[Q] Legal questions concerning Esn methods - General Questions and Answers

Not looking to get this thread closed. Just looking for a straight forward explanation of the difference in methods that makes one legal and the other illegal.
Example
You bought two identical phones. One with a cracked screen but good esn, the other a good screen but bad esn. You bought both of these phones with the intent of being able to use the good screen phone with the good esn.
Method 1; Legal. Remove entire motherboards from both phones, and swap. So now the good screen phone has the good esn while the cracked phone has a bad esn.
Method 2; Illegal. (im going to be very vague so this doesnt gets closed). Use some sort of software that replaces esn's so your good screen phone now has the good esn.
Both these methods have the same end result, but what exactly is the difference that constitutes one being legal, and the other illegal?

StellaG said:
Not looking to get this thread closed. Just looking for a straight forward explanation of the difference in methods that makes one legal and the other illegal.
Example
You bought two identical phones. One with a cracked screen but good esn, the other a good screen but bad esn. You bought both of these phones with the intent of being able to use the good screen phone with the good esn.
Method 1; Legal. Remove entire motherboards from both phones, and swap. So now the good screen phone has the good esn while the cracked phone has a bad esn.
Method 2; Illegal. (im going to be very vague so this doesnt gets closed). Use some sort of software that replaces esn's so your good screen phone now has the good esn.
Both these methods have the same end result, but what exactly is the difference that constitutes one being legal, and the other illegal?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mostly when you change the mother board then all the parts has the same esn/IMEI. On the other while you right t software side the embedded hardware has a different number. Also so the law states that only the OEM can change the numbers on the software level.

In a nut shell, the moment the embedded date is altered is when it becomes illegal. Easy enough, Thanks.

Related

Purchasing HTC Tilt on EBAY

What are some things to look for?
are there many fakes selling out there?
I've seen a few that say "new" but no original box....or some are new in original box but with no UPC barcode!
what does this mean?
are they stolen or refurbished? Some come from highly "legitimate" power sellers...
thanks guys!
you might want to buy the ones with ALL packaging details (new or used, for some reason i dont trust refurbished items), and buying from power users with 95+% rating or normal users with at least 98% would definitely help
New with no Barcode means they bought the phone as a upgrade/new contract type of thing and did the rebate but never used the phone.
signs
what are some signs that it is actually refurbished?
i also dont know how some "powerseller" gets a hold of so many HTC tilts that are all new in box but with no UPC?
did he literally get that many phone upgrades and rebates?
or what about ones with no box at all?
do you buy this story?: "The phone is an insurance replacement which is why it is new, but without all original accessories."
One thing to be aware of is (in the UK at least-but probably other countries as well) is that you will not be able to insure it on a 'gadget' policy (so no breakdown/loss cover) as the small print normally requires an original receipt (not from an auction eg:ebay)-your house contents policy may cover it but only in certain circumstances.
So if it goes faulty you coould be in trouble.
Hope this puts a different slant on it.
Ashley

Cracked screen

Due to unresolved billing issues with T-Mobile and now to add injury to insult, the dang phone fell 2.5ft while i was getting out of the car...and guess what?
Gorilla glass is not all it's cracked up to be (pun intended)
Im thinking this is a final sign that i need to bail ship and move onwards.
What is an otherwise perfectly working stock G2X running GB worth?
Do you have the insurance on the phone? It covers drops.
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA App
Nope, no ins. Never broke a phone before...normally pretty careful dude so didnt think it was necessary. I was really really surprised, especially how bad it shattered from a short fall.
Isnt there like a $50 deductable for that anyway? the Screen's + Digi go for less on ebay.
How about this one?
It doesn not say it has the digitizer is what's stopping me from pulling the trigger right now.
any opinion on this??
http://www.ebay.com/itm/LCD-Display...042?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item27c05e642a
I was under the impression that the two terms; touchscreen and digitizer could be used interchangably. I may be wrong though. That item would work in my mind but I would see what other members had to say.
Well nevermind the idea of a sale or value for the phone. It is worth nothing according to LG.
I sent the phone in for repair and it was returned today. I asked why nobody contacted me and was told becuase they had received the phone physically damaged and it was unrepairable. I asked for a photo but the one they sent was pretty small and shows really nothing plus i am not sure what im supposed to be looking for anyway.
So are they sending you a new one or just keeping yours?
Sent from my HTC Glacier using xda premium
I posted here today prior to receiving my phone back from repair. I was posting trying to figure out what my options were going to be in advance of things.
I was not expecting to receive the phone back as i had not been notified, no calls or anything from stellar/LG...
Surprised to see teh fedex man with a package for me...it was my phone...broke.
So no, They are not sending me a new one. I am bummed. I have a nice fancy broken g2x that stellar/LG deems unrepairable!
Hendge said:
I posted here today prior to receiving my phone back from repair. I was posting trying to figure out what my options were going to be in advance of things.
I was not expecting to receive the phone back as i had not been notified, no calls or anything from stellar/LG...
Surprised to see teh fedex man with a package for me...it was my phone...broke.
So no, They are not sending me a new one. I am bummed. I have a nice fancy broken g2x that stellar/LG deems unrepairable!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your G2X is not unrepairable.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/archive/index.php/t-1207651.html
There is plenty of information on the internet about repairing it including videos on You Tube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDUPPzbQKTI
Here's where to purchase parts http://www.repairsuniverse.com/lg-g2x-p999-screen-replacement-repair-parts.html
http://www.cell-phoneparts.com/lg-tmobile-g2x-touch-screen-digitizer-replacement-p999-p-623.html
http://www.globaldirectparts.com/SearchResults.asp?Search=p999
There are other sources of parts too.
People make this mistake all the time. Hardness and strength are not interchangable. Gorilla glass is hard, great for scratch resistance but terrible for shatter resistance.
Basic metallurgy. Applies to metals too.
Hendge said:
Gorilla glass is not all it's cracked up to be (pun intended)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA App
Corememory - I just received the phone back from it's authorized repair center and they say the phone was sent back to me "as is" because they do not replace phones, only repair...and mine in non repairable.
I will post the pic they sent if you still dispute it's fixable and undertstand circuit board repair or whatever the issue is.
TerryM - yes.My mistake as well as many others too. Also surprsing is in the reference thread posted it was also noted by another poster the extremely short fall it took to break.
Possibly the 'Gorilla Glass' is a worse alternative after all...more susceptble to shattering than Non gorilla or standard display glass.
Hendge said:
Well nevermind the idea of a sale or value for the phone. It is worth nothing according to LG.
I sent the phone in for repair and it was returned today. I asked why nobody contacted me and was told becuase they had received the phone physically damaged and it was unrepairable. I asked for a photo but the one they sent was pretty small and shows really nothing plus i am not sure what im supposed to be looking for anyway.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LG (and pretty much every other manufacturer) covers repairs for manufacturing defects. They have no responsibility to repair a phone that was broken otherwise, and there is absolutely no reason whatsoever to expect LG to do so.
Being as you didn't purchase insurance, that means you get to find someone to fix it for you, or fix it yourself. It isn't that difficult or expensive.
TL;DR: You broke your phone. You don't have insurance. Fix it.
Ummm...thanks i know it's tough luck and am aware of SOP's for getting my situation str8. What i am NOT getting is prior to sending it in i read on here as well as other sites the costs and procedures involved. So why then are two members directing me to repair on my own or find someone, if the actual USA LG auth repair facility is saying it's non??
I do not want to spend anymore time or money. I would just assume move on to the next phone and carrier. Screw t-mobile. The phone was great aside from the fragility.
Hendge said:
Ummm...thanks i know it's tough luck and am aware of SOP's for getting my situation str8. What i am NOT getting is prior to sending it in i read on here as well as other sites the costs and procedures involved. So why then are two members directing me to repair on my own or find someone, if the actual USA LG auth repair facility is saying it's non??
I do not want to spend anymore time or money. I would just assume move on to the next phone and carrier. Screw t-mobile. The phone was great aside from the fragility.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If all that was broken is the screen, it isn't by any means unrepairable (no matter what LG's authorized repair facility says), but you would need to check it out for yourself in order to find out the extent of the damage, unless you already know. Without pictures or details of what is damaged, we can't exactly tell you if it is fixable or not. The way it was worded sounded a bit like you attempted to get a warranty repair rather than something you would have had to pay for.
The thing is throughout the thread your attitude towards T-Mobile and LG already shows more than a little animosity and it colors how we read your posts as a whole, or at least how I read it. I don't know what your issue with them is exactly, and I don't want to. You flat out say you don't want to spend any more time or money on this problem, so...Hope you know that moving to another phone and carrier is going to cost you (either you pay for the phone up front or you pay for it in your contract, dearly, and in the US there aren't any better deals than Sprint or T-Mobile). Either way, without more details there isn't much we can tell you.
Also, this phone isn't any more 'fragile' than any other thin slab of glass attached to metal and plastic that is less than an inch thick.
Hendge said:
Screw t-mobile. The phone was great aside from the fragility.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ummmm. This phone is no more fragile than the next. I actually stood on my phone and ground it into limestone rocks. I ended up with just a couple of scratches. It isn't unbreakable, but there is no issue that makes it more fragile than any other phone. It isn't T-Mobile's fault that 1) you didn't buy insurance and 2) glass can be broken.
Sent from my LG-P999 using Tapatalk
JaiaV said:
If all that was broken is the screen, it isn't by any means unrepairable (no matter what LG's authorized repair facility says), but you would need to check it out for yourself in order to find out the extent of the damage, unless you already know. Without pictures or details of what is damaged, we can't exactly tell you if it is fixable or not. The way it was worded sounded a bit like you attempted to get a warranty repair rather than something you would have had to pay for.
The thing is throughout the thread your attitude towards T-Mobile and LG already shows more than a little animosity and it colors how we read your posts as a whole, or at least how I read it. I don't know what your issue with them is exactly, and I don't want to. You flat out say you don't want to spend any more time or money on this problem, so...Hope you know that moving to another phone and carrier is going to cost you (either you pay for the phone up front or you pay for it in your contract, dearly, and in the US there aren't any better deals than Sprint or T-Mobile). Either way, without more details there isn't much we can tell you.
Also, this phone isn't any more 'fragile' than any other thin slab of glass attached to metal and plastic that is less than an inch thick.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure what exactly you are reading into...ive stated that the phone was dropped and was surprised the repair facility intimated their inability to repair.
Maybe i exagerrated when i mentioned i am normally careful. I am, but sheet happens and i have dropped other phones w/out damage. My first smartphone was the mytouch3g, it was dropped a few times from greater distances with only a few nicks and a crack in the casing. All i have is my own experience to draw from, and in this case the other thread posted where another member also complained about a short fall and the resulting damage. In my experience the phone is fragile due to completely shattering from a small fall!
I understand your lack of interest in my issues with T-Mobile. So all i can do is say: BEWARE
What i would REALLY like is info/help on determining if this phone is fixable. I assume i can go to simple mobile and buy a SIM or would anyone possibly l know if i quit on a contract with T-Mobile and could care less what they do to my credit, can i get on one of their pre-paid plans via wal-mart or something?
So, should i post the photo they sent me, take the phone apart and look for something?? how to save myself from ordering a display/digitizer and coming to the same conclusion as stellar?
lotherius said:
Ummmm. This phone is no more fragile than the next. I actually stood on my phone and ground it into limestone rocks. I ended up with just a couple of scratches. It isn't unbreakable, but there is no issue that makes it more fragile than any other phone. It isn't T-Mobile's fault that 1) you didn't buy insurance and 2) glass can be broken.
Sent from my LG-P999 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In this case, and my experience dropping other phones, you are proven incorrect - hopefully you'll never have to deal firsthand.
I know and said nothing about this being T-Mobiles fault. I have posted on here in the past some detail so no need to go into it. All i can say is WATCHOUT FOR THEM. Be very careful and cautious if ever doing any business with them. TRUST ME please and save yourself the frustration.
as for insurance, just a risk i take. I would prefer no auto/home any kind whatsoever. That's just me, foolish or not i'd rather not pay monthly. Most insurances will look for any way not to pay. I only purchase required insurance.
Hendge said:
In this case, and my experience dropping other phones, you are proven incorrect - hopefully you'll never have to deal firsthand.
I know and said nothing about this being T-Mobiles fault. I have posted on here in the past some detail so no need to go into it. All i can say is WATCHOUT FOR THEM. Be very careful and cautious if ever doing any business with them. TRUST ME please and save yourself the frustration.
as for insurance, just a risk i take. I would prefer no auto/home any kind whatsoever. That's just me, foolish or not i'd rather not pay monthly. Most insurances will look for any way not to pay. I only purchase required insurance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After reading your other threads and going over the things you ask about (like getting a Simple Mobile SIM and putting it in the phone to 'fix' the screen, wanting to know how to get out of your contract, complaining that LG and T-Mobile won't just magically replace your $15-20 battery at your whim) it sounds like all you want is out of a contract you signed with no repercussions, or ETF. You give absolutely no details, pictures, proof of correspondence with LG's repair facility, or any necessary information required to help you figure out just how damaged your phone is. You state you have read about and even checked prices on how to fix your screen.
I want to help you, but you don't seem to want help. All you seem to want is a way out of your contract and an easy way to chum up with another carrier without spending any money. Sorry, but you won't find help for that here.
JaiaV said:
After reading your other threads and going over the things you ask about (like getting a Simple Mobile SIM and putting it in the phone to 'fix' the screen, wanting to know how to get out of your contract, complaining that LG and T-Mobile won't just magically replace your $15-20 battery at your whim) it sounds like all you want is out of a contract you signed with no repercussions, or ETF. You give absolutely no details, pictures, proof of correspondence with LG's repair facility, or any necessary information required to help you figure out just how damaged your phone is. You state you have read about and even checked prices on how to fix your screen.
I want to help you, but you don't seem to want help. All you seem to want is a way out of your contract and an easy way to chum up with another carrier without spending any money. Sorry, but you won't find help for that here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey, you seem to want to draw your own conclusions, nitpick and challenge whne i have no interest in any of that. Tell ya what, i was under impression you were trying to help. If so, check the pic stellar sent me today that i have attached and comment if you have any expertise on the subject.
If not, have a great night and myob next time
Hendge said:
In this case, and my experience dropping other phones, you are proven incorrect - hopefully you'll never have to deal firsthand.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually. If you read what I wrote, I mentioned that I dropped my phone onto onto limestone gravel and then proceeded to STAND ON IT. And I weigh 260 lb. Screen scratched but unbroken. Does that prove it is unbreakable? Nope. In any single incident all kinds of things are possible. I used to work for tmo, I know this firsthand. You'd be surprised, even with those old "indestructible" Nokias, how many people dropped their phones a "couple of feet" onto the carpet and ended up with something broke. It happens. Shut up and deal with it like a man.
Sent from my LG-P999 using Tapatalk

Poor HTC Customer Service

I dropped my Sensation and the glass cover of the screen smashed so I sent it back for repair which I fully expected to pay for. What I didnt expect was for them to also charge me for a new Mainboard. I called to query this and was told that the the bootloader had been changed, they had to replace the MB to lock it again in order to provide me with a warranty for the repair.
I explained to them that I thought this was nonsense and I was not fussed about a warranty and just requested that the screen was repaired.
As the phone was dropped, I wouldnt have thought for a minute that the phone would be fixed under warranty so what is their beef?
Was there not a press release from HTC saying that they were going to remove S-On from new devices? Does anyone have a link to this?
I'm now left with the option of paying £260 for the repair or have it returned for £23 which I'm thinking of doing then selling it on ebay.
Pretty gutted and disappointed at HTC
They weren't going to remove S-ON, they have offered the ability to unlock the bootloader. 2 VERY different things
It does seem a bit rubbish they've done that, though. They shouldn't care what else is up with the phone if all you want to do is pay for the repair of the screen
Ah, that makes sense.
Yup, I'm pretty upset to be honest that they've got me over a barrel regarding repair.
de-v8 said:
Ah, that makes sense.
Yup, I'm pretty upset to be honest that they've got me over a barrel regarding repair.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm sorry to say that this isn't really anything new. My experience of HTC customer care in the UK is that they are absolutely awful from start to finish. At one point I swore I would never buy another one of their devices, but briefly owning an Acer and a Samsung revealed problems too.
If you search you'll find various complaints on XDA from people who have sent in phones with one problem only to find they have another on arrival despite careful packaging (the screen is suddenly broken, it is suddenly water damaged etc).
It might just be whoever HTC uses to do servicing and warranty work in the UK and not HTC themselves that are the problem. I don't know enough about this so I am only guessing, but I would suggest it might be worth trying to get hold of someone in HTC Europe/Worldwide and asking them to intervene on your behalf. Just emphasize that you only want to pay for the screen to be repaired and that if some gorilla has broken the main board whilst trying to replace it, that simply isn't your fault (I'm guessing that's what has really happened). Try emailing a tech site like Crave for some publicity? If HTC are insisting on charging everyone who sends in a phone with a broken screen which also has a custom ROM on it for a new main board.....well, that's just plain wrong isn't it?
My sentiment exactly.
I'm not expecting a warranty, although it would be alarming to get the unit back fixed to find another fault.
Surely the whole point is that I've requested a repair that I'm happy to pay for, they're demanding on a much bigger and unnecessary repair to fulfil it.
WRONG
I don't really understand why the firmware would need to be locked to guarentee a screen repair anyway? And why wouldn't they just flash new firmware to the existing phone - why would the main board need to be changed? People flash back to original firmware here all the time. It just doesn't smell right to me, but once again, I am FAR from an expert on the subject. You could just call their bluff and ask for the phone back and pay the return fee.
If you're in email correspondence with them and they haven't already done so in writing I'd ask them to put into writing why replacing the screen requires a new main board; why does new formware have to be flashed to the device to guarentee a hardware repair? Why can't the new firmware be flashed to the existing main board? I'd also exlpain as politely as possible that you are disatisfied with their explanation and ask them for a point of contact directly with someone at HTC to act as an ombudsman, or just tell them that you'll be contacting HTC directly to ask them to interevene.
Sounds like pure scam. It would be equivalent to dropping off your car for a windscreen repair and being told you need a new injection system because the exhaust has been modified. If you don't pay for the new injection system they can't fix the windscreen but you can have your car back unrepaired for $100 fee. Obviously the mechanic would be in court for fraud very quickly if someone took it to the police.
What we have here is some dodgy individuals preying on the general public, I can say this is not typical of HTC service in my country at least. I wonderful if they would even change the mainboard or simply flash an ruu and claim they had done so. Don't know what legal recourse is available in the UK but you should at the least report the matter to HTC global. These scumbags are after all damaging the reputation of the HTC brand and I'm sure that if they receive a number of complaints they will have to do something about the situation.
Sent from my Acer Iconia A500 using Tapatalk
Same story over and over...
http://www.google.co.uk/search?rlz=...id=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=bad+htc+customer+service
bonesy said:
Same story over and over...
http://www.google.co.uk/search?rlz=...id=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=bad+htc+customer+service
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After reading some of those I'm glad I live in a country where that kind of behaviour is illegal under consumer protection laws. Looks like I was wrong when I said that sort of behaviour isn't normal of HTC worldwide. It appears the only reason HTC behave here is that they would get murdered by the legal system, not to mention the negative publicity attached to that.
Sent from my Acer Iconia A500 using Tapatalk
dr.m0x said:
After reading some of those I'm glad I live in a country where that kind of behaviour is illegal under consumer protection laws. Looks like I was wrong when I said that sort of behaviour isn't normal of HTC worldwide. It appears the only reason HTC behave here is that they would get murdered by the legal system, not to mention the negative publicity attached to that.
Sent from my Acer Iconia A500 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's really weird because we have a pretty robust Sale of Goods act over here, but even that doesn't sem to count for that much these days. In theory goods have to be fit for purpose and, in theory, last a certain length of time - if not, a consumer should be able to return the item for a refund. These days however, even in retail stores, if something fails outside of 28 days many places insist on having it repaired. Online retailers often insist that one sends a phone back to the manufacturer for repair if it fails after a month which simply isn't right.
We're also fairly well known for putting up with higher prices in the Uk than other parts of Europe and the rest of the world. It's bizarre, but we just seem to take c**p from our retail sector here in the UK, whether it be cars, phones or tvs.
You'd think bad publicity would force the likes of HTC to really raise their game, but it just doesn't seem to (although, unfotunately, the fact that de-v8 has actually managed to get hold of HTC customer support more than once IS an improvement; way better than my experiences in 2008/9).
Tech journalists over here don't help us either. So many just hype the hell out of everything and get on board with the marketing claims manufacturers make about a new chip or a CMOS sensor and don't point out obvious discrepancies or flaws. Well, sometimes they do so belatedly by saying 'oh yeah the HTC Touch Pro always was dog slow because the VGA res. screen and TouchFlo always was too much for the SoC. Of course, a year earlier they had claimed it change one's life for the better ; )
Obviously this doesn't help de-v8 as his scenario is slightly different as it was a paid repair in the first place, but he's clearly being fleeced.
Should have replied sooner.
HTC offered me a full repair free of charge. It pays to stand your ground!
Sent from my HTC Sensation using TapAtalk

IMEI on back different to UI / packaging!

Bought from Tesco, IMEI printed inside back cover is 8 digits away from the IMEI on the packaging! Obviously someone on the line muddled up the rear casings...
jfinnie said:
Bought from Tesco, IMEI printed inside back cover is 8 digits away from the IMEI on the packaging! Obviously someone on the line muddled up the rear casings...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not unheard of, does happen.. Notify the place you bought it from, ask for a new receipt/invoice with the CORRECT IMEI for you phone. It doesn't really matter, but if you ever lose the phone or there is a dispute over who owns it you would need this to prove it's yours or get the phone blocked on the network (if it's stolen).
Obviously the one on the phone (in the about phone menu) is the real one.. I say this, because if some numpty has the phone with your back/box (IMEI) on, and they lose it, its possibly the dumb network people could block your phone by mistake.. No one wants to wake up to a blocked phone and a load of hassle..
helppme said:
It's not unheard of, does happen.. Notify the place you bought it from, ask for a new receipt/invoice with the CORRECT IMEI for you phone. It doesn't really matter, but if you ever lose the phone or there is a dispute over who owns it you would need this to prove it's yours or get the phone blocked on the network (if it's stolen).
Obviously the one on the phone (in the about phone menu) is the real one.. I say this, because if some numpty has the phone with your back/box (IMEI) on, and they lose it, its possibly the dumb network people could block your phone by mistake.. No one wants to wake up to a blocked phone and a load of hassle..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I returned it - I imagine in a multiple like Tesco you have no chance of getting such an ammendment done to the receipt (heck, the receipt doesn't even list the IMEI). There is at least one scenario which could arise even more problematic than above - my unit is actually programmed with the SAME IMEI as the other device because someone scanned another phone back before programming the IMEI. Not worth the hassle really. Annoying though.
It does seem like the quality control is not brilliant - or at least the Tesco got a batch which were made at a time when the factory were pushed or similar. I work in high-end electronics design so I might be fussier than most - but each of 4 phones bought from Tesco within a 3 week period have had some fault or other. Admittedly not massive faults (though the IMEI mix up is perhaps fatal for your phone).
jfinnie said:
I returned it - I imagine in a multiple like Tesco you have no chance of getting such an ammendment done to the receipt (heck, the receipt doesn't even list the IMEI). There is at least one scenario which could arise even more problematic than above - my unit is actually programmed with the SAME IMEI as the other device because someone scanned another phone back before programming the IMEI. Not worth the hassle really. Annoying though.
It does seem like the quality control is not brilliant - or at least the Tesco got a batch which were made at a time when the factory were pushed or similar. I work in high-end electronics design so I might be fussier than most - but each of 4 phones bought from Tesco within a 3 week period have had some fault or other. Admittedly not massive faults (though the IMEI mix up is perhaps fatal for your phone).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think it's Tesco at fault. They are given the units they then open them, insert their sim and assign IMEI etc. I think they are clumsy idiots who damage the backs, mess up the packaging etc. during this process. I'm very confident they are unskilled people and this is not being done in a 'clean' environment like where the phones are manufactured. The dead pixel is probably Motorola's fault.

[Q] Bad ESN/IMEI Fix?

Hello,
I am wanting to find a way to make LEGAL cash and have no intention in breaking any laws whatsoever.
Say you have a phone (Galaxy S4, iPhone 5, etc) and it has been blacklisted and cannot be used with another carrier. What if i buy an S4 (or whatever) with a good IMEI or ESN but its broken (screen cracked wifi dont work, etc) and apply the ESN or IMEI to the blacklisted phone? Is this illegal?
I read that it is illegal to do this if you are intentionally applying an ESN to a phone in order to spy on someone, etc. but the ESN i would use to make the black listed phone work would come from a completely destroyed phone (but has a good ESN) and would most likely be taken apart and sold piece by piece after applying the ESN/IMEI to the phone being repaired.
I also read that you can unlock a phone to be used internationally if it is blacklisted in the U.S. and it would work for carriers overseas but that may change soon.
Is there any way that doing this type of thing would NOT be illegal? Is there any websites with up to date information you guys can recommend so i can read up on this? Any recommendations (besides ebay) to find destroyed phones with verified good IMEI/ESN numbers would get great as well.
I would like to start a side business as i love tinkering with phones/computers/tablets etc. plus the extra money would be nice.
I need some extra cash and i know that i would most likely have to purchase an expensive program like CDMA Workshop or something like that in order to legally transfer IMEI/ESN information but i would like to start a business doing this to make some extra cash on the side, but LEGALLY.
Any information on the matter would be greatly appreciated.

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