Ok, firstly, I know certain discussions about IMEI are NOT acceptable on these forums. I am confident that none of my questions cross that line, but if any do, I request a moderator to please let me know and I will edit the post accordingly.
My current situation: I have an ATT Note 3 with a dead motherboard. It is my own phone, off-contract, unlocked, clean IMEI, no other problems. Like an idiot, I decided to see if the phone could swim and apparently it does not (motherboard died due to water damage). I have had it tested by some qualified people and they tell me that the screen still works fine, digitizer works, its just the motherboard that has a short and will no longer power on. They are unable to do any component replacements to fix it for me.
My proposed solution: Buy a busted Note 3 from ebay and salvage the motherboard from it to replace the one in my device. This should give me back a fully functional phone. NOTE that I am no longer in the US and will be using this phone in India and Europe for the most part. So, as long as I am buying a replacement phone, I figure I should just buy a T-Mobile device, since these come with unlocked bootloaders, making it much simpler for me to do whatever I want to with my phone.
My Questions:
1) I already know that a T-Mo motherboard can be swapped into an ATT frame. BUT does anybody know if the same is possible with the other carriers, Verizon, Sprint, US Cellular? Yes, I am aware that the first two are CDMA carriers, but they do come with a SIM slot for use internationally on GSM networks. I ask because ebay consistently has busted phones from these providers going for much lower than ATT and T-Mo.
2) What is the difference, if any difference exists, between a "BAD ESN" and "ESN Blacklisted"? I only lived in the US for a couple years for college and have no idea how these lists work. I do know that devices with BAD ESN or Blacklisted ESN sell for much cheaper on ebay. The description usually says they will not work in the US, but will work without issue abroad. HOWEVER, to the best of my knowledge, if a phone has any ESN issues, and was not already unlocked, it is not possible to unlock them anymore. Is this true?
3) This is the part where mods might get mad at me. Without asking for details on how, this is just a straight up yes or no question. Are device IMEIs wedded to carriers in anyway? For those that understand what I am driving at, my thinking is simple: I have an ATT Phone with a Clean ESN that is also unlocked, but won't power up. Can I do some 'magic' with a T-Mobile motherboard with a bad ESN? To make that more clear, I know for a fact that I can do this with a replacement ATT board that I pick up. But then I end up with a locked bootloader again. I just wonder if this is possible with a T-Mo motherboard.
Again, I am NOT asking how any of this can be done, just whether it matters when the network changes. I know that ATT and T-Mo share their blacklists, so I am assuming this should also work, but if anybody can say yes or no, it would be much easier to decide on what busted up phone I buy on ebay.
Never mind ... Found a guy who fixed the motherboard for me! Now I have a new problem, the damn display no longer works... But this should be easier, just have to find ANY phone that still has a working LCD and then VERY carefully salvage the display.
If a moderator sees this, I guess they can lock this thread. Would have still liked to know the answer, if only for the sake of knowledge, but clearly this is not going to get answered anytime soon
Related
I don`t know how or what software use.... so if you can help me THANKS.
(Sorry for my english i'm from latinamerica)
don`t worry for your answer I understand very well english language.
t-mobile will unlock it for free.
how I do that?
how T-Mobile can unlock my phone? cuz when I buy the phone don't have any sim card so I don`t know which is the operator. when I turn on the pda the screen show me a question about a code... I DON`T KNOW WHAT IT IS.
I try with 1234 and 12345678 and NOTHING is locked again and I have to wait a several minutes for try again and that sucks!!!!
dood
Your best bet if T-Mo won't cough up an unlock code, you may have to check out a service for it. There's plenty of places that can unlock ur fone for a price... it's definitely worth it. Just search around
Dr.Gonz0 said:
Your best bet if T-Mo won't cough up an unlock code, you may have to check out a service for it. There's plenty of places that can unlock ur fone for a price... it's definitely worth it. Just search around
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just call up T-Mo and tell them you are traveling overseas and need to unlock your phone. They'll give you some sort of code you type in.
Correct me if I¡m wrong. You are from Latin America, so you bought your Wing on Ebay or something alike. If that's correct and as T-Mo does not have service in LAmerica, there's no chance to request them the unlock code because the phone is no longer binded to a T-Mo account. It's kind of odd it was not originally unlocked (I got mine through Ebay and I'm LAmerican too). At this point mi advice would be to take it to a tech shop and have it unlocked. It won't be expensive and once unlocked works really great!!
apreichner said:
Just call up T-Mo and tell them you are traveling overseas and need to unlock your phone. They'll give you some sort of code you type in.
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Click to collapse
Hehe, I guess I just had a sales chimp try n sell me. When I called in to get my code. The broad would ask me the question all the time "why don't you want to be in our network" or "want to start an account?" Eventually I had to get crunk with her and say "because I don't want to... 1st amendment " She then asked if I had a t-mobile SIM card in the phone and I told her "no" coz i didn't. She then proceeded to tell me "you have to be a customer with us for 6 months before we can give you an unlock code"
Perhaps I should have been a little more persistent but oh well. I may have had to pay 10 bucks but I got what I wanted in the end hehe
In my case... I no longer have t-mobile service, and haven't had it for a good 6 months or so. My current phone (samsung eternity) has a mic that is going lame that they won't cover - and I always liked my old Wing better anyway. I got excited when I pulled it out and downloaded a new rom for it- and with my new data plan I could actually use IM! Unfortunately I discovered that the phone is not unlocked, contrary to what they told me when I bought it off of ebay...
It's ridiculous that I'd have to pay money to use a piece of hardware that I already own. Why are carriers even allowed to sim-lock phones in the first place? Isn't locking the Average Joe into a 2-year contract enough?
But I digress. After reading all these threads with frustrated regulars and whiny newbies, I guess it's either pay to unlock or get myself a new phone, eh..
myrid said:
In my case... I no longer have t-mobile service, and haven't had it for a good 6 months or so. My current phone (samsung eternity) has a mic that is going lame that they won't cover - and I always liked my old Wing better anyway. I got excited when I pulled it out and downloaded a new rom for it- and with my new data plan I could actually use IM! Unfortunately I discovered that the phone is not unlocked, contrary to what they told me when I bought it off of ebay...
It's ridiculous that I'd have to pay money to use a piece of hardware that I already own. Why are carriers even allowed to sim-lock phones in the first place? Isn't locking the Average Joe into a 2-year contract enough?
But I digress. After reading all these threads with frustrated regulars and whiny newbies, I guess it's either pay to unlock or get myself a new phone, eh..
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Click to collapse
Thats why i dont buy phones off of Ebay and really does it hurt that much to pay some extra $ to sim unlock ur phone? anyways sim-lokcing the phones was so that other carriers wouldnt use that device but now...pretty much all carriers have the same hTC device but to there own customized verisons of that certain device
Hello!
Hope this not bother too much, but as far I understand and because different posts on diferent threads, seems that several people like me, still have their D3 Network locked, so, may be we could try to get better help if we at least may know how many us are, and may be start to cross serial numbers o checking info in our locked phones in order to try to get some light on this bad luck.
By my side the infor that I have is:
Droid D3, still Network Locked and in Subsidy mode since by now Four online codes sellers was tested and all four sellers have the same 2 codes that didnt work.
By now, I also tested with "turbosim" clone card and neither success, the phone still locked.
Also tried to flash original Verizon 5.5.9 rom and later Xt883 rom with the hope that it may help to unlock gsm section, but no success.
My phone is marked as XT862 in back label and have a serial number with the following data (partial for security)
MSN: L826???FWK
(the ??? are other 3 chars but I provide the begin and end of my MSN serial in order to try to start track if the hard locks are from an specific batch of production...)
Thanks and best regards!
My Droid 3 in subsidy mode. I have same unlock code from 5 code sellers. Now I wait answer from cellunlocker.net, maybe they know anything.
Droid 3, Verizon, XT862
MSN: L826???RBH
+1 here.
I had codes directly from Verizon and it didn't work. 3 other codes from online vendors no good either.
= (
I have, however, escalated directly to Motorola, hopefully I will hear from them soon.
#L826***38N
In my humble opinion, the MEID and IMEI might be more important to trace rather than the serial number.
Hello leekslk!
Well, by your post,I hope if that motorola contact may could suggest some usefull info or help. Please, would You may comment about your progress if possible, so, I am sure that would be very gratefull.
Good luck, and best regards!
Well...still, may be around some other people with the Droid 3 still network locked????.... or what may change?... some luck in network unlock or take other routes?
Please, thanks in advance for comments.
Best regards!
@xaser66
Hi there, I have been requested by Motorola to send the unit back for them to provide a replacement (currently awaiting for the replacement unit to be sent out back to me, actually I wished they sent me a Droid 4). But this is after an escalation to management (yes, I do tend to make a big fuss).
If you could try to contact Motorola (i.e by sending a not-so-satisfied email as a loyal long-time customer (posing even) to a high level management executive) that could help.
Otherwise I was told that standard procedure would be to return the phone to where you purchased and get another one. I was even asked to sell the phone online so another Verizon user could use it, and thereafter get another one.
I hope this helps, I was asked explicitly not to reveal email addresses/direct contacts. It might have been worse-off if I didn't have a Verizon account, etc (I had an escalation (also) and case-notes with Verizon which Motorola checked and verified).
Further, if it was convenient and out of curiosity, where did you purchased your Droid 3?
BTW there's a long thread on the D2g forum about this problem, seem that there's a an unlucky selection of D2g and D3 that are unlockable for unknown reasons
Hello!
@ leekslk
Thanks for take time to post... well, seems that in my case it is worst by now... I bought my phone on Ebay, from a seller that sold me it with Clean ESN, so I supposed that this will fair enough to have not trouble in got unlocked by code. However since the first time I didnt have luck, and try to settle with the seller but it ad on ebay clearly said Clean ESN and for use in Verizon, so, may be hard to rise a case against it, apart that I already soend on pay the import taxes and shipping to my country, so, try to return it will make an additional lost, becuase have to pay for the international return shipping... :-(
@ The Solutor
Thanks for psot and try help again, I would like to ask You if could post me a link with this long thread since by now I already read so many things around that I am confused about what to follow.
Thanks to all and best regards!
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=867912
Thanks Solutor!...
Well, by now I already bought another "turbosim" version with low hopes about (my previous Black color "Sim Unlock Card i-SmartPhone" turbosim purchase dont works... :-( )
Anyway if there still another person around here with a locked phone please post here so try to know if I am alone here, so I may thinsk about try to sell mine for somebody that may could use it in Verizon.... (as far I know mine is still rootable, but no network unlock to the info that I have up to date).
Thanks again and best regards!
Your phone is in the black list of verizon or haven't registered with verizon, so the unlocking codes dont work[ i got one locked also.]
The verizon blacklist has nothing to do with the sim unlocking, I have activated a d2g (which is blacklisted) w/o any problem.
I have a sprint HTC One but I haven't payed the bill so the service is currently shut off. Is it still possible to flash it over to a prepaid carrier even if I haven't paid sprint? I'm not experienced with this stuff at all so I have no idea where to start. I would really like to have the HTC One on a prepaid carrier rather than a cheap android phone.
Just curious.
Since you haven't paid for the phone yet, will Sprint put a hold on your credit card? Just want to know what's will happen.
And the status of your cell phone plan doesn't affect the operation of the device AFAIK.
People have had varying levels of success in trying to unlock their phones on their own.
there is a thread in general that I believe may answer your questions afaik. please forgive me if incorrect as I don't know if service has to be active. check it out!
You can probably get wifi functionality indefinitely but if your account goes into collections, then you will likely have a bad ESN flashed to your device. There are workarounds for that as well as anything else to a point, but I don't know the ins and outs of that sort of thing. I do know that it is possible but difficult to flash to a prepaid carrier. They have to 1) be CDMA and 2) have CDMA service available where you are. You will either need to get that company to flash for you or get whats called CDMA Tool to flash to another carrier. I have the software but have never used it so I really can't give any more info than this.......
bought this phone on april of 2016 off craiglist it was unlocked. brother sent it to me to mexico used telcel and then movistar..
and on this past 19th my phone didnt want to make calls only emergency.. i live a place where theres alot of killings as they fight for control of the towns. drug lords are in a battle since feb.. so i heard that when the marines or military are in cities or towns they cut all cell phone comunications. not sure if its true.. so i tought it was that as theres been alot of military on the town and 3 helicopters.. so next day samething but my moms phone was working fine... so i asked my niece for a telcel sim card. i inserted the sim and i got service and called my moms phone.. so i assumed i had a bad sim. but then i tried other movistar sim my mothers and samething happened no service. but not on telcel.. so i tought movistar blocked me. my mom lost her phone a cheap phone and i reported from my phone for stolen.. but its was confusing.. so a might have enter mine.. day after it was locked.. partially as i could use telcel..
so i call movistar and they said that my sim card was inactive cause it was reported lost . i gave my info and customer service activated my sim card again... supposely never tried it in another phone.. then i waited but no service i only get emergency calll only.. so i used telcel for 2 days and then samething it now tells me emergency calls only on telcel too.... called tmobile and they said that the imei was not on their records....tmobile website that checks imeis status and i tried it and it says that it was reported stolen.. after more then a year.??
was it really reported stolen..?? or did movistar locked it.? can they read imei with sim card inserted.? cause ive never gave them my imei.. ??
am very pissed stress anxiuos.. and hurt.:crying::crying:. i hate people that take advantage of others. they deserve to die.. yes die.. we donst need those people... sorry am very frrustrated.. and mad.. i dont like beign lied to.
i happen to have anxiety attacks.. so i gather this money with alot of sacrifice... i cant hold a job besides jobs in mexico are a joke..
I bought a G4 on craigslist and it turned out being blocked. It was blocked because there was an unpaid balance with Tmobile. I bought it very cheap for at the time I got it so i was a little suspicious to begin with but I got it so cheap it was not worth my time and gas money to return it to the guy I bought it from. I got his name and had his phone number and picture i took of him with the phone when i got him to write me a receipt. He gave me some story about he let his room mate put it in his name and and the room mate didn't make the payments and so on. He was willing to give me my money back but i just decided to keep it and use it as a Wifi phone.
I called Tmobile and they couldn't really tell me anything because the account was in someone else's name and they also did not seem to care about getting the phone back and told me they would be glad to sign me up for service and sell me a new phone.
I had planned to use it on Ting and it was blocked...not locked. From what I understand the phone sends out a code ever time it logs onto the network. I am not sure if it is just imei number but there is some unique identifier for every phone. And once the blocked process is done the phone can not connect to the network. I found out companies in the US share these blacklist numbers now and if you are on it there is not much you can do besides changing out the chipset for one with a clean imei. I did not know they were now sharing these numbers with Mexico but it makes sense as i read that a lot of stolen phones go either there or to Europe where the info was not yet being shared.
I really enjoy my G4, even though it is just for wifi use, I use it with google voice. I really hate i can't connect it to a mobile network though, so much in fact that I am considering buying another G4 off ebay or somewhere (an unlocked, unblocked one). If the G4 was waterproof and had a fingerprint reader I would have already bought one. Oh and another thing that is holding me back now is the locked bootloaders. I have been reading and trying to figure out which ones can be unlocked and rooted now. From what i can gather is that 811 and 815 models can still be rooted...and 811s only if they are not updated to a certain point.
Now I am debating Moto G's and a few other phones that are unlocked and will work on all US carriers. I still feel the G4 is a nicer phone for the money than a lot of them, even with all the issues there have been with the G4s. Sorry to hear about your phone, not sure if you have google voice in Mexico but if so you might want to check it out. There may also be some other apps that let you use it as a wifi phone as well.
fuzzy_ said:
I bought a G4 on craigslist and it turned out being blocked. It was blocked because there was an unpaid balance with Tmobile. I bought it very cheap for at the time I got it so i was a little suspicious to begin with but I got it so cheap it was not worth my time and gas money to return it to the guy I bought it from. I got his name and had his phone number and picture i took of him with the phone when i got him to write me a receipt. He gave me some story about he let his room mate put it in his name and and the room mate didn't make the payments and so on. He was willing to give me my money back but i just decided to keep it and use it as a Wifi phone.
I called Tmobile and they couldn't really tell me anything because the account was in someone else's name and they also did not seem to care about getting the phone back and told me they would be glad to sign me up for service and sell me a new phone.
I had planned to use it on Ting and it was blocked...not locked. From what I understand the phone sends out a code ever time it logs onto the network. I am not sure if it is just imei number but there is some unique identifier for every phone. And once the blocked process is done the phone can not connect to the network. I found out companies in the US share these blacklist numbers now and if you are on it there is not much you can do besides changing out the chipset for one with a clean imei. I did not know they were now sharing these numbers with Mexico but it makes sense as i read that a lot of stolen phones go either there or to Europe where the info was not yet being shared.
I really enjoy my G4, even though it is just for wifi use, I use it with google voice. I really hate i can't connect it to a mobile network though, so much in fact that I am considering buying another G4 off ebay or somewhere (an unlocked, unblocked one). If the G4 was waterproof and had a fingerprint reader I would have already bought one. Oh and another thing that is holding me back now is the locked bootloaders. I have been reading and trying to figure out which ones can be unlocked and rooted now. From what i can gather is that 811 and 815 models can still be rooted...and 811s only if they are not updated to a certain point.
Now I am debating Moto G's and a few other phones that are unlocked and will work on all US carriers. I still feel the G4 is a nicer phone for the money than a lot of them, even with all the issues there have been with the G4s. Sorry to hear about your phone, not sure if you have google voice in Mexico but if so you might want to check it out. There may also be some other apps that let you use it as a wifi phone as well.
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h811 can be unlcoked but only in MM from version 20i upwards upto latest 20v.
I had planned to use it on Ting and it was blocked...not locked. whats the difference.?
well i have called tmobile and i have heard this morning that its is not blocked from their side.. but last night anotherone said it was.. i had this phone for more then a year.. i hope maybe it isnt blocked by tmobile but from movistar .. as i accidentally placed my sim card number its so confusing.. talked to movistar but they want me to show proof of purchase.. wich i dont have.. at the time i got mine they were around 450$ am really depressed..
Blocked is blacklisted, once it goes on it doesn't come off the blacklist unless the original account owner pays off what is owed, at least in the case of my phone it is like that. Tmobile has an IMEI online checker https://es.t-mobile.com/verifyIMEI.aspx when i enter mine i get a message:
Your device is locked and will not work on the T-Mobile network. If you think this is a mistake, call Customer Service.
Another IMEI checker I use says that: The device has been BLOCKED by T-Mobile carrier.
I guess if i were you and the person at Tmobile told me it wasn't blocked by them, I would have said send me a sim card. And then got their name.
I have read about a lot of people getting scammed with the G4, person finances the phone, sells the phone then files an insurance claim. The person that buys the phone can use it for a while, sometimes months, not sure about years. The process finally catches up, the phone gets blacklisted and the person that bought it second hand and thought things were fine is left with a phone that can't be put on a network. I don't know if that is what happened with your phone or not, just saying it could be. I would check several imei checker websites if I were in your position.
I have other phones but none as nice as my G4, I like the phone and would really like to have it as my main carry phone but now I have seen them for 139 USD new on ebay, a good used one under 100. I may go for one or I may try to get something that is unlocked and works on all US carriers.
I hope you get things worked out with yours. I never even got mine hooked up with a carrier but I have enjoyed rooting it and using it as a wifi home phone and using the IR blaster. I have got moneys worth out of it just doing things like that. I now run Lineage on it and have Hangouts, Google assistant, Atmos and Nova launcher among other things so I am happy. I am pretty sure i don't want one that is not rooted though.
Edit: Locked means it can only be used on a certain network. If a phone is network locked say it is a Tmobile phone, it can only be used on Tmobile.
fuzzy_ said:
Blocked is blacklisted, once it goes on it doesn't come off the blacklist unless the original account owner pays off what is owed, at least in the case of my phone it is like that. Tmobile has an IMEI online checker https://es.t-mobile.com/verifyIMEI.aspx when i enter mine i get a message:
Your device is locked and will not work on the T-Mobile network. If you think this is a mistake, call Customer Service.
Another IMEI checker I use says that: The device has been BLOCKED by T-Mobile carrier.
I guess if i were you and the person at Tmobile told me it wasn't blocked by them, I would have said send me a sim card. And then got their name.
I have read about a lot of people getting scammed with the G4, person finances the phone, sells the phone then files an insurance claim. The person that buys the phone can use it for a while, sometimes months, not sure about years. The process finally catches up, the phone gets blacklisted and the person that bought it second hand and thought things were fine is left with a phone that can't be put on a network. I don't know if that is what happened with your phone or not, just saying it could be. I would check several imei checker websites if I were in your position.
I have other phones but none as nice as my G4, I like the phone and would really like to have it as my main carry phone but now I have seen them for 139 USD new on ebay, a good used one under 100. I may go for one or I may try to get something that is unlocked and works on all US carriers.
I hope you get things worked out with yours. I never even got mine hooked up with a carrier but I have enjoyed rooting it and using it as a wifi home phone and using the IR blaster. I have got moneys worth out of it just doing things like that. I now run Lineage on it and have Hangouts, Google assistant, Atmos and Nova launcher among other things so I am happy. I am pretty sure i don't want one that is not rooted though.
Edit: Locked means it can only be used on a certain network. If a phone is network locked say it is a Tmobile phone, it can only be used on Tmobile.
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Click to collapse
i had so many things going thru my mind i didnt pay attention to ir. you right and i get it.. well thanks for your wishes...
in the morning i called and a guy told me that my phone isnt locked or blocked. that its fine theres no report of it. for beign stolen.. so not so sure i gave them another call later today and this time a nice lady talked to me and kindly check and told me samething that it isnt blocked or locked from them. no reports. that i should ask the carrier am on to unlock it..
thing is they want proof of purchase my carrier already told them that it was a used phone... they still want proof so ill see how that goes.. at lest it isnt blocked. :good:
update
took it to customer service and the block has been removed.. yay.
raptorddd said:
update
took it to customer service and the block has been removed.. yay.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
:good:
I bought an SM-N960U used off of letgo about a month ago now and I have been trying to get it to work for me but I am still having a few issues.
The guy I bought it from, who himself bought it used, was using it on T-Mobile and I am able to make and receive calls okay and get internet okay with Verizon. The phone was originally a Sprint phone. It continuously gave me "Activation was Unsuccessful" fullscreen messages repeatedly until I used adb to disable com.sec.omadmspr and com.sprint.ms.smf.services.
When swapping SIMS from different carriers the phone DOES NOT ask for an UNLOCK code.
When I first got the phone I tried to call Sprint and ask if the phone was Carrier locked thinking that if there was a small amount owed or something perhaps I could pay it and UN-Carrier Lock the phone... Well, that didn't go well. Since I wasn't on the account and couldn't provide the name or phone number of the old owner they wouldn't tell me if there was OR wasn't a carrier lock on the phone. Eventually I got them to take the IMEI but they still told me nothing.
So, I've been using the phone daily for about a month now, but because of it's problems (the app that won't run) I still have to carry my old phone as well. This phone is always on Roam. One time when trying to fix it I dialed the *228 PRL update number. That was a mistake. It broke my internet to the point where NO ONE was able to fix it. I went to a Verizon stone. No help. I called customer service. No help. They transferred me to Tech Support.... finally they had me swap in one of my older SIM cards and they programmed that one to work.
TLDR; The phone works with VZW voice and data, but is always on roaming, some apps refuse to work properly, under UICC Unlock the phone says it is locked to Sprint Sims and sometimes the data connection drops and it says it doesn't work because of "Data Roaming" being disabled.
What version of locked is my phone? Is it safe to start flashing it?
ref: https://forum.xda-developers.com/ga...h-firmware-t3958791/post80093967#post80093967
you probably has nothing to do with your problem but it may be of some help if you contact the guy mentioned in this thread for the LG V20, it's a guy that works for sprint and you can contact him on the Sprint Users forums ..
He may be able to help you with the sim unlocking of your phone, there's nothing to lose I think!
give it a shot ... look at this thread and then register for an account on the Sprint Forums and look for the guy..
https://forum.xda-developers.com/v20/help/lg-v20-ls997-successfully-unlocked-oreo-t3835061
You need to contact the person who sold you the device and ask them for assistance. As they may need to contact Sprint to activate the device and unlock it for you.
kbrn said:
you probably has nothing to do with your problem but it may be of some help if you contact the guy mentioned in this thread for the LG V20, it's a guy that works for sprint and you can contact him on the Sprint Users forums ..
He may be able to help you with the sim unlocking of your phone, there's nothing to lose I think!
give it a shot ... look at this thread and then register for an account on the Sprint Forums and look for the guy..
https://forum.xda-developers.com/v20/help/lg-v20-ls997-successfully-unlocked-oreo-t3835061
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Click to collapse
Hey thanks! I looked at this link and think maybe this guy can help. I sent him a message!
Hoping for the best!
iceepyon said:
You need to contact the person who sold you the device and ask them for assistance. As they may need to contact Sprint to activate the device and unlock it for you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, but the guy I bought it from bought it used, so he wont have any Sprint account info, so then I'd have to try to track down the person he bought it from... and on and on and I dont know how long or fruitful the search would be... and again... I'm on the phone right now, on Verizon with a Verizon SIM. I dont think its carrier locked... but then I dont know what's going on.
towdy said:
Thanks, but the guy I bought it from bought it used, so he wont have any Sprint account info, so then I'd have to try to track down the person he bought it from... and on and on and I dont know how long or fruitful the search would be... and again... I'm on the phone right now, on Verizon with a Verizon SIM. I dont think its carrier locked... but then I dont know what's going on.
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Click to collapse
They don't want to make it easy for people to re-purpose stolen phones. There are things a legitimate owner can do in order to make a phone ready for re-sale, and it sounds like these things didn't happen for the phone you bought. It all sounds a bit fishy, doesn't it?
gruuvin said:
They don't want to make it easy for people to re-purpose stolen phones. There are things a legitimate owner can do in order to make a phone ready for re-sale, and it sounds like these things didn't happen for the phone you bought. It all sounds a bit fishy, doesn't it?
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Thanks, but if I thought "it sounds a bit fishy" I probably wouldn't have bought the used phone in the first place... and I certainly wouldn't have called Sprint and given them the IMEI and asked them; the people that could render my phone a useless brick, with one tiny bit of information, for help. Each smart phone I've bought in the last few years has been used because frankly to me it seems to be the best way to buy them financially. $1000 the day they come out or $200 - $300 6 - 12 months later used.
towdy said:
Thanks, but if I thought "it sounds a bit fishy" I probably wouldn't have bought the used phone in the first place... and I certainly wouldn't have called Sprint and given them the IMEI and asked them; the people that could render my phone a useless brick, with one tiny bit of information, for help. Each smart phone I've bought in the last few years has been used because frankly to me it seems to be the best way to buy them financially. $1000 the day they come out or $200 - $300 6 - 12 months later used.
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Point is, when someone is about to buy a used phone from a stranger, make sure it is factory reset and then immediately call the carrier and confirm the IMEI is clean and that it has been carrier unlocked, else, don't buy it. Obviously it's not advice for you, since you already did it the wrong way. This is a good lesson for posterity.