Related
..
do you have phone insurance?
Oh duuuude...
you should definitely call t-mobile and tell them. they can lock the phone by tracking your IMEI or something, rendering the phone useless (that is, if the guy isn't a tech wizard). As for getting a new phone, if your insurance covers it, then you should ask them for one. I doubt it, though, because every time I wanted a replacement phone, I had to send them my old one.
they may not be able to locate your phone w/o the sim card in there. if you have the box with the imei or ssid number, that would be your best bet.
..
sure, by buying one...there is no way to get a replacement without insurance....and even with insurance you had to pay $130...
emonero said:
sure, by buying one...there is no way to get a replacement without insurance....and even with insurance you had to pay $130...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
oh wait, I thought it is free for getting a new one with insurance
climhazzard1993 said:
this sounds stupid but i was using my phone as an ipod for a month or so (it didnt have the sim card because my parents took it away cuz i got grounded) and some @!#$ stole it in the locker room.. sdfgjhas.. now what do i do? do i tell t-mobile my phone got stolen? or will i have to buy a new one?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First of all, you shouldn't use language like that, I'm reffering to F word you used. That word is derogatory, homophobic, and not appropriate.
Anyway, tell your parents, and notify the school.
If you have insurance, notify Assurion insurance (130 deductable).
climhazzard1993 said:
i dont have insurance.. so i guess im screwed? is there any way i can get a replacement?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Without insurance, if you came to my store or called CARE we would be able to see how long it's been since you purchased your Vibrant. You would probably get a very minor discount, if any. You're pretty much close to buying one outright so it's best not to use any kind of early upgrade unless it's a good deal.
As for blocking an IMEI, I don't know why people continue to suggest this. I have never been able to call in an get a phone blacklisted or blocked after it's been stolen. Maybe they just don't like me or I'm calling the wrong people.
Some ideas for your next Android. On our store demos we either install Lookout or SmrtGuard. Lookout seems to be the better of the two apps because you can remote activate GPS and track the phone. However, with SmrtGuard you can setup SIM Guardian that will register your SIM and when someone inserts another into the phone the phone will send a text to a number you assign or an e-mail. You can also track with GPS by this app.
Again, I've never been able to get T-Mobile to track a phone for a customer just because of theft. It has to be a serious crime with the police involved.
I'm sorry to heard about your lost phone and I hope you can get a replacement.
rjwisniewski said:
Without insurance, if you came to my store or called CARE we would be able to see how long it's been since you purchased your Vibrant. You would probably get a very minor discount, if any. You're pretty much close to buying one outright so it's best not to use any kind of early upgrade unless it's a good deal.
As for blocking an IMEI, I don't know why people continue to suggest this. I have never been able to call in an get a phone blacklisted or blocked after it's been stolen. Maybe they just don't like me or I'm calling the wrong people.
Some ideas for your next Android. On our store demos we either install Lookout or SmrtGuard. Lookout seems to be the better of the two apps because you can remote activate GPS and track the phone. However, with SmrtGuard you can setup SIM Guardian that will register your SIM and when someone inserts another into the phone the phone will send a text to a number you assign or an e-mail. You can also track with GPS by this app.
Again, I've never been able to get T-Mobile to track a phone for a customer just because of theft. It has to be a serious crime with the police involved.
I'm sorry to heard about your lost phone and I hope you can get a replacement.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
your right, T-Mobile won't blacklist an IMEI. I don't think any North America carrier will.
suchavibrantthang said:
they may not be able to locate your phone w/o the sim card in there. if you have the box with the imei or ssid number, that would be your best bet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
T-Mobile doesn't track phones without a court order, and u wont get that unless you were robbed beaten up and probably almost killed.
Its the thieves phone now welcome to GSM.
130 deductible to get a replacement. Call assurion for that.
Happened to me, BTW. You're sol and nothing anyone else says here that is different has a chance of being true.
Tell assurion u lost it, cause for stolen phone they require a police report (no the cops will not try to find ur phone, either)...
Cdma carriers block esn. GSM carriers make more money. With phones being easily factory resettable you have to tether yourself to a GSM phone to avoid getting pwnd.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
climhazzard1993 said:
i dont have insurance.. so i guess im screwed? is there any way i can get a replacement?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LOL. Oh, no insurance. Guessed saving six a month paid off eh?
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Homophobic?
Rotfl... seriously just stop. Nothing derogatory about using that term to refer to a thief...
SamsungVibrant said:
First of all, you shouldn't use language like that, I'm reffering to F word you used. That word is derogatory, homophobic, and not appropriate.
Anyway, tell your parents, and notify the school.
If you have insurance, notify Assurion insurance (130 deductable).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Ur SOL son. Next time watch ur stuff more closely. FYI there an app called Kor.im phone locator that will send u an email if ur another sim card is put into u r phone. The email will contain the new sim cards serial number which will help track down who has ur phone. That is if they don't reset the phone, erasing the app in the process.
Sent from THE Vibrant......
Criminals return to the scene of the crime. Let him steal something traceable. lol
sarge363 said:
Ur SOL son. Next time watch ur stuff more closely. FYI there an app called Kor.im phone locator that will send u an email if ur another sim card is put into u r phone. The email will contain the new sim cards serial number which will help track down who has ur phone. That is if they don't reset the phone, erasing the app in the process.
Sent from THE Vibrant......
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Anyone with a brain will factory reset before they put a sim in the phone, and most security apparently run on the phone with obvious notification bar icons visible.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
N8ter said:
Anyone with a brain will factory reset before they put a sim in the phone, and most security apparently run on the phone with obvious notification bar icons visible.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Then he should just put that app in system/app.. Most people that steal phones don't know how to wipe it completely.. they just know how to factory reset lol
But to the Op.. yeah you are SOL w/o insurance lol
N8ter said:
Homophobic?
Rotfl... seriously just stop. Nothing derogatory about using that term to refer to a thief...
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes that word is offensive, even if using it towards a thief, it is still offensive. You don't have to be gay to take offense, you just have to have common sense. I don't like that word just as much as I don't like the N word.
I'm sure there are Android users from the LGBT community who use this forum, and they don't need to log on and see the F word.
Master™ said:
Then he should just put that app in system/app.. Most people that steal phones don't know how to wipe it completely.. they just know how to factory reset lol
But to the Op.. yeah you are SOL w/o insurance lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That doesn't matter. The factory reset option in Android is too easy to get to, and too easy to perform. It isn't even password-protected. The 3 button method can be done 5 minutes after swiping the phone on the way to the local library to list it for sale on CraigsList.
The only way to make sure someone can't profit/benefit from stealing your phone is to not use a GSM carrier in the United States. Use a CDMA carrier.
The companies care more about their bottom line than what's right. I had this argument with Assurion and T-Mobile when my phone got stolen.
Even with a pattery lock on the phone, unless it's a hardware locked phone it only takes 5 seconds for them to completely wipe the phone clean, pop their SIM card in, and brag about the new phone they got for Christmas.
9/10 the phone ends up getting sold, though.
The carriers are more than able to blacklist the IMEIs, but without inter-carrier cooperation that is kind of useless.
So wait a minute. I can lose my vibrant, and I can report it lost and T-Mobile nor Assurion will block the IMEI? Someone on T-Mobile can find my phone, put in their SIM card, and T-Mobile will do nothing? They won't block the phone? They won't even call the person who is using my phone and kindly ask them to return it?
Well I don't really know why I'm asking, I already know the answer. I've lost a T-Mobile phone before, and they admited someone was using my phone, but they said they couldn't do anything about it for me, not even a courtesy call asking the finder to return it.
T-mobile has a record of every single sim card that has ever been placed into a phone. Even if you stick your sim card in there for 5 seconds, as long as it registers on the network, they keep the sim info documented.
It just shocks me, even at a customers request, that they wouldn't block the IMEI number on their own network.
Hi All,
Recently purchased a Samsung Galaxy S2 from Gumtree online. It was only working on o2 network so got at unblocked from a guy at a market stall so that it works on all network sims. It was working fine for about a week but then randomly came up with a message saying "emergency calls only" and I coulnt make or recieve calls or texts even if i changed the sim to o2. The internet was still functioning correctly however.
Called network provider and have been told that there is a bar on it by an insurance company. Tried to get back to the seller but have not been able to contact him. Have reported him but I would just like to know is there any way to unblock this phone at all? Dont want to lose out on all the money spent on it. would it be worth downloading any unblocking applications if the phone has a bar on it?
Please any ideas, comments and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Apologies for the long message
Thanks
deadgalaxys2 said:
Hi All,
Recently purchased a Samsung Galaxy S2 from Gumtree online. It was only working on o2 network so got at unblocked from a guy at a market stall so that it works on all network sims. It was working fine for about a week but then randomly came up with a message saying "emergency calls only" and I coulnt make or recieve calls or texts even if i changed the sim to o2. The internet was still functioning correctly however.
Called network provider and have been told that there is a bar on it by an insurance company. Tried to get back to the seller but have not been able to contact him. Have reported him but I would just like to know is there any way to unblock this phone at all? Dont want to lose out on all the money spent on it. would it be worth downloading any unblocking applications if the phone has a bar on it?
Please any ideas, comments and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Apologies for the long message
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This forum is for the SGH-I777 (AT&T version, four capacitive buttons at the bottom.)
You're in the UK and bought from the UK equivalent of Craigslist, so you likely have an I9100. This isn't the forum for you.
Either way, nothing anyone here can do to help you - we are all AT&T customers.
Not to mention, sounds like you bought a hot (stolen) phone. Only the carrier it was first connected to can unblock the IMEI and unless you can prove you bought it legitimately they are unlikely to do so. If the insurer already paid out on a claim then they will never do so. Buying from unknown sources is a bad idea.
So in short, sounds like the guy got scammed.
Sent from my GT-P7510 using Tapatalk
Hello folks.
I bought my SG3 via buy and sell forum. It was brand new in the box.
It seemed a little suspicious to me that the seller dropped the price by 200$ explaining his motive by saying that he wanted a quick sale.
I fell for his trap. Bought the phone. First few days it was working fine and i was able to make calls and messages, then one morning it showed a "No service" message on the home screen and since then i wasn't able to use it as a phone. I started looking for solution to my problem, then i was advised by a friend to check the imei of my phone to see if it was reported as stolen. When i checked, it turned out that this phone was reported as lost. And im guessing that the scumbag who sold me the phone , reported it as lost to his insurance company, who reacted to this by blocking my phone. I have no way of contacting this seller anymore to sort out this issue as i am in different country, but i was wondering if it is possible to do something about the "No service" issue. Is there any way i could make my phone function as a proper phone again and not just a multimedia device ?
msgbpx said:
Hello folks.
I bought my SG3 via buy and sell forum. It was brand new in the box.
It seemed a little suspicious to me that the seller dropped the price by 200$ explaining his motive by saying that he wanted a quick sale.
I fell for his trap. Bought the phone. First few days it was working fine and i was able to make calls and messages, then one morning it showed a "No service" message on the home screen and since then i wasn't able to use it as a phone. I started looking for solution to my problem, then i was advised by a friend to check the imei of my phone to see if it was reported as stolen. When i checked, it turned out that this phone was reported as lost. And im guessing that the scumbag who sold me the phone , reported it as lost to his insurance company, who reacted to this by blocking my phone. I have no way of contacting this seller anymore to sort out this issue as i am in different country, but i was wondering if it is possible to do something about the "No service" issue. Is there any way i could make my phone function as a proper phone again and not just a multimedia device ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess you will have to put this down to a learning curve, or you could simply sell it overseas, chances are you can sell it to someone in another country for the same price, imei's aren't blocked globally,
Or you could do the right thing and contact the police and have it returned, if the person has reported it stolen and you can prove by any means that you bought it then maybe they can prosecute him / her for selling it to you and then reporting it stolen, i believe that is fraud.
Going down that route will mean that you miss out on all angles, besides getting the satisfaction of knowing that that person will be getting a very suspect phone call from the plod.
unlucky buddy. I would agree with the above post and report it to the police
And installing a new Rom won't help ? Like there is absolutely nothing that can be done about it ?
msgbpx said:
And installing a new Rom won't help ? Like there is absolutely nothing that can be done about it ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what carrier do you have? check your IMEI...is it a generic IMEI starting with 00? if so...just repair your EFS and it should work fine
What country are you in?
I know changing the imei number is possible in certain cases but in the UK it is a criminal offence if I'm not mistaken.
-JOSH-
-josh- said:
What country are you in?
I know changing the imei number is possible in certain cases but in the UK it is a criminal offence if I'm not mistaken.
-JOSH-
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Illegal pal
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app
Report a fraud. With some luck you can have it extended to Interpol and thus have an international search warrant against him (it's not as uncommon as it sounds)
Should the seller be got hold of, you might (or rather should) be able to get your money back.
Selling stolen goods is illegal, additionally noone would buy it if you told them it was stolen.
I don't no how but there is a way to fix this....
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
I don't no how but there is a way to fix this....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The issue is NOT that the efs folder is corrupt but that the device has been reported stolen.
So no there is no fix.
The phone was bought from Ireland. I am located in Norway right now . Phone's imei starts from 353 which is an irish mobile phone calling code.
I contacted few friends in Ireland to see if they can do something about it for me. They went to the police but police said the couldn't do anything about it without actual proof of sale.
Imei isn't blocked globally, you should be able to use the phone in Norway.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app
kofiaa said:
Imei isn't blocked globally, you should be able to use the phone in Norway.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The problem is. When i insert a sim card , it works for about 24 hours fine but then the next day it gives me NO SERVICE , i tried with 3 sim cards and same thing happened but then again i was using sim cards of the same network.
Afaik it's just random chance that your IMEI starts with the prefix code for the country it was bought in.
Does it work again for a short time when removing hhe battery for a few minutes or changing the Sim to one you already tried? If no, then it simply takes some time for hhe carrier to actually recognize you're on the bad-people list.
Countries often work closely together to block stolen goods so you're more or less out of luck if that's true.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium
In EU all the countries are working together and the database is general. How you bought the phone ? On internet ? If so, don't you have any receipt ? If you bought directly from that idiot, why don't you made a hand made proof with scanned ID and signed, so you could had something.
If you have nothing, try to check the databases who reported it as lost or stolen. A shop could help you. Try to check who reported the phone as stolen or lost and who added the phone on the blacklist. This way you can find the idiot or, better, the insurance company and report the fraud. Keeping the phone can attract you problems. Don't forget, Google is keeping all the IMEI when you add a phone, they can track you, Samsung Dive can find you...and some day you can have the police at your door. In Spain, for example, stealing something over 500 euros is considered criminal act and your chance to share a room with others for the next 3 years increases a lot.
Via XDA Portal .
IMEI code
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1857054
The first two numbers is RBI (Reporting Body Identifier)
next four numbers is TAC (Type Allocation Code)
So its not a location code at the beginning .
jje
demlasjr said:
In EU all the countries are working together and the database is general. How you bought the phone ? On internet ? If so, don't you have any receipt ? If you bought directly from that idiot, why don't you made a hand made proof with scanned ID and signed, so you could had something.
If you have nothing, try to check the databases who reported it as lost or stolen. A shop could help you. Try to check who reported the phone as stolen or lost and who added the phone on the blacklist. This way you can find the idiot or, better, the insurance company and report the fraud. Keeping the phone can attract you problems. Don't forget, Google is keeping all the IMEI when you add a phone, they can track you, Samsung Dive can find you...and some day you can have the police at your door. In Spain, for example, stealing something over 500 euros is considered criminal act and your chance to share a room with others for the next 3 years increases a lot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly, it's better you report the incident or you remove your Gmail and use the phone as a media player.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app
kofiaa said:
Exactly, it's better you report the incident or you remove your Gmail and use the phone as a media player.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
report it,,,, and assume the lesson it wont work again at least in a legal manner
firomero said:
report it,,,, and assume the lesson it wont work again at least in a legal manner
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Trust me, if you act first is always better than being the last. In this case everybody, including the police and mobile providers will know your intentions and that somebody phished you. Being silent and searching for ways "to hide" the phone only will give you problems, unless you want to use the phone as an ipod. Trust me, an police and providers can help you. Phishing is a crime too, so that idiot can be caught before doing the same thing to others.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
Recently got the new HTC ONE through Telus and little over a couple days it has been stolen from me.
I'm wondering now if there is any way for me to track it on regular google account and facebook has been setup on it, but the phone does have a secure security code to unlock the screen.
Does the carrier have anyway of finding this if someone tries to stick in another SIM? Granted they are also a telus user or am I hooped on this one?
I'm assuming a person with the right know-how or buddy could likely access the boot load reset the thing and unlock it and use it, but i'm hoping this isn't the case and I can still track it via some other way?
Thanks,
V
HTC use to offer the ability to track your phone if it was powered on. Or you could remotely lock and/or wipe the device. This was through the HTC sense website. I don't know if they still offer this feature or not. If they don't I'd recommend calling your carriers support line and see what they can do.
Sent from my Nexus 10
I doubt anything's gonna come about this. Phones get lost or stolen every day and even with todays technology very few get found or returned. Also police have better things to do then track someone's lost phone. And I say lost better than stolen because how are you sure that the phone was stolen and not lost? Did you get held up or did the person physically took it off for you?
I would suggest getting insurance next time.
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app
Short answer: No.
Android has no built-in phone tracking capability. This is something you need to have installed yourself on the phone, or something the manufacturer includes. HTC used to do this, but no longer offers the feature.
Report your device stolen to the carrier (you may also report it to the police, but they won't do anything), so that when someone uses it on the network, they won't be able to. Most carriers will not alert you that your device has been found or anything like that. They simply blacklist the IMEI and that's it. If you don't have insurance, then you are pretty much on your own.
Your carrier may offer their own location tracking capability that you can add to your account, and that may allow you to track the phone (if they haven't already wiped the phone and removed your SIM card). Check with your carrier.
prjkthack said:
Short answer: No.
Android has no built-in phone tracking capability. This is something you need to have installed yourself on the phone, or something the manufacturer includes. HTC used to do this, but no longer offers the feature.
Report your device stolen to the carrier (you may also report it to the police, but they won't do anything), so that when someone uses it on the network, they won't be able to. Most carriers will not alert you that your device has been found or anything like that. They simply blacklist the IMEI and that's it. If you don't have insurance, then you are pretty much on your own.
Your carrier may offer their own location tracking capability that you can add to your account, and that may allow you to track the phone (if they haven't already wiped the phone and removed your SIM card). Check with your carrier.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What does blacklisting the IMEI do? Could the individual just unlock it with a internet bought code and jam in any sim card and make it work after the fact? Or by blacklisting it if someone brought it to TELUS would they then be able to seize it as a stolen/ lost phone?
Thanks for all your comments and help thus far, it is greatly appreciated.
vincent-h said:
What does blacklisting the IMEI do? Could the individual just unlock it with a internet bought code and jam in any sim card and make it work after the fact? Or by blacklisting it if someone brought it to TELUS would they then be able to seize it as a stolen/ lost phone?
Thanks for all your comments and help thus far, it is greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Blacklisting an IMEI will not allow someone to use that device on the network. This is something that has only recently caught on in the United States. T-Mobile and AT&T now block IMEIs that have been reported stolen/missing, while Sprint and Verizon have been doing it for a while. When you put your SIM into a blocked phone that tries to run on a supported network, you'll get a message that says the phone cannot be used.
Of course, this depends on your carrier. You may want to ask what your carrier does with lost/stolen IMEIs, as they may have different policies.
get on computer>google play> download lookout security or plan B...this would only work if the device is turned on and has data connection...plan B should get the gps location and send the map to your email address..
Perry977 said:
get on computer>google play> download lookout security or plan B...this would only work if the device is turned on and has data connection...plan B should get the gps location and send the map to your email address..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
works only with Android 2.1-2.3! But maybe a good one for these Version!
Did you try Android Device Manager to locate it? It's in the settings menu on the play store website.
vincent-h said:
Recently got the new HTC ONE through Telus and little over a couple days it has been stolen from me.
I'm wondering now if there is any way for me to track it on regular google account and facebook has been setup on it, but the phone does have a secure security code to unlock the screen.
Does the carrier have anyway of finding this if someone tries to stick in another SIM? Granted they are also a telus user or am I hooped on this one?
I'm assuming a person with the right know-how or buddy could likely access the boot load reset the thing and unlock it and use it, but i'm hoping this isn't the case and I can still track it via some other way?
Thanks,
V
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For the future try an app called Cerberus anti theft, it's a really great app to have. It has a free week trial so you can try it out, after that it cost $2.99 euro which is a little under $5 in US, also it's a one time fee and not a subscription. Just go online and track your phone and do many other things.
Sorry if this is in the wrong place, first time poster here.
In December I purchased a nexus5 off of some guy that was selling one in my local area. He seemed like a good guy, the phone was in the original box and I was pumped at getting one for a bit cheaper than they are on the play store. Although this last week it randomly could not connect to the network, so I called Telus (my Canadian provider) and after a half hour of troubleshooting they told me that the IMEI is blacklisted as a lost or stolen device? I feel pretty ripped off and disappointed. I found the guys email that I brought it from and tried to contact him but he wont answer his phone, texts, or email. So I don't know what to do? Am I just screwed and forced to buy a new phone? is there anyway I can change the IMIE address? Or anything that anyone can recommend I should attempt to do? Thanks in advance for any help that can be supplied!
Always check before buying. If it is stolen (instead of lost) then you should turn it in to the police. But there is no way to tell and the provider will never tell you which.
It also isn't unheard of for a telco to incorrectly block a phone. I'd try arguing your case since you used it for a month before they shut you down.
nordlead2005 said:
Always check before buying. If it is stolen (instead of lost) then you should turn it in to the police. But there is no way to tell and the provider will never tell you which.
It also isn't unheard of for a telco to incorrectly block a phone. I'd try arguing your case since you used it for a month before they shut you down.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the input. Who would I contact about arguing it? I talked to someone at Telus for a good half an hour, and they just told me that they have no control blacklisting the IMEI. They would if say i was under contract and I didnt pay my bill. But I am off contract and just put their SIM in my unlocked device. The person told me that say for example if the phone was stolen from BestBuy in novemeber, it could have worked this entire time because it took bestbuy this long for them to put the numbers in there system, and it finally just caught up with me. And also, my SIM works in my friends nexus4, so it doesnt have anything to do with Telus, its an issue with the phone not getting access to the towers. And if it is blacklisted on the national list for being lost or stolen it wont work on any of the carriers in the country... So i dont know what to do