Database Users

Buying a used phone

I am moving over to Straight Talk here in a month from Verizon, and will be using an AT&T SIM for service. I have been reading up on this "Blacklisting" that AT&T is doing with stolen/lost phones, and how some folks are being scammed from Craigslist/eBay.
My question, then, is if I were to meet someone at an AT&T store, have the IMEI checked, and it comes back clean, and make the transaction, with the seller still there, will AT&T be able to put a note on their account that the phone was sold, so the seller cannot go back a week later and claim the phone was lost or stolen (fraud)? By doing that, wouldn't the folks at AT&T who Blacklist, see that on their account, and you, as the buyer, would be in the free and clear?
Anyhow, I am just looking for thoughts and suggestions about this, and anything else someone might provide. Thanks!

You can get it checked but it always can be reported stolen later on. It's just like ESNs on Verizon/Sprint. But as long as you verify it you should be fine.

MrObvious said:
You can get it checked but it always can be reported stolen later on. It's just like ESNs on Verizon/Sprint. But as long as you verify it you should be fine.
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I guess what I am asking, is while I am at the AT&T store, can I have the associate put a note on the seller's account that states the phone is being sold to me, while the seller is there in the store, and consents to this being put on his account? I would think that it would be impossible then to blacklist the phone, as its there.
I guess I am looking for the best way to protect myself from scam, without having to buy a retail phone at full price. Although, honestly my gut feeling is, is that most folks will not scam you... but, I could just see me being one of those unlucky few with a $300 paperweight!

You'd have to ask AT&T unless someone has that experience. Sorry.

We decided that we are going with new Nexus 4 (16gb) phones instead. This way, we can also use a T-Mobile SIM card if we decide AT&T service with Straight Talk isn't doing it for us. Better to have piece of mind!

why not a Xperia X8? haha

[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 !
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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
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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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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.
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Can you elaborate?

xdadevnube said:
Can you elaborate?
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.

For those wondering if the N6 will work on Verizon....

I just spoke with an awesome and knowledgeable rep from Google over the phone. He told me without a doubt that the N6 OUT OF THE BOX will work on Verizon. There will NOT be a special model made for Verizon and that there is TWO Models, A US & International Model THAT'S IT. He said anyone who buys from the Play Store can simply pop in their SIM and the phone will do the rest. He also stated if you need more confirmation, Just visit http://www.google.com/nexus/6/ and scroll the the bottom right and there you will see Verizon Wireless.
Some of us already knew this including myself, But i realize some of you are nervous about spending all your money just for the phone not to work. You are good to go!

J.Guido85 said:
I just spoke with an awesome and knowledgeable rep from Google over the phone. He told me without a doubt that the N6 OUT OF THE BOX will work on Verizon. There will NOT be a special model made for Verizon and that there is TWO Models, A US & International Model THAT'S IT. He said anyone who buys from the Play Store can simply pop in their SIM and the phone will do the rest. He also stated if you need more confirmation, Just visit http://www.google.com/nexus/6/ and scroll the the bottom right and there you will see Verizon Wireless.
Some of us already knew this including myself, But i realize some of you are nervous about spending all your money just for the phone not to work. You are good to go!
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Im one of the many americans who live nearly paycheck to paycheck and cant afford to pay 649 for a phone off contract, sure id love to just not feasible in my current situation. 199 on contract is perfect for me because i can sell my galaxy s4 for around that and not have to pay any "out of pocket" i know in the end im paying more but this is just easier for me, than dropping 649 all at once. With that being said im gonna start saving for it and if verzion decides to delay that long i will purchase from google.

seems like tmobile is the only carrier i can see offering this on the home screen of their site.

http://www.droid-life.com/2014/10/31/nexus-6-working-on-verizon-out-of-the-box/
or there is this...

This does not answer the question that MOST people need answered....... We don't care if the play store version will work on Verizon......most people aren't buying the play store version outright.... We need to know if the Verizon version will be locked down..... Just because it's the same hardware doesn't mean that Verizon doesn't get Motorola to flash their own version of firmware that locks out the ability to unlock the bootloader!

anthonyg45157 said:
Im one of the many americans who live nearly paycheck to paycheck and cant afford to pay 649 for a phone off contract, sure id love to just not feasible in my current situation. 199 on contract is perfect for me because i can sell my galaxy s4 for around that and not have to pay any "out of pocket" i know in the end im paying more but this is just easier for me, than dropping 649 all at once. With that being said im gonna start saving for it and if verzion decides to delay that long i will purchase from google.
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You're actually saving money by buying a phone on contract if you are going to use it on Verizon. The only way you save money is paying full retail and then going with a cheaper pre-paid carrier.

Ive pestered verizon online and over the phone and can't get a straight answer if they will ever carry it. Im hoping we hear something offical. From a business standpoint I can see why they would delay it. But thats TERRIBLE for customers but verizon always gets the last word as seen in all previous situations. Im fine to wait until end of Novemeber but any longer I may switch carriers. Might even be some black Friday deals

I think the nexus 6 sold by verizon most likely is a locked phone, which is why verizon store is selling the phone later than other carrier for they need to patched the phone.

polke45 said:
I think the nexus 6 sold by verizon most likely is a locked phone, which is why verizon store is selling the phone later than other carrier for they need to patched the phone.
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I doubt it. Verizon's other high end phones have been GSM unlocked for the most part.

Verizon actually would take the least issue with selling a GSM unlocked device.
All of their LTE devices are sold GSM unlocked.
Because of the compatibility, this appears to be the first device they'll ever truly allow in a "bring your own device" fashion without pre-approving the IMEI in their database. It's good to see, and it makes sense with the push to sign customers up on Edge and the lack of contracts now.

Take it for what it's worth and with a hefty dose of salt, but someone claims to have spoken with their friend who's a network engineer and it sounds dodgy:
http://www.reddit.com/r/nexus6/comments/2lhrm2/detailed_information_on_status_of_the_nexus_6_and/
Sounds like while it may work right out of the box with an existing nano sim, you may be screwed without an existing activated nano sim. Furthermore, it sounds like the delayed release on Verizon (check out the individual page now which only mentions T-Mobile, AT&T, Sprint and US Cellular) may be because Verizon is trying to change the terms of the agreement and try to get software specific to them and they may pull a Nexus One and drop it entirely.
I'm a bit concerned that even if I can get it to work from the day my GPS version arrives, they can at any time decide to block it and I'll have a phone I can't use on Verizon. If they pull that ****, I'll probably just leave for AT&T anyway, but the risk is still there.
Until Verizon officially announces something or is selling the device, those of us with a play store or motorola.com phone we've purchased are taking a risk it may not work or may work for a while and then stop working. And if Verizon decides not to "play ball" then what happens with radio updates? If there are radio bugs, we're screwed because they'd have to go through Verizon for that wouldn't they?

It would make sense if they didn't allow any unlockable bootloader phone on their network. But they are allowing Samsung to sell a dev edition Note 4.

Mayze23 said:
It would make sense if they didn't allow any unlockable bootloader phone on their network. But they are allowing Samsung to sell a dev edition Note 4.
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Like anything Verizon does makes logical sense?

J.Guido85 said:
I just spoke with an awesome and knowledgeable rep from Google over the phone. He told me without a doubt that the N6 OUT OF THE BOX will work on Verizon. There will NOT be a special model made for Verizon and that there is TWO Models, A US & International Model THAT'S IT. He said anyone who buys from the Play Store can simply pop in their SIM and the phone will do the rest. He also stated if you need more confirmation, Just visit http://www.google.com/nexus/6/ and scroll the the bottom right and there you will see Verizon Wireless.
Some of us already knew this including myself, But i realize some of you are nervous about spending all your money just for the phone not to work. You are good to go!
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Click to collapse
Just spoke with a Moto Rep and he assured me I'll have no problem activating on VZW. Seems like good news... now... white or blue.

Coop9 said:
Just spoke with a Moto Rep and he assured me I'll have no problem activating on VZW. Seems like good news... now... white or blue.
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Regarding the earlier point about whether Verizon will even carry the Nexus 6, I spent some time today at a local Verizon store looking at what my choices might be (like the Droid Turbo) if the Nexus 6 doesn't appear and asked specifically to the availability/timing of the Nexus 6 at Verizon. The manager wasn't aware of any date but did indicate they might not even carry it if the phone couldn't pass the Verizon testing and approval process. Not a answer that gives a great deal of hope but at least I didn't get the entire denial of any knowledge of status.
Sent from my Surface Pro 3 using Tapatalk

If vzw pulls a nexus one to htc incredible or black list imes why don't people organize and protest the fcc. Vzw is a carrier. We should have any device on their network as long as it's not harmful and they must prove harm case by case.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Free mobile app

You would think someone would be in some deep **** if a bunch of us buy it for Verizon and then can't use it, especially when it says Verizon right on the Google play page and numerous of Google and Motorola employees confirming it works. I know were all tense about this but I really believe were all worrying to much. I know Verizons history as much as anyone so can't blame u but I say were gonna be alright.

INCREMENTAL said:
You would think someone would be in some deep **** if a bunch of us buy it for Verizon and then can't use it, especially when it says Verizon right on the Google play page and numerous of Google and Motorola employees confirming it works. I know were all tense about this but I really believe were all worrying to much. I know Verizons history as much as anyone so can't blame u but I say were gonna be alright.
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There's nothing on Google Play store saying it works on Verizon BTW... Not sure where you saw that... Unfortunately VZW can carry or not carry any phone they want.

bossei said:
There's nothing on Google Play store saying it works on Verizon BTW... Not sure where you saw that... Unfortunately VZW can carry or not carry any phone they want.
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It is on the specs page as well as the device page (their logo) and was also mentioned on their blog or whatever. If it's all just to say it's /could/ work, then Google should honor returns well past the 14-day period because it sure as hell is misleading as hell.

jkc120 said:
It is on the specs page as well as the device page (their logo) and was also mentioned on their blog or whatever. If it's all just to say it's /could/ work, then Google should honor returns well past the 14-day period because it sure as hell is misleading as hell.
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Interesting; I don't see any of that here.

Questions about buying a used Nexus 6P to activate on Sprint

I'm a Sprint customer, and am considering buying a Nexus 6P. I was wondering if there's anything I should look for when I'm buying a used one.
Typically when I buy a used Sprint phone, I make sure the ESN is clear (not on an unpaid account, not reported as stolen), and then I'm able to activate it.
Would it be the same process if I buy a used Nexus 6P? Or is there anything I should be aware of when buying a used 6P that isn't Sprint-branded?

imekul said:
I'm a Sprint customer, and am considering buying a Nexus 6P. I was wondering if there's anything I should look for when I'm buying a used one.
Typically when I buy a used Sprint phone, I make sure the ESN is clear (not on an unpaid account, not reported as stolen), and then I'm able to activate it.
Would it be the same process if I buy a used Nexus 6P? Or is there anything I should be aware of when buying a used 6P that isn't Sprint-branded?
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Used 6P should be the same thing. If it has been blacklisted at all the IMEI will probably be blocked from Sprint. Have them check it and also check your local Sprint stores for a SIM card for it. Most don't carry them so you need to order one from customer service.

KennyG123 said:
Used 6P should be the same thing. If it has been blacklisted at all the IMEI will probably be blocked from Sprint. Have them check it and also check your local Sprint stores for a SIM card for it. Most don't carry them so you need to order one from customer service.
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Great, thank you for the helpful response!
This might be a dumb question, but could it be possible that the phone is blacklisted from one carrier but works on another? Say it was blacklisted by AT&T but Sprint is able to activate it? Or is it generally all or nothing? Just wondering in case I buy one that works for Sprint and then ultimately jump to a different carrier.

imekul said:
Great, thank you for the helpful response!
This might be a dumb question, but could it be possible that the phone is blacklisted from one carrier but works on another? Say it was blacklisted by AT&T but Sprint is able to activate it? Or is it generally all or nothing? Just wondering in case I buy one that works for Sprint and then ultimately jump to a different carrier.
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I recommend you purchase a phone from Swappa since they run IMEIs to make sure they are clean. If you run into issues later you can file a dispute with through PayPal.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

FYI, I'm replying to this thread because I have encountered the exact problem raised by the OP. I purchased a used 6P from an online retailer, tried to activate it both on Sprint's website and in the store, and I was unsuccessful both ways. I am using the correct model that has North American LTE bands as well. Additionally, I checked Swappa to make sure my IMEI is clean and it is.
I'm disappointed that this did not work for me and frustrated to know that I probably have to either get a refund or go through the same process of exchanging and hoping the next model works right.
Maybe someone out there can give me a suggestion or something else I might need to try?

Help! Sprint with pre-owned(Project Fi) Nexus 6p?

Apologies if this is the wrong place to post this, but wasnt sure where else to go. I use Project Fi. I had two 6p's. One for myself, one for my ex. Or it was supposed to be for my ex. But, well shes my ex, so no phone for her.
I decided to sell the extra 6p. The only time it had been 'activated' was to test it out of the box(I know its technically new but I've had two other instances where my 'new' phone arrived malfunctioning. If I was going to sell it I wanted to ensure it worked). So, tested it, removed/deactivated it from my Fi account, all is well.
I sold to a guy today, who is on Sprint. He currently has a Nexus 6(not the 6p). He took it home, all went well except when he popped his SIM in he couldnt get it to activate. My first guess(after researching and seeing online that with Sprint, while the 6 and 6p both use nano sims, they are technically a different part #, and as such, wont work work with the other). However, he called Sprint, and the rep told him that "it was used as a prepaid phone so therefore cannot be activated". WHAT?
I'm not the messiah when it comes to smartphones but I've owned probably 30 over the years, and been on every carrier but Verizon- I've NEVER heard of this. Its the SAME phone! There is no "different 6p" for prepaid, as opposed to contract phones.
Has ANYONE heard of this before? I honestly think she didnt know what she's talking about but, I've been wrong before. I'm just trying to figure this out before we have to reverse the sale tomorrow over something I dont believe is accurate. My gut tells me its more likely the SIM, but, I wanted to come here where the experts reside.
Thank you!

otownmarine said:
Apologies if this is the wrong place to post this, but wasnt sure where else to go. I use Project Fi. I had two 6p's. One for myself, one for my ex. Or it was supposed to be for my ex. But, well shes my ex, so no phone for her.
I decided to sell the extra 6p. The only time it had been 'activated' was to test it out of the box(I know its technically new but I've had two other instances where my 'new' phone arrived malfunctioning. If I was going to sell it I wanted to ensure it worked). So, tested it, removed/deactivated it from my Fi account, all is well.
I sold to a guy today, who is on Sprint. He currently has a Nexus 6(not the 6p). He took it home, all went well except when he popped his SIM in he couldnt get it to activate. My first guess(after researching and seeing online that with Sprint, while the 6 and 6p both use nano sims, they are technically a different part #, and as such, wont work work with the other). However, he called Sprint, and the rep told him that "it was used as a prepaid phone so therefore cannot be activated". WHAT?
I'm not the messiah when it comes to smartphones but I've owned probably 30 over the years, and been on every carrier but Verizon- I've NEVER heard of this. Its the SAME phone! There is no "different 6p" for prepaid, as opposed to contract phones.
Has ANYONE heard of this before? I honestly think she didnt know what she's talking about but, I've been wrong before. I'm just trying to figure this out before we have to reverse the sale tomorrow over something I dont believe is accurate. My gut tells me its more likely the SIM, but, I wanted to come here where the experts reside.
Thank you!
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When the unlocked phone was deactivated through Project Fi, Sprint removed the MEID from their inventory. It will need to be added back by Sprint advanced tech support. Seems like quite a bad system of handling this.
Have a look at this thread - https://community.sprint.com/baw/thread/226214?start=15&tstart=0

hawkswind1 said:
When the unlocked phone was deactivated through Project Fi, Sprint removed the MEID from their inventory. It will need to be added back by Sprint advanced tech support. Seems like quite a bad system of handling this.
Have a look at this thread - https://community.sprint.com/baw/thread/226214?start=15&tstart=0
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Just went through this myself. Bought a previously owned 6p which was actived on project fi. I am on the old sero plan still. My first attempt at activating the 6p was via the chat with sprint. They had said I coudn't activate new phones on my sero account because it wasn't being offered anymore and being deprecated.
Long story short, a call into Sprint made the difference. I did get a fresh SIM prior to activating. Sometimes it takes a few calls into sprint to get what needs to be done. They needed the imei number found in the phones settings menu>About phone>Status>IMEI information to do as hawkswind1 mentioned in the reply above.
Keep on sprint and call back.

hawkswind1 said:
When the unlocked phone was deactivated through Project Fi, Sprint removed the MEID from their inventory. It will need to be added back by Sprint advanced tech support. Seems like quite a bad system of handling this.
Have a look at this thread - https://community.sprint.com/baw/thread/226214?start=15&tstart=0
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Bad system is a HUGE understatement. That being said, thank you! I'll ask him to try that. Hopefully it works.