Database Users

IMEI Blacklisted!

Hello everyone.
I've been searching the forums and have yet to find a solution (at least one that I can perform).
Any way, I have a Softbank X01HT which is a re-branded HTC Hermes.
I purchased the phone in September 2007 from a shop in Hong Kong. I live in the UK and have been using my phone happily for the past 5 months. My phone was blacklisted bout 2 days ago and despite having kept the original box and receipt from the store as a proof of purchase, it seems there is nothing my network (T-Mobile) is able or willing to do.
Is there anything I can do to legally lift this Blacklist of my phone? If not does anyone know how to change the IMEI.
At the moment, I feel very upset about all this because I have bought this phone legitimately and have been using it for 5 months, and NOW... someone can just blacklist my phone?
I have read that there is a solution by using 'Wizard Service Tool' but I need to do something like change it's SPL to 1.1.1. Does anyone know where to obtain the SPL 1.1.1 and how to install it?
Thank you for much in advance and please please please spare me from comments like 'ITS ILLEGAL'. I realize that by UK law it is a crime punishable by 5 years imprisonment. However I have a genuine phone that was purchased legally and I have everything to go with it! If changing the IMEI of a phone that I own to an IMEI of another phone I own is illegal.. well.. thats just stupid.

dont know of any way to change the imei but
you could try to contact the police and ask their advice
being that it's usualy them who have the stolen phone's
imei's reported to and who have them blocked
i would likely have some advice

screen rotation icon for imate jasjar
after having my imate jasjar upgraded to wm-6, i lost 2 things, my video calling and the screen rotation icon. does anyone here in the xda family have a link that will restore my screen rotation icon back

Isnt that a bit off-topic harrio?
Thanks for the advice Rudegar but I have already contacted the police. They can find no record of a stolen phone with that IMEI and they even reffered me to the Mobile Crime Unit, who dont have any idea about the number being blacklisted. They recomended I talk to my network who said they cannot/will not do anything.

it would make sense to be that there would be some higher place to take it
to make sure that no phone company blacklisted phones of people who simunlocked and
left the company for the compatitions
maybe thats a thing to look into
first step would prob be to try another network sim to make sure that it's a general blacklist

Yeh I have tried. It seems to be blacklisted on most netwokrs but works on Orange.. strange? The funny thing is I bought the phone without a contract already unlocked in Hong Kong so there would be no reason for the network to even blacklist it.

In Australia, we have a "Telecommunications Ombudsman" who we can escalate matters to after exhausting options with our phone company.
Is there something like that for you?
It does sound unfair - good luck with it.
Oggy.

Contact the Citizens Advice Beaurau. There must be something you can do.
If all else fails get the police/mobile unit to give you some kind of written confirmation on headed letter paper that there is no ban on your number.
Send t-mobile a friendly worded but grievence stating email about there having banned your phone for an undescernable reason. State in it the dates and times of your previous calls.
Then get your hands on a legal 'Cease and Desist' letter template from somewhere and send something like this:
WITHOUT PREJUDICE: IMMEDIATELY CEASE AND DESCIST.
Dear Sir,
I am contacting your company (Herafter refered to as 'You') on behalf of *your name* (Hereafter refered to as 'The Client') to inform you that Your blacklisting of The Client's phone is unlawful. This letter calls for you to immediately cease and descist from all such unlawful actions.
Blah blah blah
You'll find templates and guidance for drawing them up on the net. Works much better if you can find the name of some applicable law to drop in.
Make sure you don't specifically state that legal proceedings will definately follow. State that if they fail to comply then legal actions 'may' follow and that their case will be refered to the business ohmbudsman, trading standards, and your local MP.
I should state right off the bat that I'm not a lawyer - I'm a medic. But I have found that cease and desist letters are sufficient to make most organisations instantly start behaving themselves.
Don't forget the 'Without Prejudice' statement - I believe it means something along the lines of you do not wish anything said in the email to harm your rights to compensation etc....It's a very lawyerly phrase anyway so it's always good to chuck in the mix.
You should be able to find guidelines/templates for cease and descist letters on the net
Good Luck!

Citizens Advice Beaurau? Never heard of them. Are they a British organization?
Just to clarify, here is what I've done.
Contacted my provider T-Mobile. Provided them with Receipt of purchase and a box. They did nothing.
Contacted the police. They have no record of a phone being stolen with my IMEI number. They recomended contacting my provider T-Mobile.
Contacted the mobile crime unit in the UK. They said that that I would have to take it to my provider also as only the mobile phone companies in the UK can unblacklist.
Anything else I can do?

Does T-Mobile UK have shops like in Germany (called "T-Point")?
The people there were always friendly to me and helpful.

Randvegeta,
I would walk down your nearest high street, find a T-Mobile shop, walk in with all your evidence and don't leave until they have sorted it. It is essential that you are polite but firm.
One thing that puzzles me; you live in the UK but have never heard of the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB)? Strange.
WB

wacky.banana said:
Randvegeta,
I would walk down your nearest high street, find a T-Mobile shop, walk in with all your evidence and don't leave until they have sorted it. It is essential that you are polite but firm.
One thing that puzzles me; you live in the UK but have never heard of the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB)? Strange.
WB
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a hypothesis... it is only a hypothesis so please don't take offense. It can be tested, but maybe not easily. Here it is. You have been scammed, your hermes is not genuine it is a device that failed QC and was discarded by HTC. Your vendor in HK is dishonest. Contact HTC somehow and ask them about the IMEI, explain your situation and find out if they know anything. They should have a record of every phone they manufactured and may be able to tell you whether yours was sent to a retailer or to the garbage bin.
If I'm right at least you'll know for sure what's wrong.
If I'm wrong... well you know that too and maybe you can advance the ball a bit.
Good luck

Ive already been to a T-Mobile shop. Not helpful at all. I beleive Ive almost exhausted all legal options in the UK at least. I think there are only 3 more options.
1: Contact my supplier and ask for help/replacement.
2: Give up on my phone and let it be lost at my expense.
3: Hack/spoof the IMEI.

I think you'll find that T-Mobile don't have to help you as you purchased the phone from an indipendant supplier unless of course it was them who locked it, you are well within your rights to demand a copy of your account information under the Data Protection Act, this could include your account managent info which may identify whether they locked the IMEI or not. I guess the other option is to try and locate who exactly locked the IMEI, not even sure where to start unless you can find a very helpfuls service engineer at T-Mobile.
As said above, contact HTC, they may be able to help, but your first port of call should be the guy who sold you the device.

The shop I bought from.. im fairly sure is quite reputable. It has been arround for a while and is in in the Wan Chai Computer center. I will of course ask but I do not for a moment believe that they sold me a dodgy phone. And it certainly wasnt defective. It was in perfect condition and everything worked. Besides, there are hundreds of legit shops in HK selling the exact same phone. I just bought it from them cuz they had it in Black.

IMEI Barring.
The Flaw Is In The IMEI Blocking Procedure.
I Used To Work For Vodafone And All That Is Required To Bar A Handset, Is An E-Mail Containing The IMEI Only.
Unblocking A Phone However Is A Very Difficult Procedure. The IMEI Ban Database Is Shared Between All Countries Of The EU. Because Of This Most "Stolen" Phones Are Shipped To The Middle East And HK CH JP etc Who Dont Use This Database.
That Said And Done Tho They Should Know The Reason For The IMEI Ban And If Its Because Somebody Reported That IMEI As A Stolen One They Could Check Your Account And See That Your Account Has Been Using That IMEI for The Last 5 Months. And Therefore Couldnt Possibly Be The Stolen One As The IMEI Has Only Been In The Database A Short While.
Its TOO EASY To Make A Typo And Blacklist A Non Stolen Phone.
Prime Example. Your Phones Broke And Gone In For Repair, You Borrow Your Friends Expensive XDA For 2 Weeks While Your Phone Is Repaired, You Give Your Friend His XDA Back and Then Your Newly Repaired Phone Gets Stolen, You Report Your Phone As Stolen And When They Check The System Your Friends IMEI Is The Last One You Were Using On The Account, Employee Doesnt Check Propperly (Copies And Pastes Your Friends IMEI Into A Blacklist Email) And Your Friends XDA Gets Banned.
It Could Prove Quite A Pain To Resolve This Issue..... But...
Call Your Customer Support Desk For Your Mobile Network.
Ask For A TEAM LEADER/MANAGER ( They Can Do Anything For A Customer To Keep Them Happy, Their Privaledges Exceed Those Of Normal Staff And They Can Sort Problems Beyond The Means Of Your Average Callcentre Staff)
If A Problem Gets Escalated To A TEAM LEADER/MANAGER It MUST Be Dealt With. (Company Policy)
They Might Offer For A Team Leader To Call You Back As Their Usually Busy, Althought Your 100% Guaranteed To Get A Callback By A Team Leader As Long As They Werent Jus Fobbin You Off.
I Wish You The Best Of Luck Sorting Out This Mess.

Hey OllieD,
Sound very in depth. Ive already spent hours with T-Mobile with no luck.. but will Vodafone help me out? At least tell me who blacklisted me.
As for this database, is it only Europe wide? Or is is World wide? And if it is EU wide.. are you 100% sure?
Just to clarify to people reading, I am using a SOFTBANK, (Japanese Brand) purchased in Hong Kong, and have been using it since September.
If it is an EU database and not a world wide one, I will need to find out who blacklisted it and contact them.
Thanks very much!

Since you are using Softbank, so it should not be blacklist as it should not be used in EU before. please check carefully your IMEI on the phone label match your IMEI inside the ROM, I think the shop clone a English rom to your phone before selling to you (original Softbank should be Japanese rom) and this clone the IMEI also which IMEI reported as blacklisted. (they clone the rom because of sim locked and change English, what they called it is hard-modify not soft-modify)
I stayed HK and I had 2 phones with same situation (label IMEI were difference to the ROM) but still can be used in China and HK, 5 more phones buy from another shop without problem.
The shops you buy the phone with the phone came from the same dealer, so no luck to change, only some shops you can trust.

clean imei
Randvegeta said:
Hello everyone.
I've been searching the forums and have yet to find a solution (at least one that I can perform).
Any way, I have a Softbank X01HT which is a re-branded HTC Hermes.
I purchased the phone in September 2007 from a shop in Hong Kong. I live in the UK and have been using my phone happily for the past 5 months. My phone was blacklisted bout 2 days ago and despite having kept the original box and receipt from the store as a proof of purchase, it seems there is nothing my network (T-Mobile) is able or willing to do.
Is there anything I can do to legally lift this Blacklist of my phone? If not does anyone know how to change the IMEI.
At the moment, I feel very upset about all this because I have bought this phone legitimately and have been using it for 5 months, and NOW... someone can just blacklist my phone?
I have read that there is a solution by using 'Wizard Service Tool' but I need to do something like change it's SPL to 1.1.1. Does anyone know where to obtain the SPL 1.1.1 and how to install it?
Thank you for much in advance and please please please spare me from comments like 'ITS ILLEGAL'. I realize that by UK law it is a crime punishable by 5 years imprisonment. However I have a genuine phone that was purchased legally and I have everything to go with it! If changing the IMEI of a phone that I own to an IMEI of another phone I own is illegal.. well.. thats just stupid.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://my.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MyeBayAllSelling&ssPageName=STRK:ME:LNLK:MESX
I clean them.

I think I may have bought my girlfriend a stolen HD2...

My gf's old phone broke, and I found a cheap HD2 on craigslist. I went ahead and bought it from the guy. He seemed ok, maybe a LITTLE shady. When I brought it home and told her how I got it, she became worried that if we put her sim card into it, and it IS stolen, a red flag will show up at T-mobile and she might get into trouble.
Is there any way T-mobile can tell who has the phone if it IS stolen? Also, if she ever has to send it in for a replacement through warranty, will she be screwed? I know I shouldn't have bought it off of Craigslist, but it's too late for that now...

Well, you could always call T-Mobile and ask them if it was reported stolen ....
Don't think they will call the police on you , If you tell them you are going to , but I bet they will want to take your name, just in case ...

Lol this whole thread seems shady as hell.
Sounds like the OP might be trying to fish answers for his own endeavors...

lol, i know. it sounds pretty bad, but i assure you, that's not the case.

they can tell if it's stolen. they can tell if more than one person has the same IMEI number. whoever was using the phone will have that IMEI on their account, and if your gf puts her sim card in it, they will be able to see the IMEI from the phone. that's done on purpose, so that if someone does report a stolen phone, and the IMEI turns up on another account, they can flag it. however if it was not reported stolen, then there isn't much they can do as they don't know whether or not the original owner sold it to you or a shady guy on craigslist sold it to you, so reporting to the authorities would be pointless for them, as it may have been a legal transaction. as for calling them, they're probably not going to give you the info if that IMEI is registered in their system, they may not even tell you if it is. but if it has been reported stolen, and the IMEI shows up under a different account it will probably be flagged, I'm not sure what would happen at that point. More than likely rather than calling the authorities they'll just cut off the service to the phone.

Try a prepaid sim card and see if it was IMEI blocked?

well, we put her sim card in it and nothing has happened so far. i suppose it was legit.

If you got it with box, supplies and cables its very low chance that it stolen. Actual price in my local craiglist is really low, but it doesn't mean that most of all are stollen

tmobile dont care if the phone stolen or not. it doesnt really matter.

Slash8915 said:
My gf's old phone broke, and I found a cheap HD2 on craigslist. I went ahead and bought it from the guy. He seemed ok, maybe a LITTLE shady. When I brought it home and told her how I got it, she became worried that if we put her sim card into it, and it IS stolen, a red flag will show up at T-mobile and she might get into trouble.
Is there any way T-mobile can tell who has the phone if it IS stolen? Also, if she ever has to send it in for a replacement through warranty, will she be screwed? I know I shouldn't have bought it off of Craigslist, but it's too late for that now...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If that were possible I would like to think they would have told me when my TouchPro2 got stolen... The fact that they didn't mention anything like that leads me to believe they can't tell just by the sim card.

i buy/sell phones on craigslist almost weekly and put my sim in all of them
when i call t-mobile to change the internet plan they always ask me where i bought the phone. i always say from t-mobile and they never say anything about it. guess they cant really tell

hope this helps
Slash8915 said:
My gf's old phone broke, and I found a cheap HD2 on craigslist. I went ahead and bought it from the guy. He seemed ok, maybe a LITTLE shady. When I brought it home and told her how I got it, she became worried that if we put her sim card into it, and it IS stolen, a red flag will show up at T-mobile and she might get into trouble.
Is there any way T-mobile can tell who has the phone if it IS stolen? Also, if she ever has to send it in for a replacement through warranty, will she be screwed? I know I shouldn't have bought it off of Craigslist, but it's too late for that now...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
I'm not in the US but i always purchase phones from US and UK on ebay.
Always when i buy phones which are doubt to be stolen or reported as stolen i use this site www.checkmend.com.
They are even recommended by ebay. They claim to have a connection to a database that has all the information on Mobile Phones, Laptops, GPS navigators, etc. Which they can track by the serial number.
In your case you will need to provide them with the IMEI number of your phone and they will give a report on the status of the phone and past owners if they are registered. (they send this report by email instantly. they charge you USD 2.99 for this service. i thinks its quite worth than the risk.)
in my experience I've tried this service twice and a HD that i bought from the UK was returned with a report that said "This item has been blocked during its lifetime by one or more UK network(s)." which means it was reported lost or stolen.
and i even tried my HD2 which i'm using currently which i got from US cos i didn't get any box or accessory with it. But the report came out clear and i am in peace of mind.
Hope this helps.

ruwan7 said:
in my experience I've tried this service twice and a HD that i bought from the UK was returned with a report that said "This item has been blocked during its lifetime by one or more UK network(s)." which means it was reported lost or stolen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
usefull site. does it give any detail? i blocked my last phone thinking i'd lost it, 4 weeks later it turned up in a friends sofa, so i had them un block it and used it for another 18months.
i guess that would give the response you gave above..

Someone mentioned the IEM number that is the way they can tell if its stolen. So when and IF you ever take your phone into the store to have the useless sales people help you solve some problem. That is how they will know if its stolen. If there is a way to tell by electronic signal Tmobile simply doesnt care. I asked when I bought mine and they told me to get insurance. I asked how do you know if I dont just keep the phone and get a new one for 100 bucks. IEM number shows up was their answer.

Your IMEI and sim info are constantly broadcast about the cell network, you don't have to go into a store for this information to be picked up.
http://www.numberingplans.com/?page=analysis&sub=imeinr is one of the most common websites for checking your IMEI number (it's free), but do be careful with posting your IMEI/Serial number online at any site. Some are looking for valid IMEI numbers to use illegally.

Damn those shady Craigslist guys...

c2tmdsn said:
when i call t-mobile to change the internet plan
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I could be mistaken but I believe that if you select the G1 unlimited data plan, then any smart phone you have after that will not need to be updated...I am using the G1 plan with my HD2 and it works fine. So maybe you can avoid lying to them.

Found a Mytouch Slide

Okay guys, i have a Samsung Galaxy S Phone. However i went camping this wekkend with my girlfriend and found a mytouch slide, a few scrathes but it turns on after i charged it but the imei seems to have been blacklisted. since it has a password i was unable to check anything or contact information but the phone itself does not work after reading that once an ime gets blacklisted, there is no going back.
so my question is.
since ill be going overseas, it would make a good present somehow if the imei is only blocked in the US. So id like to comfirm this that whenan imei is blacklisted, its only in the us and will work in other countries such as ecuador which is where im going.

minogue said:
so my question is.
since ill be going overseas, it would make a good present somehow if the imei is only blocked in the US. So id like to comfirm this that whenan imei is blacklisted, its only in the us and will work in other countries such as ecuador which is where im going.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You could turn it in, as its a serial numbered product it has a decent chance of making it back to its rightful owner. If you lost your phone would you want someone to try and get it back to you or to take it to another country to give away as a "gift"?
Moral speech over... The list of blacklisted IMEI isn't normally shared across countries, I would imagine it would be fine in ecuador.

falken98 said:
You could turn it in, as its a serial numbered product it has a decent chance of making it back to its rightful owner. If you lost your phone would you want someone to try and get it back to you or to take it to another country to give away as a "gift"?
Moral speech over... The list of blacklisted IMEI isn't normally shared across countries, I would imagine it would be fine in ecuador.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm. Well it could make it back but will it really?? If i go to tmobile you think they will really return it knowing it wont work any longer and there is no way it will get unlisted.

minogue said:
Hmm. Well it could make it back but will it really?? If i go to tmobile you think they will really return it knowing it wont work any longer and there is no way it will get unlisted.
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Click to collapse
I have no knowledge of t-mobile, but I had an ameritech phone lost once and yes, someone turned it in to them and they mailed it back to me.
I can't image t-mobile would just pitch it in the trash and say ta hell with the customer.
If the person filed a police report and you turned it in to the police it would also make it back that way.
Lost/stolen property does often get returned when recovered. Its just that most stuff gets thrown away, sold on ebay, used, or given to someone else instead of being turned in.

Belive me they will get it back to the owner. U should turn it in like the other dude said wouldnt u want someone to do that for you.
Sent from ROOTED MyTouch Slide

I'm no expert, but I'm sure once a phone gets returned to a carrier and they return it to the original owner, they can PROBABLY un-blacklist the IMEI number.
But seriously, if I lost my phone I would be eternally grateful if someone were to turn it in.
Just do it for the karma, man.

Send It Back
Just for the fun of it I asked T-mobile and they said that they DO and WILL return the phone to the owner if one is mailed back to them. The girl said they will contact the owner if they are still one of thier customers. If not they will mail it to the last known address. Just a FYI. Return the phone and don't be so cheap to give a gift that someone else paid for..

Suntar said:
Just for the fun of it I asked T-mobile and they said that they DO and WILL return the phone to the owner if one is mailed back to them. The girl said they will contact the owner if they are still one of thier customers. If not they will mail it to the last known address. Just a FYI. Return the phone and don't be so cheap to give a gift that someone else paid for..
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Click to collapse
I assumed as much, thanks for clearing that up for the OP. Hopefully they decide to return the poor persons phone. Who knows what kind of information they have on there they would like back.

I Stopped by the tmobile Corp today since i was buying a case for my phone and getting an unlock request made for my vibrant. Anyway i gave the phone to a Store Manager but i dont think they were able to log in since it has a password. I guess they will figure it out how to get his information.... Anyway. Job done. I saved the Day and now off to get ready to leave the country and get wasteddd all day, everydayyy. Hahahaha

I work for T-Mobile. They will definitely try to get this phone back to the owner. This would make someones day - do the right thing and PM me if you have any questions.
Sent from my HTC Espresso using XDA App

T-Mobile
I work for T-Mobile Android/BB/PDA support and we can track down who the owner is regardless if its locked or not. You think your mobile number or IMEI are the only ways we can look up your account?.?

so i may buy a G2 from Craigslist

and i am wondering a few things..
i have heard of some shady craigslist people selling IMEI banned phones. If i get one by chance..is it possible to change IMEI? or am i screwed with a paperweight. I have seen some RIFF-box tools claim to be able to do it, but this is a pretty new phone so I am not sure if its supported.
Will T-Mobile work with a customer that accidentally came up on a banned phone? Does t-mobile actually ENFORCE the ban on the IMEI? I know of some people that had a supposed banned IMEI and it worked just fine.
Any information will be greatly appreciated!

Rather than potentially go through all of that, try calling T-Mobile when you meet the seller and verify with them if the phone is able to used without issue and hasn't been banned.
Also, talk of hacking and changing ESN/IMEIs are not allowed in the forums.
ricky05 said:
and i am wondering a few things..
i have heard of some shady craigslist people selling IMEI banned phones. If i get one by chance..is it possible to change IMEI? or am i screwed with a paperweight. I have seen some RIFF-box tools claim to be able to do it, but this is a pretty new phone so I am not sure if its supported.
Will T-Mobile work with a customer that accidentally came up on a banned phone? Does t-mobile actually ENFORCE the ban on the IMEI? I know of some people that had a supposed banned IMEI and it worked just fine.
Any information will be greatly appreciated!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

bring your sim card with you and slap it in before you hand over the cash. When I sold my Droid on Craigs List I actually met the guy at the verizon store to make sure he didn't have an issue getting it activated. Its not much to ask..

i completely understand about imei changing not allowed..
i was mostly asking if it was POSSIBLE..not how to do it really..but ok
and thanks for the reply about meeting the guy there..thats probably what I will do.

I've worked for tmobile for a long time, they do not block imei's.......that is sprint and verizon which block esn's. Your safe to buy the phone.
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using Tapatalk

You'll be fine with any GSM Carrier... Imei doesn't mean anything.
Just be sure your getting a Legitimate phone.

SmartHat said:
You'll be fine with any GSM Carrier... Imei doesn't mean anything.
Just be sure your getting a Legitimate phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unless it is on their blacklist an a stolen phone.

I bought a Motorola Cliq from CraigsList about a year ago... Turns out the guy I bought it from was a T-Mobile employee who had stolen the phone. I got a phone call from someone at T-Mobile asking me about the phone. I gave them all the information I had on the guy and then asked what it all meant to me.
I was told that because I had purchased the phone legitimately and had done nothing wrong that I could keep the phone and that T-Mobile had no interest in punishing a customer for someone else being dishonest.
As someone else said, pop your SIM card in the phone when you meet and see if it works.

Make sure you check that speaker phone works. I bought mine from a guy on craigslist for 275 and the speaker didn't work. I could hear out of the phone speaker (the one in front) but not out of the one in the back (above and to the right if the HTC logo behind the phone). So just check that the phone rings, that you can hear speakerphone, and that you can hear music.
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App

ricky05 said:
i completely understand about imei changing not allowed..
i was mostly asking if it was POSSIBLE..not how to do it really..but ok
and thanks for the reply about meeting the guy there..thats probably what I will do.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If u change the imei then u will have one of someone else phone.
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App

Can't the guy just report it stolen after you put your sim in to see if it works? This is the main thing stopping me from getting a G2 or Nexus on Craigslist. Will everything be perfect if it works when you put in your sim?

I would ask the seller to email the IMEI to me, and verify it with TMo. If all is good, double check it when you meet with the dude and you should be OK.

djsinco said:
I would ask the seller to email the IMEI to me, and verify it with TMo. If all is good, double check it when you meet with the dude and you should be OK.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the response!
but even after checking the imei with tmobile, couldn't he just write down the imei number and report it stolen after I check it with the sim and buy it?

The concern to me is that the seller stole it. you could have TMo document the IMEI search in your notes, that and a printout of the CL post would cover you.

Youll be ok. I've never hear TMo blacklist any phones...even ones that were reported lost/stolen.
You bought it...just keep records of all your interactions with the seller.
Posted from my HTC Vision via XDA App

I have purchased and sold numerous phones over Craigslist.
I would recommend that you meet in an area that is well-lit and very PUBLIC. I typically try to meet at a coffee shop or something. I have heard of horror stories in my area about people setting up robberies through CL so be careful and aware of your surroundings.
Spend a few minutes using the phone... I.E. make a test phone call, send a text message, test sound output, etc. If the seller is not okay waiting a few minutes while you do these things, hand them the phone back and find a different seller. If there is nothing to hide, this process is reasonable.

Thanks for all the responses guys but my main concern is with the imei number. What is a sure way to know that it will not be blocked later on by a person?

Bbe1367 said:
I've worked for tmobile for a long time, they do not block imei's.......that is sprint and verizon which block esn's. Your safe to buy the phone.
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is nothing you can do to prevent a seller from calling customer service and giving them the IMEI saying that its stolen, BUT that doesn't have any impact on you.
ESN's are used on CDMA phones and those can be blocked to prevent service reaching a device. IMEI's do not work the same way. Regardless of whether or not the phone is reported as stolen, it would continue to work.
Just keep a record of your communication with the seller in case he tries to scam you down the road saying you stole it from him, but that is highly unlikely. Just be sure to check the device and make sure everything is working.

I take a gun with me when I go pay/pick up my item.

johnnyham89 said:
Thanks for all the responses guys but my main concern is with the imei number. What is a sure way to know that it will not be blocked later on by a person?
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T-mobile DOES NOT block IMEI numbers AT ALL,
Sprint and Verizon use CDMA networks, hence you have to give them your ESN number.... which they CAN block.
Since you are with T-Mobile... this scenario DOES NOT, I repeat DOES NOT apply to you.
just be careful about the phone itself, Making sure EVERYTHING works fine, scratches, dings.
Like somenone said... if there is nothing to hide than he WILL wait for you to test out the phone until you are satisfied. Meeting in a coffee shop or a public spot will do you good!

AT&T Unlocked Phone Blacklisted on Tmobile

This might sound like a broken record with ebay/craigslist scams, you can add me to the list.
I'm going to keep it short and to the point.
- I'm a T-Mobile user, purchased an AT&T Phone (LG Optimus G) on Craigslist , which i then unlocked via ebay code.
- a couple weeks of use the phone was reported stolen, blacklisted.
> On the day of purchase I saved the craigslist ad on the computer, which contained the seller's number, and it had the date as well.
What should i do?
- Contact the seller?
- Contact AT&T Insurance Company?
- Sell it on Ebay, is it illegal?
Would greatly appreciate any help or info as I am stranded without a phone, so the sooner the better, thank you.

sasoq said:
This might sound like a broken record with ebay/craigslist scams, you can add me to the list.
I'm going to keep it short and to the point.
- I'm a T-Mobile user, purchased an AT&T Phone (LG Optimus G) on Craigslist , which i then unlocked via ebay code.
- a couple weeks of use the phone was reported stolen, blacklisted.
> On the day of purchase I saved the craigslist ad on the computer, which contained the seller's number, and it had the date as well.
What should i do?
- Contact the seller?
- Contact AT&T Insurance Company?
- Sell it on Ebay, is it illegal?
Would greatly appreciate any help or info as I am stranded without a phone, so the sooner the better, thank you.
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Click to collapse
Contact the seller that would be common sense.... lol
If you contact or go to AT&T they will want to take the phone from you.....
you can sell it on eBay no problem , The Phone will ONLY work outside of the USA. Its not illegal to sell it on eBay if you look there are thousands of them just make sure you put it clear the the IMEI is bad

hyelton said:
Contact the seller that would be common sense.... lol
If you contact or go to AT&T they will want to take the phone from you.....
you can sell it on eBay no problem , The Phone will ONLY work outside of the USA. Its not illegal to sell it on eBay if you look there are thousands of them just make sure you put it clear the the IMEI is bad
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The number on the Ad was a fake number so can't get in any contact with them.
If I sell it on Ebay, wouldn't it be illegal since it was reported stolen?

sasoq said:
The number on the Ad was a fake number so can't get in any contact with them.
If I sell it on Ebay, wouldn't it be illegal since it was reported stolen?
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Click to collapse
No... There are thousands of them on there. It would be illegal if you sold it without saying it had a bad IMEI.
How do you know it was reported Stolen? They are NOT allowed to tell you that. It can can either be reported stolen or lost.
They prob reported it lost, as if someone reports it stolen they have to make a police report.

hyelton said:
No... There are thousands of them on there. It would be illegal if you sold it without saying it had a bad IMEI.
How do you know it was reported Stolen? They are NOT allowed to tell you that. It can can either be reported stolen or lost.
They prob reported it lost, as if someone reports it stolen they have to make a police report.
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Click to collapse
I contacted t-mobile last week and they said it was reported stolen. How can i know if a police report has been made for it?
Thanks again for responding, there are alot of views on this and no one has advice or info.

sasoq said:
The number on the Ad was a fake number so can't get in any contact with them.
If I sell it on Ebay, wouldn't it be illegal since it was reported stolen?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sasoq said:
I contacted t-mobile last week and they said it was reported stolen. How can i know if a police report has been made for it?
Thanks again for responding, there are alot of views on this and no one has advice or info.
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Click to collapse
Wait.. T-Mobile said that? your best bet would to try and call AT&T as they would of had to of reported it to AT&T and not T-Mobile. But you wont know if someone filed a report. I`d just list it on eBay as a Bad IMEI phone, its not illegal and its not ripping anyone off as the phone can be used for parts and will work anywhere outside of the USA/Canada.

Your best bet would be to put it on eBay with a bad IMEI. As far as you know, it's simply a broken phone. You don't need to tell the buyers the circumstances.
Sent from my 3D FM pentesting smartphone... With Google!

hyelton said:
Wait.. T-Mobile said that? your best bet would to try and call AT&T as they would of had to of reported it to AT&T and not T-Mobile. But you wont know if someone filed a report. I`d just list it on eBay as a Bad IMEI phone, its not illegal and its not ripping anyone off as the phone can be used for parts and will work anywhere outside of the USA/Canada.
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Click to collapse
I'm thinking the seller sold it to me then reported it stolen. And if it is reported stolen i wouldn't be able to sell it because it's stolen property.
Do you think at&t would want the phoned turned in if I contact them?