There's been a whole lot of knocking the Touch Pro 2 on the CDMA network and Sprint (one person referred to shoving a cactus up his a**), so I just want to write and defend it. True, CDMA is kind of backwards and not internationally common, but the phone does include GSM support for foreign travel. I just bought a TP2 on Sprint, and my experience was awesome. I purchased online, and I declined to bring my number with me. Upon receiving my phone I changed my mind, so customer support told me to take my new phone to a Sprint store to get help. Service was quick, friendly, and knowledgable. They even told me it would be at least 3 hourse before I got service with my old number, if not a day, but I had it by the time I left the store. Sure, the phone is $450 upfront, but there is a $100 rebate, plus more if you list a friend on Sprint as a referrer. Plus, I sold my old Tilt for $95, and if you use 'save50' as a coupon code, you get $25 off service for the first two months. Really, not too bad at all. I actually get coverage on Sprint inside buildings where AT&T always dropped. Finally, Sprint's Simply Everything plans are better than any other network's data plans, and on them you can now call any mobile phone in America for free. I know some people trash Sprint like there's no tomorrow, but my experience thus far has been great. I grew to hate AT&T by the time I left, and I don't think I could ever go back to them. Their data prices are ridiculous, store staff are snobs, and although I would never buy an iPhone, their whole handling of that situation has been ridiculous. To sum this ramble up, don't be afraid to make the plunge and jump on Sprint. Just my two bits.
PS This was all written on my TP2; this phone rocks! If you've been debating, stop, just buy it.
I will have to agree with trogdor1138
I was a AT&T customer for 4 years, and hated the last year and a half of service! You might ask why only the last year and the half. It all stated when I leased a new office building and got 1 to 0 bars of Edge service, my brother who was on Verizon had 5 bars of 3G. Which made for a really crap experience during the whole office phone transition. I don't even want to get into AT&T's customer service because its no existent. I got my Touch Pro2 from Sprint on the 8th and all I have to say is WOW! At my office I get 5 bars of service and I have yet to find a place in my everyday travels where Sprint doesn't have great coverage. And the best part is my cell phone bill when from 129.99 a month on at&t to 99 bucks. So yeah I paid a bit more for my phone but those poor guys on at&t will pay out their nose for the service!
I need to jump on this band wagon. My experience with AT&T and Sprint is exactly like the first two posts. I could not use my AT&T phone in my house or office or more than a mile away from the interstates (out side of metro areas). Sprint covers the whole state, (WI) has better customer service and is about 20% cheaper than what I was paying AT&T. And to top it all off, my TP2 is rock solid. I've never had a phone that was this easy to use and at the same time this versatile.
I am glad to see some support for Sprint! I have had Sprint for 8 years and my service has only got better over time. I always have signal and when I don't I roam on Verizon. Sprint has a credibility problem that was self imposed-no getting around it. But Sprint has been making the right moves for a couple years now and I hope it continues.
This reply was also typed on my Touch Pro 2.
I just switch from t-mobile to sprint. I was with t-mobile for 5 years. Thought about getting tp2 with them but there always behind everybody else and i did like all the changes they made to the tp2. What were they thinking. Anyway besides that they didn't have any of the extras internet services like internet TV,music and radio like all the other carriers do. With sprint i get all that in it's only costing me about $5 dollars more a month. So i ported my number and it only took 1 day to get the phone and have it activated with my ported number. No regrets at all.
This is soo nice after posting charts of of data throughputs of carriers proving sprints better- posting data charges from carriers where sprint wins every time - and Now 4G (yes WiMAX in my area as of sept1) it does me happy to see the light in others - sad that no matter what you say no matter what proof you provide others continue to defend spending more for getting less
AT&T was and still is horrible in my area. I canceled within the trial period. Sprint has much better service, and in my opinion better customer service.
I was with T Mobile for 8 years
I switched to Sprint from T Mobile at the begining of this year. I just couldn't wait for 3g any longer here in Salt Lake City. I am very happy with Sprint. I like both Sprint and T Mobile but I have to say that I don't feel I miss T Mobile at all.
Before I got Sprint I asked a few people about it and they told me that some times their bills were bigger than others, I am thinking this might be because I have found my phone goes into roaming but it doesn't affect me since I'm on the Everything Plan.
I think Sprint is a great company and I'm happy with them.
Battery life vs data transfer
For the US:
If you don't travel heavily, don't need broadband and live in an area with good GSM coverage then GSM is a no brainer. The battery life is better and you don't have to fiddle with phonebook transfer programs and the like.
If you need coverage and broadband then CDMA is the way to go.
My gripe with CDMA is that it takes forever to get good phones. You wait and wait for someone to make a CDMA phone that has year old GSM features.
If CDMA could fix the talk time and get manufacturers to make phones for it I would say that CDMA wins, period. As it stands though, if you live outside of the US, or live in the US and don't travel or just use your phone for talking, SMS and the occasional MMS then GSM is for you.
Basically I just want a world standard. If that means CDMA has to switch over and I lose some bandwidth, so be it. It look like Europe is flirting with (W)CDMA, so maybe GSM will be phased out. I guess it's market share vs technology at this point.
I agree, I love my TP2 on the Sprint Network. This phone is too hot. Finally a real size screen, best keyboard I have ever used, just a sturdy build for such a device that moves many ways. Money well spent.
I agree! I was a long-time AT&T customer and was quite unsatisfied with the service I was getting. I made the jump to Sprint last week with the TP2. Ordered online Thursday night, and the phone was on my desk early Monday morning. The phone and network has exceeded my expectations--great service everywhere (EVDO service is awesome in WI)--not a single dropped call. As for the phone, battery life is pushing 2 days, which is including the constant data connection for email and occasional music streaming.
Saving $20/month from AT&T to Sprint and gaining features? Yes, please!
Another solid vote for Sprint...
Switched from Suncom (T-Mobile now). I've also had Nextel, Alltel, and AT&T.
As far as I am concerned Sprint is a no brainer.
I haven't found any company that can come close to their prices and they have definitely stepped up their hardware. (TP2 FTW!)
My current plan on Verizon and matching services was around 80 bucks more expensive. When asked why they were so much more than Sprint their answer was "We have the best customer service". Well putting opinion aside for the moment my response was "For 80 bucks a month you had best be at the foot of my bed every morning at 6am, waking me up, and handing me a cup of coffee"
They did not respond.
I also have Sprint and love it. Never a dropped call, or any problems here in s. calif. Was with Verizon for years, but coverage was bad at home and work. The two places I used my phone the most. Tried AT&T for one day. Just terrible. Been with Sprint for a year now...its all good.
trogdor1138 said:
There's been a whole lot of knocking the Touch Pro 2 on the CDMA network and Sprint (one person referred to shoving a cactus up his a**), so I just want to write and defend it. True, CDMA is kind of backwards and not internationally common, but the phone does include GSM support for foreign travel. I just bought a TP2 on Sprint, and my experience was awesome. I purchased online, and I declined to bring my number with me. Upon receiving my phone I changed my mind, so customer support told me to take my new phone to a Sprint store to get help. Service was quick, friendly, and knowledgable. They even told me it would be at least 3 hourse before I got service with my old number, if not a day, but I had it by the time I left the store. Sure, the phone is $450 upfront, but there is a $100 rebate, plus more if you list a friend on Sprint as a referrer. Plus, I sold my old Tilt for $95, and if you use 'save50' as a coupon code, you get $25 off service for the first two months. Really, not too bad at all. I actually get coverage on Sprint inside buildings where AT&T always dropped. Finally, Sprint's Simply Everything plans are better than any other network's data plans, and on them you can now call any mobile phone in America for free. I know some people trash Sprint like there's no tomorrow, but my experience thus far has been great. I grew to hate AT&T by the time I left, and I don't think I could ever go back to them. Their data prices are ridiculous, store staff are snobs, and although I would never buy an iPhone, their whole handling of that situation has been ridiculous. To sum this ramble up, don't be afraid to make the plunge and jump on Sprint. Just my two bits.
PS This was all written on my TP2; this phone rocks! If you've been debating, stop, just buy it.
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Ide have to say my switch from VZW to Sprint was as good. I had a c ouple issues with getting rebates in the begging but Sprint took care of that. Customer service in the stores is normally pretty decent. At VZW.... well... Service was good once you got somone one.
Overall I am very happy I switched. I switched for the Diamond though, not TP2. I did however just purcahse a TP2 and I am loving it!
I too just got my TP2 from Sprint and love it.
Verizon, here in LA, is pretty terrible. I could be at my internship and not get a signal at all - open space with lots of tall buildings around. Additionally, my old apartment in the Valley got almost no reception. Tons of dropped calls.
One complaint though:
My number from Sprint was a recycled phone number. I'm getting four robocalls a day from various political organizations (many of which are in Spanish) and different schools reminding me that my mythical children are about to start school in the next few days.
I've put myself on the Do Not Call registry, both the federal one and the political one, but the calls keep rolling in. Most of the time, if I press 0, it claims my number is erased from their registry, but I doubt that. And if you try to call the number back, they are mysterious ghost numbers that don't connect to anything.
Sprint says there's nothing they can do about it. Luck of the draw, and they've offered to give me a new number (which I'm a little loathe to do, since I've already updated so many people with my new number.) I just wish there were something (maybe even a piece of software for the phone?) that would let me block individual numbers. A lot of the calls I get are repeat offenders.
I have worked for 2 different wireless carriers. The honest answer to the cell phone debate in the US is use what works for you. The ratings you see are typically an average of experiences across the whole US. Most carriers have stronger regions and weaker regions. I have seen poor numbers out west for Verizon Wireless and strong numbers out east and the complete opposite for AT&T.
Network limitations (mainly in-building penetration) may skew your experience from one carrier to the other at the places you use the phone most like your residence and workplace. We are dealing with radio signals that have a very short effective distance, and if you only get one bar of signal, you are going to have a rougher experience with everything than if you had 2 bars or more.
Customer service experiences vary greatly. It depends on who you get when you call. Outsourcing calls makes it a crapshoot. I have heard the horrid Sprint stories, but those were mostly calls that got outsourced and when you reached an actual Sprint rep they were good experiences. At least with wireless carriers they all are trying to provide as good a service as possible due to competition. I wish cable and landline services back in the day had that type of competition. 3 major nationwide carriers minimum in a market and various regional carriers help keeps the competition going, and it is a very competitive market considering the ammount of investment needed to put up a nationwide network in the United States. (Europeans can't quite understand the size of our country and how much empty space there is between major cities). It isn't really quite cost effective to put up a $200,000 tower for 500 customers in a small town, but we expect to have coverage everywhere we go.
Sprint has the good price plans, no denying that. I would put Verizon's network up against Sprint any day though when comparing them nationally. Both EvDO networks are superior to AT&T and T-Mobiles at this point for overall consistancy of service nationwide. But you might live in one of those lucky areas where AT&T or T-Mobile will have their 7Mbps services running well and not overloaded, and they could be the best option. It really comes down to what works best where you use your device and that is going to be different from person to person.
Sprint phone roaming on Verizon?
I am considering a Sprint TP2. I have read differing statements regarding roaming on Verizon. I have several questions:
Basically: does Verizon allow Sprint customers to roam onto their network?
If yes, then: (If... then... an old BASIC programmer, haha)
Can TP2 be "forced" to roam if for example Verizon has a stronger signal a certain area?
When roaming onto Verizon, will you get only the slower speeds and no 3G?
Thanks very much!
I don't really get the knocking of CDMA since it is faster than gsm. If you have a faster network that equals better right? GSM really only has the sim card which i have seen to be a problem actually drop your phone and the sim seems to get creamed fairly often. I have used both CDMA works better and faster. And with programs like My Phone the address book is really a non issue.
my friend been complaing HSPA chew thru battery faster on his phone than my CDMA phone
gliscameria said:
For the US:
If you don't travel heavily, don't need broadband and live in an area with good GSM coverage then GSM is a no brainer. The battery life is better and you don't have to fiddle with phonebook transfer programs and the like.
If you need coverage and broadband then CDMA is the way to go.
My gripe with CDMA is that it takes forever to get good phones. You wait and wait for someone to make a CDMA phone that has year old GSM features.
If CDMA could fix the talk time and get manufacturers to make phones for it I would say that CDMA wins, period. As it stands though, if you live outside of the US, or live in the US and don't travel or just use your phone for talking, SMS and the occasional MMS then GSM is for you.
Basically I just want a world standard. If that means CDMA has to switch over and I lose some bandwidth, so be it. It look like Europe is flirting with (W)CDMA, so maybe GSM will be phased out. I guess it's market share vs technology at this point.
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Default option is only Sprint only and "automatic"
maybe someone can tweak it to roam only
however, if you roam too much, sprint will drop you as a customer
I think so and I'm about to explain why.
I switched to Verizon's HTC thunderbolt from AT&T (out of contract) and being that I pay a month up front, figured AT&T would owe me for a partial month of service. I was surprised to receive a bill for $67 from AT&T that was for 10 days of service. At the time I was busy and didn't call right away. The next month I received a bill for $403!
I called today and they stated it was $300 in ETF fees. I asked why I owed $67 for 10 days of service and got a response that if I switched service I would have to pay for a full month's of service regardless of how many days I used. I told them the FCC has guidelines to prevent big companies from doing things like that and I would not be paying them for service I didn't use. This is when they began to backpedal and say well as a courtesy we will only charge you for 10 days!?! lol, what a courtesy to actually get charged for what I used.
After an hour long conversation with the customer service manager my bill was reduced down to less than $30. I have experienced this similar type of situation with Verizon in the past after not getting good reception where they tried to charge me for a full month of service after porting over my number as well as unjustified ETF fees.
I didn't have a contract with AT&T yet for some reason they were trying to justify these hefty ETF fees that took even the manager in the customer service department an hour to fix.
I think these big cell phone companies try to bully around the consumer rather than win them over. Then claim they are doing you a favor by treating you fairly!
Hearing about the T-mobile merger I'm really starting to wonder what is going to come of the future of mobile services. I have had T-mobile service for 5 years in the past and never have I experienced these kinds of problems, the big 2 have given me.
Once T-mobile is bought out where will the checks and balances of competition be observed? I would have signed up for T-mobile service but they don't have nice phones nor the data connection speed I was looking for.
Hence the dilema, as these companies get larger they gain more power over the consumer and the manufacturer of the devices. We as the consumer have very little say in what occurs other than to sit on the phone and hope the person on the other end can "work it out" in their system.
Large corporations abusing their customers... what else is new?
I've heard these horror stories from both sides of the fence (Verizon + ATT). Just like almost every other business sector in America, customer service is going down with last night's dinner. Instead of "The customer is always right," corporations have now moved to "Get them to a position where they can't say 'no'" leaving consumers no choice but to bend over and take it or band together and sue. Pretty soon instead of labor unions we'll have consumer unions...
/rant
dbisch said:
Large corporations abusing their customers... what else is new?
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Click to collapse
I guess the better question is how can I let the government know what happened in my situation and allow them to understand what this means for the consumer?
Or are they just getting paid copious amounts of money to justify the anti-trust situation and there is nothing we as the consumer can do to stop them?
Is there no forum for this other than BBB?
I feel like the FCC should know that both AT&T and Verizon are telling customers they have to pay for service they never receive and then when called out they back down acting like I'm getting one over on them.
Don't know what it is worth.... but...
http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs/hotdocket/list
azwildfire said:
Don't know what it is worth.... but...
http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs/hotdocket/list
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Click to collapse
Thanks! I'll look into it
Well both companies have crappy service, I was a Tmo customer and hated every minute I had them. Couldnt drive home from work without loosing my call 3 or 4 times.
To tell you the truth "customer service" varies just like people are. Depends who you get, and what kind of problem you have. I have had friends that try and twist the system and complain poor customer service because they don't get their way. I have seen people with legitimate problems who don't get help because at times reps don't have the authority to fix the problem. A lot of people don't have patience like they used to have. Sometimes how you present yourself dictates the kind of service you get.
On the subject at hand... I don't think it honestly matters... Consumers have been giving up power for many years... If it bothered you that much about pricing then why bother getting service and paying for it. If people stuck to their guns instead of paying for it then prices would change faster than everyone paying for service.
BEFORE anyone cries and say they need blah blah blah for "emergencies"
ANY phone land line or cellular can dial 911 regardless if it has service or not as required BY LAW... So that's a VERY MOOT point.
If it was an emergency then what are you going to do? Text 911, or look up on the internet how to dial 911 and report an emergency?
At some point with the way things are going choices will be gone... The government will soon be telling us what we can and can't do, what services to get, and everything else imaginable... We are almost there anyway with the way people cry about this and that instead of putting their money where their mouth is.
Okay here's the deal. I bought a "new" phone on ebay from a seller in U.S. shipped overseas to where I live. I bought this to use it in U.S. as well when I visit the country in a couple of months.
The seller agreed to include a printed sale receipt and a letter stating that he had sold this phone with this IMEI inside the box. I received the phone two weeks back and surprise, there was no receipt or sale letter inside. I was gutted.
Since then, I have tried to contact the seller at least ten times and he has not responded even once. He had responded to every single one of my emails in an hour before the purchase.
I am not going paranoid. Is there a chance the seller might be scamming me by reporting it stolen? How does it work in the US? Is it possible to report a phone stolen (to claim insurance) and get it blacklisted without the original phone box?
And, if it indeed had been blacklisted by all the networks in US and it fries my new sim, will having the original phone box be enough for a proof of purchase to "unblacklist" it? If so, how long does the process take considering I might be in US only for a few days at a time.
Thanks in advance!
I would just file a ticket with eBay, not because I necessarily believe they're trying to cheat you, but because they violated your agreement. Did you make sure the seller confirmed to you that the IMEI was good and would continue to be so - within eBay ?
There's always a chance they might be scamming you. The original box doesn't mean anything, to anyone, when it comes to reporting it stolen or an insurance claim or them bailing on a payment plan. Them not having it won't hurt them and won't help you. Lots of phones are stolen while still in the original packaging - and those phones do tend to get blacklisted. And like you have thought, they might be planning to report it stolen or stop paying for it (in which case, the carrier will blacklist).
Why not just buy a pre-paid SIM and use that in your normal phone while in the USA ? Or buy a cheap pre-paid phone while you are there if your current phone does not use SIM technology ? You can get one for $20 at places like WAL*MART and similar, which are all over the USA.
Not sure what you mean about "frying" a new SIM. It just wouldn't work if the IMEI was blacklisted, but it's not going to explode or anything. :silly:
If it's blacklisted, I wouldn't count on getting it "un-blacklisted". Carriers really don't like to do that, and you'd probably be looking at making multiple phone calls and facing the likelihood that they weren't going to do it no matter what you said. Normal reps tend to not even know what the IMEI blacklist is, you'd have to have your case brought to someone who did, and convince them to do it - which they usually flat-out will not. I've only really heard of success with having it "un-blacklisted" if you're a long-term customer with a retention/sob story, and it took multiple phone calls and a lot of time.
Thanks I actually did buy a GSM phone for use with a prepaid SIM in USA. I bought it mainly for 3G band inter-compatibility between that used in US and where I live.
Wouldn't opening a dispute with Ebay for this be a little too much? Also, if I open an Item Not As Described dispute, they would request me to get the phone checked with a local dealer and give them a report of exactly how it is not as described by the inspector right? The receipt being missing would be a minor thing that I am not sure they would even consider looking at.
I really don't know the process (but the stories I've heard didn't make the buyer do anything too complicated). Honestly, the sellers themselves have been screwed over because they'll often just take you on your word and people have been known to scam that way. *shrug*
It's up to you how worried you are and if you're prepared to take a loss. But if they're not responding to you, what else are you going to do it get eBay involved? Other than just sit on it and hope for the best - which might all turn out fine, might not.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app
The seller is still being very dodgy. Is it true that the Social Security Number is printed on the phone bill when it is purchased from AT&T even if it was an outright purchase?
The seller is refusing to provide the original sales invoice on the grounds that it has his SSN and he would not want to disclose that. He is also refusing to provide a bill by himself saying that he does not know the IMEI of the phone he sold to me so he cannot take the liability of giving a bill for an IMEI he is not sure was sold by him! However, the phone is working fine otherwise.
Could someone clarify if this is right?
I bought a brand new Motorola Photon Q at FULL PRICE from Sprint a few weeks ago because I do NOT believe in contracts and remain contract free.
My phone shuts off every time I touch the Lock Screen button on top or when I BEGIN to slide out the QWERTY keyboard. (NO drops, cracks, scratches, water damage, abuse, etc verified by Sprint store)
I have the $11 a month Total Equipment Protection.
First, they can't fix my phone at the Sprint Corporate store.
Then, the want me to wait THREE BUSINESS DAYS for a REFURBED phone because the Sprint Corporate Repair Center does NOT have any in stock.
Lastly, the manager REFUSES to simply give me the ONE new Photon Q LTE they have in stock by telling me "If I give you a new Photon Q for your Total Equipment Protection Claim E-ticket I will be written up and face disciplinary action and/or lose my job."
Why the complete lack of service?
I am paying a HUGE MONTHLY PREMIUM of $11 a month for TEP, and my phone is new and still under the factory warranty.
Sprint is in the business to make monthly fees.
If I don't have a working phone, they can't charge me for monthly service.
If my Comcast cable box died, regardless of who owns it, Comcast would make it right..... even at their cost..... because they want my monthly payment.
I am NOT under contract with Comcast, and I am NOT under contract with Sprint either.
So, why aren't they bending over backwards to get a working phone in my hands ????
Not too long ago, you could walk into any corporate store and walk out with a free refurb with NO insurance and NO $50 fee.
This complete lack of customer service has me wanting to cancel Sprint and simply take my Photon Q LTE to the prepaid side or simply getting a new phone from another prepaid carrier.
This way, I can save money off of the monthly bill and just buy a cheap "backup" phone from Craigslist in case of emergencies so I can be my "own personal warranty and repair department".
PS.
The Sprint corporate store made me wait around for 4 hours.
This was after I IMMEDIATELY displayed, and duplicated 3 times, that my phone was shutting off every time I simply touched the "lock screen" button on top.
Any advice would be appreciated.
I look forward to hearing comments on Sprint's current customer service performance and policies as well.
They pulled the same crap with me when I tried to get my phone replaced. I ended up just saying **** it and replacing the parts myself. Though I am on a contract... But I also do pay for the TEP... I think their (lack of) support is ****. And it's really got me considering switching carriers.
I've been on the phone with Sprint customer service all day.
Been given nothing but a run around.
They have not located me a phone.
They have no idea where it will ship from.
They have no idea when it will ship.
My phone will not power up and I have been missing calls and texts for 2 days.
I keep requesting that they tell a Sprint store to give me a new phone, or even a refurb, and I will drive there to get it.
No one will agree to help me.
WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH SPRINT ??????
That really sucks...
What's sad nowadays, is companies don't really care unless you make a big stink... and perhaps you need to make a BIG one.
Post on all their social media outlets. I've heard of mountains being moved simply because an issue was made public.
I know it's a little late now, but the next phone you buy, I would recommend getting from Best Buy, and get their protection plan. I've been told that I can literally walk out the door seconds after buying a phone, "drop" it in the parking lot, walk back in, and get a new phone on-the-spot. The best part is, it costs the same as the TEP (or you can opt to pay in full for about $170 for 2 yrs of protection), and NO $100 insurance claim fee.
I don't mean to sound like a salesman, but I've had to do enough TEP claims to decide that most big business doesn't care anymore about the consumer. Best Buy's plan is the only one I've come across these days where I can leave with a brand new phone within minutes.
arrrghhh said:
That really sucks...
What's sad nowadays, is companies don't really care unless you make a big stink... and perhaps you need to make a BIG one.
Post on all their social media outlets. I've heard of mountains being moved simply because an issue was made public.
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Click to collapse
I totally agree on this one.
Sent from my Motorola Photon Q LTE using xda premium
Now that sprint contracts out the TEP insurance stuff to asurion (asurian?) thats the procedure. I broke my Q's screen within a couple months of buying it and I had to go through the same crap were I couldnt get an in-stock phone immediately because if a screen is cracked, you must go through the TEP process, and if your phone isn't the hottest new thing selling, you will likely get a refurb.
I have had a quite a few refurbs in the past through TEP (all because of my own fault), and they have all been good working and good looking units. I broke the phone, so I would have taken almost any working phone. But in your case, I can see why its bothersome.
Hey all,
A few years back I bought a spare phone off ebay. My main phone just broke and when I went to activate the spare, of course, it was imei blacklisted. I don't care that much since I have little $$$ into it but I've been trying to read up on the blacklist and have found little information.
After some research it seems that there are companies who claim that they can fix the problem (I've seen imiefix.com discussed on this board). I have no intention of doing that to my phone since the phone is worth less than the cost of the service but I struck up an email conversation with someone who claims to perform the service. In the discussion he told me that he actually clears the IMEI from the blacklist of certain companies and does not change or mask IMEI's or do anything else to change the phone. (he has provided me videos showing a phone on the blacklist before he does what he does and how the same IMEI is off the blacklist after his service) but I am still skeptical.
The main question I asked him was whether his service only removes the IMEI from the individual carrier's blacklist or if it removes it from the national and global blacklists (ie. will his service remove a T-Mobile blocked IMEI only from T-Mobile but leave it globally blocked for other carriers). In is response he provided this information he told me that phones are blocked for 2 reasons, 1) lost or stolen phones 2) failure to fulfull contractual obligations (ie. didn't pay subsidy). He told me that only lost/stole phones end up on the global or national blacklist, and that phones blocked for failure to pay are only blocked by the individual carrier.
is this information correct?
anyone have experience with these services?
I am conflicted about this blacklist thing. Yes, we need to find a way to protect consumers from theft and even carriers from fraud, and we shouldn't encourage the sale of stolen goods. But who does it benefit? the consumer? of course not. It is almost exclusively to the benefit of the carriers and manufacturers who get to pump more and more of their exorbitantly expensive phones into the market while thousands of useless phones sit around or end up in landfill. And, since there is such a delay in the time that it takes for phones to end up on the blocklist, and since the carriers seem to do nothing to stop fraud (ie. selling phones then reporting them stolen) the only people this hurts are the poor saps who dish out hundreds for a phone on the aftermarket just to have it locked on them a few months down the road.
silky28 said:
Hey all,
A few years back I bought a spare phone off ebay. My main phone just broke and when I went to activate the spare, of course, it was imei blacklisted. I don't care that much since I have little $$$ into it but I've been trying to read up on the blacklist and have found little information.
After some research it seems that there are companies who claim that they can fix the problem (I've seen imiefix.com discussed on this board). I have no intention of doing that to my phone since the phone is worth less than the cost of the service but I struck up an email conversation with someone who claims to perform the service. In the discussion he told me that he actually clears the IMEI from the blacklist of certain companies and does not change or mask IMEI's or do anything else to change the phone. (he has provided me videos showing a phone on the blacklist before he does what he does and how the same IMEI is off the blacklist after his service) but I am still skeptical.
The main question I asked him was whether his service only removes the IMEI from the individual carrier's blacklist or if it removes it from the national and global blacklists (ie. will his service remove a T-Mobile blocked IMEI only from T-Mobile but leave it globally blocked for other carriers). In is response he provided this information he told me that phones are blocked for 2 reasons, 1) lost or stolen phones 2) failure to fulfull contractual obligations (ie. didn't pay subsidy). He told me that only lost/stole phones end up on the global or national blacklist, and that phones blocked for failure to pay are only blocked by the individual carrier.
is this information correct?
anyone have experience with these services?
I am conflicted about this blacklist thing. Yes, we need to find a way to protect consumers from theft and even carriers from fraud, and we shouldn't encourage the sale of stolen goods. But who does it benefit? the consumer? of course not. It is almost exclusively to the benefit of the carriers and manufacturers who get to pump more and more of their exorbitantly expensive phones into the market while thousands of useless phones sit around or end up in landfill. And, since there is such a delay in the time that it takes for phones to end up on the blocklist, and since the carriers seem to do nothing to stop fraud (ie. selling phones then reporting them stolen) the only people this hurts are the poor saps who dish out hundreds for a phone on the aftermarket just to have it locked on them a few months down the road.
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So playing around a bit I just saw a Tmobile phone on Ebay that is blocked by Tmobile. The ad gave the IMEI so I called Tmobile to enquire. The friendly CS rep checked and said the phone is indeed blacklisted but it is still attached to the account holder's account and she cannot tell me anything else. So long story short, person probably sold the phone to Ebay shop and told them it was Tmobile blacklisted. The store will sell the phone as having a bad IMEI but since it is only Tmobile blacklisted it can still be used on AT&T. Since, however, the phone is still on the other account it is likely that (and there is nothing to stop) the original owner will claim it lost or stolen within a few months, especially if they have theft protection. The new buyer, therefore, will get a phone to use for a couple of months until it is globally blacklisted but by then the Ebay complaint window will be closed so purchaser will be stuck.
They need to find a way to fix this. Instead of keeping the phone on an active account all blacklisted phones should be put into default accounts and cannot be changed in any way. Of course the carriers have no interest in doing this.