My phone is marked as stolen? Wtf? - AT&T Samsung Galaxy S 4 Q&A, Help & Troubleshootin

So I got a new phone right from bell a month ago via their insurance thing when I broke mine. Worked great for a month. This morning it said something about incorrect sim and to contact bell.
Call them and they tell me it's stolen.
I take my receipt and the warranty thing in but the serials don't match and they want to keep the phone. I grab it and leave. I've taken my stuff off it. And been on the phone it bell for like an hour.
Has anyone heard of this before? Do I have any options besides smash this with a hammer and buy a nexus 5?is it possible to get a resolution from bell customer support?
Since when have they been able to disable a phone remotely like that. I don't like that they can do that.

Jeffrey000 said:
So I got a new phone right from bell a month ago via their insurance thing when I broke mine. Worked great for a month. This morning it said something about incorrect sim and to contact bell.
Call them and they tell me it's stolen.
I take my receipt and the warranty thing in but the serials don't match and they want to keep the phone. I grab it and leave. I've taken my stuff off it. And been on the phone it bell for like an hour.
Has anyone heard of this before? Do I have any options besides smash this with a hammer and buy a nexus 5?is it possible to get a resolution from bell customer support?
Since when have they been able to disable a phone remotely like that. I don't like that they can do that.
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This is something you need to contact either the insurance company where you got your replacement phone or your carrier. They've been able to block ESN's for a while now....I know that they were doing it on Verizon, and I think AT&T does it now too...its probably just a matter of time before all do it. Helps prevent people from stealing phones if they know it can be disabled remotely by the carrier.

Heard there was a way to block ESN. but no way to unblock it. ...
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

erstad said:
Heard there was a way to block ESN. but no way to unblock it. ...
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
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This is basically what I'm being told.
Being given a run around. Basically they may or may not have made a mistake and I'm out of luck. All my different paperwork has three different serial numbers and none of them match the phone.
So how the f does that happen?
I wish *****ing to bell got any kind of results, I feel bad for the poor workers I am highly frustrated at even though they have no power.
I don't know what to do. The one lady said to sell it to Europe. Or make it a toy for my kid.
I dunno what to do.

Jeffrey000 said:
This is basically what I'm being told.
Being given a run around. Basically they may or may not have made a mistake and I'm out of luck. All my different paperwork has three different serial numbers and none of them match the phone.
So how the f does that happen?
I wish *****ing to bell got any kind of results, I feel bad for the poor workers I am highly frustrated at even though they have no power.
I don't know what to do. The one lady said to sell it to Europe. Or make it a toy for my kid.
I dunno what to do.
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How did you pay for it? Maybe you can dispute it if you used a credit card...other than that you are out of luck I guess

Related

Insurance on the G2.

What does getting the 6 dollar insurance cover?
- Fly like a G2
Lost, stolen, broken, dropped, water damage... it covers everything. But to get a replace you will have to pay a deductable. I believe its 130??
Sent from my T-Mobile G2
Yup, $130 incase the phone is stolen/lost. The warranty also extends to 2 years instead of 1. And they will service it free of charge if there is physical damage. I took it for the G2 due to the hinge, so over 2 years if the hinge gets REALLY bad I can get a replacement.
The warranty isn't for two years, its for as long as you have it out as long as they support it
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App
I love ins. When someone smarter then I figures out root and I brick my phone trying it will only cost me $130 to replace. At least I won't send it in and pretend like I didn't try to root it
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App
Just a thought but is it possible to pretend its lost/stolen and get that replacement phone? That way I can get another G2 for my girl can't afford for retail price since I used all my credit line..
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App
That's illegal and it's called Fraud. Pretty sure it's a hefty fine + jailtime if actually convicted.
But how do they know? You can say it got lost at a theme park right?
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App
Not the best idea
@noodles2224
Yea you could say some lie like that BUT remember that #1 insurance companies are giving you a 500 dollar phone for 130. So they make it their business to know what happend to your phone. I had to file a claim for a lost g1 and they made me get police reports and everything before they helped me out. #2 every phone has an IMEI number unique to itself and it is registered on the network when the phone is in use (I'm not 100% sure of how it works but they know if that phone is being used or not.) AND if the insurance company finds out that the phone YOU purchased (with its unique IMEI number) that is now claimed to be stolen is being used they might go and find out who is using it or who knows...
I wouldn't risk the fine or jail time or court just for a phone for your girlfriend if you want her to have one sooo bad then you can save up for it or at least tell her you'll give her half or some thing...
Besides I wouldn't see the g2 as the best upgrade option I'm bummed out that it was released with an 800mhz processor... WHY? All the new high end phones are using 1ghz... but w.e. everyone has theyr likes and dislikes... I'm personally waiting for something else...
Sent from my T-Mobile G1 using XDA App
There's another warranty thats 1.99 a month and it covers all the same thing the 6 dollar rate does except for lost or stolen phones. Its only available up to 2 weeks after you purchased the phone. I think it's more likely to have a phone that has broken hinges and buttons instead of losing a phone.
noodles2224 said:
But how do they know? You can say it got lost at a theme park right?
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App
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Hmm... Why don't you try it and find out? I mean what's the worst that can happen? It's easily worth losing a year of your life to jail to save $250!
kludgineer said:
Hmm... Why don't you try it and find out? I mean what's the worst that can happen? It's easily worth losing a year of your life to jail to save $250!
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Actually, not even that with the $130 deductible, you would only save $120.
But sticking to the original question it covers a lot and its easily worth the $6 if anything happens to the phone physically (cracked damaged broken stolen ran over, abducted by aliens) the insurance company, asurion, will replace it for $130 deductable.
And if anything like software wise or memory card reader messes up or something inside that's NOT your "direct" fault tmobile will replace it for free. But it can't be physically damaged or cracked screen or anything it has to be something inside or even bricked, you can get away with some good excuses and making believe you don't know anything when they ask, did you try to root it? Uhhh... what's that? Lol
Sent from my T-Mobile G1 using XDA App
The other great thing about a carrier having your IMEI# is that they can render it unusable on their or any other network within North America. I am about 98% certain that when you report a phone lost or stolen to Assurion, or Tmobile that their policy is to Blackllist the IMEI # of the phone.
As far as I can tell it only works on this continent, you could get a blacklisted phone to work in Europe.
It is similar to how a phone is added into a network, like say you flash a Verizon phone to Metro, they have to add the IMEI into their system so you can use it. In this case they just make it so you can't use it.
Also they do know if you have used a phone. I had a Nexus one and a Vibrant. I lost my Nexus while using my Vibrant. When I placed the claim with Assurion, they wanted me to call Tmobile and find out the last day my SIM card was used in my Nexus. Tmobile new exactly the last day my sim was in the Nexus.
So they know. And now, you know that they know.
OMF!!!! Come on guys..........how many times are your phones taken or lost and they find it???? They do not care that's why thousands of us pay 6 bucks a month and make them money. So all you wanna be naysayers trying to be xda police let them get one for their girl and be positive. Ill just say this, you lost your phone and give yours to your girl and bam!!!! You will get special attention the night you give it to her =)
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App
thats not true, they dont blacklist the devices. Only verizon and sprint do that.
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App
How about not stealing or commiting fraud because it is wrong? You want something; earn it.
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App!
Tekk83 said:
There's another warranty thats 1.99 a month and it covers all the same thing the 6 dollar rate does except for lost or stolen phones. Its only available up to 2 weeks after you purchased the phone. I think it's more likely to have a phone that has broken hinges and buttons instead of losing a phone.
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http://support.t-mobile.com/doc/tm23694.xml;jsessionid=KjZenf0v916OVRAXNs#4
In the table, it says that the warranty (1.99) covers only malfunction. And "normal wear and tear" is grouped with malfunction in the description at the top of the page. So hinge falling apart is normal wear and tear I'm assuming? what about scratches? And then how is Damaged defined? Any one have any idea? I don't want to pay 6 bucks when I can pay 2...
genethebean33 said:
OMF!!!! Come on guys..........how many times are your phones taken or lost and they find it???? They do not care that's why thousands of us pay 6 bucks a month and make them money. So all you wanna be naysayers trying to be xda police let them get one for their girl and be positive. Ill just say this, you lost your phone and give yours to your girl and bam!!!! You will get special attention the night you give it to her =)
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App
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Seriously that's why I had that idea of saying its lost and getting that replacement for her.. saves me and makes both of us happy
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App
@noodles2224
But how do they know? You can say it got lost at a theme park right?
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App
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I had similar thoughts when I was younger and even talked to a T-Mo rep about it. I learned that if at any point you insert your own SIM card into the phone you claim was lost or stolen, you can expect a not-so friendly visit from the insurance company's lawyers or investigators.
Say you give your phone away to your girlfriend. The first thing they will do is check the SIM card and the account it is tied to. If you don't share the same address, or are linked in some way say through relatives or former addresses (anything a basic background check would show), then they will check the call history and see if you two know each other. It doesn't take a high school education to figure out if your phone was stolen or not. Claiming it was lost won't do much for you either.
I wouldn't be surprised if T-Mo can now remotely disable devices. If the phone is on and transmitting, it can be located pretty easily as well, whether that's for prosecution or recovering losses. I am pretty sure that if you make a claim with the phone in-hand and turn it on, you'll find yourself in trouble very quickly. If **** goes down, good luck convincing anyone, especially a lawyer or judge that your girlfriend stole it.
They don't take fraud lightly; I don't think you should as well.

Bad ESN, now what?

So I found a person on Craigslist who had a Droid 2 for sale, good deal. So I met up with him, checked out the phone, everything looked good. I called Verizon before making the exchange for the phone and verified the ESN was clear. I get home and try to activate the phone and can't. I called Verizon back and this time I'm being told the phone is still allocated to an account but not active, probably someone who didn't pay a bill would be my guess. It's still early and I haven't tried contacting the person I purchased it from, but providing that falls through what are my options? Or are there any?
I've had verizon for almost 12 years now, can't say I've had the best experience but this just takes the prize. First guy says yes, second person says no, I'm probably out money. ><
Be careful. It could either be stolen or his and he could be filing a claim that the phone was stolen so document everything from the transaction to ensure you don't end up in the wrong. I'm not sure if anything can be done if you have a linked but not active ESN.
Sent from my DROID2 using XDA App
newk8600 said:
Be careful. It could either be stolen or his and he could be filing a claim that the phone was stolen so document everything from the transaction to ensure you don't end up in the wrong. I'm not sure if anything can be done if you have a linked but not active ESN.
Sent from my DROID2 using XDA App
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Yea I kinda figure that I'm out some cash and got a nifty paperweight now. I'm calling VZW to raise hell since one person told me it was clean, and the other told me the truth about it. Nothing will probably come of it, but at least I get to ***** at them for it. I did manage to get the guy I bought it from to tell me earlier today that it was on his wifes account and that she needed the money from getting rid of the phone to buy another and have it activated. Of course he hasn't returned any of my follow up calls asking when this is going to happen. Unfortunately this isn't someone I know, but do feel like giving him the ass beating of his lifetime.
Oh well, I should have tried to activate it myself on the spot so I guess you live you learn.
By the way, I've got this new thing called an Android Paperweight that runs OS 2.2 if you're interested in buying it let me know (j/k)
StirCwazy said:
Yea I kinda figure that I'm out some cash and got a nifty paperweight now. I'm calling VZW to raise hell since one person told me it was clean, and the other told me the truth about it. Nothing will probably come of it, but at least I get to ***** at them for it. I did manage to get the guy I bought it from to tell me earlier today that it was on his wifes account and that she needed the money from getting rid of the phone to buy another and have it activated. Of course he hasn't returned any of my follow up calls asking when this is going to happen. Unfortunately this isn't someone I know, but do feel like giving him the ass beating of his lifetime.
Oh well, I should have tried to activate it myself on the spot so I guess you live you learn.
By the way, I've got this new thing called an Android Paperweight that runs OS 2.2 if you're interested in buying it let me know (j/k)
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Honestly, if it ends up being a bad ESN and you aren't ever able to activate it you could probably sell it to a developer to recuperate some of the cost. You probably wont get it all but I'm sure you could get a nice chunk back.
kwheel596 said:
Honestly, if it ends up being a bad ESN and you aren't ever able to activate it you could probably sell it to a developer to recuperate some of the cost. You probably wont get it all but I'm sure you could get a nice chunk back.
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I wouldn't even know where to start, but good suggestion, thanks.
I called VZW a few minutes ago to complain and found out that the person I spoke with last night didn't log anything in our account indicating a call and regarding what. The person I spoke with earlier today did. I just wish everyone knew how to do their job properly to make sure everyone in my situation ends up with the best possible results, and not out some money that could be used elsewhere.
So if life I guess
How much does it take to buy the phone..... paper weight
rdking said:
How much does it take to buy the phone..... paper weight
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At risk of being ridiculed over what I paid for the said item I'll take offers via PM For the time being I'm still holding out on the dream it will one day soon be functional.
put it on ebay you can still get a couple hundred bucks out of a droid 2 with a bad esn
Good luck man, I hope it will be activated soon!
Sent from my DROID2 using XDA App
First things first, never buy a CL phone unless you activate it on the SPOT. Regardless if the 'account is late on payment' or whatever that doesn't mean they can blacklist the phone from activating on the network.
If it is a insurance claim phone it can never be used and you are SOL, but if it's stolen I'd call Verizon again and have them contact whoever owns that phone to call you. You seem like an intelligent person, not some kid posting on here, and having VZW for 12 years confirms that. Do the right thing and contact the owner should it be stolen. Maybe work something out?
You could always use it with a different carrier or sell it to someone who wants to use it on a different carrier..
They flash over to cricket easily, probly to sprint or u.s. cellular also
Doesnt matter what the esn says in verizons system when going somewhere else
If you complain enough they will *SOMETIMES* allow you to swap it for a replacement with a clean ESN, though not always. You could also try going into a store and telling them you got ripped off and seeing if they have a carrier return laying that they might be willing to replace your bad one with, Verizon themselves doesn't care about blacklisted ESN's once they have them, they just simply remove it from the blacklist and sell it off
Streak 7 bad ESN
May be an stupid coment, but just by curiosity: when you change the ROM for some custom ROM , the STK7 is not by default unlocked?.
Mr. Cell Phone Unlocker
If you are willing to pay $75, I stumbled across this site that will do it.
Reputable company, but I make no guarantees of their effectiveness. Never tried it either.
Might be worth a shot
http://www.mrcellphoneunlocker.com/V2/products.php?product=Verizon_ESN

[Q] Question about general insurance terms.

Two quick questions about the insurance terms an conditions.
1. If you report it stolen or lost or whatever, do they send you a brand new phone after you pay the deductible or is it a refurbbed one?
2. If report it lost and order a new one, and you find the lost one(or you never actually lost it) do they deactivate the original one somehow?..or track it somehow?....or do they just accept your deductible and let you do whatever you want with them?
They send you what they have in stock at the moment. The longer a phone has been out the more likely you are to get a refurbished one.
The insurance company can't track it or do anything with it, you can do what you want with it and T-mobile won't care.
I advise reporting it lost, if you say it's stolen you have to submit to them a police report.
Good luck, let us know your results.
T-Fanatic said:
They send you what they have in stock at the moment. The longer a phone has been out the more likely you are to get a refurbished one.
The insurance company can't track it or do anything with it, you can do what you want with it and T-mobile won't care.
I advise reporting it lost, if you say it's stolen you have to submit to them a police report.
Good luck, let us know your results.
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Thank you. Helpful information. Have you personally reported lost phone before?
T-Fanatic said:
They send you what they have in stock at the moment. The longer a phone has been out the more likely you are to get a refurbished one.
The insurance company can't track it or do anything with it, you can do what you want with it and T-mobile won't care.
I advise reporting it lost, if you say it's stolen you have to submit to them a police report.
Good luck, let us know your results.
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I'm not sure but I'd be surprised if T-Mobile didn't blacklist lost /stolen phones.
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA App
Jaskwith said:
Thank you. Helpful information. Have you personally reported lost phone before?
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I have not personally, but I worked at T-mobile up until a couple of weeks ago.
Your insurance isn't through t-mobile, so they don't care if you now have another one all of the sudden. Your insurance will only allow two phone replacements in a year because they can't actually blacklist or stop the phones.
T-Fanatic said:
I have not personally, but I worked at T-mobile up until a couple of weeks ago.
Your insurance isn't through t-mobile, so they don't care if you now have another one all of the sudden. Your insurance will only allow two phone replacements in a year because they can't actually blacklist or stop the phones.
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Wrong! The phones can be blacklisted. Honestly if you do find its best to report it BC if you start using that old one or sell it then asurion can and will prosecute for insurance fraud.
sk337sk337 said:
Wrong! The phones can be blacklisted. Honestly if you do find its best to report it BC if you start using that old one or sell it then asurion can and will prosecute for insurance fraud.
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I just have a question, cause I'd like people to be clear about what they're saying.
How would Ausrion even know if you sold it?
I mean, I could understand you finding the phone and using it again..cause maybe that could be tracked. (Maybe.)
But what could be done about selling it? That makes no sense.
Unless you try to sell it by posting "Selling my supposedly lost phone" on the TMobile forums.
nguyendqh said:
I just have a question, cause I'd like people to be clear about what they're saying.
How would Ausrion even know if you sold it?
I mean, I could understand you finding the phone and using it again..cause maybe that could be tracked. (Maybe.)
But what could be done about selling it? That makes no sense.
Unless you try to sell it by posting "Selling my supposedly lost phone" on the TMobile forums.
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I am not sure what they actually do, but in theory it's pretty easy.
You claim the phone is lost
TMobile blacklists the phone's IMEI
Someone tries to register the phone on the TMobile network
TMobile and/or Asurion go after the account holder for the associated SIM
They show they bought it from you
No profit
chrisjs81 said:
I am not sure what they actually do, but in theory it's pretty easy.
You claim the phone is lost
TMobile blacklists the phone's IMEI
Someone tries to register the phone on the TMobile network
TMobile and/or Asurion go after the account holder for the associated SIM
They show they bought it from you
No profit
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Click to collapse
The phone can be unlocked to use on any provider.
So...wouldn't selling it as an unlocked phone give you a better chance?
And you could sell it to a friend and have them say they bought it from off the internet or at a pawn shop or anything.
I just don't think it's that precise. (Who knows maybe it is.)
Anyway. I'm not trying to prove there's ways around it. I just wanted to understand the statement better.
And is blacklisting a phone's IMEI a new thing? Cause I've had phones stolen in the past that ended being in use by other people. Nothing ever happened there. (And I know that because I found out who stole the phone.)
*Just curious by the way, not trying to start a heated conversation or anything.
Thank for the info!
The insurance companies are NOT as dumb as you think they are. Insurance fraud is a booming business and companies are always looking to minimize their losses against fraud.
I know this because one of my specialty fields includes loss prevention and fraud. They can and will blacklist your IMEI number and despite your noble efforts to sell to a friend who magically ends up buying that very same phone off craigslist [unbeknownst to you ] will get you in trouble.
Do the smart thing and heed the advice given here by people who know. Don't try to fool businesses or people who have been around the block way longer than your ingenious plan of trying to net an extra phone.
You're better off slipping in the Taco Bell parking lot and claiming an injury.
CBConsultation said:
The insurance companies are NOT as dumb as you think they are. Insurance fraud is a booming business and companies are always looking to minimize their losses against fraud.
I know this because one of my specialty fields includes loss prevention and fraud. They can and will blacklist your IMEI number and despite your noble efforts to sell to a friend who magically ends up buying that very same phone off craigslist [unbeknownst to you ] will get you in trouble.
Do the smart thing and heed the advice given here by people who know. Don't try to fool businesses or people who have been around the block way longer than your ingenious plan of trying to net an extra phone.
You're better off slipping in the Taco Bell parking lot and claiming an injury.
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Think I could get some more detail about slipping in the parking lot of Taco Bell?
Asurion watches your account and tracks people down if they see someone you talk/text has the imei of your "lost" phone. Trust me don't lie to insurance companies
But if you sell it on Cl and report it lost at a bar...? What can they prove?
sk337sk337 said:
Asurion watches your account and tracks people down if they see someone you talk/text has the imei of your "lost" phone. Trust me don't lie to insurance companies
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Sent from my MT4G running Gingerbread
So they actually blacklist imei numbers?
Sent from my MT4G running Gingerbread
Jaskwith said:
So they actually blacklist imei numbers?
Sent from my MT4G running Gingerbread
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Yes they do.
Sent over HSPA+ using XDA app.
Jaskwith said:
So they actually blacklist imei numbers?
Sent from my MT4G running Gingerbread
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I also noticed your sig says your MT4G is running Gingerbread. Wanna explain?
Sent over HSPA+ using XDA app.
Well its cm7... basically gingerbread.
CBConsultation said:
I also noticed your sig says your MT4G is running Gingerbread. Wanna explain?
Sent over HSPA+ using XDA app.
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Sent from my MT4G running Gingerbread
Better not do that. Just don't lie to insurance companies
I'm not advocating fraud, but last time I checked the two big US GSM providers (AT&T and T-Mobile) don't utilize an IMEI blacklist. I checked because I had a phone stolen from me and I asked T-Mobile to blacklist the IMEI and they told me that they can't (or won't) do that. They said the best they could do was deactivate the SIM card to prevent the thief from running up my bill. After doing some digging, I discovered reports of many AT&T customers with the same experience.
moto211 said:
I'm not advocating fraud, but last time I checked the two big US GSM providers (AT&T and T-Mobile) don't utilize an IMEI blacklist. I checked because I had a phone stolen from me and I asked T-Mobile to blacklist the IMEI and they told me that they can't (or won't) do that. They said the best they could do was deactivate the SIM card to prevent the thief from running up my bill. After doing some digging, I discovered reports of many AT&T customers with the same experience.
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that is absolutely true. USA gsm carriers have 0 interest in blacklisting for obvious reasons = more money in their pocket. You get to buy a new phone for more money and whoever steals/find the phone gets to pay the company even more money.
I have no idea what insurance companies will do, though, but I've reported a lost phone, which I'm sure someone is still using, got a replacement and never heard word of it being tracked down or something.
Best advice I have is call assurion and ask if, in case your phone gets lost, if they'll do anything to retrieve it. My guess would be a resounding NO unless you have a police report, a subpoena and a lot of time to waste on this.

HTC G2 TM Question Lost Phone

Hello I have a HTC G2 and i lost it a few days ago so i reported it to tmobile and they sent me a new one
Now after receiving the new one My friend cleaning out his car found the phone and called me letting me know
My question is can i use this phone still even though i have a new one
is there a way to mod the phone so that TM will not know its the one i reported lost.
Please let me know as i will like to give this to my daughter thanks.
I'm guessing they would have the ESN/IMEI of the phone marked as bad so it cannot be used or activated anymore by a thief if it was stolen. There may be a way to get it work, but it would probably be illegal =/
what will be the procedure as if its a sim card how would they now what phone it is
Well, the most honest thing to do would be to call TMobile and ask which one they want back.
A less honest thing to do would be to call 611 from the old phone, which will probably work, say you found this phone and would like to know where to send it. At least you get to keep the newer phone.
Or, you could keep both and see if the old one is usable using a different SIM. But what kind of example does that set for your daughter?
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using Tapatalk
Well I understand sending the phone back will be good but as i spent 150 dollars to get the replacement. I was told it will not be refunded so whats the point of sending it back.
I figure since i have a few tm phones and at times i switch phones it will not be a problem.
Well if putting custom software will that hide the phone as they say rooting the phone is not exceptable and you can void your warrenty. And when putting custom roms they never now also apps that are downloaded.
storres6981 said:
what will be the procedure as if its a sim card how would they now what phone it is
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The ESN/IMEI are hard coded in a very deep level of the phone software somehow I think, so it doesn't matter what SIM you have in it; the network knows its being used. I'm sure there are [illegal] ways to change the ESN
For example if you look at phone people sell on Ebay, they are always labeled as "Clean ESN" or "Bad ESN". The bad ones are phones reported as stolen, etc and won't be able to be activated no matter what.
c00ller said:
The ESN/IMEI are hard coded in a very deep level of the phone software somehow I think, so it doesn't matter what SIM you have in it; the network knows its being used. I'm sure there are [illegal] ways to change the ESN
For example if you look at phone people sell on Ebay, they are always labeled as "Clean ESN" or "Bad ESN". The bad ones are phones reported as stolen, etc and won't be able to be activated no matter what.
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Click to collapse
This is correct. If you've reported the phone lost/stolen, or the phone is associated to a delinquent or unpaid account, the provider (T-mo) will mark the phone as such, and the phone will not work with any other SIM card. So its only worth what it could be sold for for parts...
You spoke of rooting the phone, this won't clear the ESN, and this really isn't something we talk about at XDA (or most other reputable forums, for that matter) because it is highly illegal/frowned upon/etc.. Really no need for this thread to go in that direction...
Now the right thing to do would to call T-mo and ask which one they wanted back... maybe you can work something out with them even though they cant do a full refund. It would also mean that your account wouldnt be docked the cost or mark of having been given a phone under warranty, because most plans only allow a certain number of claims per time period.
Not true...you could change the esn and imei on blackberry. I did it because I was in the same situation. I just wanted to give mine to my bro. I'm sure if you could on blackberry you can with android. Android is more open I would think
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using Tapatalk
popimp315 said:
Not true...you could change the esn and imei on blackberry. I did it because I was in the same situation. I just wanted to give mine to my bro. I'm sure if you could on blackberry you can with android. Android is more open I would think
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Never said you can't, just said its something we don't talk about here.
It should still work on networks outside of the USA (or which ever country it is you're in). So I suppose you can unlock and debrand it and sell it to someone abroad.
Have you tried putting your replacement sim on the old phone? You really should call tmobile to see what can be done.
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using Tapatalk
It will work just fine. I did the same thing and I asked the lady that worked for the phone's insurance before I ordered my replacement what would happen if I found it and she said you have 7 days to send back the replacement for a refund. She said if I find it after the 7 days it would work and be 100% usable but I wouldn't be able to send in the replacement for the refund... it is currently being used with no issues right now actually.
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App

I Know this isn't the place

but my xperia has been stolen, most likely by one of two coworkers. i don't have any proof other than i left the phone at work and neither one of them found the phone. i work for a verizon inderect btw.
so i don't know what to do go to the owner and explain and possibly get fired or ostracized, i have no proof, and i'm pretty sure the phone was wiped. though i did call verizon and they told me they can blacklist the esn though i recently filed paperwork for my employee line with that esn so that will be interesting.
any suggestions, i'm really pissed and don't know what to do, i really don't want to think i work with such ****ty people that they would steal from a co-worker, and i really don't want to think i work with people stupid enough to think i won't catch them.
any suggestions?
I don't know if they can but can't they track it? I mean I am almost sure they can use the GPS in it to track it. If you work for verizon shouldn't they understand?
rogeriskira said:
I don't know if they can but can't they track it? I mean I am almost sure they can use the GPS in it to track it. If you work for verizon shouldn't they understand?
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Click to collapse
yeah they do, thing is i hadn't activated it yet, had just submitted the paperwork last week, and i am 99.99% sure i left it at work on the fourth, both the employees (one of em my manager) said they hadn't seen the phone.
thing is verizon can't track it if it's not active, and i'm also very sure the phone was wiped, as it's not showing up in the market as far as i can tell.
even if it does get activated by them (i.e. verizon) it has to be *228 option one for the phone to take the activation. but i can't believe that the employees would be that stupid to steal it, what are they gonna do keep it? and me not notice. plus i'm gonna report the esn as lost or stolen so it'll be a bad esn.
i must have just lost it but i have looked everywhere and can't think of where else it could be but one of them having taken it.
just venting more than anything. sorry for cluttering the forum up with my personal **** btw.
Hey, you gotta release your stress somewhere . I was always under the impression that the carrier can be tracked your phone easily but don't do it because you are on a contract and need to buy something new from them.
Two years ago I bought a phone, used it for 15 minutes and then switched back to old phone so that I can return the new one without going over the 30minutes return policy. The customer service rep can distinguish exactly how many minutes were used on each phone the previous night. This means that they know which phne is using their services at all time. I'm with rogers gsm network
Sent from my XPlay using XDA App.
Thanks for the support worst part is all the games in had on there if hada16gb card completely full of games like I had 100mb left....
Sent from my PG86100 using Tapatalk
Can't you track the imei? If they wipe that no network will accept the phone?
Sent from my R800i using XDA Premium App
thorpe24 said:
but my xperia has been stolen, most likely by one of two coworkers. i don't have any proof other than i left the phone at work and neither one of them found the phone. i work for a verizon inderect btw.
so i don't know what to do go to the owner and explain and possibly get fired or ostracized, i have no proof, and i'm pretty sure the phone was wiped. though i did call verizon and they told me they can blacklist the esn though i recently filed paperwork for my employee line with that esn so that will be interesting.
any suggestions, i'm really pissed and don't know what to do, i really don't want to think i work with such ****ty people that they would steal from a co-worker, and i really don't want to think i work with people stupid enough to think i won't catch them.
any suggestions?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think I read somewhere in this list of comments that you were sure the phone was wiped. Any chance that it isn't? You could try something like LookOut's "Plan B" from the Android Market web page, and if it is on your account still, you can tell it to install on the phone. When/if it does, it would start tracking it and tell you where it thinks it is.
If the phone has been wiped, then it is pretty much down to the procedures you described. Block the ESN/IMEI, report it as stolen, etc. If you can't prove it was the two other folks, then don't say it was them. Simply state your phone has been lost and/or stolen. Say you already did your due diligence of reporting it gone. I guess this is also the place to make sure that you have backups of your SD cards, as well as always to install some sort of remote-control-and-location service on your phone. If it doesn't get wiped, then you can do so. If it is wiped, then less to worry about other than your loss (and documents on the SD card).
Very good advice dvds I thank you. Unfortunately those methods havent worked. I will try plan b though
Sent from my PG86100 using Tapatalk
well the least you could do is put a poster where it was stolen and offer a reward.
Also ask if you can look at the security camera feeds if the location has cameras.
Makes sure you ask to check the camera as soon as possible they are usually deleted after a while.
Good luck
thorpe24 said:
but my xperia has been stolen, most likely by one of two coworkers. i don't have any proof other than i left the phone at work and neither one of them found the phone. i work for a verizon inderect btw.
so i don't know what to do go to the owner and explain and possibly get fired or ostracized, i have no proof, and i'm pretty sure the phone was wiped. though i did call verizon and they told me they can blacklist the esn though i recently filed paperwork for my employee line with that esn so that will be interesting.
any suggestions, i'm really pissed and don't know what to do, i really don't want to think i work with such ****ty people that they would steal from a co-worker, and i really don't want to think i work with people stupid enough to think i won't catch them.
any suggestions?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Keep checking Craiglist in your local area? Some stolen merchandise end up there.
Getting the ESN on the lost list is a great step but if they work there too couldn't they take it off the list? Keep that ESN and keep up with ebay and craigslist. Thats mess up, gotta be some kinda low to take from a co worker. They had to know you were gonna report it lost, they stole a paper weight.
thorpe24 said:
but my xperia has been stolen, most likely by one of two coworkers. i don't have any proof other than i left the phone at work and neither one of them found the phone. i work for a verizon inderect btw.
so i don't know what to do go to the owner and explain and possibly get fired or ostracized, i have no proof, and i'm pretty sure the phone was wiped. though i did call verizon and they told me they can blacklist the esn though i recently filed paperwork for my employee line with that esn so that will be interesting.
any suggestions, i'm really pissed and don't know what to do, i really don't want to think i work with such ****ty people that they would steal from a co-worker, and i really don't want to think i work with people stupid enough to think i won't catch them.
any suggestions?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you have the box it has your serial # on it. Verizon has a record of your phones serial number also. They take it down when you activate it.

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