Database Info

XDAIIs Stolen

My friend had her XDAIIs stolen from her backpack today on the lovely safe london underground, She only noticed it missing when she came out of the station to make a call to be picked up,
When she Got home she rang her service provider (O2) who asked her if she had the IMEI number so the handset can be blocked from the network She had this and gave it to the operator.
The operator told her the handset would be blocked.
The problem is that she had her unit unlocked , so the lucky theif will be able to use it on another network.
If the theif uses the handset on another network can it be traced if O2 have blocked the handset?
I don't understand how O2 can trace the handset if its been blocked.
What are the chances of tracing the handset if the theif uses a pay as you go sim card, as his details will not be logged against any number as it is with a contract number. Also if the theif stupidly fills out the owners information screen with his details, will O2 or any other network he is on be able to see this information and pass his name and address on to the police?
This is only hope. and hoping this parasite is caught soon before he can steal again.
I hope someone on this site can develop some software to transmit by text message or E-mail the owners information screen to the owner every time the sim card is changed.then if the unit is stolen the new owners details will be revealed.

Xda stolen
Hi,
How about trying to call all of the GSM carriers in your region and report both the device serial number and IMEI number stolen and advise all the networks to advise the retail stores to keep the phone if the thief walks in to get it activated DO THIS ASAP!! and of course file a police report.
Tell your friend I'm am very sorry to read about her loss on her phone, I bet she feels sick and angry all at once, I know I would if it happened to me. Good Luck.
Shane

I wouldn't imagine that other carriers would block the handheld I am afraid. Any attempt would most likely be caught by the UK's privacy laws, if the carriers actually voluntarily wanted to be so kind to you.
I know it sucks, but could you imagine the damage that unscrupulous persons could do if what you are asking for could actually be done?

If a UK opperator has bared it, within 3 weeks max it will be barred on all UK networks, at the moment its not world wide, so the phone will still work in any country apart from the UK
but the bad bit is that still gives the theif upto 3 weeks to sell it as a working phone, and the unlucky buyer thinks the phone is fine, even if they call there provider, it will not show as stolen yet.
John

In the UK, last year or the year before all the uk networks made an agreement (with a little push from the government!) of setting up a nationwide database of stolen handsets. If your phone is stolen and reported to the network in question then that network submits the imei to the said database and this should then block the phone from ALL UK networks, rendering it useless. It is possible for the network to trace phones, they sometimes do this for the authorities in the event of crime, but with literally 1000's and 1000's of phones being stolen every year, it just wouldn't be possible to trace all of them (or be commercially viable!).
Sorry to hear about the stolen phone, i'm a great believer in 'what goes around comes around' so hopefully the thieving scum will get whats coming to them!

Thanks All
She is feeling sick,but she just found out she took the insurance out when she purchased the XDAIIs,so she is feeling a bit better now,
The only thing is, she will be without her beloved device for a while .
Anyway the theif might find it difficult to sell as her unit had a very loose screen,a problem most of them have, she hopes her new unit will have a tighter screen.
Mabe O2 can source her an XDAIII, Mmm just a thought!!!

You might want to advise registering here. More chance of the aforementioned scum being caught.
http://www.immobilise.com/about/press_item_launch.html
JD

The phone will be blocked on ALL UK networks but will work fine abroad.

[Q] Canceling my contract needs advice

Hi all need your advice.
I've been in contact with Orange for a couple of weeks now and finaly they are alowing me to cancel my contract with them 14 months remaining.
Reason being they are unable to provide me with the service im paying for.
So I'm happy that they are going to cancel my remaining contract but they are telling me that I can not keep my number.
I've had this number for over 10years and been on different providers in that time, Are they within there rights to with hold it from me and if they aren't what do I need to do to keep it
As they are saying I cant have my PUK number to take it with me.
I was under the impression it was my number
Also they want the phone back now this was free with the contract that I took out with carphone warehouse do I have to give it back? If I do then I do its not really a problem but it would of been nice to keep it.
Its just my number I want to keep really.

Most "free" phones are only free if you stay with the company for the duration of the contract. I think a small amount is added to each bill to pay for it. As for not allowing you to keep your number I don't think that should be legal. Try going with a different company and you should get the option to switch and keep the same number, let the companies bicker it out.
Sent from my T-Mobile myTouch 3G Slide using XDA App

If the number is already on another line and there is early termination in the works then you wont be getting it back. A second carrier cannot claim a number in an active contract. You're kinda screwed sadly.

z33dev33l said:
If the number is already on another line and there is early termination in the works then you wont be getting it back. A second carrier cannot claim a number in an active contract. You're kinda screwed sadly.
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Actually - it is against the law for them NOT to transfer your number. Since they already confirmed you could cancel your contract early, you're all set. If that was not the case, then you would have to pay an early termination fee (or whatever your contractual agreement is). Just make sure you get your current number "ported" to the new carrier before your contract officially ends.
This is directly from about.com:
"Question: Number Portability: Can I Transfer My Cell Phone Number?
Answer: Yes. In the United States, wireless local number portability (WLNP) is a legally mandated service that allows the transfer of a cell phone number from one carrier to another.
History
Number portability for landline phone numbers existed before it did for wireless numbers. In July 2002, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) set a Nov. 2003 deadline for WLNP to take effect. Verizon Wireless resisted.
The FCC activated WLNP in Nov. 2003 in the top 100 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs), which are the major cities in the U.S. In May 2004, the FCC made the service live in the rest of the U.S.
The FCC also made it so a landline number can be transferred to a cell phone carrier.
Overcoming Hurdles
Wireless local number portability has come a long way in the U.S. Transferring your cell phone number from one carrier to another used to be more complicated than it is today.
The switch also used to take longer than it does now. While the process of transferring (or porting) a number from one carrier to another initially took weeks, the FCC eventually mandated that the transfer take place within four business days.
Some cell phone carriers (such as Verizon Wireless) used this four-day window to attempt to convince customers not to switch. In response, the FCC in May 2009 changed the number portability requirement to one business day.
How to Initiate a Transfer
As of late 2009, the process has become very fast and painless. When you activate new service with a cell phone carrier, they’ll often ask if you’d like to transfer your existing number from another carrier. Transferring your phone number is free.
If they don’t ask and you do want your previous number ported over, make sure to let your new carrier know before you’re assigned a number there. If you request a phone number transfer, they’re required by law to grant it.
It’s very important not to cancel your current cell phone service until you have successfully transferred the old number to your new carrier. If you cancel at your previous carrier before establishing new service elsewhere, the number you’re trying to save will be lost.
To achieve a valid WLNP transfer, the cell phone carrier you’re switching to must offer local service in the same area as your existing phone number. Some carriers have online tools to immediately check your transfer eligibility (such as this AT&T tool).
Before You Transfer, Check Your Contract
While your previous cell phone carrier isn’t legally allowed to refuse a valid transfer request, you may still be bound to a service contract there.
If that’s the case, you’ll either have to wait until your contract expires or pay an early termination fee. If you’re with a prepaid wireless carrier without a contract or if you’re no longer under contract, you’re in the clear to initiate a transfer. "

is this orange uk? i've just posted something myself asking about getting out of a contract with them as the service is not what i pay for (poor signal, slow and non-existent 3g).

Thanks for the replies there some good info there just not sure how much of it is the same here in the UK but it give me somewhere to start.
Guess ill be going in to a phone shop tomorrow and see what they say
And yes I'm on Orange UK
If any one knows any thing else of use please let me know like I said before I'm not bothered about the phone I kinda figured they would want it back.
As for the number it was originaly issued by vodafone

talk to another carrier about it, sure they can help

Pizzalover83 said:
talk to another carrier about it, sure they can help
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No they can't.
In the UK, a network cannot transfer a number across without a PAC - Port Authorisation Code.
If the network that currently carries the number refuses to issue the code, there's precisely nothing that any other network can do.
@theOP: if memory serves, the rules about number porting say that a network cannot refuse to issue a PAC if the appropriate fees have been paid but since they are cancelling your contract at a loss to themselves, I think that gives them the right to refuse to issue one.
You could try contacting Ofcom but I'd be surprised if you heard anything back.

Just a quick up date I called Orange retentions yesterday and said I need my PUK number because I'm retuning my phone to them now that I've received the packet to return it.
The guy said yep thats fine ill sort it out now for you I said to him whats the easiest thing to do go but a Orange pay as you go for you to transfer the number to?
He said if I want to do that he will send me a sim in the post and once I rececive it call this number and we can do that for you over the phone
And then put my phone in the post.
So sorted I'm happy I get to keep my number

Ive took 3 years contract with telus, i hope i wont regret it.

IMEI question,Has anyone ever tried this? Is it possible?

Say you own two phones, one with a good IMEI one with a bad IMEI. Both are from different manufacturers. Would it be possible to swap out the good IMEI from one phone over to the phone with the bad one, despite the phones having been made by different manufacturers?

Maybe? But IMEI changing is illegal so I wouldn't recommend it
Sent from my DROID2 using xda premium

gagdude said:
Maybe? But IMEI changing is illegal so I wouldn't recommend it
Sent from my DROID2 using xda premium
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(Caps for emphasis on a word, not yelling)
Hmmm, Now I am left with questionable practices of a service provider. So let me ask a question, an IMEI should not be nerfed unless a customer reports their phone as having been lost or stolen. However, it seems like some service providers are Lying to the reporting agency that they report the phone IMEI to in order to block a persons phone due to not having been able to continue with a service contract.
There are stark differences here. Namely, a promotion would state get this phone for x dollars if you sign up for a two year contract, you pay the x dollars, the phone is now YOUR property, not theirs to do whatever they want to, to it. So that being said, you find you can't continue the service contract. So what should happen now? Simple, you can no longer receive the service plan you contracted to have , BUT....that does not give a service provider a right to nerf your paid for phones' IMEI, as you did not report the phone lost or stolen. It basically should end up that since you can't pay for a certain type of plan anymore then thats the end of it you won't get that particular type of service included in that plan. HOWEVER....that shouldn't mean that if you can pay for a prepaid service, that you CAN'T use that different type of service on your paid for phone.
So now we arrive at illegal? I think not, being that if a service provider falsely reports your IMEI on the blacklist based on you not being able to continue a plan, it does not make the phone reported stolen or lost by YOU, but rather it makes that IMEI reported as lost or stolen by THEM. So now that would be illegal for the service provider to do because from the moment you pay for that phone it is your property to do as you please with since its your property not theirs. So what other recourse would the owner of a phone have if a service provider is illegally reporting your phone on a blacklist that is used for reporting lost or stolen phone by a customer, when the fact remains that YOU did not report it as such?

read the contract
MenderOne said:
(Caps for emphasis on a word, not yelling)
Hmmm, Now I am left with questionable practices of a service provider. So let me ask a question, an IMEI should not be nerfed unless a customer reports their phone as having been lost or stolen. However, it seems like some service providers are Lying to the reporting agency that they report the phone IMEI to in order to block a persons phone due to not having been able to continue with a service contract.
There are stark differences here. Namely, a promotion would state get this phone for x dollars if you sign up for a two year contract, you pay the x dollars, the phone is now YOUR property, not theirs to do whatever they want to, to it. So that being said, you find you can't continue the service contract. So what should happen now? Simple, you can no longer receive the service plan you contracted to have , BUT....that does not give a service provider a right to nerf your paid for phones' IMEI, as you did not report the phone lost or stolen. It basically should end up that since you can't pay for a certain type of plan anymore then thats the end of it you won't get that particular type of service included in that plan. HOWEVER....that shouldn't mean that if you can pay for a prepaid service, that you CAN'T use that different type of service on your paid for phone.
So now we arrive at illegal? I think not, being that if a service provider falsely reports your IMEI on the blacklist based on you not being able to continue a plan, it does not make the phone reported stolen or lost by YOU, but rather it makes that IMEI reported as lost or stolen by THEM. So now that would be illegal for the service provider to do because from the moment you pay for that phone it is your property to do as you please with since its your property not theirs. So what other recourse would the owner of a phone have if a service provider is illegally reporting your phone on a blacklist that is used for reporting lost or stolen phone by a customer, when the fact remains that YOU did not report it as such?
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Hi there, it usually is the case that the network subsides the device for you in exchange for your commitment to use them -you'll pay up the rest of the cost in monthly instalments -hence the contract period. My GS3 was £29 instead of hundreds of pounds, but I had to sign up for two years. My £29 contribution is far from the real cost of the device and I would not expect to get away from being tied in without paying up for the phone and then some. It might be the case your IMEI was blacklisted so the network can get the outstanding amount from insurance once you decided to try and outsmart them.
Cheers.

Technically, that phone is cheap because you agree that you'll pay them a set fee for two years most of the time. Its pretty low to blacklist the IMEI but legally, you're bound to a contract.
Sent from my JellyBeaned Infuse, unofficial cm10

In terms of technology, yes it's very possible and actually very easy to do on most Samsung devices. BUT, it's is illegal in most jurisdictions.

ooldgregg said:
Hi there, it usually is the case that the network subsides the device for you in exchange for your commitment to use them -you'll pay up the rest of the cost in monthly instalments -hence the contract period. My GS3 was £29 instead of hundreds of pounds, but I had to sign up for two years. My £29 contribution is far from the real cost of the device and I would not expect to get away from being tied in without paying up for the phone and then some. It might be the case your IMEI was blacklisted so the network can get the outstanding amount from insurance once you decided to try and outsmart them.
Cheers.
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I am not trying to outsmart them. I have fallen on financial difficulty,and if they reported MY phone as lost or stolen to get insurance money then that would constitute Insurance fraud on their part. The fact remains that I met my obligation on signing up. We all know when a new model is set to come out they have to dump their stock of phones so that is the main reason they offer the phone at reduced prices. You need a phone that will work with their network otherwise the service is null.
I paid on my contract for one year at the rate of $130.00 per month so they more than covered their costs and then some. Many don't understand the legalese involved in contract. So thats where they get their bulk of duped customers. Because people don't educate themselves with respect to contract language. Basically I can get you to believe that since I sold you a phone in exchange for signing a contract for service, that the fact that you already paid for the phone is diminished in that I got you to believe that just because I offered you the phone at a reduced price, IF you sign a contract for SERVICE, that the phone is TIED to that contract. But nothing is further from the truth. You purchased the phone, AND a contract for service, there is a big difference between the two, one being the purchase of a phone, the other being the purchase of a contract for network usage ON that phone. Think about it.

Product F(RED) said:
In terms of technology, yes it's very possible and actually very easy to do on most Samsung devices. BUT, it's is illegal in most jurisdictions.
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Thanks F(RED) much appreciated :highfive: Hit me up in email please.

Irrespective, IMEI changing is illegal. End of thread.

[Q] GSM Acivation Precautions

Hi,
I am considering buying one of two used Galaxy Notes off craigslist for use with a T-Mobile SIM. One is AT&T and one is an international one.
From some of the research I've done, if buying the ATT one, I should run the IMEI by ATT to make sure it's clean, then make the seller sign a document stating that he's transferring ownership of the phone and IMEI to me to prevent him from reporting it stolen in the future, resulting in the blacklisting my IMEI, right? Also, how do I confirm he's the original owner? Will running the IMEI by ATT tell me that info?
Is it safer to pay more and go with a used international one? In other words do carriers tend to ever blacklist IMEIs of phones not sold by them?
Thanks

Good luck getting some random person from Craigslist to sign that kind of thing (which would have tenuous legal bearing, anyway).
I prefer to buy on eBay so that instead of having to deal with the police / legal system, eBay will handle it if they state something false about what they're selling.
Even if you run the IMEI by ATT, it can take some time for it to have entered their database - and that's assuming the seller already reported it stolen or defaulted on it. Most people trying to do that are smart enough to wait until you have the working phone, then report it - that way your phone works for a while and by the time it doesn't - what... you have a piece of paper they signed ? That's great, but then you have to either get the phone company to believe you or enter a legal dispute with this seller - with a document that's likely not notarized, from a person you probably have no idea where they can even be found - who might have given you a fake name and ID.
Plenty of people take the chance and it turns out okay. Some get burned - taking the chance is up to you. I prefer to go through eBay or a friend - because I know where friends live and generally they're actually friends and don't want to screw me over.

Hi Pennycake,
Thank you for taking the time to reply. The signed document was a suggestion I received from an ATT rep, who said it would show I was the owner and she would unblacklist it for me, and worst case scenario I have something instead of nothing if police are involved. Also both sellers have agreed to sign the documents, but thanks for the good luck
So again, my original questions: how do I identify the original owner of a phone sold by ATT, and secondly, do carriers ever blacklist IMEIs of international phones not sold by them?
Thanks in advance

I'm not sure if ATT and T-Mobile use the same company to manage blacklisting - that it's actually the same list (ie - if you're removed from the ATT list, will you be removed from T-Mobile's list or would they need to do it separately) . So you might have to convince T-Mobile reps - who by and large aren't that well (or at all) trained about the blacklist. I've never dealt with ATT reps, but they sound a whole lot better than the ones at T-Mobile when it comes to the IMEI blacklist (I've had great customer service from T-Mobile, but their training concerning the IMEI blacklist was sub-par, at least when I was on the market a few months ago).
I don't think T-Mobile will personally blacklist international phones. I know that USA carriers are starting to work together more and more - but I don't know about international.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app

The largest GSM carriers in America, T-Mobile and AT&T, are collaborating on efforts in maintaining a national IMEI blacklist for GSM phones to help stop thefts, and began implementing policy beginning last month. This is why I am extra cautious as I have never been over the purchase of a used GSM phone. Which led me to a new question I would never have thought to ask, which was, again, "Do US carriers blacklist IMEIs of international phones not sold by them?"
So an example is if an ATT customer activated an int'l phone sold by Samsung, not ATT, and defaulted on payments. The relevancy of this, if the IMEI was blacklisted, would be that T-Mobile would not activate the phone. Carriers have had incentive to blacklist phones sold by themselves to protect against their investment in subsidizing the phones, but I am unclear on phones not sold by them. Anyone with little or great information would be very helpful in posting.
Thanks
Edit: I feel I may have been unclear, but this is the question I'm mainly trying to get answered: "Do US carriers blacklist IMEIs of international phones not sold by them?" I'm not seeking advice on how to be unblacklisted if my phone is reported stolen or where I should buy my phones from, I am seeking those with experience buying international phones, such as an unlocked iPhone from an Apple Store, for instance, and have defaulted on payments. These phones would never be blacklisted for being reported stolen as they weren't sold by carriers, but have the potential to be blacklisted for a bad account. If the potential is not there then this would be the path I would choose from here into the future when purchasing used GSM phones. If the potential is there then there would be no added benefit of choosing int'l over carrier-sold used phones. Thanks again and I apologize for any ambiguity

I know that, the problem is that if ATT and T-Mobile aren't using the same IMEI blacklist, they would have to each remove the number individually. They could maintain a national list, but still input those values into separate systems.
I'm not really sure where you're going with the example of, "So an example is if an ATT customer activated an int'l phone sold by Samsung, not ATT, and defaulted on payments. The relevancy of this, if the IMEI was blacklisted, would be that T-Mobile would not activate the phone."
Why would they blacklist that phone ? That phone must have already been paid for, to Samsung. If you buy an international phone outright, there shouldn't be any "payments" to default on - sure, maybe you bought it with a credit card, but in that case it was still fully paid for - and if you stop paying the card, they're going to send you to collections and trash your credit score. The phone is your property even if you stop paying for the service it's connected to. If they ARE doing this, it strikes me a slightly illegal unless you sign away property rights under contract or something.
I'd be more worried about the hypothetical international phone's IMEI being reported stolen - since it looks like the FCC efforts are concerned primarily with theft, not with where the phone was purchased - like if you report a car stolen. Their efforts are motivated by preventing phone theft and related crimes - not on carrier subsidies or carriers making money (because, really, carriers stand to lose money by blocking stolen phones).
"T-Mobile USA prevents use of stolen devices internal to its network, and has established connectivity to the GSMA Global IMEI database that is ready for use by other carriers as recommended in the GSMA-NA Report (entitled “Analysis and Recommendations for Stolen Mobile Device Issue in the United States”), and as set forth in the Industry/FCC Agreement"
So I imagine that in the future, if not already, T-Mobile will have the capacity to block stolen international phones.
So, I agree - there's probably no added benefit since IMEI blacklists are on the path to converge with the focus on theft as the goal, not subsidy.

They are using the same blacklist. When they run the IMEI and it's on the list shared by both companies, they don't activate the phone.
Can anyone else please chime in with knowledge and experience with international phones? Thank you much.

[Q] regarding blacklisting phone

Normally when you buy the phone from a carrier, and if you loose your phone, call in and get it blacklisted and people can check the database to see if it blacklisted and all that good stuff...
I bought my N5 from Google Play and can use it on any carrier, so if its lost/stolen, do I call the current carrier and have them blacklist it?
What if someone got a hold of my IMEI and called to get it blacklisted.. how would I go about getting it unblacklisted if I wasnt the one who called it in???
Does google have their own blacklisting database?

I'm pretty sure your carrier will not blacklist the phone till the caller can confirm that they are the owner of the phone (maybe by carrier's records, or by proof of purchase etc).
But since the N5 can be used on other carriers, a carrier blacklist is really not sufficient (if the phone is stolen). I would certainly hope that Google has their own blacklist that will prevent the device from accessing any google services.

I found a story on somewere else of an user whose Google play. N5 got blacklisted by Spring
These are 2 quotes fro the same person:
AIO's website says my Google Nexus 5 is on the lost and stolen list?
Device Reported Lost or Stolen
Our records show that this device is on the national lost and stolen list. Please contact the company that previously provided wireless service for this device for help.
Aio Wireless cannot activate a device that another wireless company added to this list.
This phone was purchased from the Google Play Store. It's been on RingPlus, and StraightTalk (which it's currently on). Is it possible that someone marked it lost or stolen, but it's still working without any problems on ST? It might have been on Net10, I did have the SIM card in it, but I don't think it was active.
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I just got off the phone with Google support. That took around an hour of my time. The Google rep was quite lost on to why in the world Sprint would EVER blacklist phones that were not lost or stolen and have no contracts with them. I was put on hold a couple of times, and I explained what happened. After talking to him, I was transferred to the shipping dept (which apparently takes care of all returns for any reason).
The rep in the shipping dept was very nice, but he kept wanting to give me a refurbished phone for something I never did anything wrong with to begin with. My battery is charged at 50% all the time and I don't want to get stuck with a used phone or a bad battery. I kept telling the rep that I even have an email from RingPlus explaining the situation and that my phone was activated before they knew of this secret blacklist that included Google Play store purchases. He told me he would talk to his lead, came back, and claims that they will be sending me a new device. I don't know if I'm actually getting a used or new device, but at least when it comes it will hopefully not be blacklisted.
I was hoping to switch over to another carrier to save a few dollars each month. So after a $431 dollar hold was put onto my credit card, I guess I wait 3-5 business days and see what I end up receiving in the mail. I'll have to reorder one of the glass screen protectors for my device.
I guess this was a learning experience. Be very careful what CDMA carriers can do to your devices, because they need to have the numbers for it as they can't just pop in a SIM card and go. I'm not sure I will ever be using a Sprint or Verizon MVNO again, or at least for quite a while, and wouldn't ever do it with any devices less then a few months old.
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Original article. http://www.howardforums.com/showthr...Google-Nexus-5-is-on-the-lost-and-stolen-list

Not sure about the US, but in europe some countries/carriers have joint IMEI databases. If one carrier marks the IMEI as stolen the phone won't work on any carrier in that country.
Sent from my Nexus 5

liud said:
Not sure about the US, but in europe some countries/carriers have joint IMEI databases. If one carrier marks the IMEI as stolen the phone won't work on any carrier in that country.
Sent from my Nexus 5
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I know this.. thats the situation with in Canada, US and so on... that wasnt my question...