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I searched over the XDA forums but I couldn't find anything similar to this.
Basically, I had a perfectly working Captivate. I got it from Rogers through a hardware upgrade. Long story short, it got a scratch on it and I wasn't too pleased. It wasn't a big deal to me or anything but if I wanted to sell it in the future it would definitely devalue it significantly. My cousin didn't care though, so I sold it to him. I ended up getting another Captivate as sort of a gift from a friend who had a bunch of gift cards to Future Shop or some store (I paid the difference).
Problem is, my phone is now completely bricked. I followed the tutorials here very closely, they were awesome. The phone is rooted as well. I was using odin try to flash the phone but it never succeeded. The first time I was able to get passed the download screen, and then to some menu and the phone got to the rogers load screen, but then after that it failed. Since then the phone would get stuck at the computer with the cell phone screen. That wasn't a problem to bypass and get to the download screen (there were 2 combos you could use: put in battery/volume down/power or plug in USB/Battery/both volume buttons and power/release volume up). The final attempt happened when using odin I used the proper 512 pit file and the correct PDA file. The phone was recognized by my computer and showed up in Odin (com3). I clicked start, the blue progress bar appeared on the phone and it looked like it was going well. Then all of a sudden the screen turned bright blue and just stopped completely. Then it turned off. And now its completely unresponsive. No combination of batter/USB/power/volume button works at all, it's dead.
Long story short, I spoke with a Rogers tech. He tried to help me out but couldn't do anything. He told me that he'll ship me a new Captivate which I received. He also asked me for my IMEI number, and I gave him the number of my original phone that I sold to my cousin. I'm not sure why I gave him that one, I had the original box in front of me and I just read that, plus I thought that this number is like my ID with rogers or something, I don't know.
Anyways, this phone that I have, because it's a third party phone, rooted, and completely dead, can I send it back or should I just pay for the phone they sent me? Should I take the risk and send it back? My cousin said we can just replace the sticker that has the IMEI number from his phone with my phone, but I don't know about that. If we did that, and Samsung found out, what's the worst that could happen :x Sounds shady...Plus, would Rogers care if the phone I send back is not the original one that I got through them, even though it is a captivate that is with Rogers?
I'm afraid that if we replace the sticker, sure if Rogers looks at that to make sure its my original phone it would get passed them since you can't even turn my phone on...but once it gets to Samsung, can't they look at the internal IMEI number and if they compare that to the sticker....owned?
Thanks
My vote would be to send in the bricked phone. The Rogers tech guy knew that your phone was bricked, so sending in a bricked phone shouldn't be a problem.
If they ask you why it has a different IMEI number than the one you gave them, just explain that you grabbed the wrong box.
Not with rogers but I changed my mind on which of our three I wanted to return to at&t after talking with them and providing my imei number. I originally wanted to warranty mine but decided to send in the wifes because her screen was developing a strange clarity issue. Never heard anything from them on the issue. I would definitely not recommend you trying to swap stickers.
Do NOT tamper with the IMEI number (sticker swapping included). Tampering with it is illegal...
Swapping the sticker will not change the contents of the files inside of /efs which have the IMEI both in plain text and encoded.
Ah thanks for the replies everyone, that was so quick.
I guess my main concern is that if Rogers looks at the IMEI number on my phone sticker, and realizes that its not the same as my original phones that I got through Rogers, they'll send it back. Is that the case, or does my warranty transfer over to my new phone? I'm not even sure if this is a warranty issue though since its definitely passed the 30 day period. Is there a warranty deal that Samsung specifically has with its customers, specifically pertaining to bricking as a result of software upgrades?
Or is this not as much a Rogers issue as it is a Samsung issue? I wish I understood how the process worked...for all I know, my phone has already been approved for shipment to Samsung, so as soon as Rogers receives it, they just send it over to Samsung and they don't care about those details pertaining to a persons Rogers account.
But I'm sure a lot of people are in the situation where they no longer have the original phone they received from their provider, and purchased one from a third party dealer, and something happens to it...what is their condition?
James, I think the reasoning for wanting to switch the sticker was because Rogers knows that the original phones IMEI number is as such, and because they can't turn the phone one they would probably just glance at the number on the label, and then send it off to Samsung. So I was wondering maybe I should call Rogers and tell them I gave them the wrong number? If I do that then, again, would they say that because the phone I"m sending in is not the original one they can't send a replacement and so I'd have to pay for it?
newter55 said:
Not with rogers but I changed my mind on which of our three I wanted to return to at&t after talking with them and providing my imei number. I originally wanted to warranty mine but decided to send in the wifes because her screen was developing a strange clarity issue. Never heard anything from them on the issue. I would definitely not recommend you trying to swap stickers.
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Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply, that was a great help. Did you have to send it back in your original box for your phone?
The way it works here is you return your phone in the package they sent the refurb in. Just the phone, no cords, battery, etc.
Integrity.
problem? said:
Ah thanks for the replies everyone, that was so quick.
I guess my main concern is that if Rogers looks at the IMEI number on my phone sticker, and realizes that its not the same as my original phones that I got through Rogers, they'll send it back. Is that the case, or does my warranty transfer over to my new phone? I'm not even sure if this is a warranty issue though since its definitely passed the 30 day period. Is there a warranty deal that Samsung specifically has with its customers, specifically pertaining to bricking as a result of software upgrades?
Or is this not as much a Rogers issue as it is a Samsung issue? I wish I understood how the process worked...for all I know, my phone has already been approved for shipment to Samsung, so as soon as Rogers receives it, they just send it over to Samsung and they don't care about those details pertaining to a persons Rogers account.
But I'm sure a lot of people are in the situation where they no longer have the original phone they received from their provider, and purchased one from a third party dealer, and something happens to it...what is their condition?
James, I think the reasoning for wanting to switch the sticker was because Rogers knows that the original phones IMEI number is as such, and because they can't turn the phone one they would probably just glance at the number on the label, and then send it off to Samsung. So I was wondering maybe I should call Rogers and tell them I gave them the wrong number? If I do that then, again, would they say that because the phone I"m sending in is not the original one they can't send a replacement and so I'd have to pay for it?
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Click to collapse
Honestly, since your manufacturer warranty is through samsung and that has nothing to do with who sold you the phone, i'd consider giving them a call.
I damaged my IMEI and forgot to make a backup of /efs. I called samsung and explained to them what the deal was. They sent me a postage paid label to ship them my phone and they ended up fixing it for free. They tear it all down, make sure its no physically damaged and fix the software. They actually ended up replacing the mainboard. They also charge nothing to evaluate the phone and give you a price to fix it if found out of warranty.
The only reason why I considered this was because I read here on XDA one guy doing the same after he did what you did (bricked his rooted phone from a bad flash). He had the same result.
So, before you go and get yourself into some trouble with rogers by sending them a phone with the wrong sticker on it, consider the alternative.
At the very least, call them and correct the IMEI. They may tell you to take a hike, but that's the risk of flashing your phone.
Also, I bought my phone from amazon and enrolled in the insurance. I ended up having to send my phone back to amazon as I bricked it within the 30 days (I was straight up with them and they over nighted me a new phone). I had to call in and tell ATT the new IMEI. They really did not seem to care that I was giving them the IMEI from some other phone.
Also, I believe that if you do not return the phone to them within a specific time that they just charge you full price for the phone. You wont goto jail but your wallet gets owned.
i'd like to give the situation some context so sorry if its out of line for forum rules or sth but i think it would make you understane more (otherwise it's probably going to sound like a stole the phone and just want to get round the barring or sth)
so i met someone on a night out that was pretty drunk and lost but wanted to party with my group of friends so i was like ok hung thier coat up blah. long story short i left before they did they forgot to take their coat home which has their phone in the pocket. so i'm supposed to now give them their coat back as my other friend realised the person had left it and thought i'd be able to.
except i dont acutally know the person apart from their first name.
now i figured i should be able to just look through their phone and find a helpful contact that i can call and be like hey i have X's coat and phone here it was left on a night out perhaps you could help me get the stuff back to her.
but now i'm thinking the phone might be blocked already (i dont know this yet a my friend still has the coat with phone) if the person has reported it lost/stolen. but if its blocked that usually means the phone functions just without a network so i'd be able to still look through the contact list?
i'm trying to think of the possiblitlies that would help me/stop me from viewing the contact list.
if sim card is locked then i can just put in another sim
if the it has a phone lock code then i'm probably screwed?
are there anythings you suggest that would help me? or is it a lost cause?
i'd really like to get the phone (& coat) back to this person.
[not gona lie...... kinda want to see them again ]
if a phone is reported lost or stolen its barred right?
that means no matter what sim card you put in/whether its unlocked to any network or not it will NOT pick up a network signal thus rendering it useless (as a phone at least)
is the sim also deactivated/barred?
maybe i could just put the sim into another phone and try to view the contacts that way? unless they have a sim pin set up :[
chances of having a sim pin & a screen unlock are HUGE really arent they? :[
Why don't you just open it and see for yourself?
because i dont have the phone yet thats the point.
i'm trying to be efficient and forsee the possibilites that may occur so that when i'm faced with a screenlock or w.e i know what to do that would still enable me to view the contacts instead of having to take the time to then go and research. i may aswell research now.
i can't get the stuff any sooner than tuesday.
Ah, I see.
If the phone is blocked by using the IMEI number, than the device is refused access to any network.
In other words, you will be able to open the phone, access the contacts etc., you just won't be able to make any calls/send messages.
that would be alright.
it doesnt help that i dont even know what kind of phone it is.
the thing is it probably has a screen lock. i wouldnt be able to get round that?
(i hate this because it sounds like i'm doing it for bad :[ lol i just want to see the cute girl again & of course be the hero by giving her phone & jacket back )
if its a sim pin then i can just put another sim in the phone (hopefully it wont be locked to a network of a sim card i dont have) unless it would operate without a sim?
:/ crap it might even be a mirco sim.
neonflash said:
that would be alright.
it doesnt help that i dont even know what kind of phone it is.
the thing is it probably has a screen lock. i wouldnt be able to get round that?
(i hate this because it sounds like i'm doing it for bad :[ lol i just want to see the cute girl again & of course be the hero by giving her coat & jacket back )
if its a sim pin then i can just put another sim in the phone (hopefully it wont be locked to a network of a sim card i dont have) unless it would operate without a sim? :/ crap it might even be a mirco sim.
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So let me get this straight....you want to be the hero and see the cute girl by trying to break an imei/screen unlock and go through her personal data.
Sound like you want to be more of a stalker than a hero.
Youre definetly trying to do more than you say. Normal people dont go through that much trouble to return phones. Unlocking this....getting around that. ..bypassing security stuff...
And then you say you dont have the phone yet....someone else has it blah blah blah....weird
Youre sketch
Sent from my SGH-T889 using Tapatalk 2
well no. i dont want to actually break into. i dont know how to do all this stuff.
all i'm saying is i'll have her phone & coat i'm the only person from my group who knows who it belongs to it'd be nice to give it back to her.
i wont be able to do that if i cant find a way to contact her.
so i was simply asking is there a way i'll be able to view her contacts list so that i'd find someone useful for example "dad" or whatever then i'd just call it up and be like "hey your daughter left her coat and phone at club x the other night. maybe she could give me a call on this number and i can give them back to her"
how is that bad?
otherwise im stuck with a coat & phone i dont need.
+ not to mention if i lost my phone i'd be super grateful if anyone gave it back to me
Personally i couldn't care less whether your story is true or whatever, i just want to help you.
If she has blocked the device by using the IMEI code, you will be able to use it but not to make calls, so you should be alright.
If she has put a SIM lock code you will be able to put another SIM inside to get to her contacts (you won't be able to make any calls if she has blocked it through IMEI though)
If she has put a screen code, just look carefully on the screen to see the markings from her finger, you should be able to make out the code that way. Constant unlocking the phone through the years should have left a visible marking there.
lol in all fairness why would i lie!!??
and thanks.
i'll report back when i know what kind of phone it is if i have any problems hoping i wont though :]
although funnily enough i just checked my screen for finger marks to see if i could spot any from entering unlock code and nothing smooth as a button - no marks! anything else you'd suggest for getting past the screen unlock? (as i said hopefully it wont need to, just think its pretty popular feature on smartphones :[ )
When you get your hands on the phone, try that first, if her fingers are any oily you should be able to atleast make out the beginning of the combination, use trial and error for the rest.
If you don't manage to make out the code, there is another option. You can manually edit her lock settings to reset the code, but that requires that you can connect the device to your PC and that the phone has USB debugging enabled.
hmmm im thinking i really would need for it to only have a sim pin or nothing.
if its got screen unlock it's really hard for me to access anything wihtout totally ruining her phone/losing data (which is pointless when i want to give it her back in the 1st place) everything i've searched uses gmail account back up.
hmmm im thinking i really would need for it to only have a sim pin or nothing.
if its got screen unlock it's really hard for me to access anything wihtout totally ruining her phone/losing data (which is pointless when i want to give it her back in the 1st place) everything i've searched uses gmail account back up.
Wondering if anyone here has experience dealing with LG support for repairs, I've had a problem I've been trying to get fixed for around 2 months, and not sure how to proceed.
My problem was every couple weeks my phone would nag me about not having a SIM card inserted, and take like 10 reboots before it would detect the SIM card.
I sent my phone to LG in the mail, because Google referred me to them as it being not something Google can help with, but because it was under manuf. warranty period LG should repair/replace it.
When I got my phone back from LG, it seemed to have some kind of bad flash of dev. firmware on it because everything in About Phone seems "wrong", and the picture is only drawing in the center of the screen, like it's drawing at the wrong resolution or something. (I mean, the phone model says "AOSP on GalaxyNexus" phones coming from Google aren't running AOSP, and why it says it's a GalaxyNexus, I have no clue because I sent my LG phone to LG, not to Samsung)
Also, they didn't return my SIM card tray, so I can't even put my SIM card back into it.
My IMEI / Kernel Version / Baseband / etc., almost everything in about phone is set to "Unknown", except for the serial number, which is "aaaaaaaaaaaaaa" (I might have the amount of a's wrong, but it's all a's). My Android version is set to "Pie Key Lime" (not the speculated name of KeyLimePie, but Pie Key Lime) and I cannot install ANYTHING from the Play Store, because it says the version of Android on my device is incompatible.
I've tried getting ahold of LG again several times, they've said they'll send me my SIM card tray, and that I should have it in 2 days, on three different occasions, I waited a week between calling them back each time but I've never got my SIM card tray back.
The fourth time I've tried getting in touch with them, which was today, they have no record of my support ticket, and cannot give me any further support because "aaaaaaa..." is not a valid serial number of a product they sell. Any suggestions about what I should do?
I sent them a phone with a minor annoyance, and got back something completely unusable.
I'd immediately call and ask for someone in charge. And i wouldn't end the call until they agree to overnight me a working and complete phone.
If what you describe is true, no offense, then that is really messed up. You should keep calling them and insist as much as you can. If you have to escalate it further than have it done and also contact Google about it. I think they are still obligated to help you. No one should take that kind of ****.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
What the hell. They dont know which firmware have to be flashed? Those idiots. Tell them to flash the "USER" firmware to your phone and not the "FACTORY" firmware which is not for costumers.
Had a several hour long phone call with an LG supervisor today, basically she told me "that's completely crazy, I don't know how you got a phone back so completely broken, I don't know what to do because I've never had such a weird support claim, send the phone you got back from the repair center in your phones original box, so we can check if the stuff in About Phone really doesn't match what's on the box, and we'll get ahold of you again once a repair technician looks at it"
So, thanks everyone for the suggestions of "nag the supervisor into submission", hopefully I get back a phone that works instead of a phone call in a week saying "yup, this phone you sent us is broken, you want us to send it back or throw it in the garbage?"
Recently I found that someone close to me had been using a purchased spy prog. Thanks to Google alerting me that unauthorized login and sync occurred.
I quickly recognized the phone found the program and cancelled their membership since I originally made the account/email address for them and they told me what password to use. But somehow that phone has continued to sync from their phone.
To this point I've been being safe; I've been messaging or texting lies along w/ truth. Yet somehow all that information makes it back my a simple slip up of words by the other 2 ppl in house. They accidentally repeat in general something I mentioned in text/fb message/phone call/information/etc.
I've literally deleted everything I could find that was left after factory reset. (EVERY FILE!!) I had root and end up with a virus I couldn't remove & didn't want to factory reset. The virus took over screen and no matter what I couldnt get it off. In the end, only way phone company could get it off was access with use of a computer & prog to factory reset. While talking it updated from 6.0 to 7.0. So I'm going to have reroot.
QUESTION FINALLY: How to can I emove the hack or exploit ( or whatever it is) that is reporting or cloneing everything word & information? Yes, I've tried every possible virus/spy pro/spyware/malware/hack/exploit detector remover I read about. PLEASE advise.
The person( I suspect) is currently charged with domestic violence w/ prejudice, I cannot drop the charges they won't allow me. Due to it being domestic violence against someone disabled (me).
**SIDENOTE/QUESTION FOR LAWYERS. The Person was somehow released without bail and i was ordered to leave the house with literally NOWHERE wheelchair accessible to go?? The reason, I suspect snitch (for lack of better word), the Magistrate had already set the bail then a judge on SATURDAY OF A HOLIDAY WEEKEND changed it. Also its hand written, dunno whose initials are on it cant read them. I've NEVER nor has my victims advocate heard of that. I pay slightly less than 3rd of whole house payment accord to other person on the mortgage. I do not qualify for disability only pathetic SSI. The person is more than likely trying to find something negative on me. They have threatened to have me evicted untold times! Im an entirely different person after nearly dying 2 times and was close a 3 rd. That along with being on a ventilator 3 times...if that doesnt change someone you have a serious problem on and finally being in a wheelchair. All caused by a neurological disease. Might I mention I found an old sound recorder that goes with a spy cam according to one specialist and one genius old friend (haven't found hidden cam.YET!) in my room. I do *man* things in the room I pay for. Thought it was illegal to record with sound. Hell or without a person knowing considering by law I'm a tenant**
The person is beyond clueless about technology but their brother worked for govt many yrs ago installing, none other than CAMERAS. He now prides himself as being a computer expert & dev.(he's not bad). He knows LINUX exceptionally well.
Quick Question...should I go ahead with rooting or wait?
PLEASE HELP AND IF POSSIBLE FIND THE FOOTPRINT HE MIGHT HAVE LEFT BEHIND. PRIVATE MESSAGE ME IF NEED MORE DETAILS ON PHONE INFORMATION OR IF A LAWYER (I live in TN)
Galaxy S7 with exynos chipset.
Did have root until att updated after
removing weird virus. Will Root soon.
T-Mobile US is running a promotion where you get this phone for "free" when you attach it to a line after trading in an old phone. The gotchas are:
The phone you are trading in must:
Not be stolen/locked
Not have a Cracked Screen
Not have water damage
Have a valid IMEI
For ESN/MEID phones, generate your IMEI here: https://www.imei.info/calc
Turn on (It may need to fully boot as they grabbed the IMEI from the Dialer)
The must be attached to an active voice rate plan line
Pay Taxes and Fees (was ~$41usd for me)
Pay your monthly bill for 24 months or you will have to pay the difference upto $282usd
Up to 4 devices per account (must have 4 lines)
More info found on this page: https://www.t-mobile.com/coverage/e...MO_P_HOMETOWN_Q8D0X5TZQIWIM1P724532_HP#offers
Trade-in process in a T-Mobile store worked well for me last Sunday. I traded in three old phones, after carefully removing any google account information from each. Factory resets don't remove this information. It has to be done manually when you reboot after the factory reset.
However, as stated above, you must have clean old phones that boot up to the main screen. The IMEI is checked and verified for each phone you trade-in.
There is a lot of verification done. For example, they will confirm that the old phone can be used on the T-Mobile network using the IMEI. They will scan your driver's license a couple of times. They will check every line on your account with you to make certain that the correct line is involved. To help them, I put a sticker on the back of each old phone with the IMEI on it. They did not trust the stickers, however. In most cases, I had to instruct the T-Mobile clerk on how to boot up the old phones and how to access the IMEI information. The clerk simply did not know how to boot up the old phones. Don't assume that he does.
From my viewpoint having completed the process for 3 lines, I strongly suggest you go to a T-Mobile store in person to do the trade-in. They will have lots of questions, and, if you mail it in, the answer will probably be, it doesn't qualify.
scottyrick2 said:
Trade-in process in a T-Mobile store worked well for me last Sunday. I traded in three old phones, after carefully removing any google account information from each. Factory resets don't remove this information. It has to be done manually when you reboot after the factory reset.
However, as stated above, you must have clean old phones that boot up to the main screen. The IMEI is checked and verified for each phone you trade-in.
There is a lot of verification done. For example, they will confirm that the old phone can be used on the T-Mobile network using the IMEI. They will scan your driver's license a couple of times. They will check every line on your account with you to make certain that the correct line is involved. To help them, I put a sticker on the back of each old phone with the IMEI on it. They did not trust the stickers, however. In most cases, I had to instruct the T-Mobile clerk on how to boot up the old phones and how to access the IMEI information. The clerk simply did not know how to boot up the old phones. Don't assume that he does.
From my viewpoint having completed the process for 3 lines, I strongly suggest you go to a T-Mobile store in person to do the trade-in. They will have lots of questions, and, if you mail it in, the answer will probably be, it doesn't qualify.
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Click to collapse
Factory resets have always removed my Google info on prob 100+ devices I've done it to. The only time I've seen that the accounts are not removed is when factory reseting in recovery mode.
The phone doesnt need to be compatible on the T-Mobile network. People are trading in old AMPS/Analog phones thats been gone for a very long time.
hyelton said:
Factory resets have always removed my Google info on prob 100+ devices I've done it to. The only time I've seen that the accounts are not removed is when factory reseting in recovery mode.
The phone doesnt need to be compatible on the T-Mobile network. People are trading in old AMPS/Analog phones thats been gone for a very long time.
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Click to collapse
You need to remove your Google accounts before the factory reset. It will still require your Google password otherwise after the reset.
blackhawk said:
You need to remove your Google accounts before the factory reset. It will still require your Google password otherwise after the reset.
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Click to collapse
Only if you reset via recovery. If you reset from the settings of the phone it does not. Test it yourself. As long as its not some obsecure phone model, 100% guarantee it does not.
hyelton said:
Only if you reset via recovery. If you reset from the settings of the phone it does not. Test it yourself. As long as its not some obsecure phone model, 100% guarantee it does not.
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Lol I made that former mistake returning a new 10+ once and it was fun
So if it in settings that won't (hopefully) happen?
I simply have no use for that kind of security.
Google is the #1 security risk
blackhawk said:
Lol I made that former mistake returning a new 10+ once and it was fun
So if it in settings that won't (hopefully) happen?
I simply have no use for that kind of security.
Google is the #1 security risk
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Click to collapse
Doing it via settings it shouldn't happen. If its a samsung and logged into a samsung account it does need to be connected via data or wifi and enter the samsung account password, otherwise just a google account no issues with resetting.
hyelton said:
Doing it via settings it shouldn't happen. If its a samsung and logged into a samsung account it does need to be connected via data or wifi and enter the samsung account password, otherwise just a google account no issues with resetting.
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Thank you. Will the Samsung account do the same thing? Knox is nothing but trouble.
Meh, I like my phones to be dumb...
omega552003 said:
T-Mobile US is running a promotion where you get this phone for "free" when you attach it to a line after trading in an old phone.
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Click to collapse
Thank you for helping others by posting this information which I took advantage of.
A few more details I found out after getting the phone are that you can talk T-Mobile USA out of charging you a few of the (somewhat hidden so-called nominal) fees given they didn't charge me them (they only charged me the state tax on the $282 estimated MSRP) for the 64GB Samsung Galaxy A32 5G (Model SM-A326U).
You either call them up or visit a store or use your T-Mobile account online to order the "upgrade"
If you do not have or use your T-Mobile account online then you can talk them out of charging you the $20 (I did) but you have to have a good excuse - otherwise the only way to save that $20 charge is to do it online (they will walk you through the process on the phone though and not charge you).
Also you can talk them out of the $5.99 shipping & handling fee if you come up with a good excuse (ask me how I know this).
But if you don't talk them out of the nominal charges, the cost to you is:
State sales tax on the $282 MSRPP
$6 shipping & handling
$20 for ordering at a brick-and-mortar store or ordering via telephone support personnel
They send you a link to print a two-page PDF, the first page of which is essentially a generic checklist of what to do and the second page of which is specific to your trade-in device which contains three things.
The USPS free shipping label that goes on the outside of the box
The description of your trade-in phone that goes inside the box
An optional receipt for your records
You have to find your own box to ship back the old phone (or you can use the brown cardboard box that the new phone came in if you want. Don't worry the new phone comes with its own white box so you don't need the brown cardboard outside box.)
As stated in the OP, they told me you can trade in as many as four phones but each trade-in phone has to be in its own box with its own receipt inside and its own label on the outside.
You stick the receipt inside the box, along with your old phone, turned off but with the battery in place, and you stick a shipping label on the outside of the box.
When you go to the US Post Office to drop it off you can ask for a receipt from the Post Office and they will print one out (and email it to you if you like). You do not need to insure the shipment - you have to trust the US Post Office that they won't go postal on your package (so I snapped a photo at the post office, just in case).
You will get a series of texts from T-Mobile telling you the status such as these I received:
"Your T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy S3 White with serial number 1234567890 has been received and is currently being processed. For trade-in details, go to t-mo.co/mytradein01"
And then... the somewhat scary zero-dollar indicator...
T-Mobile has applied a device trade-in credit of $0 to your Equipment Installation Plan for your Samsung Galaxy S3 White. Please visit t-mo.co/order01 for details or call 611.
And finally... the reassuring word "complete"...
T-Mobile promo msg: The trade-in for line 2015551212 is complete and will receive a monthly bill credit for the 2021 Samsung Trade P7 promotion as long as you maintain eligibility & service. For details, go to t-mo.co/tradein01To expand further upon the terms and conditions it seems you have one month to send the tradin where they will nag you by text a few times if you procrastinate (ask me how I know this).
They don't want your charger or your cables or your SIM card or sdcard. They only want the phone which has to be complete and in a single unit all put together as a single item (phone + battery + the battery cover for example).
As was stated in the OP, they told me your old phone must work which they define as "being able to make a call" (even though it won't have a SIM card in it most likely). It doesn't matter what network, nor if it's old technology (some bands no longer even exist, I think).
However, the phone must be "undamaged" in so much as the screen can be scratched but not broken or cracked or washed out. There must not be water damage but the back and front can be scratched and dented as long as it's not major damage. The battery just has to have enough charge to power up the phone (as mine hadn't been charged in over a decade or so and wasn't even the original battery anyway).
In my situation the back cover was a different color than the phone and they said that's ok but that they'd note their pre-approval in the records.
Interestingly they say the phone must not be locked to a PIN but mine was locked to a PIN that I've long forgotten. After attempting all the old PINs I could think of, I called them back in exasperation to ask how to wipe out the PIN.
Thankfully they told me they'd note in the records that the phone is locked to a PIN and that those notes would inform the people checking the phone that it's OK that it's locked to a personal PIN.
Just to be clear this is a different "lock" than a carrier lock. My trade-in was a T-Mobile locked phone but they said the carrier lock status didn't matter to them (i.e., it could have been carrier locked to Verizon or AT&T and it wouldn't have mattered).
When I asked what happens if they don't approve the trade-in phone, I received various answers each time I called (which is the bane of all customer support queries) but the general answer was that they'd give us a chance to rectify the problem with another battery (if it was overbloated for example) or with another phone if necessary.
Although one person I asked said they'd have to cancel the order and start fresh with a new order - so if this happens to you that they don't approve your trade-in when they test it out - then let us know how they handled it - as that was my biggest worry given I had to punch a hole in the battery with a pin to let out the bloat just so that I could get the back cover to barely stay on as I had scrambled to find a back that fit (it was the wrong color) and I had it locked to a personal PIN, etc., any or all of which are faults which you'd expect in a 10 year old phone that has been sitting in a drawer waiting to be deemed useful again (just like The Brave Little Toaster was finally found useful after years of neglect).
Just a heads up. I traded in two Tracfone Alcatel MyFlip Phones bought on Amazon for 9.99$. They didn't give me any issues so network locked isn't a problem (opposed to the 'make a call on T-Mobile Network' above). I just wanted a backup phone since my current backup is a Samsung Galaxy SII (and my daily-driver for the moment a Galaxy S5).
Also, I 'd probably just do the request online. You save the 20$ fee from the store, and the 6$ shipping is more than what your time is likely worth per how much of a hassle and time consuming it seems to be to do it in person.
Besides that, GalaxyA325G's post perfectly reflects my experience and I couldn't explain it any better. Still not sure what exactly I should do with these phones (backups, as a standalone mp3, etc), but I do hope sooner or later they can be rooted and ROM'd. Time will tell.
My trade-in with 1 Tracfone Alcatel MyFlip Phone went was successful as well on Monday. I'll end up doing one more soon as well now too.