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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?
Not sure what to do and I know Im partially to blame here too. I found someone selling an HTC Sensation on craigslist for a decent price. They said it was in brand new shape and nothing at all wrong with it. I called him up to talk about the phone since I was weary of buying from someone I didnt know
He told me he was a sales director for Tmobile so based on that I went up and met him to buy it about 40 miles away and I also went to his kiosk which turned out to be an authorized retailer and not a real Tmobile store.
I turned the phone on and it seemed to work, so I gave him the money and went to my car to put my sim in. At that time when removing the case the power button fell off. I brought it back to him and he said tough luck you already bought it... I went back to my car and was able to get it turned on again, and it had no signal at all. It wouldnt even make an emergency call.
I drove home defeated hoping to send it in to HTC for repairs under warranty, but after having my friend look at it, he noticed all the screws in the back were missing, meaning its void now...
Any idea what I can do here? The guys not returning calls or txts I send him and it looks like I have an expensive paper weight...
redspeed said:
Not sure what to do and I know Im partially to blame here too. I found someone selling an HTC Sensation on craigslist for a decent price. They said it was in brand new shape and nothing at all wrong with it. I called him up to talk about the phone since I was weary of buying from someone I didnt know
He told me he was a sales director for Tmobile so based on that I went up and met him to buy it about 40 miles away and I also went to his kiosk which turned out to be an authorized retailer and not a real Tmobile store.
I turned the phone on and it seemed to work, so I gave him the money and went to my car to put my sim in. At that time when removing the case the power button fell off. I brought it back to him and he said tough luck you already bought it... I went back to my car and was able to get it turned on again, and it had no signal at all. It wouldnt even make an emergency call.
I drove home defeated hoping to send it in to HTC for repairs under warranty, but after having my friend look at it, he noticed all the screws in the back were missing, meaning its void now...
Any idea what I can do here? The guys not returning calls or txts I send him and it looks like you have an expensive paper weight...
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Listen to your instinct. It tried to tell you. Anyhow, you basically got screwed. I am not sure there is too much you can do about it... Craigslist even warns about stuff like this. It was at your own risk :/
Even him telling you he was a sales director of T-Mobile then seeing his "kiosk" would have raised all sorts of red flags... it did with me.
KitsuKun said:
Listen to your instinct. It tried to tell you. Anyhow, you basically got screwed. I am not sure there is too much you can do about it... Craigslist even warns about stuff like this. It was at your own risk :/
Even him telling you he was a sales director of T-Mobile then seeing his "kiosk" would have raised all sorts of red flags... it did with me.
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I know I should have plugged in my sim card right there in front of him before buying it... I was stupid I dont know what I was thinking... probably nothing Tmobile can do to help me? I bought the phone from him and went to his kiosk at the mall. I know Tmobile holds them to certain standards, and I dont know if selling phones to people on the side while working is something they can do?
Report him. He sold you a faulty phone not working as advertised.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA
redspeed said:
I know I should have plugged in my sim card right there in front of him before buying it... I was stupid I dont know what I was thinking... probably nothing Tmobile can do to help me? I bought the phone from him and went to his kiosk at the mall. I know Tmobile holds them to certain standards, and I dont know if selling phones to people on the side while working is something they can do?
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If he took you to the kiosk, then go back to the kiosk and tell them that you are going to talk to tmobile corporate about it.
If you bought on the kiosk I think you can speak to t-mobile. It is not important that ou found it on the craiglist. He can do thet on the official kiosk.
I just went to my local T-Mobile to pick up an HTC One M8. I went to the store to save time on shipping. However as soon as I went in there I regretted it.
The guy would not give up trying to sell my useless accessories I was not interested in. Then he went and got the phone and when he came back he already had all his grubby hands around it. I was boiling but didn't say anything because the damage had been done. I don't even understand why they need to open the phones. I like to unpackaged things myself.
They completely ruin the experience. I am considering going back to the store right now and returning it for one sealed in the box. What do you guys think?
xVip3r said:
I just went to my local T-Mobile to pick up an HTC One M8. I went to the store to save time on shipping. However as soon as I went in there I regretted it.
The guy would not give up trying to sell my useless accessories I was not interested in. Then he went and got the phone and when he came back he already had all his grubby hands around it. I was boiling but didn't say anything because the damage had been done. I don't even understand why they need to open the phones. I like to unpackaged things myself.
They completely ruin the experience. I am considering going back to the store right now and returning it for one sealed in the box. What do you guys think?
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I think you should package your phone back up, mail it to yourself and then unbox it.
A few reasons I can think that they "handle" your new phone:
1. To make sure it turns on and works properly before you leave with it.
2. To make sure all the accessories that it's supposed to come with it are in the box.
3. To install your SIM card.
1 and 2 might be a requirement for the employees for liability/anti-scam reasons.
xVip3r said:
I just went to my local T-Mobile to pick up an HTC One M8. I went to the store to save time on shipping. However as soon as I went in there I regretted it.
The guy would not give up trying to sell my useless accessories I was not interested in. Then he went and got the phone and when he came back he already had all his grubby hands around it. I was boiling but didn't say anything because the damage had been done. I don't even understand why they need to open the phones. I like to unpackaged things myself.
They completely ruin the experience. I am considering going back to the store right now and returning it for one sealed in the box. What do you guys think?
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If they brought you a unpacked model then
I think you should have said it right then that you want a packed model
If they opened it in front of you then thats your fault you shouldnt have let them
If it bothers you so much you should have told the seller right away. There is supposed to be a seal on the box which says "do not accept when the seal is broken" (or something similar to this). Thus, I think you could have complained and asked for an sealed box. However, I am not sure whether the seller would exchange the phone now after you have already taken it home...
I've always had the same problem when going to get a new phone.
I would go and change it; tell them something is wrong with it like it turns off randomly, that's something they can't test manually.
For now on when you go in tell them to not open it and that you know how to do it, works for me every time.
Sent from my SM-G900T using XDA Free mobile app
i was a little pissed when i went to Verizon to Get my Moto X, i enjoy unboxing stuff for the fun of it, the first time you pull off that Screen protector is the sweetest sound of new life. you should have seen the look on my face when he handed it to me the phone and pretty much ruined the first screen protector that he gave me that i paid $14.99 for three of them and i didn't even get to use the first one!
Found somewhere online that Google offers a one-time deal where if you break your device, you can get a refurbished one sent to you as long as you have purchased from the Play Store, within one year of the requested exchange.
I called Google, the offer is real, I just didn't have the IMEI number handy, only catch is that they put a hold as if you're buying the phone brand new. You get it back once you call and provide a tracking number for your device sent back to Google.
My question is has anyone done this? They weren't able to verify stock on the 32gb White model, I may be able to get a different model if I ask but I don't know yet.
I'm just curious of the quality of the refurbished device. Bad thing is that I don't have the IMEI sticker on the back of the device, nor can I boot it up so I don't know how to get the damn number.
stevew84 said:
Found somewhere online that Google offers a one-time deal where if you break your device, you can get a refurbished one sent to you as long as you have purchased from the Play Store, within one year of the requested exchange.
I called Google, the offer is real, I just didn't have the IMEI number handy, only catch is that they put a hold as if you're buying the phone brand new. You get it back once you call and provide a tracking number for your device sent back to Google.
My question is has anyone done this? They weren't able to verify stock on the 32gb White model, I may be able to get a different model if I ask but I don't know yet.
I'm just curious of the quality of the refurbished device. Bad thing is that I don't have the IMEI sticker on the back of the device, nor can I boot it up so I don't know how to get the damn number.
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its also on the box
simms22 said:
its also on the box
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Yea, see, this was from 11/2013 so right when the thing came out, I've moved since then and have no idea where the box is. I MIGHT be able to boot up but I'm not sure. I'll ask Google and see what they can do, has to be something they can do.
Is this only available in the US?
Sent from my Nexus 5
dicecuber said:
Is this only available in the US?
Sent from my Nexus 5
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From what I read, yes, as of September 2014 you can find a couple of articles talking about the "promotion" or whatever you want to call it.
its a real promotion, us customers only. i tried to get them to fix mine, but mine was bought through tmobile.
simms22 said:
its a real promotion, us customers only. i tried to get them to fix mine, but mine was bought through tmobile.
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I just hope they don't give me any crap about the IMEI, I'm pretty sure they have it on their end with the transaction ID, besides, once they refurb my device I'm sending them, they can verify it.
stevew84 said:
I just hope they don't give me any crap about the IMEI, I'm pretty sure they have it on their end with the transaction ID, besides, once they refurb my device I'm sending them, they can verify it.
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they probably could get the imei off of it after they get it physically.. why cant it boot?
simms22 said:
they probably could get the imei off of it after they get it physically.. why cant it boot?
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Well it boots, but the digitizer is busted and there is zero touch responsiveness. So it may as well be dead. I've taken it apart and checked all of the connections but nothing seems to be out of place. I thin maybe the ribbon is torn between the shell and the digitizer itself. I was going to tear the two pieces apart but I'm always scared to because that glue is so damn sticky.
stevew84 said:
Well it boots, but the digitizer is busted and there is zero touch responsiveness. So it may as well be dead. I've taken it apart and checked all of the connections but nothing seems to be out of place. I thin maybe the ribbon is torn between the shell and the digitizer itself. I was going to tear the two pieces apart but I'm always scared to because that glue is so damn sticky.
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if you boot into the bootloader(no need to touch the screen), itll list a serial number, which might help.
simms22 said:
if you boot into the bootloader(no need to touch the screen), itll list a serial number, which might help.
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Ahhh ok awesome, I'll check it out when I get home.
Turns out the IMEI number is on the inside of the back cover, so I got everything handled and the replacement will be at my house today. Google gave me free overnight air shipping which was awesome.
Also, the first time I called, they lady was aware of the "promotion" and was about to push things through if I had the IMEI, the seconds time I called, they were a little more reluctant and I got the whole talk about how a broken screen isn't covered bla bla bla, then I got put on hold for about 10 minutes. She comes back stating this isn't a promotion or a written policy, and it's a one time offer, but we can replace the device with a hold on your credit card....so yea, nothing to it, just had to ask.
So I bought a S22 Ultra off Facebook marketplace for $900 I did an imei check with my carrier and confirmed it wasn't stolen or anything of that nature and we set it up on my account in store with the guy present and confirmed it worked. Fast forward a week I wake up to a nice message on my phone that Samsung has blocked my device due to incomplete trade in and that I need to contact Samsung to fix it. Cant use the phone at all. I have a $900 paper weight. Does anyone know of a bypass for this? Will rooting it give me the ability to get around this?
That's a new one to me. Sorry can't help, post a photo of the message the phone is showing.
The reason that happened is probably because the guy purcahased the phone from Samsung with a Trade-in discount. He did not send his phone in as part of the agreement. Then they tried to bill his card for the amount of the Trade-in and it didn't go through for whatever reason. After that they blocked his phone which you purchased from him. He most likely hated the phone kept his old phone and now you are screwed until you contact Samsung and resolve it. They specifically state on the Trade-in info they send you with the shipping label that if you don't send them the Trade-in phone within 2 weeeks the new phone will be locked out. The other reason they do that is if it's reported stolen. So your only two options are 1) Contact Samsung or 2) Throw it in the trash.
i think its unlikely, you could try to flash a new firmware with unbranded csc , im not saying that WILL fix it, but it wont do u any harm to try if your not planning on seeking help from samsung, i would recommend trying to fake an imei in an efs and load that, i couldnt advise you how though im afraid
That's the new way, they allow multiple trade in devices so the scumbag will select devices with the highest trade in to bring down the purchase price to the lowest possible level and sell it on arrival making hundreds in profits. Possibly the only way to avoid this would be to remove any samsung stuff BEFORE they initiate a lockdown.
We can't have nice things because of this and if it keeps up I see (Samsung) wanting to put a full purchase price hold at time of purchase and then release it when they get the trade ins. :-(
thats why i like to pre order and buy my devices for cash, no waiting and you know your phone is bnib
cpufrost said:
That's the new way, they allow multiple trade in devices so the scumbag will select devices with the highest trade in to bring down the purchase price to the lowest possible level and sell it on arrival making hundreds in profits.
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I read about this somewhere just recently. The bad guys are sure creative in figuring out how to game the system. Around here we have to be very careful of FB Marketplace. Sometimes it seems there are way more sketchy stolen items on it than legitimate items.
The other thing is you probably should get a screenshot of the persons drivers license when making a purchase for such a large amount of money. That way the Police know where they live and they got a photo as well. If the seller is not willing to provide that info to you then stay away. I am not gonna send somebody $900 on the internet and just hope they willl send me what they promised without fully checking them out first.
Nobody would accept that. They can simply say don't buy it then. How would he now you wouldn't be a dodgy guy and use his driving licence for scams? The safest way of this kind of trade in risks is to request the purchasing invoice where you could see if it was purchased with trade in option. If the seller doesn't provide it then i would recommend not to buy the phone for the first 3 months of phone's releasing date when trade in would have been completed already.
Always a risk when you guy items from individuals. The one thing for sure, if the deal is too good to be true, it usually is sketchy.
Paul_Deemer said:
The reason that happened is probably because the guy purcahased the phone from Samsung with a Trade-in discount. He did not send his phone in as part of the agreement. Then they tried to bill his card for the amount of the Trade-in and it didn't go through for whatever reason. After that they blocked his phone which you purchased from him. He most likely hated the phone kept his old phone and now you are screwed until you contact Samsung and resolve it. They specifically state on the Trade-in info they send you with the shipping label that if you don't send them the Trade-in phone within 2 weeeks the new phone will be locked out. The other reason they do that is if it's reported stolen. So your only two options are 1) Contact Samsung or 2) Throw it in the trash.
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This is the most likely reason, and the only thing you can do is to contact Samsung. You could offer to pay the trade in value discount that was applied at the time of purchase, but that could be up to £570 (here in the UK) as that was the top tier (S21Ultra) trade in if I remember rightly.
I think there must of been some genuine trade in purchase, as a valid IMEI number is required at the time of ordering the new phone....Unless there is a way of generating IMEI numbers I'm not aware of.
I would contact Samsung before doing anything else with the phone, as I wouldn't be surprised if Samsung have locked the phone through Knox or something.
That phone is locked via knox. Nothing you can do unless you contact samsung and give them proof of your transaction then from there it's either they will help you or wont care at all.
That's samsungs fault at first. Here in Turkey, you pay full price. After they receive trade-in device they refund discount amount to you. This is the only way to stop such thing.
rroyy said:
That's samsungs fault at first. Here in Turkey, you pay full price. After they receive trade-in device they refund discount amount to you. This is the only way to stop such thing.
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Right, and too, because of folks not playing nice and taking advantage of others, they will wind up doing the same thing here in USA. At the very least placing a merchant hold for the full device price on the method of payment and releasing it upon successful redemption of trade in value.
Samsung locked the wrong phone. They should be locking the new phone. Call them
Will_T said:
I read about this somewhere just recently. The bad guys are sure creative in figuring out how to game the system. Around here we have to be very careful of FB Marketplace. Sometimes it seems there are way more sketchy stolen items on it than legitimate items.
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Agree with you, FB\Meta is a mess.
I've had nothing but stellar results selling and buying using Swappa. They are pretty stringent with phone condition and both buyers and sellers.
My favorite transaction was about 4 yrs ago when I dropped a very well protected Nexus 6 just wrong while waiting on a lift, and the screen broke. If it were newer I would have replaced the screen, but 10 minutes into a business meeting I found a replacement for $150 in my city on Swappa. I pinged the seller and he was sitting across the street from me. When I got out of the meeting 30 minutes later, I walked across the street and he handed me the like brand new phone in box and waited for me to boot up! All pre-checked IMEI on Swappa for free to ensure not stolen, etc.
armst433 said:
Samsung locked the wrong phone. They should be locking the new phone. Call them
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It's an S22U. It is the new phone....
I'm hoping OP updates us, I wanna know whats going on with this rather strange story.
Parzival__ said:
So I bought a S22 Ultra off Facebook marketplace for $900 I did an imei check with my carrier and confirmed it wasn't stolen or anything of that nature and we set it up on my account in store with the guy present and confirmed it worked. Fast forward a week I wake up to a nice message on my phone that Samsung has blocked my device due to incomplete trade in and that I need to contact Samsung to fix it. Cant use the phone at all. I have a $900 paper weight. Does anyone know of a bypass for this? Will rooting it give me the ability to get around this?
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the phone turns on? it comes in wi-fi where are the wi-fi networks? if you get high is there a bar? if it exists write www.youtube.com done do glue in the copy bar open Youtube go to click and see Youtube Terms of Service in the bar write this E-FRP site addresses appear and there is e-frp click open and see for Samsung and other functions for you you are interested in ftp and test account or Samsung it would be better to have another phone active go to Youtube and in the bar write e-frp for Samsung because there are several steps. Good luck
Paul_Deemer said:
The other thing is you probably should get a screenshot of the persons drivers license when making a purchase for such a large amount of money. That way the Police know where they live and they got a photo as well. If the seller is not willing to provide that info to you then stay away. I am not gonna send somebody $900 on the internet and just hope they willl send me what they promised without fully checking them out first.
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Well the crazy part is it was a in person purchase. Dude met me at spectrum mobile and they verified it was unlocked and would work and that's when the transaction happened.