purchased locked phone. - Sprint Samsung Galaxy S6

So my girlfriend just purchased an S6 (sprint) and when she took it to the store to have it activated they couldn't do it because it was "locked"...some kind of carrier lock I'm assuming.. Like they owed sprint money or something? Obviously if it was a normal security lock than we could just do a factory reset but apparently that won't work.
So.. Anyone know anything about this and a way around it? I'm a Verizon user and have never heard of this kind of problem. Thanks for any help in advance.

topshot17 said:
So my girlfriend just purchased an S6 (sprint) and when she took it to the store to have it activated they couldn't do it because it was "locked"...some kind of carrier lock I'm assuming.. Like they owed sprint money or something? Obviously if it was a normal security lock than we could just do a factory reset but apparently that won't work.
So.. Anyone know anything about this and a way around it? I'm a Verizon user and have never heard of this kind of problem. Thanks for any help in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All carriers, including Verizon, have a carrier BLOCK not lock. A carrier lock means the device is locked to that carrier. What exactly did Sprint say? If the phone is blacklisted, which you can check on any ESN checker online, then it will never work on Sprint.
Where did she buy the phone at?

elesbb said:
All carriers, including Verizon, have a carrier BLOCK not lock. A carrier lock means the device is locked to that carrier. What exactly did Sprint say? If the phone is blacklisted, which you can check on any ESN checker online, then it will never work on Sprint.
Where did she buy the phone at?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm unsure what they told her exactly, besides that they can't activate it. Now what is the point of a carrier block? She got the phone off Craigslist.

topshot17 said:
I'm unsure what they told her exactly, besides that they can't activate it. Now what is the point of a carrier block? She got the phone off Craigslist.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup. Its definitely carrier blocked. NEVER buy cell phones from Craigslist without first checking the ESN from Sprint directly. You are better off selling the device on eBay FOR PARTS.
The point of a carrier block is so people who steal, or fail to pay off their device, can not use it anymore, and thus rip off good people on craigslist and eBay.

elesbb said:
Yup. Its definitely carrier blocked. NEVER buy cell phones from Craigslist without first checking the ESN from Sprint directly. You are better off selling the device on eBay FOR PARTS.
The point of a carrier block is so people who steal, or fail to pay off their device, can not use it anymore, and thus rip off good people on craigslist and eBay.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Joy. Problem with this phone is that it has a none removal back.. Can't look under the battery.. Can't get into the phone to check the ESN either without the previous owners Gmail account information.

topshot17 said:
Joy. Problem with this phone is that it has a none removal back.. Can't look under the battery.. Can't get into the phone to check the ESN either without the previous owners Gmail account information.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That I believe is an FRP lock.. Totally different from a carrier block. But if you go into download mode, you can press the home key to view IMEI. But FRP lock, which is what you just described, can be bypassed.
Check out this video and follow it to a T. You may need to improvise do to different android versions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJ8_qbj1DPQ
Hope it helps! If its just FRP locked, and not carrier blocked, then you should be okay to get it activated.

elesbb said:
That I believe is an FRP lock.. Totally different from a carrier block. But if you go into download mode, you can press the home key to view IMEI. But FRP lock, which is what you just described, can be bypassed.
Check out this video and follow it to a T. You may need to improvise do to different android versions.
Hope it helps! If its just FRP locked, and not carrier blocked, then you should be okay to get it activated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you, I'll check into it.

Saafir said:
The numbers for the device is located on the back panel, at the bottom.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ahh it is.. So the phone did have an FRP lock on it but that was an easy fix.. But unfortunately it also has a carrier block due to an unpaid balance. Thanks for everyone's help.

topshot17 said:
Ahh it is.. So the phone did have an FRP lock on it but that was an easy fix.. But unfortunately it also has a carrier block due to an unpaid balance. Thanks for everyone's help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
can't you contact the person who sold it to you? threatening to bring the police in might scare them into giving you a refund. If the phone had a FRP lock and its flagged, then im pretty sure the phone was stolen.

The Android Attorney said:
can't you contact the person who sold it to you? threatening to bring the police in might scare them into giving you a refund. If the phone had a FRP lock and its flagged, then im pretty sure the phone was stolen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah It more than likely was. It's pretty much a dead end.. My gf payed for it but her brother met the person somewhere for pickup.. Only contact information is an email address which they haven't responded too after the sale. Apparently the phone was dead when he picked it up. I personally would have put it on my car charger and powered it on before paying for it.. And got more information.. But oh well.. Now she knows to be more cautious and I'll probably handle any future used phone purchases for her.

Saafir said:
Shady stuff man. I hope you have better luck with Craigslist in the future. I try to steer clear of them, sort of like Ebay. You could always inquire on what the remaining balance is. If it's something stupid like $48, I would just pay it off.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha yeah somehow I doubt it'll be anything under a few hundred.. Think I'll call and check just got kicks though.

topshot17 said:
Yeah It more than likely was. It's pretty much a dead end.. My gf payed for it but her brother met the person somewhere for pickup.. Only contact information is an email address which they haven't responded too after the sale. Apparently the phone was dead when he picked it up. I personally would have put it on my car charger and powered it on before paying for it.. And got more information.. But oh well.. Now she knows to be more cautious and I'll probably handle any future used phone purchases for her.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Who buys a used cellphone without even physically checking it ?? I mean seriously ?...next time when buying atleast have a number of the seller and complete info of what u are buying atleast
Sent from my LG-H815 using XDA-Developers mobile app

Related

Bad imei/esn on the new AT&T S3 I just bought! ???

Is there a way to unblock these back to the original carrier yet?
paulmagglios said:
Is there a way to unblock these back to the original carrier yet?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unblock what? Does the imei read 0? Is the phone rooted or modified in any way?
paulmagglios said:
Is there a way to unblock these back to the original carrier yet?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where did you buy it?
Sounds to me like you are black listed. If so then you can probably do it if your name was the first attached to that phone and reported the ESN. Upon that failing, you can try to bribe someone to clear your ESN. What I have noticed is that there are a lot of bad ESN phones being sold to Canada, as it seems the checks are not compatible and could work up here. Aside from those options, it seems you have a bad phone.
BCSC said:
Sounds to me like you are black listed. If so then you can probably do it if your name was the first attached to that phone and reported the ESN. Upon that failing, you can try to bribe someone to clear your ESN. What I have noticed is that there are a lot of bad ESN phones being sold to Canada, as it seems the checks are not compatible and could work up here. Aside from those options, it seems you have a bad phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, it was a craigslist buy
Also I've heard about the options to sell overseas and to canadians, but would like to use the phone here in the States if at all possible.
So these craigslist and ebay ads about being able to 'fix' the imei back to the original carrier are false?
paulmagglios said:
Yeah, it was a craigslist buy
Also I've heard about the options to sell overseas and to canadians, but would like to use the phone here in the States if at all possible.
So these craigslist and ebay ads about being able to 'fix' the imei back to the original carrier are false?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My understanding is that bad IMEI or ESN is due to the phone being reported lost or stolen. I'm assuming here, but i'd be pretty confident in saying that the original owner would have to contact the original carrier to clear the block. Otherwise anyone could steal and un block ESN. On the other hand, the people offering this service may work for whatever agency or carrier deals with blocking ESNs. Here is an Ebay ad I've found for ATT. Seems kind of legit, but is definitely risky to give someone remote control of your phone in order to swap the IMEI number. Up to you entirely though. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bad-IMEI-ES...217?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cd6ca26e9.
Thread closed before imei swapping ideas are presented as that is illegal in some countries and not allowed on XDA.

Blocked phone

Hi
A friend in work gave me his HTC one X to practice on as he damaged it and claimed on the insurance, because of this, the phone was blocked. Is there a way of unblocking this? Not concerned if it has to be rooted, as I can read up from here and do that.
If not, then I'll just use it for spares .
It's a UK phone (if that makes a difference)
Thanks
Thought id give this a bump and see if anyone has an idea about this?
Thanks
Dibbley247 said:
Thought id give this a bump and see if anyone has an idea about this?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds like the imei has been blocked by the carrier. The only way to get it unblocked is if your friend contacts the carrier, which he probably won't because he would most likely be done for insurance fraud as he has claimed a new phone.
paulh1978 said:
Sounds like the imei has been blocked by the carrier. The only way to get it unblocked is if your friend contacts the carrier, which he probably won't because he would most likely be done for insurance fraud as he has claimed a new phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah ok, it was faulty, but i managed to revive it again, oh well, something ican practice seperating the glass on then i suppose!
Thanks

N900T Blacklist

Hi, I own Note 3 N900T bought from T-Mobile US and I'm using it in Macedonia with Chainfire's RegionLock Away App on Android 4.3. And now I want to update to Lollipop and do a factory reset but I checked my IMEI and it's Blacklisted. My question is can I unlock my phone with unlock code in Macedonia if I do a factory reset or I need to activate with T-Mobile SIM card?
Thanks in advance
Blacklisted IMEI.... ouch.
Yeah, you will need to have it unlocked somehow. I'm not sure if T-Mobile will do this for you, however. Give them a call.
Also, I thought that blacklisted IMEI's were only devices that people hadn't paid off, or something along those lines. You did in fact buy the device directly from T-Mobile? How long have you owned it now? Did you pay it off?
I only ask for the sake of connecting the pieces here to try and give you the appropriate advice.
411y0ur8453 said:
Blacklisted IMEI.... ouch.
Yeah, you will need to have it unlocked somehow. I'm not sure if T-Mobile will do this for you, however. Give them a call.
Also, I thought that blacklisted IMEI's were only devices that people hadn't paid off, or something along those lines. You did in fact buy the device directly from T-Mobile? How long have you owned it now? Did you pay it off?
I only ask for the sake of connecting the pieces here to try and give you the appropriate advice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought it from a guy in the US and maybe he is not paying the bills there, I don't know. I will buy the unlock code from ebay but I don't know if I can insert it after factory reset. Do I need to activate the phone after factory reset?
stavrov said:
I bought it from a guy in the US and maybe he is not paying the bills there, I don't know. I will buy the unlock code from ebay but I don't know if I can insert it after factory reset. Do I need to activate the phone after factory reset?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly man, this really sucks. It sounds like he ripped you off.
T-Mobile blacklists IMEI's that are associated with an unpaid balance on a device. They do this to prevent people from getting a discounted phone, then taking it somewhere else.
You will need to call T-Mobile and talk to them about it. Not good. Usually they don't "unlist" them after they have been flagged.
411y0ur8453 said:
Honestly man, this really sucks. It sounds like he ripped you off.
T-Mobile blacklists IMEI's that are associated with an unpaid balance on a device. They do this to prevent people from getting a discounted phone, then taking it somewhere else.
You will need to call T-Mobile and talk to them about it. Not good. Usually they don't "unlist" them after they have been flagged.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As I heard you cannot use the phone in the US but you can use it in other countries, but I'm not sure. And now I don't know if I should perform a factory reset, if I need to activate the phone in the US (or with T-Mobile SIM card) I will end up with unusable phone.
stavrov said:
As I heard you cannot use the phone in the US but you can use it in other countries, but I'm not sure. And now I don't know if I should perform a factory reset, if I need to activate the phone in the US (or with T-Mobile SIM card) I will end up with unusable phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're confusing a Carrier lock with a Region lock. There is no region lock on the N900T, just carrier lock. You can purchase an unlock code from some place like cellunlocker.net and follow their instructions to unlock and use it with any carrier's sim.
toastido said:
You're confusing a Carrier lock with a Region lock. There is no region lock on the N900T, just carrier lock. You can purchase an unlock code from some place like cellunlocker.net and follow their instructions to unlock and use it with any carrier's sim.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So if I purchase an unlock code I can use the phone in my country?
stavrov said:
So if I purchase an unlock code I can use the phone in my country?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You should be able to, yes. There is no region lock, only Carrier/SIM lock, so an unlock code should allow it to operate anywhere, and it would be a permanent unlock, so you can factory reset even and not worry about it getting re-locked to tmo usa.
The region lock away app seems to also remove the sim lock, so I don't think you'll need an unlock code...
toastido said:
You should be able to, yes. There is no region lock, only Carrier/SIM lock, so an unlock code should allow it to operate anywhere, and it would be a permanent unlock, so you can factory reset even and not worry about it getting re-locked to tmo usa.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would say this is bad advice.
Why would you purchase anything without first giving them a call and finding out what is going on. IMEI stands for... ready....
INTERNATIONAL mobile equipment identity... not carrier specific. If T-Mobile flags a GSM device for "theft", as in, somebody not paying it off, it is essentially the property of T-Mobile's, and I promise you they have gone through the hoops to protect themselves from a product sales perspective.
It would be simple to give them a call. You should do it, and not spend any more of your money until A) You know why it was blacklisted, B) Know whether or not T-Mobile can fix this problem for you (maybe it was a mistake, but I doubt it), C) You call that idiot back that sold you the phone and find out why he sold you a device that was blacklisted (he knew).
That's all I really can say about it. And I hate to say it, but I think you are going to be SOL man. Sorry.
411y0ur8453 said:
I would say this is bad advice.
Why would you purchase anything without first giving them a call and finding out what is going on. IMEI stands for... ready....
INTERNATIONAL mobile equipment identity... not carrier specific. If T-Mobile flags a GSM device for "theft", as in, somebody not paying it off, it is essentially the property of T-Mobile's, and I promise you they have gone through the hoops to protect themselves from a product sales perspective.
It would be simple to give them a call. You should do it, and not spend any more of your money until A) You know why it was blacklisted, B) Know whether or not T-Mobile can fix this problem for you (maybe it was a mistake, but I doubt it), C) You call that idiot back that sold you the phone and find out why he sold you a device that was blacklisted (he knew).
That's all I really can say about it. And I hate to say it, but I think you are going to be SOL man. Sorry.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, it's not bad advice
It's a widely known FACT that tmo USA and AT&T, who share blacklists) ONLY blacklist within the USA.
OP it's up to you, but based on others experiences (Google is your friend) and KNOWN FACTS, you should be fine
toastido said:
No, it's not bad advice
It's a widely known FACT that tmo USA and AT&T, who share blacklists) ONLY blacklist within the USA.
OP it's up to you, but based on others experiences (Google is your friend) and KNOWN FACTS, you should be fine
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would assume that if they had blocked an IMEI, it would be borked indefinitely. If not, good for you OP.
If you have heard of somebody having a blocked IMEI, toastido, and then taking a device to another country and successfully using it, then there is hope for him.
stavrov said:
Hi, I own Note 3 N900T bought from T-Mobile US and I'm using it in Macedonia with Chainfire's RegionLock Away App on Android 4.3. And now I want to update to Lollipop and do a factory reset but I checked my IMEI and it's Blacklisted. My question is can I unlock my phone with unlock code in Macedonia if I do a factory reset or I need to activate with T-Mobile SIM card?
Thanks in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the chainfire region lock away only works on 4.3... so if you update the phone to Lollipop or any other 4.4, I do believe it won't work for you anymore....
if you get the sim unlock from ebay or anyone else, you can use it anywhere except Tmobile USA...
I do not think tmobile cares enough to feel sorry that you got ripped off, but sometimes, only sometimes, I heard they have pardon 1 or 2 people..
411y0ur8453 said:
I would assume that if they had blocked an IMEI, it would be borked indefinitely. If not, good for you OP.
If you have heard of somebody having a blocked IMEI, toastido, and then taking a device to another country and successfully using it, then there is hope for him.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If it's blocked in the USA, then they are borked in the USA indefinitely, but fine outside of it. Now I can't speak for the European Union or Asia, but unless they have been blacklisted in the region they're trying to use it, should be good to go once it's unlocked - add long as its outside the us of a.
In Macedonia they can unlock it for you some small shops not Tmobile stores, it's like $10 and try One the carrier, you got nothing to loose, i srekno. IMEI is only blocked in USA.
Sent from my SM-N900T using XDA Free mobile app

Need help with Verizon Galaxy Note 10+ temporary lock.

Hi everyone,
I've got smashed Galaxy Note 10+ from eBay, fixed it and found out that it has a kind of carrier change temporary lock. IMEI is clean, not blacklisted or anything. Technically the phone is unlocked and it fully works with my non-US carrier SIM card for around 5 min or so. But after that a ridiculous nonsense message about carrier change pops up and the phone becomes blocked. It looks like the phone is connecting by itself with Verizon servers, they detect other carrier SIM card and block GSM functionality. I flashed international U1 firmware already but it didn't help. Verizon tells some 60 day activation cap - the phone will be unlocked automatically after 60 days since Verizon account activation. Is there any way to fix it / block the phone from communicating with Verizon? I have no idea how long should I wait since the phone was wiped before sale.
Thanks in advance.
Sounds like the seller might have received an insurance replacement due to the damage. Maybe the phone is blocked by Verizon because it should have been disposed of and/or should no longer be used in their network. Just a guess.
Sent from my SM-N975U using Tapatalk
burrzoo said:
Sounds like the seller might have received an insurance replacement due to the damage. Maybe the phone is blocked by Verizon because it should have been disposed of and/or should no longer be used in their network. Just a guess.
Sent from my SM-N975U using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The phone is not going to be used in the USA. Again, it works for few minutes. It's not blocked straightaway.
WarVic said:
The phone is not going to be used in the USA. Again, it works for few minutes. It's not blocked straightaway.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's just the way the network lock works.....you'll need to wait the 60 days...(probably closer to 30 now...but no way to know)
If you can't wait there are paid solutions that you can use... cell unlocking services.
No amount of firmware changing etc will have an effect on the network lock.....sorry.
Also i disagree with the other poster....sounds like you confirmed its not blacklisted....what you're experiencing is the typical network lock behavior.....pay or wait it out.
Btw any before and after pics?
What did you pay for smashed device? How much spent repairing?
Sent from my [device_name] using XDA-Developers Legacy app
louforgiveno said:
That's just the way the network lock works.....you'll need to wait the 60 days...(probably closer to 30 now...but no way to know)
If you can't wait there are paid solutions that you can use... cell unlocking services.
No amount of firmware changing etc will have an effect on the network lock.....sorry.
Also i disagree with the other poster....sounds like you confirmed its not blacklisted....what you're experiencing is the typical network lock behavior.....pay or wait it out.
Btw any before and after pics?
What did you pay for smashed device? How much spent repairing?
Sent from my [device_name] using XDA-Developers Legacy app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I paid US$230 for smashed device, $320 for screen assembly with housing, $15 for back glass cover (haven't receive it yet), $40 for S-pen. Screen assembly is original despite being bought from AliExpress. It looks like brand new now. Just waiting for back cover and unlock.
Yikes! That thing got brutalized
Not a bad deal....too bad the damn screen assemblies cost so much!
Thanks for the info.
Sent from my [device_name] using XDA-Developers Legacy app
louforgiveno said:
Yikes! That thing got brutalized
Not a bad deal....too bad the damn screen assemblies cost so much!
Thanks for the info.
Sent from my [device_name] using XDA-Developers Legacy app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is why I like and dislike Samsung Galaxy flagships. Screen is always damn expensive but the possibility to fix completely smashed device is very high. Actually I repaired few Galaxies in much worse condition than that. At the same time, recently I had an iPhone XS Max with relatively light screen damage and was unable to repair it due to face ID failure (logic board fault). Cheers!
WarVic said:
This is why I like and dislike Samsung Galaxy flagships. Screen is always damn expensive but the possibility to fix completely smashed device is very high. Actually I repaired few Galaxies in much worse condition than that. At the same time, recently I had an iPhone XS Max with relatively light screen damage and was unable to repair it due to face ID failure (logic board fault). Cheers!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
not bad for such an amazing screen
WarVic said:
Hi everyone,
I've got smashed Galaxy Note 10+ from eBay, fixed it and found out that it has a kind of carrier change temporary lock. IMEI is clean, not blacklisted or anything. Technically the phone is unlocked and it fully works with my non-US carrier SIM card for around 5 min or so. But after that a ridiculous nonsense message about carrier change pops up and the phone becomes blocked. It looks like the phone is connecting by itself with Verizon servers, they detect other carrier SIM card and block GSM functionality. I flashed international U1 firmware already but it didn't help. Verizon tells some 60 day activation cap - the phone will be unlocked automatically after 60 days since Verizon account activation. Is there any way to fix it / block the phone from communicating with Verizon? I have no idea how long should I wait since the phone was wiped before sale.
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you call Verizon? Give them IMEI and they should be able to tell you what's up
oneandroidnut said:
Did you call Verizon? Give them IMEI and they should be able to tell you what's up
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I live 13000km away from USA so the call to Verizon could be not cheap. I had an online chat with them via Messenger and they asked me my Verizon account details to answer my question. Obviously I don't have them. From now I'm looking for not crazy expensive unlock service.
oneandroidnut said:
Did you call Verizon? Give them IMEI and they should be able to tell you what's up
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just had one more conversation with Verizon. It seems that they're bloody dickheads! They claim the Verizon does not lock phones which is pure lie. And their temporary carrier lock system is a bloody mess. They're unable to manage it at all!!! Just look at my conversation history with Verizon support:
"We greatly appreciate this (IMEI) information, Victor. After further review, we do show that this IMEI is not currently showing a carrier lock to our network....
I know this is confusing and that you just want to get full use out of that phone. While we don't lock any locks on the phone, it is true that takes 60 days from sale of the phone for a phone to be unlocked. We would suggest that you get in contact with the seller of this phone and instruct them to get in contact with Verizon or alternately, reach out to the selling platform you used and your local carrier. Keep in mind also that Verizon sold phones are not guaranteed to work with other carriers. We would not be able to provide any further support beyond this. I hope this helps clarify and if you have any additional concerns, we are happy to help out. "
WarVic said:
Just had one more conversation with Verizon. It seems that they're bloody dickheads! They claim the Verizon does not lock phones which is pure lie. And their temporary carrier lock system is a bloody mess. They're unable to manage it at all!!! Just look at my conversation history with Verizon support:
"We greatly appreciate this (IMEI) information, Victor. After further review, we do show that this IMEI is not currently showing a carrier lock to our network....
I know this is confusing and that you just want to get full use out of that phone. While we don't lock any locks on the phone, it is true that takes 60 days from sale of the phone for a phone to be unlocked. We would suggest that you get in contact with the seller of this phone and instruct them to get in contact with Verizon or alternately, reach out to the selling platform you used and your local carrier. Keep in mind also that Verizon sold phones are not guaranteed to work with other carriers. We would not be able to provide any further support beyond this. I hope this helps clarify and if you have any additional concerns, we are happy to help out. "
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is the phone a verizon branded one? what is the model #?
oneandroidnut said:
Is the phone a verizon branded one? what is the model #?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, it's just a standard SM-N975U, not a Verizon branded one. Actually I was able to easily flash it into unlocked N975U1 version. But still that damn Carrier change message pops up and blocks GSM capability.
WarVic said:
No, it's just a standard SM-N975U, not a Verizon branded one. Actually I was able to easily flash it into unlocked N975U1 version. But still that damn Carrier change message pops up and blocks GSM capability.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
because its a carrier variant and is sim locked
elliwigy said:
because its a carrier variant and is sim locked
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As I sad earlier, I had a chat with Verizon twice regarding this phone. They checked it by IMEI and told me that it is NOT SIM locked. This is the only useful piece of info I've got from them. Despite of that, they were unable to help me with that Carrier Change issue sending me to original owner / Verizon account holder of this phone. So it's not a carrier variant and not sim locked.
WarVic said:
As I sad earlier, I had a chat with Verizon twice regarding this phone. They checked it by IMEI and told me that it is NOT SIM locked. This is the only useful piece of info I've got from them. Despite of that, they were unable to help me with that Carrier Change issue sending me to original owner / Verizon account holder of this phone. So it's not a carrier variant and not sim locked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i think ur confused lol... if it was originally sold by verizon then it is a Verizon Variant..
and clearly you are sim locked as thats the exact message ypu get when its sim locked as well as you dont get service with the other carrier..
based on what u posted whoever you talked to has no idea what theyre talking about especially if theyre telling you they dont lock phones which meansthey also didnt even bother to look up their own policy for it and instead just made stuff up off the top of their head..
but hey, dont take my word for it.. it wont work as u need tho until vzw unlocks it or u pay for a service to unlock it.
Sent from my SM-N976V using Tapatalk
elliwigy said:
i think ur confused lol... if it was originally sold by verizon then it is a Verizon Variant..
and clearly you are sim locked as thats the exact message ypu get when its sim locked as well as you dont get service with the other carrier..
based on what u posted whoever you talked to has no idea what theyre talking about especially if theyre telling you they dont lock phones which meansthey also didnt even bother to look up their own policy for it and instead just made stuff up off the top of their head..
but hey, dont take my word for it.. it wont work as u need tho until vzw unlocks it our u pay for a service to unlock it.
Sent from my SM-N976V using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I'm confused indeed. Confused by Verizon which says one thing but does other. They clearly said that "we don't lock our phones" but apparently they do it! Bloody bastards!
Did you manage to unlock the device?
WarVic said:
Yes, I'm confused indeed. Confused by Verizon which says one thing but does other. They clearly said that "we don't lock our phones" but apparently they do it! Bloody bastards!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you manage to unlock it?
Tarar said:
Did you manage to unlock it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, I sold it. As I can see there is no unlocking solution right now. No hope that it will be available any time soon.

Please help me fix this paperweight!!

Hi all!! Please be gentle, I'm new to all of this awesomeness. So I have a note 10+, it was given to me because they couldn't get it to work. Idk what they did to it, but they really did a number on it!! The model number on the back says sm-n9700, in the about phone stuff it says sm-n9750. I'm pretty positive the imei has been changed as well as the serial number. it's locked to tmobile I assume since that's the carrier that shows when powering on. HELP!!
badgett77 said:
Hi all!! Please be gentle, I'm new to all of this awesomeness. So I have a note 10+, it was given to me because they couldn't get it to work. Idk what they did to it, but they really did a number on it!! The model number on the back says sm-n9700, in the about phone stuff it says sm-n9750. I'm pretty positive the imei has been changed as well as the serial number. it's locked to tmobile I assume since that's the carrier that shows when powering on. HELP!!
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What shows up on the splash screen doesn't necessarily mean it's locked to the carrier. It would be if the phone was financed/leased... But I have other concerns based on what you said.
Personally I would strongly suggest you just give the phone back.
It's really nice that someone gave you the phone, but this has the "too good to be true" ring to it.. Especially if the model number is not correct, that would be a major red flag. At the same time if you think that the IMEI was changed then I would definitely give the phone back. Absolutely no reason would exist to change the IMEI other then the phone was blacklisted, financed, lost/stolen or a warranty return that wasn't returned.
scottusa2008 said:
What shows up on the splash screen doesn't necessarily mean it's locked to the carrier. It would be if the phone was financed/leased... But I have other concerns based on what you said.
Personally I would strongly suggest you just give the phone back.
It's really nice that someone gave you the phone, but this has the "too good to be true" ring to it.. Especially if the model number is not correct, that would be a major red flag. At the same time if you think that the IMEI was changed then I would definitely give the phone back. Absolutely no reason would exist to change the IMEI other then the phone was blacklisted, financed, lost/stolen or a warranty return that wasn't returned.
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kinda what I was thinking, but was hoping to get a different answer. Thanks though...
The only legal way is to pay the balance, just like that
maxpunj007 said:
i am having the same problem i bought it second hand and now phone is financial locked is ti possible to make it unlock.
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Only way is to pay company fully to unlock IMI of the phone. Nothing else going to work
Return it, buy from reliable source, easy
Well after digging deeper I have discovered that it's a freaking counterfeit (I guess that's what you'd call it). Oh well...that's my luck. But on the bright side I've managed to learn quite a bit, thanks to me being so determined, that otherwise I never would have educated myself on.
How do you change the IMEI of a phone?
I agree with the others though, give it back. If the person who gave it to you won't take it back, or is not around to take it back, and if you didn't pay any money for it, then recycle it.
Sent from my SM-T727V using Tapatalk
gernerttl said:
How do you change the IMEI of a phone?
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That is not something they allow discussions on here.
scottusa2008 said:
That is not something they allow discussions on here.
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Yeah, I figured as much. I was just curious. In my opinion, this thread smells a little sketchy.
gernerttl said:
How do you change the IMEI of a phone?
Sent from my SM-T727V using Tapatalk
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When someone asks for things like this, most surely the device is an illegal matter, what a shame with these guys
winol said:
When someone asks for things like this, most surely the device is an illegal matter, what a shame with these guys
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Yeah.
Sent from my SM-N976V using Tapatalk
winol said:
When someone asks for things like this, most surely the device is an illegal matter, what a shame with these guys
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I suppose these days with carriers opening their networks to other carrier's phones....
But in the past i did this a few times. Boost mobile for instance didn't have the device i decided i wanted, bought a used Boost branded phone and changed my chosen phone to that boost imei. Put the boost phone away (still have it).
I did this maybe 3 different times to 3 different phones on different carriers....was really the only way to have the device you wanted on the carrier you had......
Again, that was when carriers had too much power and most networks were all cdma....a dark time.
To be clear, i owned the phones/imei's outright.
I used to dream about the day we'd get gsm phones....the cellular world is much better now so no need for imei swaps (on legit devices)
Sent from my [device_name] using XDA-Developers Legacy app
louforgiveno said:
I suppose these days with carriers opening their networks to other carrier's phones....
But in the past i did this a few times. Boost mobile for instance didn't have the device i decided i wanted, bought a used Boost branded phone and changed my chosen phone to that boost imei. Put the boost phone away (still have it).
I did this maybe 3 different times to 3 different phones on different carriers....was really the only way to have the device you wanted on the carrier you had......
Again, that was when carriers had too much power and most networks were all cdma....a dark time.
To be clear, i owned the phones/imei's outright.
I used to dream about the day we'd get gsm phones....the cellular world is much better now so no need for imei swaps (on legit devices)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
imei changing/swapping is illegal in the US.. are u sure ur not talking about sim swapping lol..
i suppose if u owned the devices outright then y not.. but its still illegal.. devices have an imei for a number of reasons so manipulating that i can also understand why its illegal some places..
think of it like a car.. if u got a cheap pinto and take that license plate with the tags n all and swap it onto a sports car to avoid paying higher insurance or w.e then if u get caught u pay the price lol..
its an identifier.. for networks, global imei blacklists, financing etc. etc. its like an ssn for a phone lol.. ppl dont go changing their ssn when they feel like it lol..
i can see both sides but more so the carrier side since most ppl (not all) that r changing imeis are for nefarious reasons.
Exactly, imei changing is illegal, any way you look at it, it is illegal
Never suggested that it wasn't...and while i had my reasons back then, these days the only reason i would imagine someone doing it would be in the case of a "stolen" device. I don't condone that
Sent from my [device_name] using XDA-Developers Legacy app

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