Database Users

Universals on E bay

Why are there so many for sale - advertised new and going for about 70 euros.
Is there a problem with them.
Do they need to be unlocked.
I was going to buy one at that price as a spare/to try mods on.
Steve

I have one for sale if you are interested, it has been opened, but all items are still sealed and un used. £380 (Boxed & Mint condition) if you are interested, I live in Bedfordshire, the unit is unlocked and contract free.

Sound suspiciously 'Nigerian' no me.
If it's too good to be true & if it's on ebay.....
say no more, don't be a mug UNLESS YOU'RE 10,000% SURE!
Andy
PS
Put it this way, you won't get a BUST one for under 140 quid (and i'm NOT including the marked up postage costs). Without a box in good working condtion, £300. Boxed & Mint, >£400, so go figure at 70E.
I got mine Bust for £80 - dozy tosser mislisted it - ha my bargain. 1/2 hour later fixed the damn thing. Friggin mint condition t'boot.
BTW, I'll bet my bottom dorrar that the seller is Chinese....
And I'll place another bet, I bet the listing will won't last long....

hollytree said:
Why are there so many for sale - advertised new and going for about 70 euros.
Is there a problem with them.
Do they need to be unlocked.
I was going to buy one at that price as a spare/to try mods on.
Steve
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Click to collapse
A new universal for 70 euros... mmmm i'll have ten units please; unlocked or not...
It is probably a scammer selling these 'items' under someone elses account.

I got mine on Ebay for 420 pounds. I'm in australia and you'd be lucky to get it for 600 pounds here. works like a charm. of course AFTER i upgraded with the JasJar ROM and burnt O2's software

I bought one on eBay for GBP 414, but the seller reneged -- he said he could not get the phone from his supplier. I quoted him eBay policy on selling items that are not already in possession of the seller. He was apologetic, and said this is the first time it's happened (his feedback shows previous Universal sales which were successful). He has a 99.7% feedback rating, with 358 positives and 1 negative from long ago. He said he's going to refund me, but has to wait for a bank transfer to clear PayPal, since he already transfered the money out of PayPal. Sounds suspicious. But I have PayPal buyer protection (for what it's worth), and I used my credit card. I will give him time, and if he still doesn't refund, I'll go through the non-selling seller process.
So I bought from a different seller for GBP 431, and I am waiting for it.
So many of these Universal auctions say "opened only to inspect" or "opened only to test", that it sounds suspicious.
Also, many of them say "unwanted upgrade", as if they were mailed a free phone and just want to get rid of it. Does O2 mail free Universals as upgrades?
Don't buy Universals on eBay unless the seller has 99+% feedback > 100, and the auction is covered under the "Free PayPal Buyer Protection". Look at their feedbacks, and what they bought/sold earlier. Pay with PayPal, and use a credit card as the funding source.

'free' at £75/month, min term 18months.
So if you consider £1400 free, then yes, they're 'free'.
Anyway, rules of ebay are:
1) It's a sellers market
2) Don't be greedy or you'll get a deserved bite in the ass
3) Supply & demand rules the roost.
4) research research research
5) READ FEEDBACKS & APPLY A BIT OF NOUNCE!!!
Hunt around for mislisted items - takes time but jeeeez the bargains I've scooped! Hence:
6) You put the effort in, you get the rewards out.
Andy

I had a look at those 70Euro Universals.
Seller from overseas? Check
Selling price way too low? Check
Seller doesn't take paypal? Check
1 day auction? Check
Seller's username appears randomly generated? Check
New seller account with feedback of around 10? Check
Feedback comments all left in a very short time interval? Check
Feedback comments brief and unlike genuine feedback? Check
Feedback left by 10 feedback, randomly generated usernames? Check
Initial bid from 10 feedback, randomly generated username? Check
So it rates 10/10 on the scammometer! But what the hell - bid on it anyway!

ROFL! :lol:
Yep, came across one of these & was about to flag it as a scam & as I was looking, it got removed!!!
Andy

spv-m5000 unlocked
gd day all i have them for you shippin via ems from israel to worldwide
spv-m5000 brand new unlocked
450 gbp + 15 gbp shipping
send me a private message if you want

Tried to sell mine on ebay a couple of times now , each time some idiot ruins the auction - so not sure who to trust now

I see these posting all the time for all sorts of high priced electronics. They are so easy to spot really if you follow the guidelines people posted above.
leek said:
So many of these Universal auctions say "opened only to inspect" or "opened only to test", that it sounds suspicious.
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IMO neither of those are suspisious. It means i have a better chance of getting a working unit. And just because someone got a free upgrade and does not state it does not make the listing any more legit.
I sold a spare XDA Exec on ebay which i acttually got as a cheap upgrade but not free. My wife prefers her existing phone. I knew it had a good chance of going out of the UK so for me to not check it would be madness. I wanted to list it as Sim Free i could not do that without physically checking. Plus i could not list it as working if i did not know that fior sure.
leek said:
Also, many of them say "unwanted upgrade", as if they were mailed a free phone and just want to get rid of it. Does O2 mail free Universals as upgrades?
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Yes this does happen a lot. O2 want to keep your business so at the end of your contract you are eligble for an upgrade to tie you up again for 12 or 18 months. They look at your history and if you have spent a lot of money with them on calls you get lots of offers. The more you have spent the better the offers. A lot of people are happy with there existing phone but know they could make a lot of money selling the new one.
zoidster said:
Tried to sell mine on ebay a couple of times now , each time some idiot ruins the auction - so not sure who to trust now
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Yes this is another bad problem with ebay. You have the option to remove bidders and to cancel the auction early to the highest bidder. You can only do this up until 12hrs before the auction ends. When i sold mine i waited to just before the 12hrs deadline and accepted the highest bidder i considered genuine based on their location and feedback that had an agreeable price for me. I was not out to make as much as i could get but just a fair price.
This worked well for me.

Dingo said:
I see these posting all the time for all sorts of high priced electronics. They are so easy to spot really if you follow the guidelines people posted above.
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See what postings?
So many of these Universal auctions say "opened only to inspect" or "opened only to test", that it sounds suspicious.
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IMO neither of those are suspisious. It means i have a better chance of getting a working unit.
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But it could be being used to sell a unit as "new" while hiding that it was "used".
And just because someone got a free upgrade and does not state it does not make the listing any more legit.
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???
(You probably meant "any less legit", but it still doesn't make sense. I said that they do state that they have an unwanted upgrade, something which sounds suspicious because it seems to be hiding something else. "Oh, I'm just selling this because it's an unwanted upgrade. I won't tell you anything else about it though.")
I sold a spare XDA Exec on ebay which i acttually got as a cheap upgrade but not free. My wife prefers her existing phone. I knew it had a good chance of going out of the UK so for me to not check it would be madness. I wanted to list it as Sim Free i could not do that without physically checking.
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All Execs are unlocked AFAIK.
Plus i could not list it as working if i did not know that fior sure.
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I always offer refunds on DOA equipment. Be sure to write down the serial number and put it in the auction, or someone might trade their defective unit for yours.
zoidster said:
Tried to sell mine on ebay a couple of times now , each time some idiot ruins the auction - so not sure who to trust now
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes this is another bad problem with ebay. You have the option to remove bidders and to cancel the auction early to the highest bidder. You can only do this up until 12hrs before the auction ends. When i sold mine i waited to just before the 12hrs deadline and accepted the highest bidder i considered genuine based on their location and feedback that had an agreeable price for me. I was not out to make as much as i could get but just a fair price.
This worked well for me.
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You're missing out on the sniper bids by ending early, but as you say, you weren't out to make as much as you can get.

leek said:
All Execs are unlocked AFAIK.
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I believe the german market units are providor locked. But don't quote me...
Richard

Hi,
I got my Vodafone V1640 for 330 GBP on eBay.
The seller accepted PayPal but anyway I spent a few days worried about not getting the phone.
It took 4-5 days till I received it.
Unfortunately it is locked to Vodafone UK and I want to use it with Vodafone Portugal.
No luck till now for the unlock code...
Cheers

I have over 900 + feedback on ebay and I always buy from those who have Buyer protection if its over £100. Bought my exec back in dec/jan this year from a guy who had 2 for sale for £385. The first had a screen calibration problem as if it'd been dropped. Sent him an email and he promptly sent me his other one just as soon as I sent him the first back. Since then absolutely no problems.
Also I always mention when selling that any1 with less than 5 + feedback will have their bids removed. I make sure I'm logged in for the last minutes of the auction in case I get sum1 with less then 5 feedback messing around. And I sure have had to cancel a few bids in the last few minutes. HTH

Consider this
£378 will buy a XDA Exec direct from O2's site brand new.
This is £150 for the XDA & 12 * monthly cost of £19
(which includes 50 anytime mins per month.)
Puts some of the £400-£500 Buy it Now deals in perspective.
Well in the UK at least.

O2 XDA Exec (aka Universial) porting desktop app to WM5.0

I have a project where I will be porting an application (VB and SQL) to WM5.0 and the target is expected to be an O2XDA Exec, Orange SPV M5000 etc... Universal??
Anyway I am trying to figure out if these are dodgey at all but there seem to be plenty of new O2XDA Exec on ebay with prices way below what the same units would/should cost from O2 et al without contracts.
I expect a few members might have bought from ebay??? so asking what peeps views are.
The sellers always seem to have 20 or so units but everything is anonymous and seem to have to part with money in advance and cannot do this in person so more than a bit cautious.
I am going to need a couple for development and testing.
Regards,
Dom

Universal from Ebay
I bought my brandnew O2 XDA Exec from Ebay for less than 2/3 the price you would pay for it from any 02 shop. No problems at all

OP, you've just described Ebay as whole ;-D
I suppose it's like everything else on that site: sometimes you get a good deal, sometimes you get burned. Personally I had good and bad experiences on Ebay, just like any other 'ad board' site or magazine.
EDIT: check out this post: http://forum.xda-developers.com/viewtopic.php?t=53525&highlight= for a cautionary tale...

Re: Universal from Ebay
elkitos said:
I bought my brandnew O2 XDA Exec from Ebay for less than 2/3 the price you would pay for it from any 02 shop. No problems at all
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From an individual or a trader outlet?
Sorry to ask but these are not cheap enough to make a mistake.
Regards,
Dom

mdaexecfan said:
OP, you've just described Ebay as whole ;-D
I suppose it's like everything else on that site: sometimes you get a good deal, sometimes you get burned. Personally I had good and bad experiences on Ebay, just like any other 'ad board' site or magazine.
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Ditto, why I was asking. Don't want to get burned for £500 and no XDA's.
Found what seemed to be a good deal at about 2/3 (£280) of the RRP (£400 ish) from one ebay trader. I wanted to exchange cash in person and all of a sudden it wasn't possible and there was this reason and that reason why they couldn't... all sounded far too dodgey to me.
BTW it was someone from O2 shop that said look on ebay when I said I just wanted the phones without the contract.
Dom

I got my MDA Pro from eBay for £250. It was brand new and sealed, I am very happy with it.
You have to be very careful when you buy from eBay.
Always email the seller and ask if you can collect and pay cash. If they refuse then ask yourself why? Maybe its dodgy - sometimes it maybe genuine.
Also check their previous selling history - if they have never ever sold any pdas/phone and suddenly they have 20 PDA's for sale then be careful - usually very dodgy.
Good Luck...

On the matter of refusing to accept cash to be fair I suppose I'd be the same. When you bet on something it clearly tells you how the payments are accepted: usually paypal.
Personally if someone bought my 500pounds device and wanted to switch the payment mode to cash right after winning the option, the alarms bells would be ringing too. I'd probably just say no and explain the above but some people don't like saying no and rather make crappy excuses instead... in which case the alarm bells would then be ringing in the buyer's ears this time round...

From an individual.

mdaexecfan said:
On the matter of refusing to accept cash to be fair I suppose I'd be the same. When you bet on something it clearly tells you how the payments are accepted: usually paypal.
Personally if someone bought my 500pounds device and wanted to switch the payment mode to cash right after winning the option, the alarms bells would be ringing too. I'd probably just say no and explain the above but some people don't like saying no and rather make crappy excuses instead... in which case the alarm bells would then be ringing in the buyer's ears this time round...
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Oh wasn't before winning, insisted on emails with bidders before he would accept any bids from you. Would cancel bids otherwise.
It looked like he had the items as a fixed price and would sell direct just not through ebay and so no ebay protection etc... why I asked face to face and cash.
Regards,
Dom

what kinda apps r u gona be porting?

I am porting amateur radio logging, prediction and rig control software(last one a bit of a non-starter as these do not have USB host and not sure can get rs232 connectivity working).
There will also be some additional Oracle, sql2000 and sql2005 monitoring apps written using VB .net
Regards,
Dom

I bought my O2 XDA Exec from Ebay, Paid $650.00 for it new in box and have had no problems with it. The seller was UK based and I live in the USA.

Well, my contract with O2 was up for renewal a couple of months ago and I said that I wanted my PAC code as I was going to switch to Orange as I wanted a Universal. In the end O2 said I could have a new O2 Exec for FREE on a O2 500 tarrif for £25/mth. Of course I accepted.

Dom,
I got a refurbished Vodafone V1640 from a business seller on ebay for £240! It came with everything in its original box. The only flaws were a small scratch on one of the hinges (stated in description) and a little polarisation flaw on the screen (NOT stated in description, but it's not too much of a problem). Overall I think I made a good purchase.

I STOOD ON MY XDA EXEC :: Q's about insurance

Hi I have looked on the forums and have found a bit about phone insurance. I stood on my XDA exec ( I know what a c**k) its knackered. The screen has popped the silver bit on the back has come up in one corner and the flip / rotate mech snapped so the screen flaps about in the wind.
Yes I was drunk
Yes I am stupid
Yes I have made a claim.
I have sent it in today to LSG (lloyds tsb phone insurnace). From looking at other web sites my concerns are as follows :-
1) They will not be able to get the parts to repair the exec.
2) If they replace my phone they will not be able to get an O2 one (I know the imate is the same but I like it in black).
From what I have read elsewhere people have had a real issue getting top of the range PDA's fixed (unless its by the network insurance when they mostly get new ones) Most of the time people get offerd a cash settlement.
Has anyone else claimed through Lloyds phone insurance or any other 3rd party insurance and got a replacement phone ?
If they want to settle for a cash sum. How much should it be ??
any help on this would be good ???

Have edited my first post to be more specific. Anyone ??

here is the answer to anyone who is interested. they tried to get me to take a nokia n91 or n80. I said no.
told them I wanted an exec or the cash. after about 10mins of holding ect I got a supervisor who tried to tell me how good the 91 was. I still said the same. put on hold again.
they came back on and said your exec is in the post.
here's the deal. full new boxed o2 xda exec.
I got my first on in feb 05. this one feels much more solid. the screen flip is much tighter it has come with new rom installed. seams faster.
phone signal is better.
the whole unit seams much more soild than the first one??
could it have been that my first unit was a recon ?
anyway very happy

It seams I spoke to soon. The screen has started to flicker (brown lines jumping all over the place) this is very random but the unit has done it about 5 times now.
It will have to go back.
Can I ask for Cash instead of a new phone ??

Phoned them. Sending it back.
Will make me a cash offer when the get the phone back.
Think im going to go back to Ipaq. Had nothing but problems with this phone.

Hi I have just had my claim paid up by the same insurance (lloyds bank) They told me they do not have any xda replacements and would either give me a nokia n91 or cash settlement I went for the cash they paid me £450 for a xda IIs (ba) £450 is the maximum they pay out so you would more than likely get the same.

I have been informed by a supervisor today that the max they will pay out is £600. They use GSMarena.com to price up what they pay out. Universal costs around 550 - 650 GBP depending on where you look.
The girl on the phone said they will price it on the day the get the damaged one they sent me back. They have 3 suppliers (she would not name them) and they take the average as the units value. I would think they then knock a bit off.
I expect at least £500.
andytl
How quickly did they pay you. I have read on other sites it takes them ages to sort it out.

If you look on there website it states a maximum figure of £450 I doubt they will go over it.

I am a platinum account holder and should be covered up to 600 GPB
We will see I will post when I find out.

Lloyds TSB insurance
Hi!
I've claimed for 2 Xda2i machines that I lost via lloyds TSB insurance which is part of my gold account. each time they've been great at sorting things out for me.
My last claim they informed me they had no replacements and so like others have already mentioned, went for the cash settlement. They paid me £450.
You can only claim twice in every yearly period so I've used up my 'allocation' as it were! I'll ring them next to see when I'm allowed to claim again if needs be. To minimise my risk, I've started carrying my phones in aluminium cases, in my pocket where they cannot fall out and get lost/broke screens again !
I recommend lloyds tsb insurance via lifestyle services group - quick hassle free insurance !
Cheers! Dennis! West London UK!!

Well got the call today. £569.00 offered and taken.
Going to jump ship to ipaq hw6915 here I come.
Ill no doubt be back.

Where'd you get your TyTN

Hi, I really kind of hate askin questions like this, cause so many opinions can vary, but I am trying to get a few ideas on reputable dealers, since I have never dealt with any of them before, I was planning on getting one through Smart-Mobile-Gadgets, they were just mentioned in a few reviews/posts I read in the beginning and seems like a good dealer, but I see so many other places offering TyTN's now.
If you have bought a TyTN and recieved a US charger without the UK adapter, or have had to send your unit back for warranty and recieved good customer service or know of places with good warranty contracts/extended service, or just know of a very reputable dealer, any info you might share would be greatly appreciated.
Also if you happen to know any dealers that have been shipping the 630 serial models.
Thanks

I used phonesource-usa via eBay w/o any issues at all. When Christian replaced my original TyTN, the new one came through with an HT630 serial number. He offered a 3 day return policy on eBay. I'd also check his website to see if it's the same there or not.

I have heard good things about phonesource, but MMB (Mad Monkey Boys Gadgets) I have dealt with personally and he is excellant. Recieved a USA Charger with mine and the 630+ Ser #. excellant communicaitons as well.

I went through quite an exercise on my quest for a TyTN:
1. I went to Smart-Mobile-Gadgets, and pre-ordered an early shipment from him in late July for an August ship date. Unfortunately, he ended up getting a bad shipment (all MTeORs and no TyTNs), but I'm happy to say he promptly refunded my money. (Overall experience: no phone but still an "A")
2. I went to PhonesourceUSA. I bought a TyTN (628-series), which he promptly shipped to me overnight (I paid extra for that). (Overall grade: "A+")
3a. After about a week with the TyTN, I experienced the stupid stylus silo problem. I arranged to have the device replaced as a DOA. In support of this, I shipped the device out for Saturday delivery, with the expectation that a replacement would be shipped back to me the following Monday. I would have preferred that he ship the replacement before he received the bad unit, but I could live with this arrangement. (Interim experience: "B+")
3b. Well, it didn't ship on Monday... and it wasn't until Tuesday when I called to complain that he did ship a device... but he shipped it 7-day Ground! Unfortunately for me, this happened around the Labor Day holiday, and a full 10 days passed without my replacement TyTN. Suffice it to say I was IRATE... especially after having paid the premium for overnight the first time around and specifically requesting that he send it as quickly as possible (I needed my phone back). Bottom line, I did get my new device earlier this week (630-series), and it seems to be working fine, but the shipping fiasco turned what had been a very good sales experience into a very disappointing one and soured my opinion of this vendor. (Overall grade: "C-")
So the moral of the story: go with the vendor that's going to do right by you on the support front. Given the opportunity to do this all over again, I think I would have bought from MadMonkeyBoy. Although his website is the toughest to use, he's got the scale and the track record to back up what he sells.
Of course this is just my personal experience/opinion and YMMV....

madmonkeyboy all the way.
Bought my HTC Prophet from him....
And now my HTC TyTN.
I keep telling myself not to get the Trinity when she comes out but I'll most likely get that from David as well.

My TyTn
I bought my TyTn at my local dealer !
Fox-Computer in Paris http://www.fox-direct.com
With the GPSlim 240 Holux.

MMD too

www.itmagasinet.dk
I wouldn't recommend for anyone else though; they don't live up to their responsibilities concerning RMA.
Luckily I'm getting more and more happy with my device, so I'm not going to return it anyway ;-)
/Martin

MadMonkey Boys if you are in the states. Not a big bells & whistle web site, but offers fast, reliable service, and stands behind his sales.

john1027 said:
MadMonkey Boys if you are in the states. Not a big bells & whistle web site, but offers fast, reliable service, and stands behind his sales.
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I'd rather David spend his time on Customer Service and fast shipping than a website.

Brought mine from mobileshop.com - placed the order about 2PM, arrived 9AM the next day! Didn't even pay a dime for the device or shipping. £35/18months. Magic.

refurbished xda on ebay

hi all, ive been trying to sell my refurbished xda exec on ebay but so far every time ove put it up as a buy it noe £230 inc delivery for uk only some nigerian person buys it expects me to send it to an unverified address and is completly timewasting....it cost me money to put the listing on ebay and ebay wont refund the gallery fees or the listing fees if it dosent sell the second time round....im really not sure what to do, its a great item, its a refurbished replacement from o2 with all accesories and the rest and not even switched on by me as i have an xda orbit now. any help would be great and if anyone here is intrested please contact me
thanks
Ariel

Hi,
I bought an MDA Pro at eBay and it took me two weeks to get it.
I never tried to win an auction of a "refurbished" one, if the seller wrote that he "never turned it on".
If I have a broken device and get a refurbished one in exchange, why wouldn't I turn the exchanged device on and test it?
My advice to you:
1) Rewrite your text.
2) Limit your auction to EU and write in big letters that you do not ship to Africa, specially to Nigeria, due to all the scammers. This way they probably won't waste time with you.
3) Test your device. Take pictures of it when turned on. Explain all eventual faults, like scratches.
If you give a good description and if you test your device, you will certainly get serious bidders.
Cheers,
vma

Yeah saying you have never turned it on just looks suspicious. You gotta turn it on, try it out, make sure it works, and take working photos of it. Otherwise you will have a hard time selling it. I wouldn't buy based on what you've said.
Cheers, Mitchell

thanks....i have now switched it on and it works fine. your recomendations are greatly appreciated.

Good luck with your sale!