Database Users

Advice please, thinking of getting a mini s or a Qtek

Hi,
I'm going to change over my phone again and was just after everyones opinions/advice.
I had an original XDA and sold it after a few weeks as at the time i found it too big. Then i got the XDA II on a whim and sold that after a few weeks, as i again found it too big (expecially when wearing jeans!)
Now then i like the functionality of the XDA, but the size was a problem. I've just noticed that the mini S is basically like an XDA but smaller, so i'm thinking this could be the way to go, as i really don't want to be selling it as quickly as i did the original XDA's!
I'm keen to stay with orange, as i have a great number and its on a free monthly contract (that they can't cancel and no longer offer aparently) Having the phone as orange or unlocked would mean i could sim swap easily.
So if i get an O2 phone i would want it unlocked-hopefully easy on these phones
Best deal i can find so far is O2 Mini s for free, on O2 250 +60 texts @ £35 a month for 12 months. (year = £ 420)
I've also found that QTek make a version of this and its available on Orange. For £39.99 i can get it on orange anytime 200 plus free weekend calls for 6 months for £30 a month. (year = £400) With orange i could change to a cheap price plan to bring the cost down.
So thing is, am i better off getting an O2 branded or Qtek one? I read that the imate has a aluminium case whereas the qtek has a plastic one. Is this still the case, and what does the O2 one have?
Will i easily be able to unlock the 02 version?
Is there any operational benefits or use benefits of either branded model?
Are there any better deals then the ones i've mentioned above. I really don't use the phone much, so cheaper yearly cost the better!
Cheers

I've got one of each. Qtek on my personal SIM and Mini S on my work one. The screen is richer, the backlight on the keyboard brighter and the overall build quality seems higher on the Mini S.
My Expansys Qtek has no £(gbp) sign on the keyboard but the Mini S does.
Having said that, people see the O2 badged phone and don't need to ask where you got it, whereas an 'unbranded' Qtek has people saying, 'hey, that's neat, where d'ya get it?'...
You can get the Mini S for £80 and then £8 +Vat per month on O2 Data 5. You may even be able to swing a £50 part-ex for an old phone (although not in the Leeds shops :-( ). Dunno what Orange charge.
I stupidly 'unlocked' my Mini S before reading that they're not locked out of the box... Doh!
As 'our Graham' used to say to Cilla, the choice is yours... ;-)
Regards,
Dox

That o2 data 5 sounds good, as i'm not bothered by inclusive calls or anything.
Is that something that O2 publicise, as on their website they don't seem to offer it as a tariff for the phones.
Will the O2 shop try and bullhang me if i ask for an XDA mini s on this tariff?
The sound of getting £50 for my old phone sounds perfect. Whats the deal with that, and do all shops do it? I've got an old original nokia (with pull out aerial) still ahve the manual and charger, although the battery doesn't hold charge anymore.
That would be fantastic if i could get the phone for £30 and on £8+vat a month tariff

XDA-PLUS said:
That o2 data 5 sounds good, as i'm not bothered by inclusive calls or anything.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I only wanted the phone to put my work SIM in, and £9.40 inc VAT was low enough to forget each month..
XDA-PLUS said:
Is that something that O2 publicise, as on their website they don't seem to offer it as a tariff for the phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's shown as a data tariff, which they would normally do as an add-on to a regular voice tariff.
XDA-PLUS said:
Will the O2 shop try and bullhang me if i ask for an XDA mini s on this tariff?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They couldn't find it when I bought mine, so I went for the O2 25 which is £16/month I think. I came home and found it on the website, called customer service and asked to change as it was what I'd originally asked for when I bought the phone. They said I'd need to go back to the shop, cancel my old contact under the 14day cooling off, and get a new one. When I told the shop what CS had said, they were fine. A large part of my day job is convincing people to do things they hadn't realised they wanted to do for me, so I was very pleasant to the people in the shop, and they were happy to help ;-)
XDA-PLUS said:
The sound of getting £50 for my old phone sounds perfect. Whats the deal with that, and do all shops do it? I've got an old original nokia (with pull out aerial) still ahve the manual and charger, although the battery doesn't hold charge anymore.
That would be fantastic if i could get the phone for £30 and on £8+vat a month tariff
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Originally, the phone was £199 with £50 off. There's a thread on here about how they dropped the price to £80 but left the £50 trade-in on the EPOS systems by mistake. Some shops honoured that, but when I was in, they weren't having any of it. "It's a mistake" they claimed "trade-in's are at staff discretion but I'd get sacked for selling you a £200 phone for £30" they said.. Several people around here did better than me, but I thought less than £200 spread over a year was okay. Less than £150 would have been better, but hey...
I have to say, although I only used them for a cheap phone, O2 have been a pleasure to deal with. Then again, my Qtek is on Vodafone and they've been okay and I only ported from 4 years with T-mobile as they told me they had no plans for the Vario in the UK (three weeks before it actually came out)... I can't get Orange signal at home, so have never considered them as a supplier...
The phone's great though, I'd highly recommend it. My problem now is with two Wizards and a iPAQ hx4700 I'm a bit top heavy with PDA's. I really only use the 4700 for TomTom now, but its VGA screen is glorious... Still, ebay maybe a calling... ;-)
Dox

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
Click to expand...
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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Click to collapse
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?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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
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.

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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
See what postings?
So many of these Universal auctions say "opened only to inspect" or "opened only to test", that it sounds suspicious.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
IMO neither of those are suspisious. It means i have a better chance of getting a working unit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
???
(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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All Execs are unlocked AFAIK.
Plus i could not list it as working if i did not know that fior sure.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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 Bought A O2 Locked HTC HD2, Bad Idea?

Heres the story:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
First I was going to buy it off Amazon, unlocked, £450 <-- Awesome!
But then I checked the next day, and it went up to £519, not sure if there was an original error or I was just very unlucky, needless to say I was very angry and dissapointed
So I headed over to ebay, I wasn't finding anything to great (price wise) but then I found a O2 locked brand new HD2. As I was going to use an O2 PAYG sim card anyway, I decided that that would be the phone I bought
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Everything seemed fine, but just now I've been reading around on forums (includng xda) and Ive seen that O2 models mess around with the HD2's software, ripping some of the things out of it (like the wifi router), so now Im worried im not going to have a very good version.
+ The phone is an unwanted upgrade from the guy on ebay, I didnt think that would make any difference going together with a PAYG sim, but now Im worrying.
Final question, will I have O2 branding on the back?

[★] said:
Heres the story:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
First I was going to buy it off Amazon, unlocked, £450 <-- Awesome!
But then I checked the next day, and it went up to £519, not sure if there was an original error or I was just very unlucky, needless to say I was very angry and dissapointed
So I headed over to ebay, I wasn't finding anything to great (price wise) but then I found a O2 locked brand new HD2. As I was going to use an O2 PAYG sim card anyway, I decided that that would be the phone I bought
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Everything seemed fine, but just now I've been reading around on forums (includng xda) and Ive seen that O2 models mess around with the HD2's software, ripping some of the things out of it (like the wifi router), so now Im worried im not going to have a very good version.
+ The phone is an unwanted upgrade from the guy on ebay, I didnt think that would make any difference going together with a PAYG sim, but now Im worrying.
Final question, will I have O2 branding on the back?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dont worry. If the o2 software bothers you you can always put a stock htc rom on. See here for information.
Oh and there is no o2 branding on the case and barely any in the ROM either tbh. I have one myself. Im considering following the above guide 2moz just for the hell of it although i havent had any probs with the o2 rom so far.

[★] said:
Heres the story:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
First I was going to buy it off Amazon, unlocked, £450 <-- Awesome!
But then I checked the next day, and it went up to £519, not sure if there was an original error or I was just very unlucky, needless to say I was very angry and dissapointed
So I headed over to ebay, I wasn't finding anything to great (price wise) but then I found a O2 locked brand new HD2. As I was going to use an O2 PAYG sim card anyway, I decided that that would be the phone I bought
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Everything seemed fine, but just now I've been reading around on forums (includng xda) and Ive seen that O2 models mess around with the HD2's software, ripping some of the things out of it (like the wifi router), so now Im worried im not going to have a very good version.
+ The phone is an unwanted upgrade from the guy on ebay, I didnt think that would make any difference going together with a PAYG sim, but now Im worrying.
Final question, will I have O2 branding on the back?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No external branding from what I'm aware, but using goldcard / hardspl (when its out) you can flash to any standard rom and get the features back

damn you optiknerv, you beat me too it

Wow thanks guys, another LOAD off my mind, geez xda forums are great
So there are no problems right?
Oh and what are your views on the fact that its somebody elses contract upgrade?

[★] said:
Wow thanks guys, another LOAD off my mind, geez xda forums are great
So there are no problems right?
Oh and what are your views on the fact that its somebody elses contract upgrade?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you got it cheap and it aint broke. Fool them!!

Mines O2 free upgrade on my contract. There is zero branding on the hardware and pretty much the only O2 branding i have seen on the phone is there wallpaper. I have filled out the form on there website to get it unlocked in case I ever need to use it on another network.
The only problem i have with it is that i am going have to jump through the hoops of using the goldcard method the flash it but i guess that's not to hard.

bzdemes said:
Mines O2 free upgrade on my contract. There is zero branding on the hardware and pretty much the only O2 branding i have seen on the phone is there wallpaper. I have filled out the form on there website to get it unlocked in case I ever need to use it on another network.
The only problem i have with it is that i am going have to jump through the hoops of using the goldcard method the flash it but i guess that's not to hard.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What do you mean by jump through hoops, whats the problem?
Also could you send me a link to the form for unlocking? I'm thinking it might be a good idea for the future. Could I unlock now and keep my O2 PAYG card in it as normal, I could right? It would just be like using the sim card in a phone that was locked from the start

bzdemes said:
Mines O2 free upgrade on my contract. There is zero branding on the hardware and pretty much the only O2 branding i have seen on the phone is there wallpaper. I have filled out the form on there website to get it unlocked in case I ever need to use it on another network.
The only problem i have with it is that i am going have to jump through the hoops of using the goldcard method the flash it but i guess that's not to hard.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What form is that? Havent heard of that.

branded HTC devices
I made some bad experiences with an o2-branded HTC Touch HD from Germany. In case of warrenty HTC told me to contact an o2-shop in order to get it repaired. It took some extra time to get it back because I had to give it to o2 (and they sent it to htc) Therefore I decided to buy a HTC HD2 without any branding to avoid this kindergarden games this time and forever.
The second point is that (if you don't want do use HSPL) branded roms are published not that regularly as stock-unbranded are.
PS: o2 costumers help each other all across Europe, don't they?!!

weichei said:
I made some bad experiences with an o2-branded HTC Touch HD from Germany. In case of warrenty HTC told me to contact an o2-shop in order to get it repaired. It took some extra time to get it back because I had to give it to o2 (and they sent it to htc) Therefore I decided to buy a HTC HD2 without any branding to avoid this kindergarden games this time and forever.
The second point is that (if you don't want do use HSPL) branded roms are published not that regularly as stock-unbranded are.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is true but he has bought it second hand and so he doesnt have a warranty as a second owner. Flame me if ive got buyers rights wrong.

Good choice. You can install the WiFi router separately and the total ammount of branding on the phone is the wallpaper which you can change. And the O2 doesnt seem to have half the bugs that people are complaining about.
My handset speaker doesnt crackle, all of my SMSs send with no problem, there are no spelling mistakes and all is well with the phone!

I think this is the correct link
https://www.o2.co.uk/apps/help/help?qid=1&q1=2&route=unlocking&case=Handset Unlocking Form
basically O2 are unlocking there phones for free. Sounds like it takes a while for them to give you the unlock code. Think it told me 28 days or something. I am in no rush to have it unlocked just figured its worth doing just in case.

That is true but he has bought it second hand and so he doesnt have a warranty as a second owner. Flame me if ive got buyers rights wrong.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah thats one of the only problems I have with it, Its not really second hand though, its unopened, but I guess that still kinda counts as SH. Heres a question for you, is there anyway I can get new warranty on it from either O2 or HTC ?

Reading the warrenty agreement in my O2 HD2 i bought on ebay, it mentions about second hand buyers, (i should have read it a bit more); but its a case of, if you can show proof of purchase, it should be no problem.

MidnightDraven said:
Reading the warrenty agreement in my O2 HD2 i bought on ebay, it mentions about second hand buyers, (i should have read it a bit more); but its a case of, if you can show proof of purchase, it should be no problem.
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Click to collapse
Ahh, well it was an upgrade, so He said there was no reciept with it? shall I just ask for all paper work he has for it ?

[★] said:
Ahh, well it was an upgrade, so He said there was no reciept with it? shall I just ask for all paper work he has for it ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He will be able to print his receipt in his "My o2". I can print all my upgrades etc from this screen. Although the info in minimal, its better than nothing. Also take a note of his address and print off the ebay item as proof of purchase.
Please also note, regardless that the phone is second hand you will have warranty with it. The warranty is covered on the handset regardless who owns it. fact.

Mines an upgrade and the only bit of paper work i have for it is a single piece of paper confirming the order that came with the handset. Pretty much just has my name, the phones name and a return sticker on it. So i don't imagine he will have anything that will help you use the warranty.

It needs to be your proof of purchase.
Otherwise there's no proof it belongs to you.

In the end Ive decided Im going to cancel the one on Ebay and buy a brand new one from expansys, it may be a little more, but at least its got warranty, I can return the product If I need too and its not unlocked.
I just hope the guy on ebay doesn't get too angry at me

[HELP] Am i being scammed?

Need some advice XDA. (im from the UK)
im aware of the common scam of second hand contract binded phones sold on eBay and other marketplaces where after they have been sold a few month down the line there IMEI is blacklisted and blocked and there is nothing you can do about it.
Is this happening to me?
I bought a s7 edge from eBay (sealed box g935f)
It was described as being "no network logo's factory unlocked"
I received it, opened it and it booted with 3 (three) network logo and then when i got through set up it was filled with reinstalled 3 network Apps.
now as far as i know if a mobile is has this branded firmware it is binded to a contract... am i wrong?
i messaged the seller and he assured me it was not a contract phone but was purchased from 3 and he said being as its a unlocked phone he assumed it would not have any logo branding on the software and seeing as he did not open the box he couldn't be sure.
in the end i asked for a receipt.. he provided this delivery note (attatched file) (i have crossed out his address and imei in paint)
-yes that really is the original picture quality (god knows if he really is just taking the piss or eBay hosting is terrible)
after i questioned this delivery note and bad quality image he got very irate and simply asked me to return the device for a refund and began accusing me of being a scammer saying that he will get the police involved if i send back a different handset and try to pass it off as the one he sent
What do you think?
is he trying to scam me with a contract phone?
or is he being honest can a non contract phone be on a network branded firmware?

Resumen:
its not a Scam, make sure that it works and keep it.
the logo is because of the rom.
---------------------------------------------
Look, this will help you, Three and other companies have the option to sell unlocket or locket phones, but all of the phones, has the Three's ROM, the rom, make sure that the phone works, and u have data and all, its fine..

misterashman said:
Need some advice XDA. (im from the UK)
im aware of the common scam of second hand contract binded phones sold on eBay and other marketplaces where after they have been sold a few month down the line there IMEI is blacklisted and blocked and there is nothing you can do about it.
Is this happening to me?
I bought a s7 edge from eBay (sealed box g935f)
It was described as being "no network logo's factory unlocked"
I received it, opened it and it booted with 3 (three) network logo and then when i got through set up it was filled with reinstalled 3 network Apps.
now as far as i know if a mobile is has this branded firmware it is binded to a contract... am i wrong?
i messaged the seller and he assured me it was not a contract phone but was purchased from 3 and he said being as its a unlocked phone he assumed it would not have any logo branding on the software and seeing as he did not open the box he couldn't be sure.
in the end i asked for a receipt.. he provided this delivery note (attatched file) (i have crossed out his address and imei in paint)
-yes that really is the original picture quality (god knows if he really is just taking the piss or eBay hosting is terrible)
after i questioned this delivery note and bad quality image he got very irate and simply asked me to return the device for a refund and began accusing me of being a scammer saying that he will get the police involved if i send back a different handset and try to pass it off as the one he sent
What do you think?
is he trying to scam me with a contract phone?
or is he being honest can a non contract phone be on a network branded firmware?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Who cares, flash BTU firmware and problem solved. In my country, a lot of people by phones they don't need on contract then resell them to make money. Nothing shady there. If the imei is clean, why worry?

Stevica Smederevac said:
Who cares, flash BTU firmware and problem solved. In my country, a lot of people by phones they don't need on contract then resell them to make money. Nothing shady there. If the imei is clean, why worry?
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Click to collapse
In the UK people get a phone on contract with insurance sell them on ebay wait a month or 2 and then report it stolen . They get replacement phone and the guy who bought his old one gets a blacklisted IMEI and can't do anything about it

bathcrow said:
Resumen:
its not a Scam, make sure that it works and keep it.
the logo is because of the rom.
---------------------------------------------
Look, this will help you, Three and other companies have the option to sell unlocket or locket phones, but all of the phones, has the Three's ROM, the rom, make sure that the phone works, and u have data and all, its fine..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So how can I tell if the phone is binded to a contract?

misterashman said:
So how can I tell if the phone is binded to a contract?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you should call three and ask them if the imei is binded, because you bought it.

bathcrow said:
you should call three and ask them if the imei is binded, because you bought it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately 3 won't release any information about it because Im not the one that bought it from them :/

misterashman said:
Unfortunately 3 won't release any information about it because Im not the one that bought it from them :/
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Click to collapse
sadly i cant help you further than this.

bathcrow said:
sadly i cant help you further than this.
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Click to collapse
Thanks anyway! I think I'm just gonna have to return it. I can't afford to risk it.
As far as I know 3 don't sell phones separate from a contract unless you pay more than what Samsung charge lol

misterashman said:
Thanks anyway! I think I'm just gonna have to return it. I can't afford to risk it.
As far as I know 3 don't sell phones separate from a contract unless you pay more than what Samsung charge lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Three branded ROM but apparently it is unlocked? Suspect. He could have flashed a Three ROM on there but why didn't he say this? Suspect. Typically three branded ROM will come from Three directly.
Take videos of the phone working/booting up. Take multiple pictures of the phone from all angles. Return it via special delivery, probably £6-8 but totally worth it for peace of mind. He won't be able to claim it not being delivered since it MUST be signed for. Special delivery will cover you for around £500 in compensation (Can be bought new from Amazon for around £475).
Hope it all goes well. If you can, buy from a reputable company next time.

Galactus said:
Three branded ROM but apparently it is unlocked? Suspect. He could have flashed a Three ROM on there but why didn't he say this? Suspect. Typically three branded ROM will come from Three directly.
Take videos of the phone working/booting up. Take multiple pictures of the phone from all angles. Return it via special delivery, probably £6-8 but totally worth it for peace of mind. He won't be able to claim it not being delivered since it MUST be signed for. Special delivery will cover you for around £500 in compensation (Can be bought new from Amazon for around £475).
Hope it all goes well. If you can, buy from a reputable company next time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the advice I'll make sure to do that, going to post it today.

Galactus said:
Three branded ROM but apparently it is unlocked? Suspect. He could have flashed a Three ROM on there but why didn't he say this? Suspect. Typically three branded ROM will come from Three directly.
Take videos of the phone working/booting up. Take multiple pictures of the phone from all angles. Return it via special delivery, probably £6-8 but totally worth it for peace of mind. He won't be able to claim it not being delivered since it MUST be signed for. Special delivery will cover you for around £500 in compensation (Can be bought new from Amazon for around £475).
Hope it all goes well. If you can, buy from a reputable company next time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nowadays, phones from Three are sold unlocked, but still have some Three branding due to the CSC.
Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

foxmeister said:
Nowadays, phones from Three are sold unlocked, but still have some Three branding due to the CSC.
Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
Yeah I didn't mean in the traditional sense that the phone is sim-locked, but that it is still branded somewhat, so it's more likely that it is an unwanted network upgrade from Three directly.

lol, what is this?

Its a smiley ...