Database Users

[Q] Verizon Galaxy Note 3 - BAD ESN with T-Mobile

I purchased a Verizon Galaxy Note 3 from a guy off Craiglist and checked the ESN, it was clean then and I proceeded to use with T-Mobile. Everything was working fine, HSPA and such. But now, after waking up, the phone has not signal, so I went online to check to see if anything happened to the ESN, and noticed it now has changed from Good to Bad. I've tried to contact the guy but no response.
I tried to remove the sim and inserted it in a different phone and everything was fine.
Is there anyway I can still use the Verizon Galaxy Note 3 with T-Mobile even though the ESN is bad?
I've tried to change the APN settings (epc.tmobile.com) and even (fast.t-mobile.com) on the device but nothing is working for me. It keeps showing No Service - Selected Network (T-Mobile) not available.
The device model is SM-N900V, Android 4.3.
Please help !

Waw I did not think that happened . he called the phone lost stolen after he sold it . sorry this happened to you . did you call up Verizon to explain the situation ?, they are the ones that issued the lock on the ESN They might be able to help . please keep is posted

ttav9216 said:
I purchased a Verizon Galaxy Note 3 from a guy off Craiglist and checked the ESN, it was clean then and I proceeded to use with T-Mobile. Everything was working fine, HSPA and such. But now, after waking up, the phone has not signal, so I went online to check to see if anything happened to the ESN, and noticed it now has changed from Good to Bad. I've tried to contact the guy but no response.
I tried to remove the sim and inserted it in a different phone and everything was fine.
Is there anyway I can still use the Verizon Galaxy Note 3 with T-Mobile even though the ESN is bad?
I've tried to change the APN settings (epc.tmobile.com) and even (fast.t-mobile.com) on the device but nothing is working for me. It keeps showing No Service - Selected Network (T-Mobile) not available.
The device model is SM-N900V, Android 4.3.
Please help !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You may also want to try to set your network settings to global rather than to lte. For some reason, if you have it set to global it uses a different radio and will work just fine on tmobile.

jmichaels1982 said:
Waw I did not think that happened . he called the phone lost stolen after he sold it . sorry this happened to you . did you call up Verizon to explain the situation ?, they are the ones that issued the lock on the ESN They might be able to help . please keep is posted
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have called both T-Mobile and Verizon.
I called Verizon first to explain the situation and the representative transferred me to Tech Support, and then the Tech Support asked me for the ESN, which I gave him. He then told that indeed the ESN is bad, but he could not find the reason why. He recommended me to call T-Mobile.
I then called T-Mobile and told them about the situation. It's funny because for reasons T-Mobile found out that the reason ESN is bad is because, exactly what you said, the phone has been reported lost/stolen. The phone is now blocked from accessing any US carriers. The representative from T-Mobile told me that Verizon was the one who put the lock on it, so I would need to call Verizon to get the problem fixed.
I called Verizon again, and this time, I spoke with a really friendly representative, she listened to the whole situation, and tried to fix the problem for me. She even tried to look up the phone numbers that I used to contact the guy with. But unfortunately, none would work. I feel really bad because she tried all she could. The conversation went on for almost an hour.
Long story short, the phone is now locked from being able to use with any US carriers. I'm stuck with a very expensive brick. Both T-Mobile and Verizon could not do anything about my situation. Pretty frustrated now.
Learned my lesson, I will never buy any phones from anyone on Craiglist ever again !

Certain people will buy it for parts . dont give up on selling it . try swappa next time . they have PayPal protection . although anyone can do what just happened to you . to protect yourself against this in the future : put the phone under your account either by calling or in a verizon store . I believe that once the ESN is registered under your name they can't report it lost or stolen . popping the Sim in , I think , without calling just puts the phone on your account but doesent register the ESN . these are all.just speculations . I could be way off. There is a verizon rep on these forums . he is very friendly ... Look up his forum and ask away !

It's unfortunate. I had a friend who ran into the same thing about two months ago with a note 2 on verizon. Not to mention I had been scammed on an ATT phone. Unfortunately att phones they dont block the phone for a couple hours, so when I was purchasing the phone I was able to make a test call then I got blocked in the morning. This was few months after tmobile, att and verizon instituted that co-network nationwide ban.
I'm not sure if it would help, but next time it might be a good idea to do a transaction instore. Possibly having one of the employees transfer over the phone and issuing a new sim card, might deter the would be thief from doing an insurance claim. Since you would be able to prove that you did everything in store, hopefully with the aid/witness of the verizon rep that helped you.

You can use blacklsted note 3 on att and t-mobile. However, u need to add apn into the phone yourself in order to get data. I don't need you need to root it or not to change it. Go switch to GSM I think there people who able to get lte on T-mobile in band 4 , but i don't know how. I had a blacklisted note 3 currently running on ATT. Only get H+ .
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2582747

I wonder what could be the motivation of a seller to report a phone stolen after selling it? Fraudulent insurance claim afterwards? Or maybe it was a stolen phone but the owner was out of town and was unaware of the theft? (Strange scenario.) Or maybe Verizon blacklists phones for non-payment on an account?
Sorry this happened to you, but I am sort of curious if you got a "too good to be true" deal off of CL... do you mind me asking how much you paid for a $700 phone?
Performing the sale right in a carrier's retail store with an immediate account transfer does seem to be a really good idea - if the seller gets cold feet about that, you'll know that things are not on the up and up.

A sure fix is replacing the motherboard with one from a shattered unit.
Check the IMEI number before purchasing.
Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

raginmonkey said:
You may also want to try to set your network settings to global rather than to lte. For some reason, if you have it set to global it uses a different radio and will work just fine on tmobile.
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Click to collapse
Did OP try this?

That's very unfortunate. I've dealt many times over craigslist I'm fortunate that the phones I've bought were from good people.
I hope you get something out of it.

I trade phones alot, and thats why I swap sims wherever I meet someone.

brex91 said:
I trade phones alot, and thats why I swap sims wherever I meet someone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you elaborate?

xdadevnube said:
Can you elaborate?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i mostly trade even up, went from a note 2 to a s4 to a note 3 and only spent money on gas to meet the person with the phone.
So when we both arrive I look at the phone for physical damage, then power both down, swap sims and power back up. If I get a signal it's activated. (on verizon at least)
(I think theres a limit to how many times you can do this in a certain period of time, but for me it's only every 6 months or so, so no problems)
And of course in my situation I'm doing trades locally off craigslist.

brex91 said:
i mostly trade even up, went from a note 2 to a s4 to a note 3 and only spent money on gas to meet the person with the phone.
So when we both arrive I look at the phone for physical damage, then power both down, swap sims and power back up. If I get a signal it's activated. (on verizon at least)
(I think theres a limit to how many times you can do this in a certain period of time, but for me it's only every 6 months or so, so no problems)
And of course in my situation I'm doing trades locally off craigslist.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I suppose after a trade you can call in your old phone lost/stolen if the other guy does it to your "new" phone. If you just buy a phone, then I can see what happened to the OP being much more likely.
Sent from my HTC6500LVW using Tapatalk 2

xdadevnube said:
I suppose after a trade you can call in your old phone lost/stolen if the other guy does it to your "new" phone. If you just buy a phone, then I can see what happened to the OP being much more likely.
Sent from my HTC6500LVW using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
possibly, but like i said, that's why I swap sims. After that the phone is activated on my account, they can't report it stolen. I make sure I have a signal before the trade is done.

brex91 said:
possibly, but like i said, that's why I swap sims. After that the phone is activated on my account, they can't report it stolen. I make sure I have a signal before the trade is done.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now I'm confused. So in the case of the OP, he should have activated it with Verizon first (Verizon phone)?
He said it was working with T-Mobile, then it stopped working.
Sent from my HTC6500LVW using Tapatalk 2

Never heard of a Verizon phone being blocked from the other carriers. I bought a bad esn Verizon note 3 for my girlfriend off eBay and she still using it on AT&T. Please update on the situation if you're able to use with AT&T
Sent from my SM-N900V using xda app-developers app

so OP, did anything work out for you?
This just happend to me too..
I lost my AT&T S4, and since i had over a year left on the contract i sought craigslist for a new phone.
I purchased a used Verizon s4 for $380 from a person claiming to be the original owner, he said he upgraded and was selling the current phone.
I put my AT&T sim in the phone and it was all good.. i had signal and tested it by making a call to the sellers phone.. I did other physical check to make sure no water damage etc.
I purchased the phone and switch the SIM back to my temp dumb phone. when i reach home i was googling APN settings for AT&T when i came accross a link that mentioned bad ESN, so just for the heck of it, i plugged in the ESN of the new phone and turns out it was reported Stolen!!
i am little scared to put in my SIM back into the phone... is it OK to put the SIM back? will it work? is there any other issues i may face?
Ofcourse i tried contacting the seller,, but as exected, he has not responded yet.
I checked ESN on checkesnfree.com, as well as the verizon site and they all report it as stolen.
I checked same ESN on tmobile site and used the ESN # as IMEI, and even tmobile site said it was stolen.
I did the same thing on Swappa.com and they were not able to determine ESN status..
on AT&T, if i go in as a new buyer, add SIM card to my cart, it asks me to enter device IMEI and it accepts it.. the AT&T rep told me that this was a good way to check if IMEI is clean or not.. so i am assuming IMEI is clean on AT&T, but for how long??
Sorry i know i am asking Too many questions.. but this has been so sudden and unexpected.. kind of feeling like a fish out of water!

If a phone is reported stolen, it will not work on T-Mobile or AT&T. If it is bad esn/imei for non payment, then it will only be blocked on Verizon.

[Q] Why does this guy want money to "fix" my Note 3?

I have a Note 3 from my old, expired, contract with Sprint. I'm still shopping around for a better carrier in my area. In the mean time I opened service with a company called Metro PCS. As a side note this also lets me evaluate T-mobile's network (since I believe they are on the same network).
An employee at the local dealership checked out my Note 3 and said it would totally work with their network, IF I payed him $75 to do some "magic" to the phone. Ok then... He promised it worked and had a few examples on a shelf that he'd worked on for others to show me.
I got him to lower the price to $40 and signed my phone over (I'm not kidding, I made him sign an agreement...as legal as that really is xD), then a couple days later he tells me he can't set it up because it's running the custom cyanogen rom I have on it.
Now I'm wondering two things....
Why would my rom cause an issue???
And wtf was he going to do anyways???
I work 5 days a week and don't have much free time to screw with all of this stuff. That's a big reason I was down to shell out some cash for it to just "work".
Does anyone have any clue what this dude was up to? And what should I do next?
Thanks folks!
P.S. I'd re-install stock rom if it wasn't such a piece of s#!t

Maybe he would flash some files that could open for your new network. And it was made for stock roms? That's why he can't do it for you on CM.
Get your phone back.
Maybe some one can help you here with unlocking your device.

jcanuet said:
I have a Note 3 from my old, expired, contract with Sprint. I'm still shopping around for a better carrier in my area. In the mean time I opened service with a company called Metro PCS. As a side note this also lets me evaluate T-mobile's network (since I believe they are on the same network).
An employee at the local dealership checked out my Note 3 and said it would totally work with their network, IF I payed him $75 to do some "magic" to the phone. Ok then... He promised it worked and had a few examples on a shelf that he'd worked on for others to show me.
I got him to lower the price to $40 and signed my phone over (I'm not kidding, I made him sign an agreement...as legal as that really is xD), then a couple days later he tells me he can't set it up because it's running the custom cyanogen rom I have on it.
Now I'm wondering two things....
Why would my rom cause an issue???
And wtf was he going to do anyways???
I work 5 days a week and don't have much free time to screw with all of this stuff. That's a big reason I was down to shell out some cash for it to just "work".
Does anyone have any clue what this dude was up to? And what should I do next?
Thanks folks!
P.S. I'd re-install stock rom if it wasn't such a piece of s#!t
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He probably is charging for the network unlock code.

Nexus 6 released on Verizon February 26th ?

obviously take this with a huge grain of salt, but just had a live chat with VZW rep to ask about the N6. I do this randomly just to see what kind of (non) answers I get.
However, this dude fired back with an exact date of February 26th. That date is on a Thursday, which is traditionally the day that Verizon launches new phones. Just struck me odd that he had such a specific answer, and went on to say that he had just recently been given the information.
Of course I've tried to live chat again three times since then, and each one of the reps said that they have no information about the N6 lol.
Take it for what it's worth.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/7ck2umbvxavggzk/PicsArt_1420293163355.jpg?dl=0
Edit:
trying to upload my screenshot of the conversation, but the forum is being difficult :/
Mod Edit: Attached the pic for you. I don't think embedding a https location works.

Lol only 4 months after every other provider. Just enough time to load it up with bloat and bugs.

on a sidenote, anyone know why I can't upload an image?
very frustrating.

Similar Response
I was also informed today and "assured" by a verizon rep (via chat) that they would be getting the Nexus 6 on February 26. They also said that the Samsung Note Edge would be coming out January 8th. I guess that will be the first test of this reps information.

My money is on April 1st.

Verizon sales
solzy1.0 said:
I was also informed today and "assured" by a verizon rep (via chat) that they would be getting the Nexus 6 on February 26. They also said that the Samsung Note Edge would be coming out January 8th. I guess that will be the first test of this reps information.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can tell you with 100% certainty that the note edge will be released on january 8th for verizon...no word on the nexus 6 for sure but i have also heard february 26th

Eh, i am not going to believe any rep. As far as this goes, i worked for Tmobile and ATT customer support and we where never really told anything ahead of time from everyone else. We where told to keep customers either happy or holding on with the company. It has been a few years ago from that though, so i dont know if that policy has changed. :good:

I got tired of waiting for Verizon and bought directly from Motorola using their finance program. Received my phone in 3 days Cut down my Sim card and I'm good to go.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using XDA Free mobile app

jett2314 said:
I got tired of waiting for Verizon and bought directly from Motorola using their finance program. Received my phone in 3 days Cut down my Sim card and I'm good to go.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here. Works like a champ

TeeX2.0 said:
obviously take this with a huge grain of salt, but just had a live chat with VZW rep to ask about the N6. I do this randomly just to see what kind of (non) answers I get.
However, this dude fired back with an exact date of February 26th. That date is on a Thursday, which is traditionally the day that Verizon launches new phones. Just struck me odd that he had such a specific answer, and went on to say that he had just recently been given the information.
Of course I've tried to live chat again three times since then, and each one of the reps said that they have no information about the N6 lol.
Take it for what it's worth.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/7ck2umbvxavggzk/PicsArt_1420293163355.jpg?dl=0
Edit:
trying to upload my screenshot of the conversation, but the forum is being difficult :/
Mod Edit: Attached the pic for you. I don't think embedding a https location works.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A poster on Reddit said he was told at a corporate store the same thing. The rep, after looking it up, said the computer was showing February 26th availability.

and i just asked and was told there is no scheduled release. thats pretty far ahead for a release date anyway.

i just asked two reps and i got nothing out of either one of them

I just want VoLTE already on my Nexus. No voice and data simultaneously is a bit annoying and per usual is probably because of Waiting for Verizon release their version.

Nexus 6 currently on Verizon Network
I recently bought the Nexus 6 and is currently running on the Verizon Network. Originally, the local Verizon dealer refused to add the Nexus 6 phone to the network since it was not a "Verizon Phone". My philosophy is, "Never let a multi multi multi billion dollar tech company tell what they cant do". By saying this, I called the Verizon Tier 2 support and they were able to activate the phone from their location bought using the same simcard number that was used from my Note 2 phone. Now, after two days, I was booted off the Verizon network and was told via message that I need to sign back on the Verizon network. After a few days corresponding with tier 2 tech support, the reason for the booting off the system was i was using a new "nano simcard" which resulted in a new simcard number. Originally, they recommended that i find someone with a new Motorola phone and activate my simcard through their phone ( long story) and then re-transfer back to the new simcard for the Nexus 6 to work but that greatly avoided. As a result, my Nexus 6 is currently working without any problems . Lastly, they will have to submit a "DMD Form" to "register" your non-Verizon phone. Hope this helps.

princehtml said:
I recently bought the Nexus 6 and is currently running on the Verizon Network. Originally, the local Verizon dealer refused to add the Nexus 6 phone to the network since it was not a "Verizon Phone". My philosophy is, "Never let a multi multi multi billion dollar tech company tell what they cant do". By saying this, I called the Verizon Tier 2 support and they were able to activate the phone from their location bought using the same simcard number that was used from my Note 2 phone. Now, after two days, I was booted off the Verizon network and was told via message that I need to sign back on the Verizon network. After a few days corresponding with tier 2 tech support, the reason for the booting off the system was i was using a new "nano simcard" which resulted in a new simcard number. Originally, they recommended that i find someone with a new Motorola phone and activate my simcard through their phone ( long story) and then re-transfer back to the new simcard for the Nexus 6 to work but that greatly avoided. As a result, my Nexus 6 is currently working without any problems . Lastly, they will have to submit a "DMD Form" to "register" your non-Verizon phone. Hope this helps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That sounds like too much work and a big hassle just to stay with a carrier. Its reminiscent of when I had Verizon a few year ago.
I wonder if VZW will try to lock down the Nexus and if Google will let them.

Sorry for the newbie question.
When you said you cut the (VZW) Sim card and inserted it, the phone booted up and you started using it as simple as that?
Sent from my SM-T320 using Tapatalk

I think China may get the phone before Verizon.
http://www.droid-life.com/2015/01/0...he-moto-x-pro-like-the-nexus-6-but-for-china/

Benjamin1966 said:
Sorry for the newbie question.
When you said you cut the (VZW) Sim card and inserted it, the phone booted up and you started using it as simple as that?
Sent from my SM-T320 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, that simple. I am with VZW. I had a Galaxy S3 with a Micro SIM. I picked up a punch on Amazon (I didn't trust trying to use scissors but many people have success with them) ( http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FW70ZF6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 ).
I got my N6, unlocked it, decrypted it, rooted it, transferred apps via Titanium Backup, and then punched the SIM and moved it from the GS3 to the N6. Booted up and it worked. Have not had any problems at all. *knock* *knock*

A Verizon nexus is NOT a nexus. Is just another fully OEM Verizon locked device.
---------- Post added at 10:09 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:03 PM ----------
Pilz said:
That sounds like too much work and a big hassle just to stay with a carrier. Its reminiscent of when I had Verizon a few year ago.
I wonder if VZW will try to lock down the Nexus and if Google will let them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If bought directly from Verizon.. Yes locked boot loader with modified software/firmware tampered trip counter and of course Verizon proprietary bloatware.

The online chat reps are the worst... If it is really true that VZW will carry it on 2/26 add another one to two months cause of supply issues + VZW tramp stamp time.

constant issues with my note 3.

I have two stock Note 3 bought on release day and both phones have connection issues. I get no network available when i have all 4 bars of signal, dropped calls and my favorite is when i call someone and there phone never rings even though it rings on my end and goes to there voice mail. And now i'm getting issues where i have to reboot my phone to get online make calls etc
Is it VZW or the phones? Both are stock and up to date have tried new sim cards etc. The phone work fine as long as you don't need internet access or to make calls (wifi works fine to)

David9723 said:
I have two stock Note 3 bought on release day and both phones have connection issues. I get no network available when i have all 4 bars of signal, dropped calls and my favorite is when i call someone and there phone never rings even though it rings on my end and goes to there voice mail. And now i'm getting issues where i have to reboot my phone to get online make calls etc
Is it VZW or the phones? Both are stock and up to date have tried new sim cards etc. The phone work fine as long as you don't need internet access or to make calls (wifi works fine to)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The call...hear rings...get the person's voicemail...yet they never hear it ringing is THEIR phone/network issue...not yours.
As to the other issues...go to a Verizon company store (not someone who resells Verizon) and have them wipe and re-flash your phone. You should also be able to have the Samsung folks at Best Buy assist you. You'll lose all your stored information...so make sure you let Google or Verizon backup your phone so you can restore the data.
Sent from my Note 3 via Tapatalk

donc113 said:
The call...hear rings...get the person's voicemail...yet they never hear it ringing is THEIR phone/network issue...not yours.
As to the other issues...go to a Verizon company store (not someone who resells Verizon) and have them wipe and re-flash your phone. You should also be able to have the Samsung folks at Best Buy assist you. You'll lose all your stored information...so make sure you let Google or Verizon backup your phone so you can restore the data. Does the note 4 have any signal issues?
Sent from my Note 3 via Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Already been through all that.
I ended up buying a prepaid phone just to see if it was VZW network or the two note 3 i have and sure enough it is the note 3 the prepaid phone worked where the note 3 had no signal at different locations.
I have talked to VZW many times and they refuse to give me a early upgrade. Contract runs out in Oct this year.

David9723 said:
Already been through all that.
I ended up buying a prepaid phone just to see if it was VZW network or the two note 3 i have and sure enough it is the note 3 the prepaid phone worked where the note 3 had no signal at different locations.
I have talked to VZW many times and they refuse to give me a early upgrade. Contract runs out in Oct this year.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's what I have been trying to tell you, get your note 3 totally reflashed with the latest. You said you got them the day they were released....there have been about 5 or 6 OTA updates since then...and one of the issues with all those upgrades for some...was lousy phone reception. And for those users, after they had Verizon (or Samsung in Best Buy) wipe and reflash...their problems with phone reception were fixed.
But yes... they are your phones, you can do or not do with them as you wish.
Sent from my Note 3 via Tapatalk

Can't you just wipe/flash them yourself? it's not that hard to use Odin.

David9723 said:
Can't you just wipe/flash them yourself? it's not that hard to use Odin.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can do whatever you want...my suggestion was based on your phone being FULLY wiped and then overwritten with Verizon's latest load.
Sent from my Note 3 via Tapatalk

David9723 said:
I have two stock Note 3 bought on release day and both phones have connection issues. I get no network available when i have all 4 bars of signal, dropped calls and my favorite is when i call someone and there phone never rings even though it rings on my end and goes to there voice mail. And now i'm getting issues where i have to reboot my phone to get online make calls etc
Is it VZW or the phones? Both are stock and up to date have tried new sim cards etc. The phone work fine as long as you don't need internet access or to make calls (wifi works fine to)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you got those Note 3's on release day, the issue is more than likely your phone. There was a whole thread about signal issues once a certain update came out(forgot which one). The only fix was to call Verizon and ask for a refurb. That fixed the issue. I can personally confirm that this was the issue with mine when I had signal issues back over the summer. Guess their was certain hardware issues with early Note 3s and one of the updates they pushed out. Keep in mind if you do go the refurb route, it will more than likely have the newest software on it, 4.4.4., which is un-rootable at the moment.
Here is the thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2785351
Talking about refurbs starts around page 9 or 10 I think.

christianpeso said:
If you got those Note 3's on release day, the issue is more than likely your phone. There was a whole thread about signal issues once a certain update came out(forgot which one). The only fix was to call Verizon and ask for a refurb. That fixed the issue. I can personally confirm that this was the issue with mine when I had signal issues back over the summer. Guess their was certain hardware issues with early Note 3s and one of the updates they pushed out. Keep in mind if you do go the refurb route, it will more than likely have the newest software on it, 4.4.4., which is un-rootable at the moment.
Here is the thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2785351
Talking about refurbs starts around page 9 or 10 I think.
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Click to collapse
Thanks for the help christianpeso.
I noticed that my note will not switch to 3G it will just have the circle icon with a line through it when there is no LTE.

Exact issues I had even on custom roms. I would get 4g or nothing at all I couldn't take it anymore I got the new note and even switched to T-Mobile needless to say I'm working again. But seriously the Note 3 on VZW was horrible I wanted to smash it.
Sent from my SM-N910T using Tapatalk

My first Note 3 was worse it seemed, but in a low signal area I do drop calls easily.
Everything works great if the signal is a bit better, but the Note 3 drops calls where other phones don't.

I had similar problems i changed the antenna that goes from the usb port and had better reception. It cost me like 5 bucks with shipping. Worth a shot.

Sammguy said:
I had similar problems i changed the antenna that goes from the usb port and had better reception. It cost me like 5 bucks with shipping. Worth a shot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This sounds pretty cool, do you mind providing some info so I can check it out.

Note 7 Still Fully Functioning

Hey guys,
So I thought I'd make an account and post that I still have a Note 7 on VZW and it's still functioning, it doesn't seem to be re-directing calls to Verizon's customer support.
A bit about why this may be:
I turned in my Note 7 last year and got a Pixel XL. This Note 7, which was on my wife's account in December was swapped with my old Nexus 6P. Since we never actually ordered a replacement phone on my wife's line, about a week or two ago we finally received a box to return her Note 7, which we have not done yet. I decided to go ahead and put my Pixel XL's SIM in to the Note 7, and everything seems to work perfectly.
I even wiped the phone and I'm not getting any update notifications, if I check for updates I am told that there is one available (no description on what it does like usual) and am asked if I would like to install the update with three options. Yes, Later, or no. I clicked no and no further prompts occur.
If you guys who are still holding out on your Note 7 want any information or anything to perhaps figure out workarounds, let me know and I will do what I can.

They will most likely brick the SIM in your note 7 tonight at midnight. Expect it to happen. They can certainly tell what kind of phone the sim is in, even if the sim was originally in a different phone. Most likely any sim in a note 7 that is connected to a Verizon network will be bricked. Today is literally the last day our N7's will work with a Verizon SIM. Unless there have been some last minute changes to what VZ is going to do - and I doubt that, as they have already been bricking peopls sims in N7's for at least a week now - the chances are almost certain that your N7 will not work sometime later tonight.

Still going strong with my note 7 everything works perfect like it should on Verizon
Sent from my Explosive Galaxy Note 7

They won't "brick" a sim card. It called a hot-line. Its done on the server to disable certain functions from certain models. Its easily reversed and can be avoided.

eskomo said:
Its easily reversed and can be avoided.
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Are you suggesting that there's something that we can do / could have done to retain service to our Note7's?

I had my N7 hot lined by Verizon on 1/26. 3 days later I had my N4 activated on the line after telling an online chat rep that I had misplaced the 7. Texts still didn't work, so after another online chat and again having to confirm my N7 wasn't in my possession they fixed it. I figured since both agents were eager to fix the line, but only if I had returned the N7 or "lost" it that it was pretty likely I'd be able to activate my 7 again. I waited a few days for the 1/31 deadline for hotlines to pass and went and activated this beautiful black onyx Note 7, and voila it worked. Unless they manually church imei on an account that's been signed off as no longer being tied to a n7 and in good standing, I think I'm all good till the N8.

tricktaylor said:
I had my N7 hot lined by Verizon on 1/26. 3 days later I had my N4 activated on the line after telling an online chat rep that I had misplaced the 7. Texts still didn't work, so after another online chat and again having to confirm my N7 wasn't in my possession they fixed it. I figured since both agents were eager to fix the line, but only if I had returned the N7 or "lost" it that it was pretty likely I'd be able to activate my 7 again. I waited a few days for the 1/31 deadline for hotlines to pass and went and activated this beautiful black onyx Note 7, and voila it worked. Unless they manually church imei on an account that's been signed off as no longer being tied to a n7 and in good standing, I think I'm all good till the N8.
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Did you use your original Note7 SIM*when reactivating the phone?

raneym305 said:
Did you use your original Note7 SIM*when reactivating the phone?
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*if you work for or are affiliated with Samsung or Verizon, I'm not sure what Note 7 we are talking about. I lost mine* yes never touched the sim. It was the same one that came with the N7.

tricktaylor said:
*if you work for or are affiliated with Samsung or Verizon, I'm not sure what Note 7 we are talking about. I lost mine* yes never touched the sim. It was the same one that came with the N7.
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HAHAHA
The reason I ask is that, when I found that service had been cut to my Note7 I wasn't able to reactivate my Note 4 via the MyVerizon portal- I actually had to call into Verizon to do it. I was told by*multiple Customer Service Reps that they had put a block on the SIM card itself, not the actual device. Furthermore, while trying to reactivate my Note 4 (which had been working just fine the week before) they killed that SIM too... It ended up taking umpteen phone calls, 3 online chats, and a trip to the Verizon store (all-in-all, basically an entire afternoon) just to get*my Note 4 reactivated with*a*new SIM.
I'm just trying to avoid going through that process again.

raneym305 said:
HAHAHA
The reason I ask is that, when I found that service had been cut to my Note7 I wasn't able to reactivate my Note 4 via the MyVerizon portal- I actually had to call into Verizon to do it. I was told by*multiple Customer Service Reps that they had put a block on the SIM card itself, not the actual device. Furthermore, while trying to reactivate my Note 4 (which had been working just fine the week before) they killed that SIM too... It ended up taking umpteen phone calls, 3 online chats, and a trip to the Verizon store (all-in-all, basically an entire afternoon) just to get*my Note 4 reactivated with*a*new SIM.
I'm just trying to avoid going through that process again.
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I hear ya I too was hesitant just because I didn't feel like having too contact them again after saying the N7 was lost and have it mysteriously in my possession and trying to connect to the network. During my 1st contact after N7 data went down I did mention I was an attorney and that what they were doing was really gray legally. All I got from only online chat reps was that my number had been hot lined and that they would fix it. Halfway through activating my note 4 they asked if I had returned n7 I said no I didn't see how it was even relevant but that I had lost it. Not another word. But my texts did not work. So next day again via online chat the rep asked about the N7. I said I "misplaced" it. She asked when. I said 3 days prior, 1/26. The day they hot lined it. She didn't say anything else, asked me to reboot the note 4 and it was calling and texting again. Fast forward five days I went to Verizon and activated my "misplaced" N7 via online hub without issue. No mention off a sim card ever and I touched neither phones sim card since the days I bought the phones.

Well, it worked... for three days...

raneym305 said:
Well, it worked... for three days...
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Yea mine nu just bit it again too. This is ridiculous.

Back on the Note 4. I'll give it a day or two before attempting to reactivate my Note7. As of now, there's been nothing to indicate that this round of hotlining will have different results than the last.

I got antsy. I reactivated my Note 7 last night and haven't had a single issue.
Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note 7 using XDA Labs

raneym305 said:
I got antsy. I reactivated my Note 7 last night and haven't had a single issue.
Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note 7 using XDA Labs
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Got hotwired as well, What method are you using to reactivate you're phone? The online service or are you calling in and activating? It seems as if my sim card itself is what hotwired.

Y0sHii said:
Got hotwired as well, What method are you using to reactivate you're phone? The online service or are you calling in and activating? It seems as if my sim card itself is what hotwired.
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That's why I reactivated my Note 4, then trimmed down the SIM and used today. I now have 3-4 Nano SIM Cards, and a Nano to Micro SIM adapters. Assuming the hotlining will continue on a weekly basis, I'll just reactivate my Note 4 with one of the Nano SIMs not in use, then slip it into my Note7.
The first time I was hotlined, I didn't do any SIM swapping. I reactivated my Note 4 then, a few days later, went online and reactived my Note7 that was still loaded with SIM that had been hotlined.
Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note 7 using XDA Labs

Hi guys. I've been going with this for about a week or two now, similar to you guys and want to share my experience. My device was purchased through 3rd party means, and has no purchase history in my Verizon account. I was hot lined this past Tuesday, the 7th. I called and was on the phone with a manager for over an hour, who was extremely reluctant to help me (obviously). She told me that the recall had changed status to involuntary, and that Samsung is forcing them to hot line the phones due to whatever reason.
This is obviously crap, but boy was she reluctant to prove it and everything. So i said whatever and hung out. Two days later, I went to reactivate the phone on using their Online activation, and I received an error message saying my account was blocked from doing so. I spoke with an online rep who reactivated my phone with no questions asked. I asked her if there was anything wrong with my account or line, to which she said No. I asked her about anything relating to hot line and she told me specifically this: "If a Note7 is active on the line, block services to drive customer to upgrade". She totally disregarded the message, and said she'll place a flag on my account that if I continue to have an interrupt of service, I will look into it further.
It's obvious that if you are hot lined, and your calls get redirected to Verizon's special reps specifically for Note7 users, and will be their to assist you and leave you with no choice but to upgrade. If you contact verizon differently, whether it be over the phone through their normal tech lines or through their web portal, you are handled by the run of the mill employees who either don't care, or aren't told to handle your case by special means. Just keep fighting them.

raneym305 said:
That's why I reactivated my Note 4, then trimmed down the SIM and used today. I now have 3-4 Nano SIM Cards, and a Nano to Micro SIM adapters. Assuming the hotlining will continue on a weekly basis, I'll just reactivate my Note 4 with one of the Nano SIMs not in use, then slip it into my Note7.
Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note 7 using XDA Labs
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....Beautiful, simply beautiful. THIS has been the answer I've been trying to squeeze out of the Verizon rep's from going to the local store, chat and even 3+ hour phone sessions. Literally all i needed to know was if my device's info was being broadcasted from the sim card that was previously hot wired!! It seems like it is therefore all i need now is to activate my old note 3. have it activated for a bit then shave that card down to fit the note 7. Go to the store and get a new sd card for the note 3 then activate and reactivate on a weekly basis until the note 8 comes out. Still looks like there is a way to Limp to the finish line with this recall/hotline issue.
---------- Post added at 08:12 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:32 PM ----------
CarbonMan said:
Hi guys. I've been going with this for about a week or two now, similar to you guys and want to share my experience. My device was purchased through 3rd party means, and has no purchase history in my Verizon account. I was hot lined this past Tuesday, the 7th. I called and was on the phone with a manager for over an hour, who was extremely reluctant to help me (obviously). She told me that the recall had changed status to involuntary, and that Samsung is forcing them to hot line the phones due to whatever reason.
This is obviously crap, but boy was she reluctant to prove it and everything. So i said whatever and hung out. Two days later, I went to reactivate the phone on using their Online activation, and I received an error message saying my account was blocked from doing so. I spoke with an online rep who reactivated my phone with no questions asked. I asked her if there was anything wrong with my account or line, to which she said No. I asked her about anything relating to hot line and she told me specifically this: "If a Note7 is active on the line, block services to drive customer to upgrade". She totally disregarded the message, and said she'll place a flag on my account that if I continue to have an interrupt of service, I will look into it further.
It's obvious that if you are hot lined, and your calls get redirected to Verizon's special reps specifically for Note7 users, and will be their to assist you and leave you with no choice but to upgrade. If you contact verizon differently, whether it be over the phone through their normal tech lines or through their web portal, you are handled by the run of the mill employees who either don't care, or aren't told to handle your case by special means. Just keep fighting them.
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Click to collapse
Interesting, i was told that the service of hotlining phones were "automatically done by a computer at Samsung" -__- . Yes Samsung the manufacturer not the one providing service to the phone and literally got the run around for hours. So what im getting from your entry here is that they're are explicitly told to deny, deny, deny until you're give up and use an upgrade which will tie you to a phone for 2 years that you never wanted in the first place or activate an old device that you'll have to keep upwards of about 6 months until the note 8 comes out.. Unless you find that Golden employee that either doesn't know or doesn't care and will restore service to the phone even if its temporary. Ok *opens support Verizon chat* lets do this again..

Although this process of hotlining our phones affects our SIM cards (and not our phones), it isn't permanent. A few days after my first hotlining, I was able to reactivate my Note7 still using the original SIM card.
Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note 7 using XDA Labs

raneym305 said:
Although this process of hotlining our phones affects our SIM cards (and not our phones), it isn't permanent. A few days after my first hotlining, I was able to reactivate my Note7 still using the original SIM card.
Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note 7 using XDA Labs
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By activating a different device in place of it, then activating the note 7?
Or just deactivating the device waiting a few days and reactivating it?