Database Develop

Legal unlocking and the shebang.

Before one buys a used atrix hd off the bay, how does he make sure the imei had not been blacklisted by at&t? Especially if he lives overseas and has no way of trying out an at&t sim for a few weeks before he visits the US?
I understand atrix hd is also offered on contract. So what is stopping from someone taking it on the contract for cheap and buy a code from ebay and unlock the phone. Missed payments could make at&t blacklist the phone right?
I guess one way to avoid buying a stolen phone is to insist on the box with the sale, but how does one protect oneself about the above possibility?

AT&T employee here. Phones being blacklisted due to missed payments is usually only a CDMA thing, and AT&T just blacklist if reported stolen. Blacklisting is becoming more and more of an issue, so it is something to keep in mind when buying used from individuals. I would recommend getting them to provide you with the IMEI then call AT&T customer service 1-800-331-0500 to check it to see if it's clear.
Sent from my MB886 using xda premium

AzraelsVoice said:
AT&T employee here. Phones being blacklisted due to missed payments is usually only a CDMA thing, and AT&T just blacklist if reported stolen. Blacklisting is becoming more and more of an issue, so it is something to keep in mind when buying used from individuals. I would recommend getting them to provide you with the IMEI then call AT&T customer service 1-800-331-0500 to check it to see if it's clear.
Sent from my MB886 using xda premium
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Thanks. I just called them. They told me that they do not keep a list like that! I'll send you a PM about it.

Blue Bell said:
Thanks. I just called them. They told me that they do not keep a list like that! I'll send you a PM about it.
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Try and buy from a good seller also. Look for "good imei" or something like that. As long as it is listed as good, eBay will protect you investment, aka refund you if you get the shaft lol
Sent from my MB886 using Tapatalk 2

SirHoover2010 said:
Try and buy from a good seller also. Look for "good imei" or something like that. As long as it is listed as good, eBay will protect you investment, aka refund you if you get the shaft lol
Sent from my MB886 using Tapatalk 2
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Exactly. Ebay is all for protecting buyers, and unfortunately not sellers.
Sent from my MB886 using xda premium

If you want a good site with good imei then try swappa. Com I have purchased several android phones there and never had a problem, and the site checks the imei for u before u purchase the phone.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app

Didn't know Swappa did that. Good piece of information.
Sent from my MB886 using xda premium

AzraelsVoice said:
Didn't know Swappa did that. Good piece of information.
Sent from my MB886 using xda premium
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they just implimented a beta service today
Check out Swappa's new ESN Check (Beta) service. Validate with carriers to ensure ESN is clean for activation. swappa.com/esn
34 minutes ago from Swappa.
glad to help,i just bought an s3 like new for 390.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but ESN checking would only work for CDMA phones right?
Sent from my MB886 using xda premium

AzraelsVoice said:
Correct me if I'm wrong, but ESN checking would only work for CDMA phones right?
Sent from my MB886 using xda premium
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yes that is correct ESN is just for cdma phones but swappa check's IMEI as well just thought id throw that lil bit of info out there if anyone was interested.
when ever i have sold a phone on swappa the first thing i have to do is give swappa the IMEI so they can confirm if it is good.

SirHoover2010 said:
Try and buy from a good seller also. Look for "good imei" or something like that. As long as it is listed as good, eBay will protect you investment, aka refund you if you get the shaft lol
Sent from my MB886 using Tapatalk 2
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Unfortunately though, I live overseas, and I wouldn't be able to check if it works on AT&T until I try their sim in a month or two! Hence the pickle.
Swappa recognized the IMEI as the correct device but could not validate the status. Is CheckMEND a reliable solution?

AzraelsVoice said:
AT&T employee here. Phones being blacklisted due to missed payments is usually only a CDMA thing, and AT&T just blacklist if reported stolen.
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Another quick clarification on the statement above. So, what happens to GSM phones that are bought on contract at a subsidized price and unlocked via one of the many third party sites online (if it is possible to illegally unlock phones on contract that is)? AT&T does nothing about it and just bears the loss?

Blue Bell said:
Another quick clarification on the statement above. So, what happens to GSM phones that are bought on contract at a subsidized price and unlocked via one of the many third party sites online (if it is possible to illegally unlock phones on contract that is)? AT&T does nothing about it and just bears the loss?
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if you unlock a gsm phone 90% of the time you can use them with any carrier ,i believe and correct me if im wrong. if you report a phone lost or stolen thats when there is a problem.i have a tmobile phone right now which is working with at&t.so as long as its a gsm phone and you can unlock
it then your good to go.i just bought a s3 off swappa then unlocked with cellunlocker.net for 25 and just popped my sim in and i was good to go.
hope this helps.

I don't get that business model. What is stopping people then from buying phones on contract for $50 and using them on another carrier after unlocking it for $25? Or is the contract obligations so binding in US that people don't ever break their contracts? How does it work there?

Blue Bell said:
I don't get that business model. What is stopping people then from buying phones on contract for $50 and using them on another carrier after unlocking it for $25? Or is the contract obligations so binding in US that people don't ever break their contracts? How does it work there?
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well to be honest it has to do with credit and your credit line,if you buy a phone with a contract and you break and or dont pay your bill then it will go to collections and that in turn affects your credit as far as getting credit cards or anything for that matter that involves anything having to do with credit,of course some people just dont care but for the majority it is better for them to pay the bill or to pay to get out of the contract as in an early termination fee. hope this helps

titaneds73 said:
well to be honest it has to do with credit and your credit line,if you buy a phone with a contract and you break and or dont pay your bill then it will go to collections and that in turn affects your credit as far as getting credit cards or anything for that matter that involves anything having to do with credit,of course some people just dont care but for the majority it is better for them to pay the bill or to pay to get out of the contract as in an early termination fee. hope this helps
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Oh okay. So the only worry is if people buy the phones and claim that it had been lost (and the insurance) but sell them off internationally. This way the phone will work everywhere except in US where it will blacklisted.
But then, will insurance and/or the police insist on seeing the box? If so, insisting on getting the phone with the box would technically make sure that the phone is not stolen and/or blacklisted right?

Blue Bell said:
Oh okay. So the only worry is if people buy the phones and claim that it had been lost (and the insurance) but sell them off internationally. This way the phone will work everywhere except in US where it will blacklisted.
But then, will insurance and/or the police insist on seeing the box? If so, insisting on getting the phone with the box would technically make sure that the phone is not stolen and/or blacklisted right?
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im afraid things work differently over here,not the police or the company really have time or care about a phone.insurance is just that ,if you have it then they will give you another and register the phones imei as bad and will be flagged as bad and will not work with the company you buy it from but if it is a gsm phone more than likely it will work unlocked with other companies ,now having said that if you want a phone that will work with at&t or any other carrier that are gsm then may plz recommend this website, swappa.com i have purchased several phones from them and never had a problem i would recommend buying at&t phone or a tmobile phone and if it is not unlocked then you can unlock the phone at cellunlocker.net which i have used as well and can verify that they give good unlock codes ,within 5 to 10 min,also swappa only deals with paypal so if the phones imei no. for some reason is not right even though they check it before hand and or the phone is not in the condition they said it was you are protected under there buyer protection program which means if need be they can refund your money.

Thanks. I had already been through Swappa. Unfortunately, it seems like most of the sellers do not ship internationally.

Blue Bell said:
I don't get that business model. What is stopping people then from buying phones on contract for $50 and using them on another carrier after unlocking it for $25? Or is the contract obligations so binding in US that people don't ever break their contracts? How does it work there?
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The way it works with AT&T here is that you may get a $500 phone for $100 with a two year contract, but a stipulation of the contract is a $350 declining early contract termination fee. That way they're covered if you do decide to take it elsewhere. If a phone is blacklisted, it will fry your sim card almost immediately when you try to use it in that phone. Keep in mind, I'm an employee but not speaking on behalf of the company, just trying to be helpful and shed some light on things.
Sent from my MB886 using xda premium

AzraelsVoice said:
The way it works with AT&T here is that you may get a $500 phone for $100 with a two year contract, but a stipulation of the contract is a $350 declining early contract termination fee. That way they're covered if you do decide to take it elsewhere. If a phone is blacklisted, it will fry your sim card almost immediately when you try to use it in that phone. Keep in mind, I'm an employee but not speaking on behalf of the company, just trying to be helpful and shed some light on things.
Sent from my MB886 using xda premium
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really did not know that ,thanks for the info

I got scammed, is there anything I can do?

I'm on t-mobile and I recently traded my iPhone 5 for an HTC ONE. Everything was good for a couple weeks but I suddenly wasn't getting any cell phone signal. I went to the tmobile store where I was informed that the person I traded phones with had called and stopped paying on his account then Tmo blocked the phone. So now I have a perfect HTC one that can't get signal. Is there anything I can do? or am I just FUBAR

Absolutely nothing besides find him...beg or demand phone back what he did was trade you and then prolly did a insurance claim paid a small deductible got a new htc and sold it.. This is why its nowadays never good to trade people are actually very heaitant anymore...
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app

lojak29 said:
Absolutely nothing besides find him...beg or demand phone back what he did was trade you and then prolly did a insurance claim paid a small deductible got a new htc and sold it.. This is why its nowadays never good to trade people are actually very heaitant anymore...
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app
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When I went to the Tmobile store the guy that I talked to said that "you may wanna go on the internet there may be somebody on the internet that has figured out a way to get around this". Granted he didn't sound like he knew too much cause he wa spike "some people do that jawbreaking or jailbraeaking or whatever so I figure somebody is smart enough to figure this out"....I thought that changing the IMEI via software mods was illegal?

zcat84 said:
I thought that changing the IMEI via software mods was illegal?
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It is and can't be discussed here.
Best bet is to track the guy down and hope he's decent about it. Other than that, you can put it up on eBay for parts. You'll make a few bucks back at least.
---------- Post added at 05:39 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:24 PM ----------
Apparently it is not illegal, in the US, to swap IMEI numbers with a phone that you legally own. Therefore, you could possibly buy a cheap TMobile phone and cannabalize its IMEI number.
It could be possible to write this IMEI number to your phone, if you are s-off.
fastboot oem writeimei
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

Report the iPhone you traded as stolen, that will get his attention when the carrier blacklists it.
Sent from a van down by the river.

cschmitt said:
Report the iPhone you traded as stolen, that will get his attention when the carrier blacklists it.
Sent from a van down by the river.
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What he said. :good:

Why did they shut off and block a phone that was on your account when he stopped paying on his account? What am I missing?

Just unlock the phone and sell for use with any other gsm network. They can only block a phone on there network so still good for any carriers with SIM cards.

vhicke said:
Just unlock the phone and sell for use with any other gsm network. They can only block a phone on there network so still good for any carriers with SIM cards.
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A lot of networks share the block lists... I'm not sure that will work
Sent from my Nexus 10 using Tapatalk 4

vhicke said:
Just unlock the phone and sell for use with any other gsm network. They can only block a phone on there network so still good for any carriers with SIM cards.
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No, there's a national blacklist that all the north american carriers share.

instigator008 said:
No, there's a national blacklist that all the north american carriers share.
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Not in Canada.

vhicke said:
Not in Canada.
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Canada too. Started October 1.
http://www.iphoneincanada.ca/carriers/canadian-carriers-national-blacklist-program-cellphones/

instigator008 said:
Canada too. Started October 1.
http://www.iphoneincanada.ca/carriers/canadian-carriers-national-blacklist-program-cellphones/
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I guess if his HTC one is blacklisted he can check here if shows blacklisted then only good for parts
http://www.protectyourdata.ca/check-the-status-of-your-device-in-canada/

fachadick said:
Why did they shut off and block a phone that was on your account when he stopped paying on his account? What am I missing?
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I'm not real sure but the explanation I was given was that because Tmobile moved to the new model of not subsidizing phones that even if I traded my phone to someone else that other person is still responsible for continuing the payments on the phone that he traded to me.
So this dude stopped paying on his account and when he did he essentially stopped paying on his phone...I thought that when his phone got associated to my account (because we actually went into a tmobile store to trade) that I was essentially taking over the payments on his phone and he would be taking over the payments on my iPhone...But alas I was wrong

fachadick said:
Why did they shut off and block a phone that was on your account when he stopped paying on his account? What am I missing?
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Because the HTC One belonged to the original owner and he was making payments to T-Mobile.
Even though the IMEI was on another account being used it still belonged to the original owner and when he stopped making payments T-Mobile black listed the device.
I got burned on a GS3 last summer.
I had the phone on my account for 4 months and one day nothing.
For the OP he said the guy stopped paying T-Mobile the monthly installments. So this is not an insurance scam.
But in my case it was.
I found out you have 30 days to report a phone lost/stolen when its been on your account.
Then you have another 120 days to follow thru and pay the deductible. Once all the paperwork has been done and you paid the deductible the phone will get blacklisted.
So my GS3 which worked for 4 months is a good parts phone. Ill re-coup about 60% of my money selling it for parts. But i learned a lesson as well.

fachadick said:
Why did they shut off and block a phone that was on your account when he stopped paying on his account? What am I missing?
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Wrong wrong once blocked even unlocked is useless across any gsm carrier
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app

So after some research ( I figured out the date I added the phone and filtered throughout phone #'s of people I texted that day) I got the guys phone# and on one of his posts he put a first name (IDK if it's actually his or not). Here are his posts on CL just under the phone section ( I tried to add a screenshot). will the police actually try to help with this if I take them this info?

zcat84 said:
So after some research ( I figured out the date I added the phone and filtered throughout phone #'s of people I texted that day) I got the guys phone# and on one of his posts he put a first name (IDK if it's actually his or not). Here are his posts on CL just under the phone section ( I tried to add a screenshot). will the police actually try to help with this if I take them this info?
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Try phoning him first and let him know that you're willing to go to the police unless you get your money back etc.

instigator008 said:
Try phoning him first and let him know that you're willing to go to the police unless you get your money back etc.
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Is there a way to text him email him using his # (assuming it is still active) from my computer? I literally don't have a phone since my cell has been deactivated as of right now.

zcat84 said:
Is there a way to text him email him using his # (assuming it is still active) from my computer? I literally don't have a phone since my cell has been deactivated as of right now.
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I would definitely go with a voice call over text/email. Call from work or borrow a phone. Emails are too easily ignored.

Odd IMEI situation (Nexus 6 AT&T)

So I've been playing with my Nexus 6 (I am the original owner) for a while, and recently PCS'd to South Korea for 3-5 years.
AT&T suspended my wireless service under the Soldiers/Sailors Relief Act, which basically suspends my service for $.01/mo.
Now, AT&T also allows you to unlock your device so that you can use a local SIM in the country you are stationed, however their online support unlock request form does NOT recognize my IMEI???
Is it even remotely possible that flashing other radios/bootloaders/roms can potentially modify the IMEI? If so, how can I go about getting the original IMEI restored? I believe I flashed the Google-Fi rom/radio/bootloader most recently. Should I flash back a stock LMY47E or something like that with radios etc.?
I don't normally ask questions like this, but it has stumped me for the last 4 days and I've done lots of searching with no results. My google-fu sucks apparently.
Thanks in advance.

Nope. Does not change any of the IMEI info. I actually ran into the same thing with AT&T on my old Note 3. The reason it does that is because it ineligible to be unlocked through them. However, cellunlocker.net is great for unlocking phones.

AFAIK, Flashing Radio/Kernel/ROM wont change ur IMEI. I strongly suspect that the issue is on the ATT side not your IMEI.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

Holy smokes that was a fast reply!
I actually tried cellunlocker.net first, and they said that they couldn't find that IMEI in their database, and that if I wanted to wait a few additional days they would scrub other databases?
Should I have waited for them to scrub additional databases? I already got my refund back
EDIT: I do find it strange that they wouldn't unlock it or that it's not eligible though. It DOES have their branding. LOL.

There are other sites too. I would have let them scrub other sources.
Depends on how long you have had the phone and if it's financed or still in a 2 year contract.
---------- Post added at 01:25 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:24 AM ----------
And it's likely ineligible because of the suspended service. Regardless of your military status. I had issues with phone companies doing that when I was in the Army stationed in Germany.

Thanks. I'll give another site a shot and be more patient with it. Hell I haven't been able to use the phone since the beginning of June, I can wait a few more days. HA.

Have seen it before on another thread here. It is ATT being an ass. They will say they can't even find IEMI till the device is payed off. Think other poster had to contact FCC. Hope you can work it out and thanks for what you do for the rest of us.

cliff p said:
So I've been playing with my Nexus 6 (I am the original owner) for a while, and recently PCS'd to South Korea for 3-5 years.
AT&T suspended my wireless service under the Soldiers/Sailors Relief Act, which basically suspends my service for $.01/mo.
Now, AT&T also allows you to unlock your device so that you can use a local SIM in the country you are stationed, however their online support unlock request form does NOT recognize my IMEI???
Is it even remotely possible that flashing other radios/bootloaders/roms can potentially modify the IMEI? If so, how can I go about getting the original IMEI restored? I believe I flashed the Google-Fi rom/radio/bootloader most recently. Should I flash back a stock LMY47E or something like that with radios etc.?
I don't normally ask questions like this, but it has stumped me for the last 4 days and I've done lots of searching with no results. My google-fu sucks apparently.
Thanks in advance.
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graydiggy said:
Nope. Does not change any of the IMEI info. I actually ran into the same thing with AT&T on my old Note 3. The reason it does that is because it ineligible to be unlocked through them. However, cellunlocker.net is great for unlocking phones.
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prdog1 said:
Have seen it before on another thread here. It is ATT being an ass. They will say they can't even find IEMI till the device is payed off. Think other poster had to contact FCC. Hope you can work it out and thanks for what you do for the rest of us.
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Actually, the AT&T online tool nearly always returns an "IMEI unrecognized" message for our N6. If you call them, you will have no problem getting a free IMEI code directly from AT&T. Been there, done that....

cam30era said:
Actually, the AT&T online tool nearly always returns an "IMEI unrecognized" message for our N6. If you call them, you will have no problem getting a free IMEI code directly from AT&T. Been there, done that....
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No idea that was an issue! And I just paid for another service. =| well I'll call ATT in the morning anyway to see what they can do. Thanks for the suggestion. This G4 is okay, but man do I miss my nexus. So clean and snappy.

cliff p said:
No idea that was an issue! And I just paid for another service. =| well I'll call ATT in the morning anyway to see what they can do. Thanks for the suggestion. This G4 is okay, but man do I miss my nexus. So clean and snappy.
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You can also email AT&T tech support if that's more convenient.

cam30era said:
Actually, the AT&T online tool nearly always returns an "IMEI unrecognized" message for our N6. If you call them, you will have no problem getting a free IMEI code directly from AT&T. Been there, done that....
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They won't give it to you if you are still withing a 2 year contract, or on a finance plan. Been there done that...

graydiggy said:
They won't give it to you if you are still withing a 2 year contract, or on a finance plan. Been there done that...
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You are correct, for us civilians. But I understand that the OP is in the military, being posted overseas. They will do it under those circumstances.

cam30era said:
You are correct, for us civilians. But I understand that the OP is in the military, being posted overseas. They will do it under those circumstances.
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Again... Been there done that. Had trouble with them. They are complete pricks when it comes to giving out the code. I have always found it easier to either pay for an unlock or use another method. He could try contacting them, but it will take a few days to process the request and in my experience, they need orders to show the duty station and even then may deny the request. I even had one moron tell me no right off the bat. When asked why, he was like "because national security". I laid into that jackass about how stupid he was and how much BS I knew he was feeding me.

graydiggy said:
Again... Been there done that. Had trouble with them. They are complete pricks when it comes to giving out the code. I have always found it easier to either pay for an unlock or use another method. He could try contacting them, but it will take a few days to process the request and in my experience, they need orders to show the duty station and even then may deny the request. I even had one moron tell me no right off the bat. When asked why, he was like "because national security". I laid into that jackass about how stupid he was and how much BS I knew he was feeding me.
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Well that certainly sucks. And their policy says the will SIM unlock for military personnel stationed overseas. FWIW, I had no problem getting an unlock code from them, but my N6 was paid off.

cam30era said:
Well that certainly sucks. And their policy says the will SIM unlock for military personnel stationed overseas. FWIW, I had no problem getting an unlock code from them, but my N6 was paid off.
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You know how it goes. "we say one thing then do the exact opposite" lol

Well its unlocked via the 3rd party service I paid $10 for
For the record, I'm military affiliated as an Army Civilian, but prior service military as well. ATT already has my orders on file as they required them in order to suspend my account for $.01/mo.
At least I have a fully functioning N6 again! Thanks everyone.

Glad to hear. Thanks for your service active or not. :good:

Unlocked and blacklist

I have bought a note 4 from Dubai it is N9100C and it is internationaly unlocked. When I tried using it with tmobile in USA they offered me an insurance plan. As you all know insurance company will block the phone if it was reported stolen. But my question is what will happen to my phone if it was reported as stolen? I have already paid it full and it is an international unlocked version.
Would I be able to use it in a different carrier or just internationaly ?

If it's reported lost and or stolen. It's a no go for North America.

Even if I used prepaid ?

mistamikel said:
If it's reported lost and or stolen. It's a no go for North America.
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If you read some postings people report that once blacklisted in US it doesnt work with some European providers

Seriously, is your phone stolen or not.
If the phone is unlocked then it technically cant be blacklisted unless it had a previous owner who reported it stolen.
AT&T and T-Mobile share IMEI numbers so if the phone was reported stolen it wont work. And T-mobile doesn't make you buy insurance for your phone, that is a lie.
Your question is suspect and vague.

bvzxa3 said:
Seriously, is your phone stolen or not.
If the phone is unlocked then it technically cant be blacklisted unless it had a previous owner who reported it stolen.
AT&T and T-Mobile share IMEI numbers so if the phone was reported stolen it wont work. And T-mobile doesn't make you buy insurance for your phone, that is a lie.
Your question is suspect and vague.
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How would he know if he purchased the device from someone. He wouldn't... AND he didn't say tmobile made him buy insurance he said they OFFERED it. And they offer the jump/insurance plan on any device they carry. It's because they get kickbacks from the company (https://myphpinfo.com/) that provides the insurance.
His question wasn't suspect. It was direct and specific.
what will happen to my phone if it was reported as stolen? I have already paid it full and it is an international unlocked version. Would I be able to use it in a different carrier or just internationaly ?"]what will happen to my phone if it was reported as stolen? I have already paid it full and it is an international unlocked version. Would I be able to use it in a different carrier or just internationaly ?
The answer is Nothing will happen to your phone. The device will either be Blacklisted and not work (even on prepaid), Work for a few months and then be blacklisted (See below), or it will work and you will have never have issues.
If the device was reported stolen by any of the major carriers it will definitely not make calls, text messages, or LTE from any of the NA carriers Even prepaid, most sub carriers that use sim cards like straight talk, simple mobile, h20, Red Pocket, family mobile etc piggy back on either Tmobile or AT&T towers, you won’t be able to use any of these.
Also a stolen device isn't the only device that will be blacklisted on NA carrier networks. Some other reasons include.. A past due balance on a phone not fully paid off or if the early termination fees weren't paid on the account. So you take a risk if you purchase a device from a disreputable source. For instance, if I decided I wanted to sell my phone for crack, I could , and the device would work for a month or two or three. That is, until tmobile decides to block it. "Okay this guy ins't paying us, Black list the device"
Not every phone bought off of the black market is stolen. But a phone bought off the blackmarket runs the risk of being blocked later down the road.

kelbizzle said:
How would he know if he purchased the device from someone. He wouldn't... AND he didn't say tmobile made him buy insurance he said they OFFERED it. And they offer the jump/insurance plan on any device they carry. It's because they get kickbacks from the company (https://myphpinfo.com/) that provides the insurance.
His question wasn't suspect. It was direct and specific.
what will happen to my phone if it was reported as stolen? I have already paid it full and it is an international unlocked version. Would I be able to use it in a different carrier or just internationaly ?"]what will happen to my phone if it was reported as stolen? I have already paid it full and it is an international unlocked version. Would I be able to use it in a different carrier or just internationaly ?
The answer is Nothing will happen to your phone. The device will either be Blacklisted and not work (even on prepaid), Work for a few months and then be blacklisted (See below), or it will work and you will have never have issues.
If the device was reported stolen by any of the major carriers it will definitely not make calls, text messages, or LTE from any of the NA carriers Even prepaid, most sub carriers that use sim cards like straight talk, simple mobile, h20, Red Pocket, family mobile etc piggy back on either Tmobile or AT&T towers, you won’t be able to use any of these.
Also a stolen device isn't the only device that will be blacklisted on NA carrier networks. Some other reasons include.. A past due balance on a phone not fully paid off or if the early termination fees weren't paid on the account. So you take a risk if you purchase a device from a disreputable source. For instance, if I decided I wanted to sell my phone for crack, I could , and the device would work for a month or two or three. That is, until tmobile decides to block it. "Okay this guy ins't paying us, Black list the device"
Not every phone bought off of the black market is stolen. But a phone bought off the blackmarket runs the risk of being blocked later down the road.
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You're two weeks late.
His question was vague, and I took it for exactly for what it was.

bvzxa3 said:
You're two weeks late.
His question was vague, and I took it for exactly for what it was.
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Better late than never. At least now there is some actual information that isn't accusatory in nature. Glad to help out the community.

kelbizzle said:
Better late than never. At least now there is some actual information that isn't accusatory in nature. Glad to help out the community.
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The question was vague. The answer was based on the question. And believe me I know a lot about blacklisted phones, I own a "box" or two.
get a life

bvzxa3 said:
The question was vague. The answer was based on the question. And believe me I know a lot about blacklisted phones, I own a "box" or two.
get a life
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I'll just leave this here. http://forum.xda-developers.com/announcement.php?a=81
2.3 Flaming / Lack of respect: XDA is about sharing and this does not involve virtual yelling (flaming) or rudeness. Flaming or posting with a lack of respect is unacceptable. Treat new members in the manner in which you would like to have been treated when you were a new member. When dealing with any member, provide them with guidance, advice and instructions when you can, showing them respect and courtesy. Never post in a demanding, argumentative, disrespectful or self-righteous manner.

1. Flaming, I would not call it that.
2. My answer was based on the question.
3. If "get a life" is flaming I could care less.
4. You tried to answer a question by assuming and the OP himself left the thread weeks ago.
5. Y not build up your "thanks" meter with real helpful answers. Direct it at the OP not me, and just maybe you wouldn't be trying to flame and hide.
Sent from my SM-N910T using XDA Free mobile app

kelbizzle said:
I'll just leave this here. http://forum.xda-developers.com/announcement.php?a=81
2.3 Flaming / Lack of respect: XDA is about sharing and this does not involve virtual yelling (flaming) or rudeness. Flaming or posting with a lack of respect is unacceptable. Treat new members in the manner in which you would like to have been treated when you were a new member. When dealing with any member, provide them with guidance, advice and instructions when you can, showing them respect and courtesy. Never post in a demanding, argumentative, disrespectful or self-righteous manner.
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sorry, but this user was very careful not to state why his phone might be considered stolen. it really sounds like this user knows it was stolen and is surprised that tmobile has made any offering at all. not to mention, the user has also gone silent since the start of the conversation. i know human nature enough to read between the lines.

You don't have to apologize, you did nothing wrong. I have considered your answer and in return I would like you to consider mine.
I don't think OP was tactful in his original request. His question was simply "If the phone is reported stolen, what would happen do the device or could he use it with a prepaid.... We can't infer from his inquiry that the device he was using is stolen. But only that OP was curious about what happens when a device is reported stolen. You're also right that he has gone silent. But wouldn't you if you asked a question out of curiosity and started to be accused of having a stolen device and not helpful post.
---------- Post added at 06:51 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:41 PM ----------
bvzxa3 said:
1. Flaming, I would not call it that.
2. My answer was based on the question.
3. If "get a life" is flaming I could care less.
4. You tried to answer a question by assuming and the OP himself left the thread weeks ago.
5. Y not build up your "thanks" meter with real helpful answers. Direct it at the OP not me, and just maybe you wouldn't be trying to flame and hide.
Sent from my SM-N910T using XDA Free mobile app
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1. Flaming is the name of the rule. I probably wouldn't call your answer that either.
2. You're answer was incompetent and incomplete.
3. See #2
4. I left the answer for anyone else who also may be searching for the answer.. why? See #2.
5. I couldn't care less about the thanks. Just making sure there is accurate information for the community.
Cheers!

Where was my answer incompetent. Man please. If he had a truly unlocked device the only way it would have been blocked if it was reported stolen. He was worried about insurance which has nothing to do with the IMEI...which I stated. So you tried to sound correct but it's up to the OP to choose not you.
People like you dont know your stuff will do anything to boost post count with a lackluster contribution riding of the back of others.
Sent from my SM-N910T using XDA Free mobile app

Thread closed
What you are discussing OP is fraud and it will not be tolerated on this site!
Please report threads and do not engage members in this manner
This is the task of the moderators
Thanks

[CLOSED]Imei Replace or Change on Pixel 4 XL

Hello everyone,
I bought my phone from United States just 4 months ago then came to Turkey. My phone is locked now since it is already 4 months since I came here. So I need to repair or change imei. Since the governmental fees are expensive here I can't really afford it. Is there a possible solution for it? Any help appreciated ?

oyuncu21 said:
Hello everyone,
I bought my phone from United States just 4 months ago then came to Turkey. My phone is locked now since it is already 4 months since I came here. So I need to repair or change imei. Since the governmental fees are expensive here I can't really afford it. Is there a possible solution for it? Any help appreciated ?
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How did you buy your phone? Was it through a wireless provider(Verizon, ATT, TMobile)?
Or did you buy it directly from Google?
IMEI locks normally only occur when the phone isn't paid off or is stolen. If you are certain you are the sole owner of the phone and you paid it off to it's entirety, I would contact your last wireless provider and ask that they unlock you.

ibphantom said:
How did you buy your phone? Was it through a wireless provider(Verizon, ATT, TMobile)?
Or did you buy it directly from Google?
IMEI locks normally only occur when the phone isn't paid off or is stolen. If you are certain you are the sole owner of the phone and you paid it off to it's entirety, I would contact your last wireless provider and ask that they unlock you.
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No no, nothing like that. I bought it directly from google. But in Turkey you need to register your imei and pay government almost half of the phone If you don't pay it in 4 months they are just disabling your cellular data. So this is why I need to replace the imei of my phone.

oyuncu21 said:
No no, nothing like that. I bought it directly from google. But in Turkey you need to register your imei and pay government almost half of the phone If you don't pay it in 4 months they are just disabling your cellular data. So this is why I need to replace the imei of my phone.
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JUST RMA THE PHONE
i dont think you can change imei with pixels

oyuncu21 said:
No no, nothing like that. I bought it directly from google. But in Turkey you need to register your imei and pay government almost half of the phone If you don't pay it in 4 months they are just disabling your cellular data. So this is why I need to replace the imei of my phone.
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Honestly, that sounds like a terrible situation. Even if you're over-exaggerating and it's like 25% of the phone... that's a weird system. Is that on top of monthly cellular taxes or in-place of it?
Either way, I think IMEI was chosen because of the difficulty of changing and it's tied to the phone itself. It's why blacklisting stolen phones works so well; it makes the phone globally unusable.

jljtgr said:
Honestly, that sounds like a terrible situation. Even if you're over-exaggerating and it's like 25% of the phone... that's a weird system. Is that on top of monthly cellular taxes or in-place of it?
Either way, I think IMEI was chosen because of the difficulty of changing and it's tied to the phone itself. It's why blacklisting stolen phones works so well; it makes the phone globally unusable.
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Actually you are just paying it once when you bring the phone to Turkey. So it's like a global trading tax somehow. I guess this is the easiest way to explain. Each year they are opening it for 4 months. Yes but phone is only not usable in Turkey for now ?

pacman photog said:
JUST RMA THE PHONE
i dont think you can change imei with pixels
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I would but there is nothing wrong with the phone. It is normally usable. I am texting from it rn.

oyuncu21 said:
Hello everyone,
I bought my phone from United States just 4 months ago then came to Turkey. My phone is locked now since it is already 4 months since I came here. So I need to repair or change imei. Since the governmental fees are expensive here I can't really afford it. Is there a possible solution for it? Any help appreciated ?
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Click to collapse
@oyuncu21
Thread has been closed!
Edit or change of IMEI is illegal in quite a few of countries. For this reason, XDA doesn't allow and accept discussions about or support for such an edit or change.
Your thread has been closed.
XDA Forum Rules (excerpt).
...
9. Don't get us into trouble.
Don't post copyrighted materials or do other things which will obviously lead to legal trouble. If you wouldn't do it on your own homepage, you probably shouldn't do it here either. This does not mean that we agree with everything that the software piracy lobby try to impose on us. It simply means that you cannot break any laws here, since we'll end up dealing with the legal hassle caused by you. Please use common sense: respect the forum, its users and those that write great code.
...
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Regards
Oswald Boelcke
Senior Moderator