Database Users

Help!! How To Flash A New IMEI # ??

Hello,
I'm hoping someone can help me. I lost my phone (Vibrant - TMobile) and had to go through insurance to get a new one, the deductible was $130, then days later I found the damn thing but insurance won't take the new phone back and refund me now! So my cousin wants to buy it from me but when I went through insurance they placed the IMEI on the lost / stolen list which blocks the IMEI from logging onto the network rendering the phone unusable. I need to flash a new IMEI so that my cousin can go ahead and use the phone.
How can I flash a new IMEI? Please pm me
Thanks so much for the help guys, I'm really in a frustrating jam!!!
ALL YOUR HELP IS APPRECIATED!
---------------------------------------------
I called back and plead with them and they said they are going to review the case and get back to me within 20 hours! Whoo hoo, I hope they will let me send the extra phone back and refund me then my problems would be solved!

i wasn't aware there was such a thing as flashing another imei#

To me it sounds like you were trying to use the insurance to get an extra phone and it didn't work out so you decided to plead and come up with a Story. Changing IMEI numbers is not something legal or easy to do and i dont believe anyone here can help you, or will help you with the whole process.

minogue said:
To me it sounds like you were trying to use the insurance to get an extra phone and it didn't work out so you decided to plead and come up with a Story. Changing IMEI numbers is not something legal or easy to do and i dont believe anyone here can help you, or will help you with the whole process.
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How do you know that's the case. I agree it crossed my mind but never would I lost that.... rude..

temperbad said:
How do you know that's the case. I agree it crossed my mind but never would I lost that.... rude..
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Click to collapse
"to me it sounds like..." its the way i saw it because i always get people telling me or friends to sell them my phone and get another one from insurance, therefore considering the phone must be brand new, people usually keep it with them at all times, so i came with my own conclusion. HOWEVER it doesnt change anything.
Changing an IMEI number is not legal and while it is possible, it may be a hard proccess...
To the OP:
Google It

minogue said:
To me it sounds like you were trying to use the insurance to get an extra phone and it didn't work out so you decided to plead and come up with a Story. Changing IMEI numbers is not something legal or easy to do and i dont believe anyone here can help you, or will help you with the whole process.
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Click to collapse
Right, because it's not possible to lose a phone and then find it later. I'm gonna guess you're a "glass half empty" kind of person, eh?

dex1701 said:
Right, because it's not possible to lose a phone and then find it later. I'm gonna guess you're a "glass half empty" kind of person, eh?
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Click to collapse
ohh Come on Guys.
No i am not that person, and im sure this is by far the first half useless reply i posted in my 400 post count as im usually very helpful with fellow android users. i do lose my phone in the house sometimes, and i know its somewhere in the house, and my friends dont really steal from me or any of us so i can fall drunk on their house and have them take care of my phone and even take my calls..
Point is, Even if you knew how to change an IMEI, you are not allowed to post it here, or in barely any forums or Sites. Therefore the Best Advice is to Google it and see for herself. at the very least. just sell the phone for repair or parts on Ebay and keep the new one....
OR
The IMEI has been blocked by all US GSM Carriers, sell it to someone outside the US using Ebay again and get more $$$$.
Is that helpful enough???

aw geez
minogue said:
ohh Come on Guys.
No i am not that person, and im sure this is by far the first half useless reply i posted in my 400 post count as im usually very helpful with fellow android users. i do lose my phone in the house sometimes, and i know its somewhere in the house, and my friends dont really steal from me or any of us so i can fall drunk on their house and have them take care of my phone and even take my calls..
Point is, Even if you knew how to change an IMEI, you are not allowed to post it here, or in barely any forums or Sites. Therefore the Best Advice is to Google it and see for herself. at the very least. just sell the phone for repair or parts on Ebay and keep the new one....
OR
The IMEI has been blocked by all US GSM Carriers, sell it to someone outside the US using Ebay again and get more $$$$.
Is that helpful enough???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Geez, now you're telling her to sell it? How pessimistic can you get? Always assume the worst, dontcha?!?
Joking aside, if a phone was put on a blacklist, and it's found by the original owner....couldn't the IMEI just be removed from the blacklist in a legitimate (read: legal) manner?

It also doesn't hurt to try this, http://tinyurl.com/2un6urs .

leprasmurf said:
Geez, now you're telling her to sell it? How pessimistic can you get? Always assume the worst, dontcha?!?
Joking aside, if a phone was put on a blacklist, and it's found by the original owner....couldn't the IMEI just be removed from the blacklist in a legitimate (read: legal) manner?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Once it is blacklisted, theres no way from getting removed at all.

LordLugard said:
It also doesn't hurt to try this, http://tinyurl.com/2un6urs .
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its funny how the first link on Google is this Thread. Probably because you used the exact same question along with the exclamation points.

For some reason I was thinking that US carriers didn't blacklist imei numbers. Used to work with a guy that had access to some hot cell phones, they all supposedly worked with just a sim swap. Just att and t-mobile ones tho, no cdma.

justanothergirl said:
Hello,
I'm hoping someone can help me. I lost my phone (Vibrant - TMobile) and had to go through insurance to get a new one, the deductible was $130, then days later I found the damn thing but insurance won't take the new phone back and refund me now! So my cousin wants to buy it from me but when I went through insurance they placed the IMEI on the lost / stolen list which blocks the IMEI from logging onto the network rendering the phone unusable. I need to flash a new IMEI so that my cousin can go ahead and use the phone.
How can I flash a new IMEI? Please pm me
Thanks so much for the help guys, I'm really in a frustrating jam!!!
ALL YOUR HELP IS APPRECIATED!
---------------------------------------------
I called back and plead with them and they said they are going to review the case and get back to me within 20 hours! Whoo hoo, I hope they will let me send the extra phone back and refund me then my problems would be solved!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
for all those that dont know a sim card phone can be stolen and used no matter what just place another sim card in the phone gsm networks run by the sim not the imei esn or meid

You could always just have your cousin say he bought it from craigslist, unless you have the same last name then it'd be suspicious.

imei problems with registration in turkey
Hi there
I know this will probably yield me a "no its illegal" reply but please hear me out on this. Im a good person!
I moved to turkey 6 months ago to work here as an IT teacher in an international school. I brought with me my lovely HTC HD2 which i had hacked using XDA software to now run andoid (was very pleased with my phone). registered my phone here with my passport. The phone then broke and while trying to fix it I snapped some of the internal data cables...
I have my old HTC wildfire here but cant use it on the GSM network as im only allowed to register 1 phone to my passport every two years!
I know its not technically allowed but i was thinking of changing the imei on my wildfire to that of my broken (but registered) HTC HD2 and was figuring if i got caught for it that they would see that the imei number is in fact registered to me anyway.
I have searched high and low for solutions for this. I found the Iwizard but I think that this was released in 2007 and my phone was released in 2010 so i am presuming that this will not work. also had some problems and questions about using activesync on my windows 7 computer along with presuming that I cant connect an android phone to activesync.
As I said before. Im not tying to commit a crime here but just trying not to go out and spend lots of money (and phones do cost lots of money here) on buying a turkish phone.
if anyone can help then please let me know
my email is [email protected]
cheers..

From HERE: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=276851
Many people often come up to me in the street and say, you look like a bit of a geezer (their words), do you know how to change my IMEI to clone that of another phone legitimately purchased within the state of my draconian governement?
I will typically retort with a chuckle, and then the following diatribe:
CHANGING YOUR IMEI IS VERY LIKELY TO BE A CRIME IN YOUR COUNTRY
Now, you may well be a pimp or snakehead already, so no worries relatively speaking, but understand that changing IMEIs can result in a prison sentence or castration, not merely a slap of the wrists. One way or the other, you won't be bending over in the shower if this is a crime in your country and you're found guilty. The law is there for a valid reason, if not necessarily a good reason.
Please check the law in your country before considering changing your IMEI.
You should note that in these days of heightened terrorist threats, if your phone is found to have a false IMEI and you also happen to have a beard and a beautiful tanned completion, you're likely to be spending time with wires hanging out of your orifices, so again, think twice.
I have no place to speak for the administrators or other moderators of the board, just for me, but my view is this:
The board is called XDA Developers. We develop.
The fact that you gets newbs, rubes and non-dudes on here is by the by; our raison d'être is to develop. That entails research and development, so for me, researching changing IMEIs may be a legitimate pursuit. Probably not, but maybe.
Next, recall that the administrators of this board researched and released pretty much the definitive solutions for IMEI changing, on older phones at least. That's part of the reason this board exists. I would be a hypocrite to jump on anyone else carrying the same flag. However, anything that will potentially get the board in trouble will be stopped.
So once again, lube yourself up well before considering changing your IMEI.
And please, be nice to each other, eh?
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Click to collapse

Changing IMEI is NOT illegal in the United States. Just sayin

Starting a Petition and contacting Ministry of Consumer Electronics Canada

Hello All, as many of you know i have had one of the famous bricked samsung galaxy i9000. Since Bell wont honour my proposal for returning my Cell phone with a receipt (not under my name), i have come to the conclusion that we need action. Below is a site i am going to contact, based out of toronto, if enough people call, we can get this "defective issue" known.
http://www.sse.gov.on.ca/mcs/en/Pages/Contact.aspx
I am also in the process of starting a petition but would like the help of people of this forum on to how to go about this.
We need to make Samsung honour their corporation competencies and aknowledge that not EVERYONE will be on contract with BELL. We must take action. I am requesting help from ALL those affected.
thanks
p.s. first way to start is to get the ministry of consumer electronics to acknowledge the defect and we shall start a petition.

Another resource you may want to tap into is the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services (http://www.ccts-cprst.ca/complaints/service-providers). They are a third party that attempt to resolve complaints against wireless providers.
Not sure if it applies to you, but take it for what it's worth.

Count me in dude!!! Im tired of not being listened to about my issues with my $500.00 "not fit for purpose" phone!!!
I believe that we not just go after Bell but Samsung as well!!!
Sent from my GT-I9000M using XDA App

mymanchris said:
Another resource you may want to tap into is the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services (http://www.ccts-cprst.ca/complaints/service-providers). They are a third party that attempt to resolve complaints against wireless providers.
Not sure if it applies to you, but take it for what it's worth.
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Click to collapse
thanks for the link, will be looking into that.
yiannisthegreek said:
Count me in dude!!! Im tired of not being listened to about my issues with my $500.00 "not fit for purpose" phone!!!
I believe that we not just go after Bell but Samsung as well!!!
Sent from my GT-I9000M using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lets start small and see where we get. We need COMMUNITY SUPPORT, and i mean alot of people. 100 or more can be a good start.

You have my support.
Sent from my GT-I9000M using XDA App

myself as well.

I assume you are referring to the internal memory problem?
Why did they say they wont honor your warranty? You haven't really put much information here.

andrewluecke said:
I assume you are referring to the internal memory problem?
Why did they say they wont honor your warranty? You haven't really put much information here.
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I have the full receipt for my phone and everything, the phone was deactivated and the number is not in service. However, the only thing connected to the current user is a IMEI, which i had called the person who owned it, they didnt know english very well and wouldnt transfer the ownership to me.
This is a flaw in the system.
I am starting a petition to make Samsung and Bell aware that the first batch and alot of the I900m Bell devices have a Internal SD hardware problem. This is a defect, we have witnessed of up to 30% returns on these phones because of this defect alone.
The fact that Bell wont honour their warranty with samsung because of a simple (not having my name) on the receipt is trivial. I had a copy printed out. Samsung needs to recall these devices or at the very least acknowledge something here.

30% failure? Where is that figure from?
And have you tried arguing with Bell for a repair? Or did they simply say no, and you gave up? Did you try to escalate?
By law, you should be able to go to your consumer affairs place anyway, and tell them that Bell wont accept your receipt. I don't think you need a petition.

Class action suit against "samsung" only.. Count me in tooo
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App

By the way, when you say return, do you mean repair? Because by law in most countries, they don't have to offer refunds outside the first 2 weeks if the unit is faulty.
This thread needs a lot more details...

I am in also.
Sent from my GT-I9000M using XDA App

andrewluecke said:
30% failure? Where is that figure from?
And have you tried arguing with Bell for a repair? Or did they simply say no, and you gave up? Did you try to escalate?
By law, you should be able to go to your consumer affairs place anyway, and tell them that Bell wont accept your receipt. I don't think you need a petition.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i have the receipt but the purchaser of my phone was friend who has now moved to new york. I have no contact with him. And by law bell has to honour its warranty code of conduct, if there is a recepit available.
I am going back tommrow to talk to the http://www.bell.ca/shopping/en_CA_ON.Samsung-Galaxywith-Google/69236.details of the store, any tips or suggestions are welcome. I have read people have returned phones even WITHOUT a receipt...and look, oh i HAVE one.....interesting.
edit** the petition was for those who were unlucky and have been turned down by Bell because of no receipt.

That didn't really answer anything.. If you have a receipt, argue with them again, or go consumer affairs, but their warranty code only likely covers REPAIRING!
Do you mean repair or return and where is that 30% failure figure from? By law, they don't need to refund you, unless you have tried replacing it a few times and the problem keeps reoccurring (and you can prove the product is seriously flawed).
I believe you mean repair, but "return" is ambiguous.

andrewluecke said:
That didn't really answer anything.. If you have a receipt, argue with them again, or go consumer affairs, but their warranty code only likely covers REPAIRING!
Do you mean repair or return and where is that 30% failure figure from? By law, they don't need to refund you, unless you have tried replacing it a few times and the problem keeps reoccurring (and you can prove the product is seriously flawed).
I believe you mean repair, but "return" is ambiguous.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
according to Bell it was about 20%-30% of phones were brought back. That is why Samsung held off on the 2nd batch of shipments to fix the internal sd problem, and bells excuse was all the phones were sold out, when really there was a huge backorder.
thanks for clarifiying bud. I do mean Repair. I have the receipt and everything from the folks who bought the phone, the only problem is the receipt is not in MY name. however, i tried contacting the people who had orginally purchased the phone and they wont do anything for me. They dont speak english. So i am going today to argue with the manager of Bell at my mall and tell him that this is straight up bs. Becuase i have all of the required information, the account cancelled their service and got a new phone...ugh its just such a tight situation.
** as for the petition, if you would like your names on it, please inbox me Name, City, and COuntry you are residing in and i will add it. Thanks

I don't know how these things work in Canada, but in Australia a petition is really not going to sway a legal argument. In fact it could prejudice a case, in some circumstances.
I suggest you take the matter up with Bell again. Then talk to Consumer Affairs yourself.
Shouldn't Samsung be your point of contact BTW? I would assume since you have no contract with Bell they should be absolved of any responsibility to service your phone.
In this case the manufacturer would be the people to contact. In 95% of the things I buy have a manufacturers warranty, not a retailers.
I wish you luck, but you really should pursue this on a private basis. If things don't work out then post up your experience. If the do work out then post up how you got around it.
BTW people don't give out your name and location to anybody on the net. I know Jark99 is 95% likel,y to be a nice chap, but giving out details like that is a bit silly.

householddog said:
I don't know how these things work in Canada, but in Australia a petition is really not going to sway a legal argument. In fact it could prejudice a case, in some circumstances.
I suggest you take the matter up with Bell again. Then talk to Consumer Affairs yourself.
Shouldn't Samsung be your point of contact BTW? I would assume since you have no contract with Bell they should be absolved of any responsibility to service your phone.
In this case the manufacturer would be the people to contact. In 95% of the things I buy have a manufacturers warranty, not a retailers.
I wish you luck, but you really should pursue this on a private basis. If things don't work out then post up your experience. If the do work out then post up how you got around it.
BTW people don't give out your name and location to anybody on the net. I know Jark99 is 95% likel,y to be a nice chap, but giving out details like that is a bit silly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
haha sorry about the "names" thing. I should have suspected that, i just wanted to make sure that we had a legit petition to force a class action law suit.
As for the manufacturers warranty, Apparently Samsung goes through Bell. But NOT really. Bell goes through a intermediary called Futuretec Solutions located in Toronto, Ontario. I have called samsung canada and they wont help me out at all. They keep saying "go to bell, go to bell." Well now im going to give bell a piece my mind, Bell is the only company to carry these phones, thus if there is a problem no one can go elsewhere. its bs. im pretty pissed off and going to show Bell that, yesterday i didnt, but today ill talk to the manager.

get the class action or whatever you guys are trying to do up and going already, and count me in
got 2 phones still waiting to be repaired but can't because they wont allow it without the invoice, even when we offered to pay for the repairs

Attention:
To all who have a internal sd card error and have bought the phone around the release date or afterwards. If you dont have a orginal receipt, go to bell and try to find a service rep who looks kind of new. From there tell them you dont have the receipt and need they might be able to print you out one. I got mine printed out and i went to another Bell Store to get mine sent out even though the phone was NOT under my name. I think the only way to get peoples phones fixed is talking to the right people.
I contacted the Ministry of consumer electronics AND telecommunications services to file a complaint, but i cannot as i am not a BELL member. If anyone is a Bell member and has a 2nd hand phone you can call them to file a complaint, and theyll act as a intermediary between you and Bell. ill keep updating this thread as i find information
Ministry of Telecommunications Service Complaints department:
1-888-221-1687
EDIT*
to those in ONtario this website claims to have fixed interal sd card errors
http://www.mtechservice.com/contacus.html

Count me in. Although mine's been fixed via a third party repair shop, i want my money back.

[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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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
Click to expand...
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes they do.
Sent over HSPA+ using XDA app.

Jaskwith said:
So they actually blacklist imei numbers?
Sent from my MT4G running Gingerbread
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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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Click to collapse
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.

Where is the IMEI marked on the hardware?

Where is the IMEI stored and/or branded on an AT&T S4, besides the motherboard and the IMEI sticker? Is it marked anywhere on the internal components that are left? Are there any memory chips or something where it's stored, besides the motherboard?
Thanks in advance!

Why do you need this info? It sounds fishy...
Sent from my SGH-I337 using xda premium

graydiggy said:
Why do you need this info? It sounds fishy...
Sent from my SGH-I337 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
^^^^
It does.
He could have maybe mixed up parts? idk anything else that would be legit

grindcore said:
Where is the IMEI stored and/or branded on an AT&T S4, besides the motherboard and the IMEI sticker? Is it marked anywhere on the internal components that are left? Are there any memory chips or something where it's stored, besides the motherboard?
Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It does sound a bit fishy, as the others stated. However, I've found that it's in two places:
In the firmware of the device.
On the sticker.
It may be permanently burned (fused) into the hardware somewhere, so even a full wipe via JTAG might not even wipe the IMEI. You can check it out yourself by looking up the teardown videos out there. iFixit has released one, and AdamOutler has released another.
Beyond this advice, I don't think anyone is going to speak about this subject with you. Pretty much the only reasons that come to anyone's minds as to why you need this info are:
- Tampering with IMEI
- Warranty fraud
- Insurance fraud
The only legal reason I can think of is:
- Selling parts of your device, and wanting to protect your IMEI information for some reason. .... but if your selling parts of a broken device and wanting your IMEI kept safe, it's probably to avoid being caught for insurance or warranty fraud.
I hate to assume you're up to no good, but it's too easy to with questions like this.
END.

Aou said:
It does sound a bit fishy, as the others stated. However, I've found that it's in two places:
In the firmware of the device.
On the sticker.
It may be permanently burned (fused) into the hardware somewhere, so even a full wipe via JTAG might not even wipe the IMEI. You can check it out yourself by looking up the teardown videos out there. iFixit has released one, and AdamOutler has released another.
Beyond this advice, I don't think anyone is going to speak about this subject with you. Pretty much the only reasons that come to anyone's minds as to why you need this info are:
- Tampering with IMEI
- Warranty fraud
- Insurance fraud
The only legal reason I can think of is:
- Selling parts of your device, and wanting to protect your IMEI information for some reason. .... but if your selling parts of a broken device and wanting your IMEI kept safe, it's probably to avoid being caught for insurance or warranty fraud.
I hate to assume you're up to no good, but it's too easy to with questions like this.
END.
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Click to collapse
No it's none of the reasons you mentioned. To make a long story short, I buy and resell phones for a living. Someone scammed me and stuck me with a new AT&T S4 that's blacklisted. I checked and double checked the number and it was clean before I bought it, but it got reported a couple days later. So I was stuck with a new S4 I couldn't get rid of.
Most people have suggested just dumping it on CL to get my money back but I do not want to rip anyone off. I'm not a scumbag like that. I just want to recover as much of my money as possible without screwing anyone in the process.
I ended up finding another broken S4 really cheap and doing a motherboard and IMEI sticker swap with the new blacklisted device hardware. As it turns out, it works perfectly. So basically I now have a brand new S4 with a motherboard in it that has a clean IMEI, so now I can at least sell a working device to someone who will enjoy it and recover the vast majority of the money I invested in it. The thing that I am mostly concerned with is that if he or she brings it in for servicing, if they can somehow recover the original IMEI from the rest of the hardware. I'm assuming they will not be able to as I thoroughly checked the inside of the phone as I did the swap, and didn't find anything. But I wanted to ask and make sure as S4s are not the phones I usually take apart and work on (I usually deal with iPhones). I know that with iPhones, individual parts can be traced back to their original devices, so I was curious if Samsung did the same thing with theirs.
I'm not trying to rip off or scam anyone. I am actually making it a point to do the opposite in order to deal with the awful behavior of someone else without getting screwed in the process.
Thanks for the help.

The IMEI is in the software. It is very easy to get to.
Switching IMEI stickers is illegal just for your information. That can and would be seen as a way to defraud. Even though in your case it is not the intention. You can still sell the phone and list it as IMEI blacklisted. Unlock it first so any GSM carrier can be used. From what you say, it is legitimately bought, but I must ask a mod to lock this thread before someone comes in with either information on how to change the IMEI or asking how. Both are illegal and are not allowed here on XDA.
I also am asking a mod to lock this as I personally find it difficult to believe that one buys and sells phones and is just now getting to XDA... Its nothing personal against you, but I have been around here long enough to catch stuff that most people are oblivious to and find questions like this from any member new or old, somewhat suspicious.
I would like to extend a welcoming hand to XDA and I wish you the best of luck with your endeavors in buying and selling devices.
Sent from my SGH-I337 using xda premium

Sorry to hear that you got ripped off. Sounds like an insurance scam on the other dudes part.

OTA Updates for Canadian Galaxy S7 (G930W8) in United States

Hi,
I'm thinking of using the Canadian Galaxy S7 (with model sm-g930w8) in the United States with Project Fi. Will I be able to get OTA updates?

Doesn't matter where in the world you are for OTA updates, it'll just get them at the same time as all the other W8s with that CSC
So yes you will still get them

*Detection* said:
Doesn't matter where in the world you are for OTA updates, it'll just get them at the same time as all the other W8s with that CSC
So yes you will still get them
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! You put me at ease.

AxlRose77 said:
Thanks! You put me at ease.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
:good:

*Detection* said:
:good:
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Click to collapse
You seem like you know your stuff, so I hope you don't mind if I ask you a few unrelated questions.
I'm concerned about how long the battery was used, etc., and was wondering if I could send the phone to Samsung in the United States to have the battery replaced. Presumably, it will be out of warranty. Can Samsung replace the battery? If so, how do I find out the cost and the procedure to do this? What if I got a Canadian-based S7 (the SM-G930W8)? Can I still send it to Samsung here in the US to have the battery replaced? Is there a way to find places authorized by Samsung to do the replacement? I don't want some place that will do a bad job or use an already used battery.
If you're willing to share your knowledge with me about this, I'd greatly appreciate it! If not, if you are busy, that's OK. Have a good day!

AxlRose77 said:
You seem like you know your stuff, so I hope you don't mind if I ask you a few unrelated questions.
I'm concerned about how long the battery was used, etc., and was wondering if I could send the phone to Samsung in the United States to have the battery replaced. Presumably, it will be out of warranty. Can Samsung replace the battery? If so, how do I find out the cost and the procedure to do this? What if I got a Canadian-based S7 (the SM-G930W8)? Can I still send it to Samsung here in the US to have the battery replaced? Is there a way to find places authorized by Samsung to do the replacement? I don't want some place that will do a bad job or use an already used battery.
If you're willing to share your knowledge with me about this, I'd greatly appreciate it! If not, if you are busy, that's OK. Have a good day!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately my knowledge does not stem as far as what Samsung will and will not do in or out of warranty
You could ask them on Twitter
No doubt they can physically replace the battery, but as to whether they would or not is a different matter, you would expect so if you are paying for it, but I've never tried so it would be a guess
No idea about warranty regions either, I would have thought you would have to send it back to the country of purchase if using warranty, but you might be able to arrange something with Samsung after-all they are the same company no matter which country
Best off asking them directly

*Detection* said:
Unfortunately my knowledge does not stem as far as what Samsung will and will not do in or out of warranty
You could ask them on Twitter
No doubt they can physically replace the battery, but as to whether they would or not is a different matter, you would expect so if you are paying for it, but I've never tried so it would be a guess
No idea about warranty regions either, I would have thought you would have to send it back to the country of purchase if using warranty, but you might be able to arrange something with Samsung after-all they are the same company no matter which country
Best off asking them directly
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just curious. Let's assume the used S7 I'm interested in has been used since March 2016. How many more years of use do you think the average S7 should expect to get. I know, you're not God, but I don't really know how long flagship phones should last. What hardware component should go first, the power supply?
The other thing I was wondering was if you know whether authorized Samsung service centers use genuine Samsung, brand new never used batteries? Where do they get their batteries from? How do I know if I can trust them?

AxlRose77 said:
Just curious. Let's assume the used S7 I'm interested in has been used since March 2016. How many more years of use do you think the average S7 should expect to get. I know, you're not God, but I don't really know how long flagship phones should last. What hardware component should go first, the power supply?
The other thing I was wondering was if you know whether authorized Samsung service centers use genuine Samsung, brand new never used batteries? Where do they get their batteries from? How do I know if I can trust them?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Had mine since August 2016 and it's still like new, gave my Dad my old S5 before this from around 2014 and that's still going strong with the same battery, brother had an S4 which was still going last year, pretty sure they still have an S2 kicking about that works too
Look after your phone and other than rare case hardware failures it should last a long time
I don't know anything about Authorised Samsung service centres, but I would expect they would use brand new official Samsung hardware for replacements yes, otherwise Samsung would be up s*** creek without a paddle if there was an injury caused by a 3rd party battery or similar
And they will be extremely careful about batteries since the N7 incident