Database Info

[Q] General Question about Verizon/Ebay

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How reliable is Swappa.com?

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

bumpo

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

U.S.: Blacklisting phones, blacklisted phones, and the shebang.

Okay here's the deal. I bought a "new" phone on ebay from a seller in U.S. shipped overseas to where I live. I bought this to use it in U.S. as well when I visit the country in a couple of months.
The seller agreed to include a printed sale receipt and a letter stating that he had sold this phone with this IMEI inside the box. I received the phone two weeks back and surprise, there was no receipt or sale letter inside. I was gutted.
Since then, I have tried to contact the seller at least ten times and he has not responded even once. He had responded to every single one of my emails in an hour before the purchase.
I am not going paranoid. Is there a chance the seller might be scamming me by reporting it stolen? How does it work in the US? Is it possible to report a phone stolen (to claim insurance) and get it blacklisted without the original phone box?
And, if it indeed had been blacklisted by all the networks in US and it fries my new sim, will having the original phone box be enough for a proof of purchase to "unblacklist" it? If so, how long does the process take considering I might be in US only for a few days at a time.
Thanks in advance!

I would just file a ticket with eBay, not because I necessarily believe they're trying to cheat you, but because they violated your agreement. Did you make sure the seller confirmed to you that the IMEI was good and would continue to be so - within eBay ?
There's always a chance they might be scamming you. The original box doesn't mean anything, to anyone, when it comes to reporting it stolen or an insurance claim or them bailing on a payment plan. Them not having it won't hurt them and won't help you. Lots of phones are stolen while still in the original packaging - and those phones do tend to get blacklisted. And like you have thought, they might be planning to report it stolen or stop paying for it (in which case, the carrier will blacklist).
Why not just buy a pre-paid SIM and use that in your normal phone while in the USA ? Or buy a cheap pre-paid phone while you are there if your current phone does not use SIM technology ? You can get one for $20 at places like WAL*MART and similar, which are all over the USA.
Not sure what you mean about "frying" a new SIM. It just wouldn't work if the IMEI was blacklisted, but it's not going to explode or anything. :silly:
If it's blacklisted, I wouldn't count on getting it "un-blacklisted". Carriers really don't like to do that, and you'd probably be looking at making multiple phone calls and facing the likelihood that they weren't going to do it no matter what you said. Normal reps tend to not even know what the IMEI blacklist is, you'd have to have your case brought to someone who did, and convince them to do it - which they usually flat-out will not. I've only really heard of success with having it "un-blacklisted" if you're a long-term customer with a retention/sob story, and it took multiple phone calls and a lot of time.

Thanks I actually did buy a GSM phone for use with a prepaid SIM in USA. I bought it mainly for 3G band inter-compatibility between that used in US and where I live.
Wouldn't opening a dispute with Ebay for this be a little too much? Also, if I open an Item Not As Described dispute, they would request me to get the phone checked with a local dealer and give them a report of exactly how it is not as described by the inspector right? The receipt being missing would be a minor thing that I am not sure they would even consider looking at.

I really don't know the process (but the stories I've heard didn't make the buyer do anything too complicated). Honestly, the sellers themselves have been screwed over because they'll often just take you on your word and people have been known to scam that way. *shrug*
It's up to you how worried you are and if you're prepared to take a loss. But if they're not responding to you, what else are you going to do it get eBay involved? Other than just sit on it and hope for the best - which might all turn out fine, might not.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app

The seller is still being very dodgy. Is it true that the Social Security Number is printed on the phone bill when it is purchased from AT&T even if it was an outright purchase?
The seller is refusing to provide the original sales invoice on the grounds that it has his SSN and he would not want to disclose that. He is also refusing to provide a bill by himself saying that he does not know the IMEI of the phone he sold to me so he cannot take the liability of giving a bill for an IMEI he is not sure was sold by him! However, the phone is working fine otherwise.
Could someone clarify if this is right?

Sprint Corporate store's technical support, warranty, Total Equipemt Protection= FAIL

I bought a brand new Motorola Photon Q at FULL PRICE from Sprint a few weeks ago because I do NOT believe in contracts and remain contract free.
My phone shuts off every time I touch the Lock Screen button on top or when I BEGIN to slide out the QWERTY keyboard. (NO drops, cracks, scratches, water damage, abuse, etc verified by Sprint store)
I have the $11 a month Total Equipment Protection.
First, they can't fix my phone at the Sprint Corporate store.
Then, the want me to wait THREE BUSINESS DAYS for a REFURBED phone because the Sprint Corporate Repair Center does NOT have any in stock.
Lastly, the manager REFUSES to simply give me the ONE new Photon Q LTE they have in stock by telling me "If I give you a new Photon Q for your Total Equipment Protection Claim E-ticket I will be written up and face disciplinary action and/or lose my job."
Why the complete lack of service?
I am paying a HUGE MONTHLY PREMIUM of $11 a month for TEP, and my phone is new and still under the factory warranty.
Sprint is in the business to make monthly fees.
If I don't have a working phone, they can't charge me for monthly service.
If my Comcast cable box died, regardless of who owns it, Comcast would make it right..... even at their cost..... because they want my monthly payment.
I am NOT under contract with Comcast, and I am NOT under contract with Sprint either.
So, why aren't they bending over backwards to get a working phone in my hands ????
Not too long ago, you could walk into any corporate store and walk out with a free refurb with NO insurance and NO $50 fee.
This complete lack of customer service has me wanting to cancel Sprint and simply take my Photon Q LTE to the prepaid side or simply getting a new phone from another prepaid carrier.
This way, I can save money off of the monthly bill and just buy a cheap "backup" phone from Craigslist in case of emergencies so I can be my "own personal warranty and repair department".
PS.
The Sprint corporate store made me wait around for 4 hours.
This was after I IMMEDIATELY displayed, and duplicated 3 times, that my phone was shutting off every time I simply touched the "lock screen" button on top.
Any advice would be appreciated.
I look forward to hearing comments on Sprint's current customer service performance and policies as well.

They pulled the same crap with me when I tried to get my phone replaced. I ended up just saying **** it and replacing the parts myself. Though I am on a contract... But I also do pay for the TEP... I think their (lack of) support is ****. And it's really got me considering switching carriers.

I've been on the phone with Sprint customer service all day.
Been given nothing but a run around.
They have not located me a phone.
They have no idea where it will ship from.
They have no idea when it will ship.
My phone will not power up and I have been missing calls and texts for 2 days.
I keep requesting that they tell a Sprint store to give me a new phone, or even a refurb, and I will drive there to get it.
No one will agree to help me.
WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH SPRINT ??????

That really sucks...
What's sad nowadays, is companies don't really care unless you make a big stink... and perhaps you need to make a BIG one.
Post on all their social media outlets. I've heard of mountains being moved simply because an issue was made public.

I know it's a little late now, but the next phone you buy, I would recommend getting from Best Buy, and get their protection plan. I've been told that I can literally walk out the door seconds after buying a phone, "drop" it in the parking lot, walk back in, and get a new phone on-the-spot. The best part is, it costs the same as the TEP (or you can opt to pay in full for about $170 for 2 yrs of protection), and NO $100 insurance claim fee.
I don't mean to sound like a salesman, but I've had to do enough TEP claims to decide that most big business doesn't care anymore about the consumer. Best Buy's plan is the only one I've come across these days where I can leave with a brand new phone within minutes.

arrrghhh said:
That really sucks...
What's sad nowadays, is companies don't really care unless you make a big stink... and perhaps you need to make a BIG one.
Post on all their social media outlets. I've heard of mountains being moved simply because an issue was made public.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I totally agree on this one.
Sent from my Motorola Photon Q LTE using xda premium

Now that sprint contracts out the TEP insurance stuff to asurion (asurian?) thats the procedure. I broke my Q's screen within a couple months of buying it and I had to go through the same crap were I couldnt get an in-stock phone immediately because if a screen is cracked, you must go through the TEP process, and if your phone isn't the hottest new thing selling, you will likely get a refurb.
I have had a quite a few refurbs in the past through TEP (all because of my own fault), and they have all been good working and good looking units. I broke the phone, so I would have taken almost any working phone. But in your case, I can see why its bothersome.