: 354439052041318 (IMEI)
IMEI Check
Blacklist This device is blacklisted.
This device has been reported stolen.
Someone got scammed.
It also could have been someone that didn't pay their bill. Phones get blacklisted when the ETF is unpaid.
Anyway, OP sorry to hear you got scammed.
Once on the list, almost impossible to get it off.
Best place to buy used phones is "Swappa.com"
Phones do NOT get blacklisted if the ETF is not paid.
The GSMA does NOT allow any company to report a device as lost or stolen because of contractual disputes, or failure to pay the ETF.
And, no matter where you buy a used phone, any AT&T and T-Mobile device can be reported lost or stolen by anyone who has activated it, after the sale and the new owner has possession.
It doesn't matter if you got it off Swappa, eBay, Craigslist, or Gazelle, if the individual who is selling it, or the individual who previously had it active on their account wants to, they can report it was stolen 30-45-60 days after selling it and in the end, you're still screwed.
Thanks.
deathtrip said:
Phones do NOT get blacklisted if the ETF is not paid.
The GSMA does NOT allow any company to report a device as lost or stolen because of contractual disputes, or failure to pay the ETF.
And, no matter where you buy a used phone, any AT&T and T-Mobile device can be reported lost or stolen by anyone who has activated it, after the sale and the new owner has possession.
It doesn't matter if you got it off Swappa, eBay, Craigslist, or Gazelle, if the individual who is selling it, or the individual who previously had it active on their account wants to, they can report it was stolen 30-45-60 days after selling it and in the end, you're still screwed.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, I meant black listed on that particular carrier.
Actually, it's difficult to blacklist a phone that is active on an account.
With Swappa, there is a transaction history. They also require registration and you need some kinds of account and a shipping address.
Craigslist leaves you absolutely no protection.
eBay gives buyer protection and dispute resolution. I've gotten a blacklisted phone via eBay. Went through dispute resolution and had my cash back in a few days.
There are always ways people will try to scam and you can mitigate that by being careful.
If it's a Craigslist purchase, meet at the store and activate it in the store. Someone not willing to meet you at the tMobile, AT&T or Verizon store for activation is probably a crook. I'm just saying.
tech_head said:
Actually, I meant black listed on that particular carrier.
Actually, it's difficult to blacklist a phone that is active on an account.
With Swappa, there is a transaction history. They also require registration and you need some kinds of account and a shipping address.
Craigslist leaves you absolutely no protection.
eBay gives buyer protection and dispute resolution. I've gotten a blacklisted phone via eBay. Went through dispute resolution and had my cash back in a few days.
There are always ways people will try to scam and you can mitigate that by being careful.
If it's a Craigslist purchase, meet at the store and activate it in the store. Someone not willing to meet you at the tMobile, AT&T or Verizon store for activation is probably a crook. I'm just saying.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yea man I hate/love Craigslist, I always have ppl offer to meet at their homes, and I'm like NO WAY, public play only, and if I am buying/selling phone I only meet at VZW s well.
it was funny the latest CL I sold sunglasses the guy asked to meet at his house, it was some 15 y/o with his parents lol.
never know what you're going to get, and he is one of the ones offered to have me come to his house. I would never give some random CL guy my address.
According to PayPal, you can file a claim regarding Craigslist purchases
Also, even with transaction history and sales documentation on sites like Swappa, the seller can still claim the device was stolen and have it blacklisted.
Now, the carrier can locally block the device from being used for a contractual or billing dispute, but that isn't blacklisted and can be used on a different carrier (not an MVNO from the blocked carrier).
deathtrip said:
According to PayPal, you can file a claim regarding Craigslist purchases
Also, even with transaction history and sales documentation on sites like Swappa, the seller can still claim the device was stolen and have it blacklisted.
Now, the carrier can locally block the device from being used for a contractual or billing dispute, but that isn't blacklisted and can be used on a different carrier (not an MVNO from the blocked carrier).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm sure you can file a claim for Craigslist, but you must use PayPal.
Craigslist is fine, but get a photo of the guys ID and a Bill Of Sale. But, I would go into the VZW or whatever store and activate on the spot as part of the transaction. That prevents the fraud.
The seller on Swappa, can claim theft, but you have a trail and the person's name and address and if you do it via PayPal, I always do, you get the protection.
I really feel bad for the OP.
I guess the moral of the story is, you can get ripped off anywhere and to mitigate that risk one must be very careful. Use transaction avenues that have the ability to get your money back should something go sideways.
Fortunately in the 15 or so phone transactions I've had; I've only had one issue and the seller made it right.
You must remember, when it comes to T-Mobile or AT&T devices, it doesn't matter where you are or if you activate it at the store or not.
What I'm saying is, right now, when it comes to T-Mobile or AT&T, anyone who has had the phone active on their account within a reasonable amount of time (not sure how many days prior to reporting) can report the device as lost or stolen, and as I said above, even if you meet at the wireless store to do the transaction.
That's just how screwed up the GSM market is right now.
deathtrip said:
You must remember, when it comes to T-Mobile or AT&T devices, it doesn't matter where you are or if you activate it at the store or not.
What I'm saying is, right now, when it comes to T-Mobile or AT&T, anyone who has had the phone active on their account within a reasonable amount of time (not sure how many days prior to reporting) can report the device as lost or stolen, and as I said above, even if you meet at the wireless store to do the transaction.
That's just how screwed up the GSM market is right now.
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Wow; and wow spelled backwards is still wow.
But upside down it spells MoM and mom upside down makes dad happy ; but I digress.
Haha, that's funny. Haven't heard that one before.
tech_head said:
From "CheckESNFree.com"
Blacklist 354439052041318 09.04.2013 isBlacklisted stolen
From Swappa.com
ESN: 354439052041318 (IMEI)
IMEI Check
Blacklist This device is blacklisted.
This device has been reported stolen.
Someone got scammed.
It also could have been someone that didn't pay their bill. Phones get blacklisted when the ETF is unpaid.
Anyway, OP sorry to hear you got scammed.
Once on the list, almost impossible to get it off.
Best place to buy used phones is "Swappa.com"
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ahh man never though to check Swappa, good thinking my friend!
OP, sorry to hear this bro..
Karma is real and it will come back.
Best of luck.
Any tips or suggestions on how I can buy a tmobile note 3? How can I be sure it's a good esn/imei without it being reported stolen from tmobile?
Sent from my C6602
snoopycr said:
Any tips or suggestions on how I can buy a tmobile note 3? How can I be sure it's a good esn/imei without it being reported stolen from tmobile?
Sent from my C6602
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My best advice would be to ask the seller if he/ she would be willing to meet at a T-mobile location to make sure the handset is legitimate. Tell the seller a friend or relative of yours was ripped off in the past and you just want to make sure. Best of luck to you friend.
sent from my note 3
Meet in a Tmobile store and have the seller have the tmobile rep look at their account and verify the phone is not on an equipment installment plan and the imei is not reported as lost or stolen. Also get a signed recepiet (with both parties printed name and the description of the item sold)from the seller stating they sold you the phone. There are many stories where a phone is reported lost or stolen after the sale and after the imei was checked to be in good standing.
Sent from my SM-N900T using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
If meeting at a store isn't possible you can call T-Mobile and have them switch it over to you over the phone while standing there with the guy before any money exchanges hands.
Shouldnt there be less problems with this now? I mean, even if someone cancels, they are charged the remaining value on the phone, right? So none of these phones should be blacklisted at all, ever. I mean, they cant make you pay if you leave and still blacklist the phone. Even if u never pay the final bill, if its even on your credit report, you're responsible for it. Is my train of thought here wrong?
tony yayo said:
Shouldnt there be less problems with this now? I mean, even if someone cancels, they are charged the remaining value on the phone, right? So none of these phones should be blacklisted at all, ever. I mean, they cant make you pay if you leave and still blacklist the phone. Even if u never pay the final bill, if its even on your credit report, you're responsible for it. Is my train of thought here wrong?
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Tmo will block the phone until the bill is paid in full. So if they never pay the bill with the phone balance due the phone bought will not work. And now tmo and att share a blcklist so cant use it on att network either. Also as stated even after the sale some people report the phone as lost or stolen and claim a warranty on it making the phone sold useless.
Sent from my SM-N900T using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
blakkheartt12 said:
Tmo will block the phone until the bill is paid in full. So if they never pay the bill with the phone balance due the phone bought will not work. And now tmo and att share a blcklist so cant use it on att network either. Also as stated even after the sale some people report the phone as lost or stolen and claim a warranty on it making the phone sold useless.
Sent from my SM-N900T using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
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What happens when the bill goes to collections? Tmo gets paid by the collection agency but when the collectors get paid will they unblock the phone?
Besides, if they were to report it stolen 2 months later, who would believe you would wait 2 months to report a stolen $700 phone?
tony yayo said:
What happens when the bill goes to collections? Tmo gets paid by the collection agency but when the collectors get paid will they unblock the phone?
Besides, if they were to report it stolen 2 months later, who would believe you would wait 2 months to report a stolen $700 phone?
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Apparently people do. Just search on xda for phone stop working or phone doesnt get service after working for a few months (there were a lot of threads like that in the tmo note 2 forum). Many said tmo wont unblock it until the original owner pays it off. They wont even allow you to pay it off if you wanted to. So its better to have all the evidence as possible that the phone was sold to you.
Sent from my SM-N900T using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
I personally wouldn't buy new T-Mo phone on craigslist nowa days, and I would be super careful and do due diligence when purchasing on eBay. Even eBay is subject to these issues, just look at how many people are selling Note 3(s) on eBay that are listed as having bad IMEI(s). Why do you think that is? People are are doing multiple different scams and such that involve the IMEI getting blacklisted after a while.
One involves people selling the phones and then not paying their bill after it was purchased on a payment plan. Once they don't pay their bill they blacklist the IMEI. The ONLY way to unblacklist the IMEI is for the original purchaser to pay their payment plan bill. Even if you legitimately purchased the phone they will not unblock it for you. I know of more then one person that has tried to resolve this with ZERO success. Going to a T-Mobile store to do the transaction will not help in this situation because often the account is not in a negative standing yet and doesn't happen till a later date. The only thing a T-Mobile store can help with is identifying if the phone is stolen or not, which doesn't help with these latest scams.
The only way to avoid this is to 100% make sure that the phone you purchased was paid for in full at full price and not on a payment plan. Even then I have heard of sellers providing photoshopped receipts to buyers only to get their phones blacklisted months or weeks later because the phones were not really paid off. One might think that eBay is safer from a seller that has feedback but no not really. Often by the time you get blacklisted you cannot leave bad feedback or file a dispute. However with that said, most card companies (VISA, MC, ETC) allow you to do a chargeback within six months of a purchase if its some type of fraud that happened as a result.
The other way involves a more scammy way that I will not explain, with again the outcome being a blacklisted phone that the 2nd purchaser cannot resolve. However these are happening all over the place and there's not a sure fire way to avoid it. The best way to avoid this is to simply buy a phone directly from a authorized seller like T-Mo, or to trust your buyer 100%.
Just saying.
There is no way to be 100% sure that a T-Mobile phone is a safe bet, unless it is coming from someone you trust.
Even if you go to a store with the seller and verify that the phone is fully paid for, they still have 30 days from the incident date to report it stolen or lost if they have insurance or JUMP! Yes it is fraud, but it is almost impossible to combat. Police will record your incident and file it, but will not actively pursue a situation such as this in most cases. T-Mobile will suggest that you contact your local police and will not do anything to help you.
Another note: If you call or go into a store and ask them to check the IMEI number, they can't give you information regarding financing unless the phone is being financed under your name or a authorized account manager. You will need the phone seller to go in to the store to verify this information for you.
I'm sure there are plenty of people out there trying to sell their TMO phones honestly, but do you want to take a high percentage chance that you are being ripped off? That percentage rises if the phone is brand new selling at a huge discount. EX. Craigslist in my city shows a guy selling 4 TMO Note 3's brand new for 550.00 each. I can almost guarantee that those phones will be blacklisted sooner or later.
buy it on swappa
There is a certain amount of risk involved. It all depends on how good of a deal you get. I've bought quite a few phones from CL then sold later on Ebay. Right now I'm using a Note 3 bought on CL for $400. I could sell it with a bad IMEI on Ebay and still make a good profit. I always disclose in my auction that the phone has been verified as clean at the time of sale but that could change in the future since I don't know the history of the phone. it doesn't seem to stop people from buying the phones.
Just last weekend I found a great deal on a S4 international version, or so I thought. After getting home and messing with it I found out it was a fake! The owner never answered my calls or texts, go figure. I was able to sell it on Ebay fully disclosed as a fake and only take about a $40 hit. If you're going to use CL you better be willing to take some risk.
Also my research leads me to belive that Tmo and att do not SHARE blacklist info for phones that the bill is not paid on, only units reported lost or stolen. Nobody had been able to prove to me they do. Since I use Straight Talk with att sim card that eliminates some risk of my phone becoming blacklisted. In my mind anyhow it makes me feel better!
Sent from my SM-N900T using xda app-developers app
snoopycr said:
Any tips or suggestions on how I can buy a tmobile note 3? How can I be sure it's a good esn/imei without it being reported stolen from tmobile?
Sent from my C6602
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Best way to buy it is to PRESUME the phone you are buying is ALREADY blacklisted. Next is to buy it at the lowest price you think it fair. For example, I bought a Note 3 T-Mobile from craighstlist for 525. The guy said it had a clean IMEI but I was skeptical of it but since it was at 525, I could not have cared less since I was planning on using it with AT&T. I later unlocked it using RegionLock Away and everything is SMOOTH. Love the phone.
i wouldnt trust craigslist.. i had bought a phone on it that i thought worked. when i came home it bricked.
Just thought I'd share my craigslist experience this morning. I wanted to post a screenshot but cannot for some reason so copy and pastiing.
Me: you still got the note 4 for sale?
Him: yes
Me: Can you provide a reciept to show that its fulky paid for and a bill of sale with your name and id number? I'm just trying to avoid insurance scammers.
Him: It's not fully paid off. I just got the phone because it came with the line which is all i needed at no additional cost to me.
Him: But I'm not eligible for insurance because I've used my two for the year up already.
Me: Well if you're selling a phone that isn't fully paid off tmobile will block it when you stop making payments. Which makes the phine useless and you're trying to sell it is fraud.
Me: lol good luck man
Him: Umm your wrong
Him: but ok
Funny how his insurance is already used up, i wonder what became of those phones hmmm. So I would encourage anybody buying off craigslist to ask the same questions i did. They're are some genuine sellers i buy and sell from Craigslist all the time.
Make sure the box is a genuine t-mobile box the phone will set in a recessed form fitted area and not just on top of flat paper.
Hi guys,
Bought a used gs4 off Craig's with box and all. I'm wanting to know is there anything I can do to it so that the imei can not be blocked later on down the road for non payment by old owner. I have a feeling he bought the phone by financing it. Would my services be cut if he doesn't pay his bill even though it's on my account now?
4ringsa6 said:
Hi guys,
Bought a used gs4 off Craig's with box and all. I'm wanting to know is there anything I can do to it so that the imei can not be blocked later on down the road for non payment by old owner. I have a feeling he bought the phone by financing it. Would my services be cut if he doesn't pay his bill even though it's on my account now?
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Yes. He can call and say it is stolen and it is game over for you. Might want to keep all proof of transaction.
Sent from my SGH-M919 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
I don't think he'd call it in stolen as much as I think he will stop paying his bill LOL.
Sent from my Nexus quattro
Yeah that's the latest scam on CL. They buy phone, sell it and don't make payment. The first payment sometime is not due till a month maybe month and half later so phone will be good till then. If that's the case imei will be black listed, game over!
☞ Sent from here☜???
I HAD THIS EXACT THING HAPPEN TO ME. The phone was working for two weeks before it was blocked, which also screwed up the sim.
If this ends up happening to you, send me a PM and I will give you the info of a shop that does cheap/quick IMEI repairs. 35$ plus shipping and I had a working phone 6 days later. Even the sticker under the battery shows the correct IMEI. I believe the place gets broken phones for cheap and swaps the motherboard.
They usually call it in as stolen it is safer, if you stop payment it will mess up your credit but calling it in stolen will release the original owner from making payments, both scenarios are bad for you, the service will be blocked by T-Mobile. If you want to buy it cheap try buying one from a (Top Rated Plus Seller) on eBay with at least over 1000 feedback, I always do and never had a problem.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Samsung-Gal...1236617323?pt=Cell_Phones&hash=item1c3a43f86b
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Samsung-Gal...1172040046?pt=Cell_Phones&hash=item25869a296e
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