Database Info

[Q] General Question about Verizon/Ebay

If I buy a NEW phone on ebay (example HTC Touch Pro or Blackberry Storm), and it is defective, could I go to a Verizon store and return or exchange it without a receipt (assuming I still have the box).
Does anyone know if this is possible?

Hi. Keep in mind I'm sure they track serial #'s / ESN's & such so even if they are nice enough to exchange it (which I've never had the gonads to try) you run the risk that the phone was reported stolen, is under contact on someone else's account or who knows what, you're standing there with your pants down. Then again I suppose they wouldn't let you activate the phone on your account if those were true.. (Sorry I've been in the GSM world too long where you move your SIM as needed.) Anyway I'd say you're taking some big chances there since they surely link phones with accounts or service it was purchased with. I'd love to hear of anyone who has succeeded in this.. It's not like you're buying a toaster & returning it to Kmart for a merchandise credit or something. lol
Bill

by the phone being on someone else's account, does that mean for example they bought the phone at the 2yr contract price only to turn it around and sell it on ebay for profit?
The ebay buyer did nothing wrong in that case, the ESN was clean and ebay purchased cells are easily activated.
thanks for responding.

Yeah that's what I meant but you are assuming best case scenario.. As I said who knows, the phones could have been stolen from a reseller or dealer (I do computer support for a sprint/nextel dealer & they've had many stolen even by employees who turn around & sell them on ebay. The store definitely figures it out eventually & they get reported as stolen & flagged. Maybe within days or weeks or months.) or who knows. That is one of biggest risks of buying off ebay. You may not know the history. Not trying to scare you just saying remember you'll be the one in the store holding stolen merchandise. Again, you risk the same trying to add the phone to your account so I guess they'll track you down either way. lol
As far as your original question, I wish I could say I knew but I don't. I assume there is virtually 0 chance of a return with refund and only a slight chance of an exchange assuming the phone is not flagged & you have a good story. Maybe someone else could chime in who has tried it. Again we are talking expensive phones normally bought with a contact linked to an account so easily traceable so don't be surprised if they scan it in & call you by the name of the guy who sold it to you. lol
Bill

It's just amazing that Verizon makes it so hard to upgrade your phone before your contract is up (even if you're willing to pay full price!!). The only way you can really do it is by buying a phone off of ebay and activating it yourself.

Yeah I'd imagine. That is one nice thing about GSM: Just move your SIM, assuming the phone isn't locked to another carrier which is usually pretty easy to get unlocked. I have bought about 50 phones off ebay (That would have been like 2 had I needed to call AT&T every time I wanted to switch! lol) & for the most part I've had pretty good luck with some duds. (Incompatible model missing 850 band, broken or more worn than expected) If you are in a pinch you might not have much choice but just make sure you buy from someone with high & good feedback & you should be OK. Better yet make sure they have a good return policy or even their own warranty. Not sure if the trick will work for you but I've bought 'Pay as you go' phones & put my SIM in when I needed a phone quickly. Maybe verizon has such a thing too but the prepaid phones are usually pretty awful. Of course there is a chance they'd refuse to add it to your account too. Buy yeah I wouldn't chance buying something on ebay hoping you can return to the local store if needed. I'd say buy new & hopefully sealed, not used (especially for expensive phones unless you want to risk it. Of course you can always try selling back on ebay if needed) from a good seller like I mentioned above & you should be fine. Btw the other thing to consider is go to an authorized Verizon dealer (vs a real Verizon store). You might find them much more likely to work with you on selling you a phone without a contact. I know they make big bucks signing up people but if you're willing to pay retail for a phone I'd imagine they won't turn you away especially if you suggest you'll be back when renewal time comes.
Bill

Ok, so believe it or not, I called Verizon and the rep told me that even if you don't have the original receipt, the verizon store uses the proof of purchase barcode to tell when the item was purchased. If your item is defective you can exchange it, and she even said in some cases they'll even let you put the money towards a new phone, although they prefer to have a receipt.
I'm shocked as I thought they would have a very strict return policy.
Also, any cell purchased in the last month is returnable until Jan 15, which means blackberry storms and htc touch pros and omnias bought on ebay can simply be returned to a verizon store if they are defective!

Wow! Did you get that in writing? lol Guess they have a very lenient return policy. Sounds like they do track them big time but instead of holding it against you they actually HELP you with the info. Geesh, if that really works I'd say they have some killer customer support policies! Makes me want to break a phone to try it & see. Then again I'm on ATT & they'd prolly laugh as they escorted me out the store. :|
Good luck with that, I'd love to hear follow up if you end up needing to try it but then again I'm sure you'd rather NOT have to try. Anyone else ever actually do this with any carrier?

Refurbished phone from AT&T

I am looking at getting a new phone for my AT&T Added line, since it's an added line I cannot get the better deals on new phones. I don't want to pay $300ish for a new Tilt 2. I discovered I can get a refurbished Tilt 2 through Amazon Wireless. My question is...
Is there any reason I should be worried about a refurbished phone? Any horror stories I should know about? I am feeling pretty good about the deal through Amazon since it should only be $50 for a refurb unit. Pretty freakin' cheap if you ask me.
Thanks ya'll.

doublen1 said:
I am looking at getting a new phone for my AT&T Added line, since it's an added line I cannot get the better deals on new phones. I don't want to pay $300ish for a new Tilt 2. I discovered I can get a refurbished Tilt 2 through Amazon Wireless. My question is...
Is there any reason I should be worried about a refurbished phone? Any horror stories I should know about? I am feeling pretty good about the deal through Amazon since it should only be $50 for a refurb unit. Pretty freakin' cheap if you ask me.
Thanks ya'll.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've purchased things marked as refurbished before. Usually there is nothing wrong, except for scratches and marks.

Thanks, I just pulled the trigger on a Tilt 2 so hopefully I'll get more active on these forums.

doublen1 said:
Thanks, I just pulled the trigger on a Tilt 2 so hopefully I'll get more active on these forums.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hope you like it. There's really no reason to buy anything brand new unless you keep it as a collector's item.

I got my first Tilt2 new through AT&T, but recently had to swap it out for a refurb unit through warranty exchange. The refurb unit I got in was in perfect physical condition. Also, from what the warranty claims representative told me, I didn't need to send back my old back plate, battery, stylus, charger, or anything that wasn't the core of the phone itself, as apparently they do not refurbish those parts - refurb phones come with those bits brand new. No clue whether amazon does the exact same thing, but if they do, then there's really no reason not to get one.

[Q] Why am I responsible for shipping charges for Dust under screen repair??

A decent amount of dust has showed up in a spot about 1/2 inch from the very top at the edge top right corner of the screen. Since I purchased the phone at Walmart they said talk to TMO or HTC. I called TMO and they told me dust under the screen doesn't seem to qualify as "manufacture defects" so they wont exchange it for me there, they said call HTC. I call HTC and they fill me in on all the details associated with the repair process etc.. My question is this: why am I responsible for shipping charges on a manufacture defect? On top of that, if they don't deem unwarrantable then I am charged a $39 or less triage fee.... Why am I also gonna be out of a phone for the next 6-10 days without compensation?
I just don't understand the logic behind this. Anyone have any advice, or explanation?
Thanks,
Joseph

mesajoejoe said:
A decent amount of dust has showed up in a spot about 1/2 inch from the very top at the edge top right corner of the screen. Since I purchased the phone at Walmart they said talk to TMO or HTC. I called TMO and they told me dust under the screen doesn't seem to qualify as "manufacture defects" so they wont exchange it for me there, they said call HTC. I call HTC and they fill me in on all the details associated with the repair process etc.. My question is this: why am I responsible for shipping charges on a manufacture defect? On top of that, if they don't deem unwarrantable then I am charged a $39 or less triage fee.... Why am I also gonna be out of a phone for the next 6-10 days without compensation?
I just don't understand the logic behind this. Anyone have any advice, or explanation?
Thanks,
Joseph
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No dust under my screen I'm sure shipping will not cost much...be sure to get INSURANCE. Have you tried simply exchanging the device for another one at Walmart?

nccu_eagles said:
No dust under my screen I'm sure shipping will not cost much...be sure to get INSURANCE. Have you tried simply exchanging the device for another one at Walmart?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am sure shipping wont be costly, its just I don't see how or why I should have to pay for it. And Walmart after 15 days from purchase wont touch it, or so they are telling me?
If I go in and complain, while still being respectful or course, do you think Walmart or TMO will exchange it?

mesajoejoe said:
I am sure shipping wont be costly, its just I don't see how or why I should have to pay for it. I have no need for Insurance, but I do see how it is helpful for others. This is a warranty issue not a cracked screen or something I caused. And Walmart after 15 days from purchase wont touch it, or so they are telling me?
If I go in and complain, while still being respectful or course, do you think Walmart or TMO will exchange it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I meant shipping insurance just in case USPS/FEDEX/UPS loses the package. I live in Charlotte, NC and there are a bunch of Walmart's here. I would clean up the phone really good and try to return it even if it's for store credit and then drive to another Walmart and purchase a new Sensation with the store credit. Did you buy it full retail price or did you do a contract? If you did a contract then you are out of luck with store credit because it wouldn't be enough to purchase a new phone. Otherwise you could call TMO and ask for a warranty exchange and tell them the phone won't power on. They will ship you a new unit and you would just mail back the current unit. I have done a warranty exchange a million times.

Yeah I realized what you meant by insurance after I responded. I bought it on contract, and its past Walmart's 14-day return policy so they might not take to that so much lol. I have done a few in the past with TMO over the phone without any problems and a few in-store as well, as I have always purchased them through the store. I just might have to try TMO over the phone again and get them to send me one like you suggested. Thanks for your advice I really appreciate it.

mesajoejoe said:
Yeah I realized what you meant by insurance after I responded. I bought it on contract, and its past Walmart's 14-day return policy so they might not take to that so much lol. I have done a few in the past with TMO over the phone without any problems and a few in-store as well, as I have always purchased them through the store. I just might have to try TMO over the phone again and get them to send me one like you suggested. Thanks for your advice I really appreciate it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's the best way to get them to respond quick TELL THEM THE DEVICE WON'T POWER ON. They will then ask you to verify that the sticker under the battery is still white and then they will ship you a phone. Make sure you call from a phone different from your Sensation i.e a land line LOL and you will be ok.

That's weird. When the Nexus One's had issues with dust getting under the screen the problem was fixed for free assuming you hadn't rooted the device.
I know I personally had a rooted device get dust, cost 100 if I recall to have it fixed. Happened again in a week and they didn't make me pay for shipping or anything to send it back again.

How reliable is Swappa.com?

Hey. I've been looking to sell a phone, and I've came across this site. How reliable is this site and are most sellers trustworthy?

bumpo

Swappa is really reliable. I haven't personally sold from it, but most of the sellers seem to be reliable and I've seen some who give their XDA usernames just in case the buyers have any questions.
Of course, there are some shoddy sellers, but that's a given with most sites.

fairly reliable....
most people use their facebooks or equiv. to log in so its rather easy to track. I've listed my previous devices there but to no luck. Its IMHO much easier to sell in forum MP's such as here or other android/computing/reddit forums.

stay away
i cant recommend it and will not buy another phone from it
bought a phone, it was delivered yesterday, seller who has a 7 day return policy, NFC feature doesnt work, and all she is doing is playing games, and hasnt sent me a return label yet
STAY WAY

for those of you who say buy from a seller with good history, i bought the phone from a seller who has 1500 sold listings, below is her reply regarding NFC not working:
"I just read about it. I'm not sure I see any good applications for it, but I'll send the label in the am"
am is over still no label from her and she did reply to my massage. amazing

Ive purchased from Swappa, and have had a good experience. As has been said before, make sure you are purchasing from a reliable seller. If you are making an international purchase, be sure to do your research on the customs laws in your location.
I purchased a Verizon LG G2 at a great price, knowing it works in international GSM markets and was not disappointed!

I just bought a note 3 through swappa. It is defective. Represented as Mint and like new.
Swappa is no help.
PayPal is probably going to be no help.
So it's a gamble.
I'd always buy NEW items and use my credit card on paypal if I ever do it again.
I'd rather use ebay, they at least do something on the buyer's behalf.
As it is I've got a phone that randomly boots about 10 times a day, and out hundreds of dollars.
Yeah, ebay is better for the buyer... and swappa charges the buyer for the privilege of getting shafted.
sent using mobile data only. no broadband in Rural America as was promised by both Presidents Bush & Obama.

I bought a RAZR HD Maxx (Unlocked BL) from swappa about 4 months ago and had a really great experience...the seller replied quickly to questions and shipped the device within a day or two. I cannot vouch for every seller on the site but FWIW I would use it again for sure.

Swappa is kind of hit or miss. There are lots of scams out there. It's actually pretty safe for the buyer as all you need to do is open a claim with paypal. If the buyer says the phone doesn't work but the seller says it does work paypal policy is to side with the buyer, pretty much no questions asked. The process takes time but you'll get your money back. Really not such a good deal for a seller, where you could sell a perfectly good device, the buyer tries to mod it, bricks the device then files a claim. The seller will be SOL with a broken device and no money.

BladeRunner said:
Swappa is kind of hit or miss. There are lots of scams out there. It's actually pretty safe for the buyer as all you need to do is open a claim with paypal. If the buyer says the phone doesn't work but the seller says it does work paypal policy is to side with the buyer, pretty much no questions asked. The process takes time but you'll get your money back. Really not such a good deal for a seller, where you could sell a perfectly good device, the buyer tries to mod it, bricks the device then files a claim. The seller will be SOL with a broken device and no money.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Swappa is scamsite. I will never ever use it again. I was scammed by http://forum.xda-developers.com/member.php?u=3505755 He says that his identity been stolen and he didnt know that. Yeah sure. He was selling Nexus 6 but it is his current device somehow. Scum.

I don't know where to go but I recently bought a Samsung s5 paid 180$ but when I got it the phone was completely broken screen cracked to all hell and won't power on unlike the pictures submitted on swappa and I cant check the esn as it doesnt charge. Swappa told me to dispute it but seller insists he didn't send me that broken phone. Am I gonna be out all that money or what? Never had to dispute anything before

It's a definite risk. My first and only time trying to sell a phone resulted in the buyer getting a refund 3 or so weeks later. I believe he purchased the phone and swapped motherboard with a broken one and got a refund. Never again will I waste my time. I'll just let my phone die or give them away as it costs less.

The perils of eBay..

Well I figure my first post should be a big moan on the subject of eBay.
I'm currently -£750 waiting on refunds for 2 Galaxy s4 phones that I tried to buy on eBay... the first auction had a slightly dodgy feel but I figured it was worth the risk for the potential of a good deal, turns out I should have trusted my initial gut instinct, about 10 minutes after I paid for it I got a message from eBay saying the listing had been removed as the seller was a compromised account, and that I no longer have to pay for the item. Annoyingly I still have to wait till next week before I can escalate it and get my refund.
Second one seemed a legit deal, seemed like an unwanted upgrade ( I know there is a degree of risk there too but, my last phone was one and I've had no issues), legit photos... item arrived on Monday all seemed in working order, spent all day Tuesday researching which mod to go with, re-learning the whole rooting/firmware/recovery upgrade processes, loading my apps, configuring them all etc , Micro-sim arrived Wednesday, but for whatever reason wouldn't register on the mobile network so I went to the carrier's shop.... I'm sure you all know where this is going, the phone's IMEI is on the blacklist, so I've had to spend the last few hours convincing the seller to refund me, of course I now have to send it back at my own expense and it probably won't arrive till Monday at which point I have to trust he'll refund me in a timely fashion, or I'll have to escalate again..... argh, what a head ache!
I must confess before all this I didn't know about all these possible pitfalls, I wish eBay had some more upfront guidance on risks of the phones being sold being blacklisted, I didn't even know such a list existed, ah well live and learn I guess.
For the limited time I had the phone I was loving it for it's none call related features, I'll just have to buy my next one from a legit source and hope for 3rd time lucky!
Anyhow, hi, hopefully my future posts will be more positive.

Feel sorry for you there buddy... I got mine too from a reseller, but we met upfront. Its been 10 weeks now and my s4 is still kicking. Its really a lot better if you're getting an expensive piece of hardware from a legit source...

tonyr80 said:
Well I figure my first post should be a big moan on the subject of eBay.
I'm currently -£750 waiting on refunds for 2 Galaxy s4 phones that I tried to buy on eBay... the first auction had a slightly dodgy feel but I figured it was worth the risk for the potential of a good deal, turns out I should have trusted my initial gut instinct, about 10 minutes after I paid for it I got a message from eBay saying the listing had been removed as the seller was a compromised account, and that I no longer have to pay for the item. Annoyingly I still have to wait till next week before I can escalate it and get my refund.
Second one seemed a legit deal, seemed like an unwanted upgrade ( I know there is a degree of risk there too but, my last phone was one and I've had no issues), legit photos... item arrived on Monday all seemed in working order, spent all day Tuesday researching which mod to go with, re-learning the whole rooting/firmware/recovery upgrade processes, loading my apps, configuring them all etc , Micro-sim arrived Wednesday, but for whatever reason wouldn't register on the mobile network so I went to the carrier's shop.... I'm sure you all know where this is going, the phone's IMEI is on the blacklist, so I've had to spend the last few hours convincing the seller to refund me, of course I now have to send it back at my own expense and it probably won't arrive till Monday at which point I have to trust he'll refund me in a timely fashion, or I'll have to escalate again..... argh, what a head ache!
I must confess before all this I didn't know about all these possible pitfalls, I wish eBay had some more upfront guidance on risks of the phones being sold being blacklisted, I didn't even know such a list existed, ah well live and learn I guess.
For the limited time I had the phone I was loving it for it's none call related features, I'll just have to buy my next one from a legit source and hope for 3rd time lucky!
Anyhow, hi, hopefully my future posts will be more positive.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I reccomend this seller, i ve bought 2 S3's from him, all perfect, sealed box and great shipping speed:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/181145259142?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

Just to top off my day my brother came round and stole my last beer when I was out for a run, fml!
Thanks for the sympathy and recommendation though guys.

Just wondered what you paid for the phones.if you don't mind. How much did you think you were saving over buying from a shop?
Sent from my GT-I9505 using xda premium

Bradden1 said:
Just wondered what you paid for the phones.if you don't mind. How much did you think you were saving over buying from a shop?
Sent from my GT-I9505 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The first one was £370, and was apparently a 32gb model, that should have been my first warning signal as I've since learned the 32gb model isn't for sale in the UK yet.
The second went for £380 and included a 32gb memory card, so I felt like I was getting a 70-80ish quid saving?

I feel for you! Ebay can be a great bargain grabbing experience but there are some sharks lurking about. Hope you get both your refunds and put it down to experience..... I love technology but wouldn't risk not having a backed warranty on an item as expensive as an S4.

gob said:
I feel for you! Ebay can be a great bargain grabbing experience but there are some sharks lurking about. Hope you get both your refunds and put it down to experience..... I love technology but wouldn't risk not having a backed warranty on an item as expensive as an S4.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea I've found a seller who is selling for £410 and providing a valid receipt, I think that's a safe price point to purchase at.

I bought my S4 on ebay last week for £400 incl and it was supposed to be in a sealed box, fully unlocked and an unwanted upgrade.
It was still sealed, but was locked to O2 and the seller insisted that O2 had promised him it would unlock in 3-5 days.
I said I couldn't wait, unlocked it myself & asked for a £25 refund as this was what a shop would charge to unlock it for me!! He gave it to me. :victory:

hotlips69 said:
I bought my S4 on ebay last week for £400 incl and it was supposed to be in a sealed box, fully unlocked and an unwanted upgrade.
It was still sealed, but was locked to O2 and the seller insisted that O2 had promised him it would unlock in 3-5 days.
I said I couldn't wait, unlocked it myself & asked for a £25 refund as this was what a shop would charge to unlock it for me!! He gave it to me. :victory:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice one.
I got my S4 from eBay too. For £370.it was on o2 as well. Got an unlock code from a website for £15 that's permanently unlocked it.
I've been very happy. And lucky in my eBay experiences.
Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk 2

Up until this happened I'd had 200+ transactions without 1 issue, then 2 back to back....
My S1 was off eBay, was a bargain and has never caused me one issue.
I am however a bit wary of unwanted upgrades after learning they could be blacklisted if they end their contract prematurely, if that happens a year later I doubt there's anything you could do about it.

I was actually worried about buying a FAKE S4, i.e. something else masquerading as an S4.
Do these exist, or is it just me being paranoid?

hotlips69 said:
I was actually worried about buying a FAKE S4, i.e. something else masquerading as an S4.
Do these exist, or is it just me being paranoid?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They exist.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpU4CqyNvrs

frrlod said:
They exist.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpU4CqyNvrs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Having watching this clip, I was worried for a few seconds until I read the comments!
Mine has all the comments about being fake...no logo, yellow camera....instead the "fake" is the international version! :laugh:

You just have to see if the savings you are getting are more than the risk involved
Sent from my octa-core, badboy S4 using the new Tapatalk 4 Beta
Wanna discover some awesome new apps? Check my thread - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2322687

I have wondered about Amazon market sales, whether it is more reliable/secure a method of obtaining a good deal, I wonder does anyone on here have any experience of it?

tonyr80 said:
I have wondered about Amazon market sales, whether it is more reliable/secure a method of obtaining a good deal, I wonder does anyone on here have any experience of it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Generally Amazon is more trustworthy than eBay, especially if it says 'fulfilled by amazon' or it's sold by official stores (AnkerOfficial and stuff like that) - you can tell if they have a very high rating and their descriptions are written fluently (you should be able to tell between the chinese/whatever sellers and official stores).
BUT, there are many fakes on Amazon too.

Feel sorry for you buddy. I got mine from a website called Kogan. It costed me 689 AU dollars including shipping fee. It is quite cheap and it arrived a week after i paid. More importantly, it is not second handed or reselling product.

i too purchased an s3 that was an unwanted phone, i had a gut feeling it was dodgy but thought ebay would protect me if it was dodgy
how wrong was i
phone never sent, money gone
all ebay could do was email them as i payed by bank deposit. even police online fraud cant force them to pay back the money and a bank tranfser reversal doesnt work if they deny it
2 months on still trying for refund while there still buying stuff
ended up buying an S4 I9505 off kogan for $620 inc 32gm micro sd and freight couldnt justify paying $460 for an S3 when the S4 was going for that price

Bert02 said:
i too purchased an s3 that was an unwanted phone, i had a gut feeling it was dodgy but thought ebay would protect me if it was dodgy
how wrong was i
phone never sent, money gone
all ebay could do was email them as i payed by bank deposit. even police online fraud cant force them to pay back the money and a bank tranfser reversal doesnt work if they deny it
2 months on still trying for refund while there still buying stuff
ended up buying an S4 I9505 off kogan for $620 inc 32gm micro sd and freight couldnt justify paying $460 for an S3 when the S4 was going for that price
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea, PayPal payment protection is a must on eBay, I'd never trust a transaction without it really.
As it is I gave eBay another go as I spotted a deal that looked legit and unlikely to be a bad phone, got myself a new i19505, sealed box and with a receipt, £360. Pretty happy with that! Also got my money back from the 2 other bad deals, yay.