http://www.androidpolice.com/2010/0...ill-available-for-purchase-directly-from-htc/
We can still buy accessories like batteries and docks.
No case/pouch though unfortunately
I lost mine. Anyone know where to buy one of those?
Paul22000 said:
No case/pouch though unfortunately
I lost mine. Anyone know where to buy one of those?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you find yours, see if mine is with it. I swear I took it out of the box, put the Nexus in one once, took it back out, and put it in the box.
Except it's not in there anymore..
these things needed to be bright android green imo, lost mine several times now.
Have you tried calling HTC customer support? They have been known to give pouches for the N1
Sent from my Nexus One using Tapatalk
awesome, just bought car dock
I saw the Nexus one pouch going for like $5 on ebay.
http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksid=p3907.m570.l1313&_nkw=neoprene+oem&_sacat=See-All-Categories
Some are even cheaper than that. Though nothing beats free from HTC I suppose.
i found my pouch after 2 months lol just dont know why it was under my xbox
I don't see any batteries. Do they sell them to Canada online also?
I went to buy a car dock and it looks like they are back ordered.
When I lost my original case and couldn't find it anywhere in the house, I got one from Hong Kong off eBay. It was only £2.50 including postage, and when it arrived it was clear that it was a second (stitching a bit off) but it did the job.
Then last week when visiting the mother-in-law she looked at my phone and said, "ooh I've got one of those upstairs". Turned out I had left it there and never realised.
I ordered mine off ebay from hong kong as well... found mine in my car the day it arrived (a week later)
$60 for the desktop dock now? They must be off their damn rockers!!
It's worth maybe half that to me. How do they expect to sell those things for double what people are willing to pay for it?! Completely insane. Thanks Google and HTC for the royal screwing on accessories.
so after running around 7 stores and making 18 different calls to t-mobile, htc and radio shack, they all came with the same conclusion: htc told them that the loosey goosey hinge is not a defect, it is the way its supposed to be so that the phone can be opened with ease. all i could do was laugh because i knew t-mobile was full of ****. as pissed off as i was, i remembered "you get what u pay for". since i only have two days left on my buyers remorse from radio shack (149.99 price tag), i'm going to return the phone tomorrow, cancel the plan and go over to costco and buy it for $50 dollars. no need dealing with this for $150 when i can b dealing with it for $100 less i gotta say i still love this damn phone though
It's not an issue for me since I don't hold my phone upside down in a weird way.
I did the same, I visit 2 tmo stores, and they test 3 new boxes, and is not a problem, the phone came like this...
Be careful doing that. There was a post earlier about canceling and not being able to go to costco for the cheaper phone.
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App
pdxrealtor said:
Be careful doing that. There was a post earlier about canceling and not being able to go to costco for the cheaper phone.
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
and who in the f*ck will tell me i can shop around since t-mobile stores blows enough * explicit* in order not to price match. i havent seen any legal documents stating that i cant do what is legal and fair. why pay 250 (mail-in-rebate) when u can pay $50. its ridiculous not to
Tmobile can reject you order for service since you canceled. They can make you wait alonger time before they allow yiu service. Its maily the system tho
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App
xile6 said:
Tmobile can reject you order for service since you canceled. They can make you wait alonger time before they allow yiu service. Its maily the system tho
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Stupid corporates. I hope they dont.
I had my first G2 on pre order and received it from the very first batch, sent it back due to shutting itself off for no reason. They sent me a 2nd phone with a hinge so loose it was ridiculous In my opinion. I called and sent that one back as well. I talked with someone about this issue and said that if I could not receive a G2 with a tite hinge then cancel my order. He told me he was sending me a phone from the latest batch from htc that they had addressed this loose hinge problem and my new G2 should be perfect. Time will tell. I refuse to buy a phone with a loose hinge that will only get worse not better. Owning the Nexus One with no slide out keyboard I do not miss the G2. IMO there is no device that feels like the Nexus One in your hand. I should receive my new G2 in a few days and will let the forum know how this hinge problem worked out. I probably would have not returned my 2nd phone but my 1st phone the hinge was very tite and I know how it should feel. Not being fussy but just want a good phone.
vinnyjr said:
I had my first G2 on pre order and received it from the very first batch, sent it back due to shutting itself off for no reason. They sent me a 2nd phone with a hinge so loose it was ridiculous In my opinion. I called and sent that one back as well. I talked with someone about this issue and said that if I could not receive a G2 with a tite hinge then cancel my order. He told me he was sending me a phone from the latest batch from htc that they had addressed this loose hinge problem and my new G2 should be perfect. Time will tell. I refuse to buy a phone with a loose hinge that will only get worse not better. Owning the Nexus One with no slide out keyboard I do not miss the G2. IMO there is no device that feels like the Nexus One in your hand. I should receive my new G2 in a few days and will let the forum know how this hinge problem worked out. I probably would have not returned my 2nd phone but my 1st phone the hinge was very tite and I know how it should feel. Not being fussy but just want a good phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
how tight was the hinge on your first g2? were you able to turn the phone face down and have the top part of the screen not fall?
@vinnyjr: Could you please let us know how it works out when you get your new phone? I'm thinking of calling and asking for a G2 from the "new batch" if it really fixes the hinge issue.
honestly guys t-mobile just says sh*t to shut us up. like i said after numerous calls to different reps, they said its the way it should be. ell they even tell t-mobile stores and radio shack employers the same silly sh*t. they are honestly trying to push this issue aside to avoid numerous recalls.
btw i returned my g2 back to radio shack and just got a g2 for 50 bucks at costco so now my 14 day period just started over and im gonna go in the store every other day till i get a g2 with stiff hinge gotta love freedom of choice
I got my G2 September 30th. I'd say that it is "first batch" if there is such a thing. My hinge is tight. I have to really shake my phone hard while holding it upside down to get the phone to swing open.
My buddy just got his G2 2 days ago from a T-Mobile corporate store, and his hinge is very loose.
So from my very limited experience, I doesn't seem like there are "new batch" phones with better hinges.
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App
I just received my fourth G2 from T Mobile yesterday. The first three all had very loose hinges and wildly fluctuating signals or no signals. The trio also had screen freezes, random reboots and turned them selves off from time to time, as well as dropped calls.. The one I received yesterday has very tight hinges and seems to stay connected to H or E much better. So far the only issue has been a dropped call. This last phone just seems smoother and faster and the keyboard does not come out in my pocket as the first three did, I dont know if this is a new batch or not but it definitely operates and has a much better feel and signal retention.
Could someone post a video of their strong hinge? Just to put things in perspective?
Thanks,
Trust me on this one. If you cancel your account then go to Costco; not a problem. T-Mobile may blow smoke because of system issues but in the end they're hemorraging customers so they can credit your account for up to 1/2 the price difference to keep the number of compelled accounts down. Don't believe ' Dateline', you don't wanna talk to a supervisor [you'll first go to a supervisor assistant called a "Senior Rep"...they're hourly also]. Ask for a manager!!! They're the real supervisor's SUPERVISOR! Those lazy a$$holes are not allowed to turn down your call and they hate taking calls so they are overly accommodating. Just be sure not to call on a weekend. There's only one on duty.
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App
CORRECTION: T-Mobile may blow smoke because of system issues but in the end they're hemorraging customers so they can credit your account for up to 1/2 the price difference to keep the number of cancelled accounts down.
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App
Fearless1978 said:
CORRECTION: T-Mobile may blow smoke because of system issues but in the end they're hemorraging customers so they can credit your account for up to 1/2 the price difference to keep the number of cancelled accounts down.
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
are you referring to their infamous "pro-rated charges"?
Find the Best shop
There are many shops selling duplicate products same as original you cant find the difference because duplicate seems like a xerox copy of original those products are mingled with original and sold over the shops. I think you may experienced such a product. I too had a T-Mobile few weeks back from onlinemobileworld.blogspot.com they are good and they got good collection as it is sold through online the price seem to be better. My suggestion is find the best online shops and compare the best price. I suggest for online shopping because online shopping is cheaper compare to retailer
I bought G2 2 hours ago. Hinge is really loose. I asked the rep that I wanna have the latest batch. I dunno he really did it.
Is there any way to know production date from serial #?
it's totally unfair some got not loose one for the same price.
bigstunta101 said:
so after running around 7 stores and making 18 different calls to t-mobile, htc and radio shack, they all came with the same conclusion: htc told them that the loosey goosey hinge is not a defect, it is the way its supposed to be so that the phone can be opened with ease. all i could do was laugh because i knew t-mobile was full of ****. as pissed off as i was, i remembered "you get what u pay for". since i only have two days left on my buyers remorse from radio shack (149.99 price tag), i'm going to return the phone tomorrow, cancel the plan and go over to costco and buy it for $50 dollars. no need dealing with this for $150 when i can b dealing with it for $100 less i gotta say i still love this damn phone though
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How many scissor hinge phones did you say you have owned before the G2? Seems you can't get the point.
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App
If you know someone who took advantage of the recent $199 brand new Nexus, locked to T-Mobile, "sealed in box" deal, tell them it was a fraud and file for a return claim IMMEDIATELY. I figured it out today when I opened the box
a) for starters, the original Google box did not read "make in china"; even if it did, it would say.....umm.. Made in China (Grammar, people, grammar).
b) The original Google OEM packaging did not have the production date inscribed on the box; this "new box" did.
c) the dotted seal itself was a quite a bit misaligned (you guys will know what I am talking about)
d) No N6 is EVER locked to specific service. I still took the bait thinking that well, since it says locked to T-Mobile, the sim will come separate. I am not sure if this part is authentic, but I assumed that none of these N6 OEM boxes were supplied with sims inside. This one came with one inside. So, how did it end up inside if this was "sealed"?
e) the BIGGEST giveaway--the OEM screen protector was quite unique for our handsets; it was rough to touch but plain, and more importantly, it had a marked white triangular spot at the left corner of the handset (Google's way of saying that you can peel this from here if you want). This one I received had a cheap 60 cents type screen protector with smudges and crumples all over.
So, yea, filed a report and waiting for a refund. So much for my future love for this brilliant beast. Now I will have to give more love to my current one.
sdg1980 said:
If you know someone who took advantage of the recent $199 brand new Nexus, locked to T-Mobile, "sealed in box" deal, tell them it was a fraud and file for a return claim IMMEDIATELY. I figured it out today when I opened the box
a) for starters, the original Google box did not read "make in china"; even if it did, it would say.....umm.. Made in China (Grammar, people, grammar).
b) The original Google OEM packaging did not have the production date inscribed on the box; this "new box" did.
c) the dotted seal itself was a quite a bit misaligned (you guys will know what I am talking about)
d) No N6 is EVER locked to specific service. I still took the bait thinking that well, since it says locked to T-Mobile, the sim will come separate. I am not sure if this part is authentic, but I assumed that none of these N6 OEM boxes were supplied with sims inside. This one came with one inside. So, how did it end up inside if this was "sealed"?
e) the BIGGEST giveaway--the OEM screen protector was quite unique for our handsets; it was rough to touch but plain, and more importantly, it had a marked white triangular spot at the left corner of the handset (Google's way of saying that you can peel this from here if you want). This one I received had a cheap 60 cents type screen protector with smudges and crumples all over.
So, yea, filed a report and waiting for a refund. So much for my future love for this brilliant beast. Now I will have to give more love to my current one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did the phone work?
Whether the phone worked or not is irrelevant. The phone is counterfeit, meaning its components would be subpar. Especially the screen, which would be an IPS LCD at best, TFT LCD at worst, with a resolution decidedly below the 2560x1440 of a genuine article.
As the above post mentions, it is most possible counterfeit. My guess is that it is at best a US refurbished item that was sent to China for repackaging and became "new and sealed." I checked for its IMEI and turned out clean.
I did not even turn on the phone because
a) ethically, it would be wrong and
b) if I am going to return a counterfeit or not as described item, the closer it is to the original condition, the better it is for full refund
sdg1980 said:
If you know someone who took advantage of the recent $199 brand new Nexus, locked to T-Mobile, "sealed in box" deal, tell them it was a fraud and file for a return claim IMMEDIATELY. I figured it out today when I opened the box
a) for starters, the original Google box did not read "make in china"; even if it did, it would say.....umm.. Made in China (Grammar, people, grammar).
b) The original Google OEM packaging did not have the production date inscribed on the box; this "new box" did.
c) the dotted seal itself was a quite a bit misaligned (you guys will know what I am talking about)
d) No N6 is EVER locked to specific service. I still took the bait thinking that well, since it says locked to T-Mobile, the sim will come separate. I am not sure if this part is authentic, but I assumed that none of these N6 OEM boxes were supplied with sims inside. This one came with one inside. So, how did it end up inside if this was "sealed"?
e) the BIGGEST giveaway--the OEM screen protector was quite unique for our handsets; it was rough to touch but plain, and more importantly, it had a marked white triangular spot at the left corner of the handset (Google's way of saying that you can peel this from here if you want). This one I received had a cheap 60 cents type screen protector with smudges and crumples all over.
So, yea, filed a report and waiting for a refund. So much for my future love for this brilliant beast. Now I will have to give more love to my current one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Was the seller from the US or Hong Kong ?
mikeprius said:
Was the seller from the US or Hong Kong ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did my bit of research to figure that out. First, some context. So, lot of Chinese sellers have a US pos (point of sale) with a residential address here (primarily happens to be in California cities because of closer proximity to airports with ease of international imp-exp) and sell stuff here as US seller. It is only when you look at their sale history and what they've been selling vis-a-vis their returns/return comments, most buyers are disgruntled with having requests to either take partial refunds and take off negative reviews or keep the product and...options are endless.
My seller was in PA, and I have been keeping an eye out for a NIB N6 for months. Few weeks ago, they (32GB, Blue or White) were being sold for $285 directly from Hong Kong from different sellers. Not too many bought those (I kept them on my watch list to see what's going on). Suddenly, these vanished from the site (for the most part). Then, this $199 deal came along from a 98.5% rating seller. Sounded too good to be true; still, I jumped at it because I was hoping for the best and also trusted Ebay's return policy. Now this...so, I think that My seller is likely a point of contact for Chinese sellers.
sdg1980 said:
Did my bit of research to figure that out. First, some context. So, lot of Chinese sellers have a US pos (point of sale) with a residential address here (primarily happens to be in California cities because of closer proximity to airports with ease of international imp-exp) and sell stuff here as US seller. It is only when you look at their sale history and what they've been selling vis-a-vis their returns/return comments, most buyers are disgruntled with having requests to either take partial refunds and take off negative reviews or keep the product and...options are endless.
My seller was in PA, and I have been keeping an eye out for a NIB N6 for months. Few weeks ago, they (32GB, Blue or White) were being sold for $285 directly from Hong Kong from different sellers. Not too many bought those (I kept them on my watch list to see what's going on). Suddenly, these vanished from the site (for the most part). Then, this $199 deal came along from a 98.5% rating seller. Sounded too good to be true; still, I jumped at it because I was hoping for the best and also trusted Ebay's return policy. Now this...so, I think that My seller is likely a point of contact for Chinese sellers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have seen a lot of sellers from Hong Kong, but it never occurred to me that they were using US addresses to front. Ironically, the product was nearly the same as the Hong Kong......Ebay has gotten much better about fraud though. Before (over 10 yrs ago) Ebay and Paypal were 2 separate companies and the protection was very weak and only a percentage of the price. Now they allegedly cover it....I'm curious to what ends up happening with your situation.
sdg1980 said:
If you know someone who took advantage of the recent $199 brand new Nexus, locked to T-Mobile, "sealed in box" deal, tell them it was a fraud and file for a return claim IMMEDIATELY. I figured it out today when I opened the box
a) for starters, the original Google box did not read "make in china"; even if it did, it would say.....umm.. Made in China (Grammar, people, grammar).
b) The original Google OEM packaging did not have the production date inscribed on the box; this "new box" did.
c) the dotted seal itself was a quite a bit misaligned (you guys will know what I am talking about)
d) No N6 is EVER locked to specific service. I still took the bait thinking that well, since it says locked to T-Mobile, the sim will come separate. I am not sure if this part is authentic, but I assumed that none of these N6 OEM boxes were supplied with sims inside. This one came with one inside. So, how did it end up inside if this was "sealed"?
e) the BIGGEST giveaway--the OEM screen protector was quite unique for our handsets; it was rough to touch but plain, and more importantly, it had a marked white triangular spot at the left corner of the handset (Google's way of saying that you can peel this from here if you want). This one I received had a cheap 60 cents type screen protector with smudges and crumples all over.
So, yea, filed a report and waiting for a refund. So much for my future love for this brilliant beast. Now I will have to give more love to my current one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is a moot point compared to the rest of your post, but the ATT models can be locked. I purchased one for someone, and it was carrier locked. The person didn't really care since they use the AT&T side of straight talk anyways.
Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
...The phone is counterfeit, meaning its components would be subpar. Especially the screen, which would be an IPS LCD at best, TFT LCD.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think it is a look a like.
The price 199, is to low for a brand new N6.
chapelfreak said:
It is a moot point compared to the rest of your post, but the ATT models can be locked. I purchased one for someone, and it was carrier locked. The person didn't really care since they use the AT&T side of straight talk anyways.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not comprehending your point here. I'm talking about fraud. As I type this, I'm being fully refunded through eBay. Whether you got the original one or not for your friend is the point of this thread, not which carrier.
NLBeev said:
I think it is a look a like.
The price 199, is to low for a brand new N6.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, it's the real deal but used or at best refurbished. Look up on eBay. Thousands of well known brands are sold as new or used. I got my N6 brand new over there. So, it's not always fraud. In this case, it's not as advertised and the box is fake. That's all.
When you see "brand new in box" after two years of a flagship phone, you'll have raised eyebrows for sure. I did, bit the bullet anyways, and am getting refund.
sdg1980 said:
I'm not comprehending your point here. I'm talking about fraud. As I type this, I'm being fully refunded through eBay. Whether you got the original one or not for your friend is the point of this thread, not which carrier.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My comment was in response to your point d. The N6 is in fact locked to a specific carrier, ATT, in my experiences buying them for customers.
I've had bad luck buying "new" phones in the past. I'll never forget the headache when I bought a brand new Galaxy S and the speaker doesn't work. Wasn't the seller's fault. The phone was just defective. Anyway I decided just to send it to Samsung since it was covered under warranty. They sent it back to me THREE TIMES before they actually fixed the problem. Then I bought a Samsung Galaxy Note II on ebay and the camera wouldn't focus. Finally I decided to never buy a phone from ebay again. I feel your pain.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using XDA-Developers mobile app
sdg1980 said:
I'm not comprehending your point here. I'm talking about fraud. As I type this, I'm being fully refunded through eBay. Whether you got the original one or not for your friend is the point of this thread, not which carrier.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your point D mentions that no Nexus 6 is ever carrier locked. As written that's false, making point D invalid. To make point D valid you would need to mention that no N6 comes carrier locked to T-Mobile.
That is why he pointed it out.
As far as I know, there havent been any rumblings of a Nexus 6 Clone on the net like Samsung phones.
Also there were 3 variants of the Nexus 6 where as 2 of them were carrier locked and one which was carrier branded but technically unlocked.
T-Mobile/At&T are carrier locked, while the Verizon version is not and I can attest to this because I own a Verizon variant running on T-Mobile.
Like most Chinese clones the phones are usually IPS or TFT panels with subpar resolution of the original. Also they can only achieve 26 but will have a fake 4G icon to make people think the phone is using 4G.
Now your story is a cool one, as you did not even test the phone, or actually use the phone. You didnt even turn on the phone. Therefore I do not buy your story, and without proof you cannot say the phone is a clone or fake one. You have every right to inspect the item you bought to make sure it is not fake. So i find your claims incomplete of merit.
@bvzxa3: T-Mobile never locked their Nexus 6. That dubious honor was reserved for AT&T, along with having the death star on the back. Also, he never said the phone was counterfeit. I made that assumption based upon the description of the box having spelling errors and misaligned "cut here" hash marks. A later post of his mentions his belief the phone was in fact refurbished, but not by Motorola.
two variants: unlocked US version, and an International version.
I bought one from us for only $249.00 and have never had a problem with it.
I agree you should have tested it without that you should not get a refund.
I got Verizon one and it was locked.
Sent from my Pixel XL using xda premium
sdg1980 said:
If you know someone who took advantage of the recent $199 brand new Nexus, locked to T-Mobile, "sealed in box" deal, tell them it was a fraud and file for a return claim IMMEDIATELY. I figured it out today when I opened the box
a) for starters, the original Google box did not read "make in china"; even if it did, it would say.....umm.. Made in China (Grammar, people, grammar).
b) The original Google OEM packaging did not have the production date inscribed on the box; this "new box" did.
c) the dotted seal itself was a quite a bit misaligned (you guys will know what I am talking about)
d) No N6 is EVER locked to specific service. I still took the bait thinking that well, since it says locked to T-Mobile, the sim will come separate. I am not sure if this part is authentic, but I assumed that none of these N6 OEM boxes were supplied with sims inside. This one came with one inside. So, how did it end up inside if this was "sealed"?
e) the BIGGEST giveaway--the OEM screen protector was quite unique for our handsets; it was rough to touch but plain, and more importantly, it had a marked white triangular spot at the left corner of the handset (Google's way of saying that you can peel this from here if you want). This one I received had a cheap 60 cents type screen protector with smudges and crumples all over.
So, yea, filed a report and waiting for a refund. So much for my future love for this brilliant beast. Now I will have to give more love to my current one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You didn't share any links so it is hard to know what the situation was other than the fact that you feel ripped of by the unauthentic looking phone. But let me share my own experience of buying what seemed like new phones and how that turned out.
I really like Samsung Note 3. I think it was one of the best phones ever made, not because it has the best performance or build, simply because it is a good toy; it is easy to root and a lot of development has been done on it. You can tear it apart and put it back together in 5 minutes. It is not full of glue and impossible to reach corners. After 3 years used Note 3 phones still get sold at prices higher than some mid tier phones. I also have an S7 edge but I rarely use it. It is just not as much fun.
It is because of that, that I have owned 6 of them so far. If I break them I either fix them or get another one. And since it is not sold in retail stores anymore the only place to get them is Ebay.
Six months ago I found one advertised as a new T-Mobile phone on Ebay for ~$240 but it would be shipped from Hong Kong. I was curious how a T Mobile phone would actually be sold in Hong Kong? But with today's global economy it would not be a far stretch of imagination so I went ahead and ordered it. Took about a month to get it and when I opened the box I could swear the thing was a new phone. Everything was correct down to the T Mobile logo on the box.
After a few days I realized that, as new as the thing looks on the outside, it was in fact not a T Mobile phone. The LCD had an image burned into it which was visible especially on a blue background. It had clearly been used as a demo unit for a long time showing the same image over and over, which had gotten burnt into the OLED display. The headset connector had been used 366 times, charger connector 1216 times, and S pen had been detached 313 times. So the phone had been used extensively.
I dug a bit more into the hardware of the phone and I found that the model number hardcoded into the phone was SM-N900TZKETMB which is the model number for a black phone. This phone was white so clearly the frame and the back had been changed. I should have known better because the phone had a gold trim. T Mobile never sold this phone in this color.
I called Samsung and they said the phone had run out of warranty. I actually guessed it myself because again I could access the hardcoded info in the phone and I knew it had been manufactured more than 2 years before the purchase date.
So, in summary, this was not a new phone. This is a refurbished phone, albeit masterfully refurbished. I emphasize that it was not a copy. I verified myself that it has all the genuine hardware inside. So I ended up returning it for a refund.
A few months later, I found a "new" T-Mobile Sony Xperia Z3 on Ebay, another one of my favorites, sold from Hong Kong. Went ahead and ordered it, just to go through the same ordeal. If you know one thing about Z3 it is probably the fact that it has a great camera. The camera on this one was horrible. I have never before or since seen a camera that bad. The LCD was dim with uneven brightness, and some other problems... you get the picture. I ended up returning that as well. Later, I found out that T Mobile never sold this phone in this color either, so fool me once...
A couple of months passed by and I figured that since I like Note 3 and that white phone with the gold trim actually looked good, knowing that I will get a refurbished phone, I should go ahead and order another one from Hong Kong. After all, it was the original hardware in a refurbished shell, so what could go wrong. I ordered it and it came, again, in a sealed box with all bells and whistles. This time however, the phone would not function properly. It would not attach to T Mobile LTE network and even after putting the right APN etc, I would lose connection after every reboot. I started looking into the hardware. I found that it was in fact an N9005 (international model) refurbished as a N900T!!! They had force-flashed the T Mobile ROM on it and in the process had blown the knox fuse, which was a deal breaker since I need to use the phone in a secure corporate environment. That phone went back to Hong Kong as well.
So three phones from three different vendors all having the same problem. Why?
Because there is a cottage industry in China that buys used phones from the US and other countries. They clean them up, replace the exterior frame, replace any broken components with aftermarket parts, and they even print the exact same brochures, boxes, and plastic wrappings to masquerade them as new, and they sell them on the internet. This is a step-up from the fake phones they used to make a few years ago so at least the hardware inside is mostly authentic, but they are dishonest and will easily lie to you about the phones being new. The above-mentioned phones were all shipped, not from Hong Kong, but from China through Hong Kong. Not everyone is picky like me to go through all this trouble to test and return these effectively used products. Some people just use the phone to make phone calls, which most of these phone do very well anyway.
I do not want to disrespect the Chinese. But in the consumer electronics sector, this is unethical and I see it being done more and more by them. Selling low grade goods disguised as original products to people erodes the buyers confidence. Five years ago if I wanted to buy a replacement LCD on Ebay, I could find some at the $100 dollar price mark and some at the $10 level, which would tell me which one it the Chinese low quality crap so I could stay away from it. Today, I want to buy a Sony LCD on Ebay and I have a price range from $20 to $50 and there is no guarantee that the $50 is any better than the $20 one. For what I know they may have all come from the same crappy low quality manufacturing line in Shenzhen.
Just to make things clear here, when we're referring to AT&T locking the device, we're referring to a SIM lock, not a bootloader lock. Regardless of carrier, the US Nexus 6 could be bootloader unlocked so custom ROMs could be installed. But only AT&T SIM locked the device.