bad imei phone - T-Mobile HTC One (M7)

I got a bad imei phone from craigslist. What can i do with it? can i sell it on ebay? So many dishonest people on craigslist. a lesson learn for me.

dealkk said:
I got a bad imei phone from craigslist. What can i do with it? can i sell it on ebay? So many dishonest people on craigslist. a lesson learn for me.
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Sell it as is
Or unlock it
Sent from my HTC One using xda premium

dealkk said:
I got a bad imei phone from craigslist. What can i do with it? can i sell it on ebay? So many dishonest people on craigslist. a lesson learn for me.
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just curious- what do you mean by a bad IMEI? what makes it bad?

saucyross said:
just curious- what do you mean by a bad IMEI? what makes it bad?
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It's when someone reports phone lost or stolen.
Sent from my HTC One using xda premium

nanobutter said:
It's when someone reports phone lost or stolen.
Sent from my HTC One using xda premium
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Or doesn't pay their EIP on it or says they didn't receive it and sells it. There's many ways T-Mobile phones can be blacklisted.
Sent from my HTC One using xda premium

Basically it's junk use it on WIFI or be just as dishonest as the person who sold it to you. Or be honest & maybe someone will but it to use on WIFI. But blacklisted it's a brick. No amount of flashing or roms can change an imei. It still does everything the phone can do, but it will never have cellular service.
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app

I feel for you, man. I got my One just a few days ago and seriously considered buying secondhand because I wanted to buy the phone outright and used phones run a couple hundred less. Ultimately I decided there was too much risk and it was worth the peace of mind to buy a new phone directly from TMO. You can't even trust buying a sealed phone still in the package from a third party, since people can steal them in transit or from the store and when the store does inventory and finds the phone missing it goes dead.
Contacting the police and filing a police report is about all you can do. Depending on how stupid the seller was, how much information you got and how motivated the cops are to follow up on your case, you may get your money back. As for the phone, it will not work on any of the US carriers or their MVNOs. About the only option is selling it on eBay to someone overseas. You can sell them on eBay as long as you disclose it has a bad IMEI.

Hesster said:
I feel for you, man. I got my One just a few days ago and seriously considered buying secondhand because I wanted to buy the phone outright and used phones run a couple hundred less. Ultimately I decided there was too much risk and it was worth the peace of mind to buy a new phone directly from TMO. You can't even trust buying a sealed phone still in the package from a third party, since people can steal them in transit or from the store and when the store does inventory and finds the phone missing it goes dead.
Contacting the police and filing a police report is about all you can do. Depending on how stupid the seller was, how much information you got and how motivated the cops are to follow up on your case, you may get your money back. As for the phone, it will not work on any of the US carriers or their MVNOs. About the only option is selling it on eBay to someone overseas. You can sell them on eBay as long as you disclose it has a bad IMEI.
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Phones with bad imei can be used overseas? do you have something that confirms it? I would like to know since I was considering in purchasing one.

cristian.daniel23 said:
Phones with bad imei can be used overseas? do you have something that confirms it? I would like to know since I was considering in purchasing one.
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He isn't saying they work, he's saying that he should do to others the same thing that happened to him..

dealkk said:
I got a bad imei phone from craigslist. What can i do with it? can i sell it on ebay? So many dishonest people on craigslist. a lesson learn for me.
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No, don't sell it on ebay. When selling it on ebay you have to wait at least 2 or 3 days for the buyer to confirm whether or not the phone is working or not under some circumstances. The buyer can easily file a complaint using the resolution center thus resulting in the money that the buyer gave to you being locked until the problem is resolved. It's best to do it through craigslist since ebay and paypal have all those fees anyways.

cristian.daniel23 said:
Phones with bad imei can be used overseas? do you have something that confirms it? I would like to know since I was considering in purchasing one.
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I live in the US, so I've never tested it myself but I've heard from others on this board and elsewhere they bought bad IMEI phones for use in foreign countries and the phones worked. There is actually a huge international black market in stolen phones run by organized crime just for that purpose.
saucyross said:
He isn't saying they work, he's saying that he should do to others the same thing that happened to him..
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Uh, no. That's not what I'm saying at all. I am absolutely against selling a phone and not disclosing it has a bad IMEI. For some users, bad IMEIs don't matter. They either don't apply in the person's country, or the buyer is equipped to swap the motherboard with one from a damaged phone with a good IMEI. Those are the people you want to sell to.

bad imei
This happened to me as well. I bought an s4 from a guy he had changed the imei. I checked back of phone it in fact did not match the actual phone imei. Yet it worked fine. Anyway if u get a bad imei phone if u sim unlock it u can use it on any network but tmobile as long as its a gsm network. U can sell it to someone who intends to use it on att

Radsolutionz said:
This happened to me as well. I bought an s4 from a guy he had changed the imei. I checked back of phone it in fact did not match the actual phone imei. Yet it worked fine. Anyway if u get a bad imei phone if u sim unlock it u can use it on any network but tmobile as long as its a gsm network. U can sell it to someone who intends to use it on att
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doesnt at&t and t-mobile share their blacklists now? if so it can not be activated on either network.

dealkk said:
I got a bad imei phone from craigslist. What can i do with it? can i sell it on ebay? So many dishonest people on craigslist. a lesson learn for me.
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pm message me. i have someone you can get in contact witth that can clean it out for you!

Related

How legit is my purchase scenario...

I'm buying a brand new, sealed Unlocked Droid Razr off a friend for $485.
He claims he has connections, but I won't be able to get a receipt.
I understand I won't be able to register for a warranty, which is fine by me...
But what are the chances that the phones are stolen, and might I get into trouble for purchasing it off him then?
P.S. He bought a Razr for himself last week as well.
Zadabest said:
I'm buying a brand new, sealed Unlocked Droid Razr off a friend for $485.
He claims he has connections, but I won't be able to get a receipt.
I understand I won't be able to register for a warranty, which is fine by me...
But what are the chances that the phones are stolen, and might I get into trouble for purchasing it off him then?
P.S. He bought a Razr for himself last week as well.
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I would steer clear of this one.. smells fishy.
and FWIW... yes, if you buy stolen property, you have technically 'received stolen property'.. which in some areas is considered a felony.
beyond registering for a warranty, you wouldn't be able to activate it if it's reported stolen.
Most likely, someone, made an insurance claim and never sent the 'bad one' back.. or claimed they never received the replacement.
Happens more frequently than you might imagine.
just my .02
Well the insurance claim would make sense, but remember that its brand new sealed in box... Not only that, but this isn't the ONLY device he has.
He could easily order more.
Zadabest said:
Well the insurance claim would make sense, but remember that its brand new sealed in box... Not only that, but this isn't the ONLY device he has.
He could easily order more.
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Doesn't mean they aren't stolen. Someone he knows may have got hold of a shipment of stolen razr's?
Sent from my XT910 using XDA
Can't I just do an IMEI searchup to check the validity of the phone?
That would require me to unbox it though no? :/
Zadabest said:
Can't I just do an IMEI searchup to check the validity of the phone?
That would require me to unbox it though no? :/
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I don't know how it works where you are. For you to be even posting about it on here says that you have suspicions about the phone. Steer clear and buy legit.
Sent from my XT910 using XDA
You can call with the esn number and they can say if it is flagged or not. I thought all the numbers you need would be on the upc of the phone box unless that is missing.
He stuck in his old SIM card into his new phone, and it worked fine.
So I don't think it's locked.
that would not happen with a razr. the only thing the sim card slot is for is LTE so unless he is only in an ATT LTE area then that wouldnt work(unless you guys are not in the US). but yea, ask for the ESN and call and verify with VZW that it is not a stolen product. if it is clean then i would do it.
See if you can ask him to wait a few days. Even though it might not be flagged as stolen right now, it might in a few days. Depends on the person that sells it but it does look like a stolen device.
Me, I don't want the "hook up" on anything.
If I can't take it back to the store, I don't want it.
Are you willing to go to jail for a phone, well are you?
There are people out there who have friends in Verizon, AT&T, Vodafone or whatever carrier you choose. Those people sometimes get cheap stuff off of those friends.
My opinion is - you might want to check IMEI, but if it does not get flagged, just buy the phoen and sign a small buy/sell paper that will provide where you bought it from. When problems occur you will be safe.
Is this your friend? http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yj9yisLa4ao
ZolaSlo
LOL^ That's hilarious ;D
I don't think I'd ... go to jail even if I do buy a stolen phone...
I'd most definitely get that confiscated though :/
And I'm not from the US, I'm actually from Canada...
I think he's either buying and reselling from the internet, or knows somebody working at a mobile company here. (I hope so at least)
$499.99 on amazon.
Did he by chance get that phone when Verizon had their bogo sale a few weeks ago?

USA cell carriers agree to blacklist stolen devices by IMEI

Europe implemented this a LONG time ago. Now it's the USA's turn.
Find/steal a smartphone? Once it's reported stolen, it's useless.
http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/09/us-carriers-agree-to-build-stolen-phone-database-and-blacklist/
^^Original article on Engadget
Until people find a way around it
tekky610 said:
Until people find a way around it
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I still have yet to see a real way to change IMEI number... So in the least it will be difficult.
its about time. luckily i've never had my phone stolen but this will definitely deter thieves.
As a person who holds his devices with a cobra clutch AND happens to stumble across "lost" devices regularly, how does this benefit ME?!
it doesnt "affect" us at all. its peaceful to know that the person who has your phone, now, can't use it.
SirWizzAlot said:
As a person who holds his devices with a cobra clutch AND happens to stumble across "lost" devices regularly, how does this benefit ME?!
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I guess it doesn't. Maybe you could try to find the rightful owners.
Why the lost in quotation marks. sounds shady.
Sent from my SGH-I777 using Tapatalk
As the old adage goes, finders keepers...you know the rest. The implications of this are too great! What If, unbeknownst to him, a guy buys a stolen device only to find that it doesn't work because the carrier has blacklisted his device? Its unfair to leave Joe Schmoe out in the cold! They should just stick to sim-blocking, its not like the carriers lose any money when a device is stolen.
It's a good step but it doesn't address the fact that your stolen phone can be used in a different country.
SirWizzAlot said:
As the old adage goes, finders keepers...you know the rest. The implications of this are too great! What If, unbeknownst to him, a guy buys a stolen device only to find that it doesn't work because the carrier has blacklisted his device? Its unfair to leave Joe Schmoe out in the cold! They should just stick to sim-blocking, its not like the carriers lose any money when a device is stolen.
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This is largely the reason that people steal cellphones to begin with.
If it can't be used, then eventually Joe Schmoe will realize he can't just buy a stolen phone expecting it to work. If the thieves can't sell it, then it is only useful for the data contained within, which really kills the profitability of stealing it in the first place. This eventually leads to fewer stolen phones. Finders keepers? Sounds like you may be a bus or taxi driver. Taxi drivers can sell phones they "find" in their cabs for a higher price if its not wiped or locked. I know if I leave my phone somewhere or if it falls out of my pocket, I want it to be of no use to anyone else, ever. Except for dialing 911.
While I agree that the carriers should be more responsible when it comes to stolen/lost devices, I think there should be SOME sort of way to use them again. Maybe a re-activation fee after 90 days of it reported lost/stolen or something along those lines. This would be the best of both worlds as it would hopefully deter thieves as they wouldn't be able to sell the phones RIGHT AWAY, but yet the phones aren't just wasted.
SirWizzAlot said:
As the old adage goes, finders keepers...you know the rest. The implications of this are too great! What If, unbeknownst to him, a guy buys a stolen device only to find that it doesn't work because the carrier has blacklisted his device? Its unfair to leave Joe Schmoe out in the cold! They should just stick to sim-blocking, its not like the carriers lose any money when a device is stolen.
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ou812bkewl said:
This is largely the reason that people steal cellphones to begin with.
If it can't be used, then eventually Joe Schmoe will realize he can't just buy a stolen phone expecting it to work. If the thieves can't sell it, then it is only useful for the data contained within, which really kills the profitability of stealing it in the first place. This eventually leads to fewer stolen phones. Finders keepers? Sounds like you may be a bus or taxi driver. Taxi drivers can sell phones they "find" in their cabs for a higher price if its not wiped or locked. I know if I leave my phone somewhere or if it falls out of my pocket, I want it to be of no use to anyone else, ever. Except for dialing 911.
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Notice. He said "unbeknownst to him."
Sent from my Galaxy S II (i777)
SirWizzAlot said:
As the old adage goes, finders keepers...you know the rest. The implications of this are too great! What If, unbeknownst to him, a guy buys a stolen device only to find that it doesn't work because the carrier has blacklisted his device? Its unfair to leave Joe Schmoe out in the cold! They should just stick to sim-blocking, its not like the carriers lose any money when a device is stolen.
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This is why Joe should call a phone carrier and check if the phone is black listed before buying it!
tekky610 said:
Until people find a way around it
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Just a couple of borked flashes and voila, you have a generic IMEI
I for one am glad they are finally doing this. Had my original Captivate stolen when it was only 4 months old, right out of my purse. With cell phone companies finally attempting to stop the thieves, hopefully thefts will dwindle. I plan on adding my old Cappie's IMEI# to the database as soon as I can... Just because (even though it was stolen 16 months ago).
Sent from my SGH-I777 using xda premium
Simba501 said:
Notice. He said "unbeknownst to him."
Sent from my Galaxy S II (i777)
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So? Stolen property is stolen property. You get in trouble with receiving other stolen goods, there is no reason why this should be different. If my phone gets stolen, i want it deader than a doornail; NO ONE else should have the right to use it again.
As it is, it takes all of two min to call the carrier, and verify the IMEI before buying; anyone who won't give it to you before hand should not be purchased from.
Divine_Madcat said:
As it is, it takes all of two min to call the carrier, and verify the IMEI before buying; anyone who won't give it to you before hand should not be purchased from.
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This is a good point. Take the battery out of the phone you want to purchase and call the cell carier and have them run the IMEI to make sure its not stolen.
Well played.
What stops one from be-n a prick and selling u a phone then calling it stolen? Guess u will now want a bill of sale when buying a phone. Me I just always buy brand new and never have to worry. I do like the idea of someone not able to use a stolen device,incase I ever lose line.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using xda premium
chvybeatsford said:
What stops one from be-n a prick and selling u a phone then calling it stolen? Guess u will now want a bill of sale when buying a phone. Me I just always buy brand new and never have to worry. I do like the idea of someone not able to use a stolen device,incase I ever lose line.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using xda premium
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That's pretty far fetched, maybe if someone really hated you they'd do that but why would you buy from that guy anyway, their is nothing to gain for the seller in reporting a sold phone as stolen, and in cases like ebay etc would only lead to bad feedback, it's not a big issue.
I'd just like to see them make the database internet searchable, so I don't have to call and wait on hold to check an IMEI, I buy and sell used phones regularly.
I'll be honest it was nice and easy to buy used AT&T and T-mobile phones without this, Verizon and Sprint always had this with ESN's and you have to be more careful purchasing them used.
But reducing cellphone theft is worth the hassle.
movielover76 said:
That's pretty far fetched, maybe if someone really hated you they'd do that but why would you buy from that guy anyway, their is nothing to gain for the seller in reporting a sold phone as stolen, and in cases like ebay etc would only lead to bad feedback, it's not a big issue.
I'd just like to see them make the database internet searchable, so I don't have to call and wait on hold to check an IMEI, I buy used phones regularly.
I'll be honest it was nice and easy to buy used AT&T and T-mobile phones without this, Verizon and Sprint always had this with ESN's and you have to be more careful purchasing them used.
But reducing cellphone theft is worth the hassle.
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Honestly its not that far fetched. The world a live has allot of people doing stupid things..
If one was to sell phone he can easily call it in stolen to police and possible get it back..then re sell once again..double his/her profits.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using xda premium

Blacklisted, but unlocked, T-Mobile Galaxy S5 on AT&T

I'm thinking of buying blacklisted TMo GS5 (because of the unlocked bootloader & also because it's cheaper to get a blacklisted phone becuase of the stigma), if I were to unlock it would I be able to use it on AT&T or it's MVNO's? Has anywhere sucessfully tried it? Thanks,
Last time I checked at&t and Tmobile were sharing blacklisted list. Not 100% sure but I think that was the case a few years ago
Sent from my SM-G900T using xda app-developers app
As mentioned above and expanded I think ALL of the big phone companies share the blacklist emei's. I know I saw somewhere that other countries were gonna be doing the same. To help cut down on stolen phones that are bought and then shipped to other countries for use.
Sent From My Spiderman,Ironman,Red,Dark Blue,Green, GreyedOut BadAss Themed I337
Well I did have a blacklisted Note 3 that I was using on at&t. I had no idea it was blacklisted until I tried selling it on Swappa. But it did work for me.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk
barondebxl said:
Well I did have a blacklisted Note 3 that I was using on at&t. I had no idea it was blacklisted until I tried selling it on Swappa. But it did work for me.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk
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That is strange. If they were supposed to be sharing the database of blacklisted phones how were you able to use it?
Does anyone know for a fact that they are sharing the database? Anybody work at AT&T or T-mObile?
JoJo2211 said:
That is strange. If they were supposed to be sharing the database of blacklisted phones how were you able to use it?
Does anyone know for a fact that they are sharing the database? Anybody work at AT&T or T-mObile?
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I have no clue. I bought the note 3 from another XDA user. Used it for 3 weeks then put a listing on Swappa but it was declined cause the phone Imei was blacklisted. Phone worked perfectly fine for the few weeks I had it on AT&T.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk
I unlock phones etc daily ... and yeah if you have a blacklisted at&t phone you Can't! Use it, unless you go overseas ... But if you have a blacklisted tmobile phone you can unlock it and use with another carrier example (At&t, red locket, h2o) with no problem ....
Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk
How does a phone that just came out get blacklisted? I'm under the un ow does derstanding that they only blacklist stolen or unpaid phones. Are you saving their now blacklisting phones from other carriers simply because they aren't looking their bootloader?
Sent from my SM-G900T using xda app-developers app
I am not a goody two shoes - far from it - but to me there is something morally wrong with buying and supporting Black listed phones = just to save a few bucks.
you are in effect supporting the people who stole the phone in the first place - I would rather pay a premium price for a new phone and know that I am not getting a deal because of someone elses misfortune than pay less for a black listed phone just to save money,
If you have ever had a phone stolen from you - I think you would agree - buying a black listed phone is not a victimless crime it can perpetrate the original theft and we should all consider avoiding that....all black listed phones are probably not stolen - but how do you know?
my two cents
mocsab said:
I am not a goody two shoes - far from it - but to me there is something morally wrong with buying and supporting Black listed phones = just to save a few bucks.
you are in effect supporting the people who stole the phone in the first place - I would rather pay a premium price for a new phone and know that I am not getting a deal because of someone elses misfortune than pay less for a black listed phone just to save money,
If you have ever had a phone stolen from you - I think you would agree - buying a black listed phone is not a victimless crime it can perpetrate the original theft and we should all consider avoiding that....all black listed phones are probably not stolen - but how do you know?
my two cents
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Most blacklisted phones are either financed or reported lost. That's why they are blacklisted by the carrier. I've never had anybody steal my phone or know of anyone who had their phone stolen. Those who default on their payment deserve to get their phones blacklisted but at that point they are out of the innitial $200+ anyway. So if they're looking to resell the phone to recoupe that money, I'm not sure how that should be looked down upon. Meanwhile those who lose their phones and later go on to report it as stolen because they want to get a new phone thru insurance, get no sympathy from me.
JoJo2211 said:
Most blacklisted phones are either financed or reported lost. That's why they are blacklisted by the carrier. I've never had anybody steal my phone or know of anyone who had their phone stolen. Those who default on their payment deserve to get their phones blacklisted but at that point they are out of the innitial $200+ anyway. So if they're looking to resell the phone to recoupe that money, I'm not sure how that should be looked down upon. Meanwhile those who lose their phones and later go on to report it as stolen because they want to get a new phone thru insurance, get no sympathy from me.
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This. But my friend was caught by this, and there is no resolve for the issue he ran into. Goes like this:
He wanted to upgrade, but his upgrade was not up yet, so he decided to go on craigslist and buy a Brand new in box factory sealed GS3. He did so for something like $450 right after launch. He took the phone out of the box, set it up with his SIM, was on tmo fine for about a month or 40 days or so.
He goes to use his phone, and it wont connect to tmo, wont call via wifi, ect. So he calls tmo. They tell him the phone's original account defaulted and was never paid on, even though it was now on his account, and he had been a customer for something like 12+ years with a 4G tablet, and multiple phones in the past, they said they could do nothing to remove the blacklist. They said it was originally purchased with another GS3. They think it was most likely some kind of identity fraud. Sign somebody up and grab two $450 phones and sellem factory sealed.
He ended up selling it as a blacklisted phone on tmo to an AT&T Sub who unlocked it and used it on that carrier, but at a large loss.
For this reason, I will never buy a second hand phone. Its not worth the risk of losing the amount of money these phones go for off contract. Unless someone can prove the phone is paid off. In which case I probably still wouldn't do it.
JoJo2211 said:
Most blacklisted phones are either financed or reported lost. That's why they are blacklisted by the carrier. I've never had anybody steal my phone or know of anyone who had their phone stolen. Those who default on their payment deserve to get their phones blacklisted but at that point they are out of the innitial $200+ anyway. So if they're looking to resell the phone to recoupe that money, I'm not sure how that should be looked down upon. Meanwhile those who lose their phones and later go on to report it as stolen because they want to get a new phone thru insurance, get no sympathy from me.
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Proof again that I very rarely know what i am talking about - - apologies -someone I know explained black listed phones differently to me - your explanation makes sense - I appreciate the clarification.
tupirujp said:
Blacklisted ? I clean imei's lol
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
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So far only couple of people are able to do the new Galaxy S5 including me .... well the AT&T at the moment ... I'm waiting for a TMobile donor phone to begin the process ...
But I'm not gonna go into details about this kind of stuff ...
Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk
I thought blacklisted phones cannot connect to any GSM carriers in the US because they share the same IMEI database?
blacklisted != blocked != reported lost != reported stolen...
there's different situations that warrant where it'll be blocked from and different databases. actually, checkesnfree dot com does a pretty good job explaining it, though it's not 100% foolproof. just run a test with an imei number and see the different response types. they give you a decent list of possible results.
i've run AT&T on an unlocked T-Mobile SGS3 that was reported lost and it still works. because it's blocked from T-Mobile but not blacklisted across all.
hope this gives you some insight. i nearly got ripped by an eBay seller who sold me a fraudulently obtained S5 which i promptly returned and thank God it all worked out (dude had 100% positive across several years too, it surprised the sheeeet outta me). I ended up driving to Delaware (only 40 minutes from me and I had to do other shopping anyway) and got it tax free with my friend's T-Mobile number at $660 instead of $689. paid $25 on eBay for the unlock code and now I'm 100% worry free, bootloader lock free, KNOX free lol, and rooted.
lesson: it's a $650+ investment. be smart. since I'm running it on AT&T anyway, I could have kept that eBay phone which was blocked and not blacklisted, but why bother? who knows what could happen down the line? value would also be down. plus, I made 30 minutes of phone calls with my friend's T-Mo sim card (to be safe, 30, not just 5) just to ensure it also gets region unlocked too. =)
if you do buy it somewhere else, make sure they have a receipt showing it was PAID IN FULL. cash. they could report a stolen CC number down the line too so I wouldn't trust even one paid in full with CC. even then with a cash receipt I would be careful.. they could report it stolen later down the line, collect insurance, whatever! which goes around again to this: it's not worth it, just get it straight from the carrier! it's a freakin $650-$700 device, it's not worth gambling to save a few bucks!
Blacklisted doesnt necessarily mean stolen. Most of the time some ppls phone is damaged were thr company will demand them to buy another phone instead they report it lost n pay for insurance to get another one easy. It makes sense ur paying for insurance why not use to its full potential?
Sent from my SM-G900T using XDA Free mobile app
tupirujp said:
Blacklisted ? I clean imei's lol
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
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Are you sure? You'd be the first one in the world able to do that with the news Galaxy S5...
I just purchased a S5 a couple days ago from Craigslist. Meet the person in a T-mobile store and checked the imei before buying it. Everything checked out and I bought it.
A friend once gave me a Verison DroidX. I called Verizon and they confirmed it was Blacklisted. Took it to metro and activated it with no problems.
My S5 is black listed and working just fine on at&t network. No locked boot loader and rooted all the way. Got it cheap too haha
Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk
---------- Post added at 01:10 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:09 AM ----------
tupirujp said:
Blacklisted ? I clean imei's lol
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
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You can't clean the S5 yet...... Waiting on the update lol. I think SPT is gonna get it first
Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk
Will sm g900t1 with bad esn work with AT&T and get LTE?

Scammed on craigslist, need help

So here's the story, i bought a HTC one M8 AT&T version on CL. I had the phone for a few days during which time i have unlocked bootloader, rooted and S-Off the phone. Well the douche i bought the phone from must have reported it lost or stolen because its blacklisted. I've searched google and numerous forums regarding a solution so i can continue to use this phone on either the same carrier or another. IIf ANYONE has a legal solution that i can go with, PLEASE inbox me so im not stuck with a very expensive brick.
MOD EDIT
Red_Devil6 said:
So here's the story, i bought a HTC one M8 AT&T version on CL. I had the phone for a few days during which time i have unlocked bootloader, rooted and S-Off the phone. Well the douche i bought the phone from must have reported it lost or stolen because its blacklisted. I've searched google and numerous forums regarding a solution so i can continue to use this phone on either the same carrier or another. IIf ANYONE has a legal solution that i can go with, PLEASE inbox me so im not stuck with a very expensive brick.
MOD EDIT
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Well..do you have any sort of proof that you purchased this item from said person? If so, it might be wise to bring law enforcement into it. I am not an expert on this, nor do I know law, but if you provide them with proof of the sale, and explain to them what happened, they might..MIGHT, go after the person who screwed you over, and maybe you can recover your money. If you have no "receipt", then I dont know what to tell ya, except for you might have just learned a very expensive lesson. There is also a strong possibility that the phone itself was stolen, and sold to you by said scumbag.
Another reason I do not deal with Craigslist!
It was likely stolen. Try working with the seller to get it resolved, but if he was the thief you might be SOL.
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
Red_Devil6 said:
So here's the story, i bought a HTC one M8 AT&T version on CL. I had the phone for a few days during which time i have unlocked bootloader, rooted and S-Off the phone. Well the douche i bought the phone from must have reported it lost or stolen because its blacklisted. I've searched google and numerous forums regarding a solution so i can continue to use this phone on either the same carrier or another. I know most here wont engage in this discussion in detail as it violates forum policy, BUT if ANYONE has a legit solution that i can go with PLEASE inbox me so im not stuck with a very expensive brick.
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You gotta call AT&T Customer Service from another phone, you'll get the automated service...
enter your phone number, they'll ask if your calling about your suspended line, or something of that sort... dial whatever for yes, then they'll ask if you want to re activate the sim for the original device, again dial whatever for yes, then they'll redirect you to an operator, when the phone starts ringing just hang up... then turn airplane mode on then off, and it should start working again.
Happened to me with the M7, it was reported stolen... so i had to go through this procedure 2,3,4 times a day, sometimes it would stay connected for weeks if i got lucky. But yea, that was my solution, hopefully it works for your M8, and if it does then it probably works for any phone thats blacklisted on AT&T... i wonder if anyone knows about this
just joined. claims they bought the phone. asking about how to bypass the IMEI being reported stolen...
im going out on a limb here and assuming this guy is the thief and is hoping to still use the phone after the real owner reported it stolen.
CraigP17 said:
just joined. claims they bought the phone. asking about how to bypass the IMEI being reported stolen...
im going out on a limb here and assuming this guy is the thief and is hoping to still use the phone after the real owner reported it stolen.
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That's not a fair assumption. I alot of people lurk until they need to ask a question.
edit: you post on an average of 7 posts a year since you joined so I'd think you'd understand
rquinn19 said:
That's not a fair assumption. I alot of people lurk until they need to ask a question.
edit: you post on an average of 7 posts a year since you joined so I'd think you'd understand
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100% agree. Hell ive been around here since 2008 and I have a low post count lol.. Guess im not one of those who chime in..just to chime in lol. I ask questions...answer when I can (which is rarely), and lurk quite abit lol. Regardless, I wont buy anything off Craigslist, heard too many bad stories from people I know in person...Either use Ebay or Swappa. The only thing is, the IMEI could be clean when the initial check is made, then reported stolen after (does swappa check on a regular basis or is it one and done...hrm)
Tower1972 said:
100% agree. Hell ive been around here since 2008 and I have a low post count lol.. Guess im not one of those who chime in..just to chime in lol. I ask questions...answer when I can (which is rarely), and lurk quite abit lol. Regardless, I wont buy anything off Craigslist, heard too many bad stories from people I know in person...Either use Ebay or Swappa. The only thing is, the IMEI could be clean when the initial check is made, then reported stolen after (does swappa check on a regular basis or is it one and done...hrm)
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I don't think there's any sure fire safe way anymore. With lost/stolen and now the next program.
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
Your only options is to buy a new MB and replace it on your current device.
Before i buy any phone on CL, i check swappa to make sure the IMEI isnt blacklisted prior. Getting a name & receipt doesnt do you any good, as they can just fake everything.
aer0zer0 said:
Before i buy any phone on CL, i check swappa to make sure the IMEI isnt blacklisted prior. Getting a name & receipt doesnt do you any good, as they can just fake everything.
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What good does checking Swappa do if it's reported stolen once you complete the transaction?
rquinn19 said:
What good does checking Swappa do if it's reported stolen once you complete the transaction?
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This^
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
I don't know how well this would work out for me if I was in that situation, but I was burned on CL before. Lost $900. So now, if I'm not totally sure about the seller, I'll ask for a driver's license picture along with a signature on a written receipt.
Sent from my VK810 4G using XDA Free mobile app
Its unfortunate the OP got scammed. But just my opinion, the risks of buying something like a smartphone from Craigslist outweigh the benefits. Not just risk of a blacklist, but damage to the item, or just a hardware failure that is no fault of the seller. I prefer to buy from a source with a reliable means of return and refund/exchange, even if its cost a bit more. And if its more than a "bit" of a difference, as they say: if a deal seems too good to be true, its because it is.
MOD EDIT
redpoint73 said:
Its unfortunate the OP got scammed. But just my opinion, the risks of buying something like a smartphone from Craigslist outweigh the benefits. Not just risk of a blacklist, but damage to the item, or just a hardware failure that is no fault of the seller. I prefer to buy from a source with a reliable means of return and refund/exchange, even if its cost a bit more. And if its more than a "bit" of a difference, as they say: if a deal seems too good to be true, its because it is.
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Yeah, I stick with ebay/paypal for buying used phones for that very reason...if something is wrong I have a means by which to get my money back. And even there you still have to exercise some due diligence.
Thread Closed.
While there is nothing wrong with asking for a legal and legitimate means to getting a phone to work again who's IMEI has been blacklisted, it opens up discussion for alternate illegal means to getting the device to work.
My suggestion to you is to contact the Service Provided that has blacklisted the device's IMEI and notify them that you'd purchased it on-line, and try to convince them to allow you to use it on their network under your currently paying service.
The chances that they will do this for you however are very slim.
Best of luck,
Neo
Forum Moderator

Fake tmobile galaxy s5

My "galaxy s5" came in today. Worked for one minute and died. Appear cheap made. Says made in China. Called tmobile she told me imei is unknown. Watch out if buying on ebay. I'm returning Monday
optimusv45 said:
My "galaxy s5" came in today. Worked for one minute and died. Appear cheap made. Says made in China. Called tmobile she told me imei is unknown. Watch out if buying on ebay. I'm returning Monday
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You have to be really careful on eBay with mobile phones. So many of them are blacklisted, blocked or are about to be. You have to make sure they can prove it was paid off. S3s have been around long enough as well as some S4s so your chances of getting a blocked phone are not as great but there are very few S5s that are not under contract of some sort. There are a couple of sites where you can check the IMEI for free, but that only shows what the state is today, and does not protect you from them reporting it lost or stolen after you buy it and have it for a couple of months.
gspears said:
You have to be really careful on eBay with mobile phones. So many of them are blacklisted, blocked or are about to be. You have to make sure they can prove it was paid off. S3s have been around long enough as well as some S4s so your chances of getting a blocked phone are not as great but there are very few S5s that are not under contract of some sort. There are a couple of sites where you can check the IMEI for free, but that only shows what the state is today, and does not protect you from them reporting it lost or stolen after you buy it and have it for a couple of months.
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I'm not that afraid of blocked phones. I'm planning on unlocking and using on att anyways. I'm just buying the tmobile version for the bootloader. The one I bought is straight up fake. They had a tmobile imei flashed to it.
optimusv45 said:
I'm not that afraid of blocked phones. I'm planning on unlocking and using on att anyways. I'm just buying the tmobile version for the bootloader. The one I bought is straight up fake. They had a tmobile imei flashed to it.
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AT&T and T-Mobile share phone blacklist data so depending on why it was blacklisted you can get it unlocked but that doesn't mean it will work on AT&Ts network. In my experience in dealing with used phones, if it's blacklisted for account or payment reasons then it will normally work on AT&T's network. But if it's reported lost or stolen and blacklisted for that reason, it normally won't work on AT&T's network.
I have a G900T I'm using on AT&T with no issues, but I've repaired and resold many blacklisted phones and have run into the issues I described earlier many times so I hijacked your thread to try and give a cautionary tale to others to help them avoid these headaches. I know how to deal with it but most ordinary Joes don't. I've seen the fake S5s and S4s and that's an issue too, but whether it's fake or not, if it doesn't work that sucks.
Sorry you ran into this issue and for hijacking your thread.
That's why I only use Swappa!
HF4L said:
That's why I only use Swappa!
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Swappa just makes sellers say their devices are whatever before listing. They don't have any real means to do quality check either. No real difference
gspears said:
AT&T and T-Mobile share phone blacklist data so depending on why it was blacklisted you can get it unlocked but that doesn't mean it will work on AT&Ts network. In my experience in dealing with used phones, if it's blacklisted for account or payment reasons then it will normally work on AT&T's network. But if it's reported lost or stolen and blacklisted for that reason, it normally won't work on AT&T's network.
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This is true. I have had a TMo S5 that got blacklisted after 2 days of me buying it. I had to just sell it off underpriced. Sigh.
From what I heard from multiple AT&T reps, and got done on the one I got (another TMo S5 from another person), was to take him to TMo store first to verify the account is on his name and that the phone has been paid for. And then go with him to AT&T store to register the IMEI on my name. Once AT&T registers the IMEI on a person's account in person with both parties present, black listing won't apply to that number any more.
optimusv45 said:
Swappa just makes sellers say their devices are whatever before listing. They don't have any real means to do quality check either. No real difference
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But swappa does require the esn to be checked which weeds out stolen, being financed (which is still consider stolen since Tmo still owns it til paid off), cloned esn/imei which will catch you a felony if in possession of and fake devices.
ShinySide said:
But swappa does require the esn to be checked which weeds out stolen, being financed (which is still consider stolen since Tmo still owns it til paid off), cloned esn/imei which will catch you a felony if in possession of and fake devices.
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My fake device checks fine on swappa. When I called tmobile she told me the imei is clear and the device is unknown
I'm coming from att note 3. What's you all opinion on note 3 locked bootloader vs galaxy s5 unlocked bootloader ?
Edit: disregard this one. I posted in the sticky to discuss other devices
optimusv45 said:
Swappa just makes sellers say their devices are whatever before listing. They don't have any real means to do quality check either. No real difference
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That's not true. Swappa makes sellers refund you fully if the phone stops working due to an imei issue. On eBay, if I state the device turns on and appears to function as normal but could have a blocked imei. And eBay won't make me refund the buyer due to an accurate description.
Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk
elesbb said:
That's not true. Swappa makes sellers refund you fully if the phone stops working due to an imei issue. On eBay, if I state the device turns on and appears to function as normal but could have a blocked imei. And eBay won't make me refund the buyer due to an accurate description.
Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk
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I haven't sold on swappa. How do they make you refund ? They somehow can withdraw money from your PayPal after you get the money ?
http://swappa.com/faq/general/paypal_dispute_swappa
Plus, I don't think the powers to be here at XDA would promote a service like Swappa without doing some do diligance. Plus I've bought and sold on Swappa, and have good results each time.
HF4L said:
http://swappa.com/faq/general/paypal_dispute_swappa
Plus, I don't think the powers to be here at XDA would promote a service like Swappa without doing some do diligance. Plus I've bought and sold on Swappa, and have good results each time.
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I see. I don't try to be a pain but just for the sake of discussion, from what I read it's still vague in how they are able to promise people refunds. Just curious if they will just pay for it or somehow make the seller refund obviously without access to their PayPal. Like on ebay, if you don't get what the listing is, eBay will cover you first and go for the seller themselves
Bought my first device on swappa. From what I read on swappas FAQ, if something goes south they just have you use PayPal dispute resolution ... not great, all the refund they can promise you is the 10 bucks fee which is of course nothing
optimusv45 said:
Bought my first device on swappa. From what I read on swappas FAQ, if something goes south they just have you use PayPal dispute resolution ... not great, all the refund they can promise you is the 10 bucks fee which is of course nothing
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That's strange cause I had bought a phone that was reported incomplete payment and they wanted me to dispute it with them before going to PayPal. I guess it all depends on the situation.
Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk
elesbb said:
That's strange cause I had bought a phone that was reported incomplete payment and they wanted me to dispute it with them before going to PayPal. I guess it all depends on the situation.
Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk
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Yeah that's what's stated on their official FAQ. After hearing so many positive things about swappa, of course I made a purchase on a seller that doesn't have much past selling history, something I would never do on ebay. Now seller doesn't reply at all, even after the staff left two messages. I guess we'll see what happens. Yes swappa just tells you to dispute with them, them being the seller, if they just don't say anything, you can't do anything about it. I feel swappa is great for sellers because you get immediate payment but not great for buyers. Of course sellers get their money FIRST lol, why would they even care about you. A couple hundred dollars phone scam is so easy you just need a unverified PayPal account, which is just an email, when someone buys you get the money right away. You don't verify your PayPal to transfer funds instead you just use the unverified PayPal to pay for online purchases. And they refund they handle is the 10 bucks lol, PayPal does the rest( what's said in this post is what I understand of swappa and currently what's going on with me. By no means it is 100% correct, feel free to comment). I'll probably sell on swappa and buy on eBay from now on
Pics of the phone?
RakumiAzuri said:
Pics of the phone?
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Looks like this
Pic
I can't post pics for dome reason

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