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Hi All,
Can I just share my poor experience with HTCSimUnlock.com.
Got the wife a new HTC Wildfire, which needed unlocking, so I had a scoot about a couple of threads on here and HTCSimUnlock.com seemed to be OK. So I paid my fee and waited for my code. Needless to say, it didn't go well. 20 minutes later I got an email back from them saying they couldn't find the code, but they had an *EXCLUSIVE* service for a deep search that I couldn't get any place else, but it would cost me the same money again. So started looking for the process to start this fully automatic refund they are supposed to offer. Nothing, I even tried with a second browser just in case Firefox has not showing it. So I ended up emailing them.... and again, and again. Nothing, other than spam offering insurance and backup services for the code they never sent me.
I've sent it to the credit card people as a fraud now, and it's up to them to chase these people.
I ended up going to a UK unlocker who were charging the same fee HTCSimUnlock.com tried to charge by deception, but at least they had the decency to stipulate before hand that newer handsets would cost more.
Needless to say, I would not recommend these people(person) Their claim of an automatic refund is untrue.
Interesting I went to them aswell based on the good reviews.
I also paid for my order yesterday to unlock the wildfire. But as of yet no e-mail.
It does say it can take up to 24 hours, so the INSTANT DELIVERY on their home page is a little misleading. I'll see how it goes and report back for people that are interested.
Great, I just ordered a code from them too...paid via credit card so I guess if I don't hear anything from them i'll have to call my bank about it.
sigh, i guess it was only $17AUD. or at least i hope thats all they actually charged to my credit card.
Right, I put in an order sunday morning and still nothing. it just says "**Processing**" under the status. I've e-mailed them twice since and not a single reply.
Seem like fraudsters to me. Will be opening a claim with paypal.
Also went with them based on positive feedback from before the website was sold. Scam. Scamtastic. Opened dispute with paypal and contacted SWReg about refund.
Dammit, looks like I just got taken for $14.50 myself. I didn't even get an order reference number, but they didn't feel too bad about taking my money. I'm going to PayPal right now.
addendum...it was simunlockNOW dot com that I went through, and they actually gave me my code. Had to pay another $10 for it, because the phone just came out, but otherwise the code works fine.
htcsimunlock.com wildfire AVOID
Avoid this company, they do not give a money back offer, you pay, they can't find the code and then ignore e-mails only paying after a paypal claim or credit card claim.
I used mobileunlocked.co.uk[/url] and they were great, getting the code in minutes, although a little more expensive at least I got what I paid for.
I will be contacting the server for htcsimunlock and seeing if I can get the site removed as its being used for fraudulent purposes.
AVOID HTCSIMUNLOCK.COM AT ALL COSTS
Same experience with HTCSimUnlock here.
The only difference is that i actually got the Unlock code wich doesn't work and offcourse, they are not responding on support e-mail.
frauders...
pause for breath.. before you give up…
Well I confess .. I also come here wondering why after getting caught with the best deal ever
“Order your HTC SIM Unlock Code”
ONLY $15.75! (Lowest Price Guarantee!)
then they replied
“Thank you for your recent order for the unlock code of your HTC Phone. Unfortunately, we are unable to find the unlock code for your HTC phone with our basic search.
HOWEVER, we now offer an *EXCLUSIVE* Deep Search service that can find 99% of hard-to-find unlock codes. This service is NOT AVAILABLE ANY WHERE ELSE! Due to the exclusivity of this service, it will cost a one-time upgrade fee of just $14.99.”
Then I got my Unlock code eventually for about £26 GBP only to find yes it unlocked my orange branded phone.. but I couldn’t make a call or send a text…
PAUSE for breath … I thought I’ve been shafted / scammed / stitched up / done over etc…
IT did work thou Guys….
I got a
HTC DESIRE HD (A9191) or Ace
It was locked to Orange UK
Just remember maybe you gotta go back in to your settings and change operator from orange to Vodafone in my case (lebara Sim) works off Voda network the only other thing I recall doing before it all started to work was DROP the battery out put the desired sim in side then put the battery back in..
BTW sometimes if you switch a SIM you also got to re-activate it to work with the new IMEI, in my case lebara I had to dail up 5588 as stated at their web support site.. like I said pause for breath.. before you give up…
RE- HTCSimUnlock.com
Yes they ramped the price up coz I got a newer phone and they knew that I’d take the bait.. BUT it works…. MY phone is unlocked..
And wanted to let you know…
Good luck
The smoking Tiger..
I paid top dollar ...
but with a bit of research... the unlock code worked for me
My orange branded phone now works with lebara.. make sure the sim you use is live sim not a de-activated sim.. and check your network setting.. match the sim network...
Good luck...
Ban Users posting the link to them
Forget what anyone says
This IS a Fraudulent company running a SCAM to get your money
I currently have a paypal case op to get a refund, if you've paid by credit card start a reversal.
I went with them due to recent posts on xdadev recomending them. And adverts
I think anyone that does a post recomending them should be banned
Aw crap! I read some good stuff and place my order. I am not able to get through to their member login page with my email ID -and needless to say, not a response for my email. To give them a benefit of doubt, their autoreply asks for 24 hours for a response, and am going to give them that. Will post back after ~12 hours (it already has been 12 hours since all this)...
Been a day - so much for "Instant to 30 minutes". Raised a dispute in PayPal, and placed an order unlock-now dot com - lets see how this goes.
Anyone disappointed with the ****ers at HTCSimUnlock dot com - Head to www dot unlock-now dot com - I got my unlock code over email in 9 minutes flat. I had to pay Euro 17.50 though, against the $13.95 that the HTCSimUnlock folks charge. But hey, what is the point of being cheap-and-wont-work?!!
I called the phone company to get the unlock key :S
I typed in the wrong IMEI the first time, and started a refund.
Sent in a second request, with the correct IMEI.
Both returned "unable to find" ... started the "refund" on both, to no avail. It's been a week.
I've tried contacting the company I bought the CC from (it's a Vanilla Prepaid) and they say they will take 50 DAYS to do a reversal!
I've gone from HTCSimUnlock.comm to SWREG, and if it's not resolved by Monday, I'll go to DigitalRiver. DRI doesn't want to lose good standing with Microsoft (which they could, if enough people complain.)
Avoid this company, they cheat people money for doing nothing.
I paid my money via Paypal for unlocking my HD2. 15 minutes later, they replied me that I need to pay additional money for an upgrade service. They want to charge me a total of over $30 for an HD2 unlock code, I refused of course.
I emailed to them, they never replied me. Instead, they just email me back with standard reply, and nothing about my refund. Been waiting for refund for one week without any trace. I raised a compliant to Paypal (luckily I used Paypal). I hope Paypal will help me getting back my money.
Brothers: Keep away from this cheating company. They are SCAM!!!
It took me over 3 WEEKS to get a refund, and then I had to get it through SWREG and NOT HTCUnlock.
Do not trust these robbing b*stards
I wish I had read this thread before I was fleeced by these robbing c*nts.
They sent me the usual 'deep search' at extra USD 14.99, I refused and went for a refund and they sent me an email stating that 'a refund has been provided' - of course, they haven't !
Fortunately, I paid by 'paypal' and have raised a case.
WHy are they not blacklisted by paypal?
Hi guys, believe me I looked around the forum before setting out to ask, but it could take years to read all the threads and posts.
A few months back I bought my son a Galaxy S 3 for Verizon through Amazon wireless.
The phone came, I activated it and it worked fine until the idiot put it in his pocket, went out, got drunk, and came home with some barely visible cracks in the screen which now will not light up.
He went to the Verizon store, but without their insurance, they refused to deal with it. Instead, he ported an upgrade from another one of my 5 lines and buys another phone for $250-.
Now I have the 3 month "old" S 3 with a cracked screen that won't light up, and no SIM card.
What am I supposed to do now with this paper weight??
I was hoping to never have to deal with Verizon again, but now I'm locked in for another two years on two of my five lines and I have this very useless but valuable phone.
Suppose I take it upon myself to repair the screen, is there anyway to use this phone on a different network? or at least with a different carrier?
Perhaps a carrier that isn't looking to skin me alive for whatever I can bare? I know this device works with SIM cards, and I've heard folks claiming that it can be used on GSM networks, so what prevents me from using this phone on a GSM network with another carrier??
Can someone explain in layman's terms what this post will do for me??
Or is there some other direction I need to take??
Thank you!
From Amazon Wireless:
AmazonWireless Terms and Conditions
Instant Discount Policy
When you purchase your device with service from AmazonWireless.com, we automatically pass along an instant discount based on a commission paid to AmazonWireless by your wireless service carrier. The commission depends upon your continued service, and if you do not maintain your service for 181 days from the service activation date, AmazonWireless must return the commission to the carrier. Thus, this discount has been provided to you in good faith based on your agreement to (a) activate a new or extend an existing line of service for the device(s) with the carrier for two years, (b) maintain this line of service in good standing, and (c) not alter the line of service type other than adding an additional line of service to an individual account for at least 181 consecutive days.
The following are some scenarios where we may determine that you have not maintained your service and have not met the requirements listed above:
If your device with the carrier is not activated per Amazon's activation instructions within 14 days
If your service is canceled/disconnected before 181 days and you do not return the device(s) to Amazon
If a new individual or new family account is merged with or replaces a pre-existing account
If you transfer this equipment to another carrier's service or to another line in your family account and deactivate the line that Amazon established for your device
By accepting this Instant Discount Policy, you agree to repay $400 per smart phone or tablet and $200 per other device if you do not maintain your carrier service for 181 consecutive days from the service activation date. You also authorize us to collect that amount using any credit card we have on record for you. Amazon can periodically check your account status with the carrier to confirm your line of service is active and in good standing and thereby confirm you are in compliance with this policy.
The Instant Discount Policy will not be applied if you cancel your order and return the device(s) within our 30-day return period. You must return your device(s) to Amazon within the carrier's 14-day return period in order to avoid the carrier's Early Termination Fees (ETF). If your purchase was an upgrade, your upgrade eligibility will not be reset unless you return your device to Amazon within the carrier's 14-day return period.
Additional Terms
Amazon reserves the right to decide who is eligible to purchase a device from us (e.g., an individual may be deemed ineligible based on identify verification checks) and can limit purchase quantities or refuse to sell to an individual who has been approved by a carrier.
Devices with service purchased from Amazon are for individual use only, and Amazon reserves the right to reject orders from resellers or distributors.
These AmazonWireless Terms and Conditions are in addition to the AmazonWireless site Conditions of Use.
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Let us know if you get hit with a $400 bill from Amazon
The first thing you need to do is, change your Verizon password, so your dumb-ass, irresponsible son, can't stick you with anymore bills.
Let us know if you get hit with a $400 bill from Amazon
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I would think that since they removed the SIM card from the broken phone and placed it into the new phone, and since he purchased the new phone with an upgrade from a different line, but retained service on the same line, that perhaps VZW is copacetic with that. Service is retained on the original line.
But something needs to happen with this broken phone that I have.
and, you didn't answer any of my questions.
What needs to take place? ...and in what order?
Let me take a stab at this...
Fixing the LCD is probably the first thing that has to happen.
I assume the phone, being a PDA will boot without the SIM card. Yes?
So if it's bootable, and you can see what you're doing, then I guess it's rootable. Yes?
And if it's rooted, then you can unlock it? Yes?
And once its rooted and unlocked, then what?
With which carrier can this phone be used? Rooted and unlocked, why would it even matter?
Thank you, and please.
merciless_alien said:
Hi guys, believe me I looked around the forum before setting out to ask, but it could take years to read all the threads and posts.
A few months back I bought my son a Galaxy S 3 for Verizon through Amazon wireless.
The phone came, I activated it and it worked fine until the idiot put it in his pocket, went out, got drunk, and came home with some barely visible cracks in the screen which now will not light up.
He went to the Verizon store, but without their insurance, they refused to deal with it. Instead, he ported an upgrade from another one of my 5 lines and buys another phone for $250-.
Now I have the 3 month "old" S 3 with a cracked screen that won't light up, and no SIM card.
What am I supposed to do now with this paper weight??
I was hoping to never have to deal with Verizon again, but now I'm locked in for another two years on two of my five lines and I have this very useless but valuable phone.
Suppose I take it upon myself to repair the screen, is there anyway to use this phone on a different network? or at least with a different carrier?
Perhaps a carrier that isn't looking to skin me alive for whatever I can bare? I know this device works with SIM cards, and I've heard folks claiming that it can be used on GSM networks, so what prevents me from using this phone on a GSM network with another carrier??
Can someone explain in layman's terms what this post will do for me??
Or is there some other direction I need to take??
Thank you!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Rooting post will allow you to have more control over your device. You can give apps permission to do thing that android usually restricts them from doing. For example, you can give SetCPU permission to change the minimum and maximum speeds of your processor. You must also root to use the GSM network... Check out this guide: Click Here. I've never used my S3 on another carrier though, so I'm not exactly sure what to do
tl;dr Phones sold by Gazelle can still be blacklisted.
I purchased two iphone 5's from Gazelle last December 2013, for a Christmas gift for my mother-in-law and one for my wife.
A few days ago, my mother-in-law contacted me to tell me the phone was no longer receiving service.
After trying everything I could find about fixing it, I finally contacted T-Mobile, and discovered that the phone's IMEI has just been blocked due to non-payment by the original owner(!)
Just to clarify, this phone has been in daily use since Xmas Day 2013 (~11 mos)!
The T-Mobile rep told me that the original owner had been making payments all this time, but recently closed their account, and were sent a final bill. The bill was 10 days past due and at that time T-Mobile automatically blacklists the IMEI.
I bought these phones specifically from gazelle and paid more for them as a result, as I believed they were essentially guaranteed against this sort of thing.
I even contacted them before my purchase asking them if their phones were checked:
"Thank you for your interest! We do test all items to confirm availability for activation by you upon receipt. Unless otherwise noted in the listing, this item has been tested and is clear."
It turns out, this doesn't mean the device will remain that way after you receive it. An important fact that they continue to omit in their eBay listings.
I contacted their support yesterday and was told that the unit is outside of their 30-day return window and they can not help me further.
As far as I'm concerned, they didn't actually sell me anything. They sold a device that still had a lien against it, and now that it is blacklisted, I basically paid $400+ to rent it for the past 11 months. Technically, this iPhone is still the property of T-Mobile...Gazelle basically sold me stolen merchandise.
I've since opened a complaint with the BBB and am hopeful they will come to a resolution on this issue.
Moral of the story is: Don't think that just because you're buying from a bigger operation, that your phone is free and clear and ownership has been legally transferred to YOU.
As a matter of fact, you can even read Swappa's TOS and you will find a very loose policy on blacklisted IMEI/ESN's. They basically say you're only recourse is PayPal's 45-day dispute window.
Buying from these sites is really not any different than craigslist or a random seller on eBay.
The only way to really guarantee your device is free and clear forever is to buy a new one.
Resolved!
Just to follow up, I received the exchange iPhone yesterday and my issue is now resolved to my relief and satisfaction.
I am happy to say that Gazelle came through and made things right for me in the end. They also told me they are working with carriers on new ways to determine if devices are still under contract and/or still financed, to avoid issues like mine down the road.
Be careful out there!
So I bought a Samsung Galaxy S6 in November of 2015 on ebay for $370. I checked IMEI before buying and it was clear. I received the phone and activated it on my Verizon account and continued to use it on that account for almost 2 years until recently when I attempted to move it to a different account.
After completing the port of my number to the new verzion account I was unable to activate the phone that had been previously working. Sometime between November 2015 and when I ported the person who sold me the phone decided to stop paying their bill and Verizon blacklisted the phone as stolen. I spoke to Verizon's fraud department and they are unwilling to take the device off the black list. Verizon continued to state that since I bought the phone from ebay and not directly from Verizon there was nothing they would do.
As infuriated as I am at losing a device for someone else's financial obligation (rant below) I am mainly writing this as a warning to the many people like me out there who buy used phones. I will likely never buy another used phone from a private seller because of this and I suggest you strongly consider the same. I believe this is going to become more widespread as Verizon introduced the device payment plan a couple years ago and this appears to be a clause in the terms that allows them to black list the device as stolen should the individual not pay.
I've contact ebay but am unable to open a case as the sale was 2 years ago. I contacted paypal and they likewise are unwilling to do anything.
Rant: It is as if Verizon is treating the device like a car and has a lien against it. With a car when you purchase and go to register the car under a new owner this can only happen once the current owner has satisfied the lien. Seemingly although the act of activating it on Verizon's network is the same as registering a car it does not require the former lien be satisfied. This leaves a person like me with no way of knowing if the phone will be black listed after I purchase it. Verizon should either not allow the phone to be activated on another account until the balance has been satisfied or at least provide a way to know if an IMEI has an outstanding balance associated to it.
This is kinda common knowledge though. It is the reason xda stands behind and supports swappa.com
This has been happening for years. The only way to make sure is to not use eBay and use a more reliable and vetted source.
There are ways around this (you will find the results I'm sure) but mind you they are illegal and you won't find help here with it.
I feel bad for you. This is still kinda a new thing in the states and carriers are really coming down on it. Just be careful.
As I said swappa.com is a great source. Just about everyone here uses it.
So I bought a S22 Ultra off Facebook marketplace for $900 I did an imei check with my carrier and confirmed it wasn't stolen or anything of that nature and we set it up on my account in store with the guy present and confirmed it worked. Fast forward a week I wake up to a nice message on my phone that Samsung has blocked my device due to incomplete trade in and that I need to contact Samsung to fix it. Cant use the phone at all. I have a $900 paper weight. Does anyone know of a bypass for this? Will rooting it give me the ability to get around this?
That's a new one to me. Sorry can't help, post a photo of the message the phone is showing.
The reason that happened is probably because the guy purcahased the phone from Samsung with a Trade-in discount. He did not send his phone in as part of the agreement. Then they tried to bill his card for the amount of the Trade-in and it didn't go through for whatever reason. After that they blocked his phone which you purchased from him. He most likely hated the phone kept his old phone and now you are screwed until you contact Samsung and resolve it. They specifically state on the Trade-in info they send you with the shipping label that if you don't send them the Trade-in phone within 2 weeeks the new phone will be locked out. The other reason they do that is if it's reported stolen. So your only two options are 1) Contact Samsung or 2) Throw it in the trash.
i think its unlikely, you could try to flash a new firmware with unbranded csc , im not saying that WILL fix it, but it wont do u any harm to try if your not planning on seeking help from samsung, i would recommend trying to fake an imei in an efs and load that, i couldnt advise you how though im afraid
That's the new way, they allow multiple trade in devices so the scumbag will select devices with the highest trade in to bring down the purchase price to the lowest possible level and sell it on arrival making hundreds in profits. Possibly the only way to avoid this would be to remove any samsung stuff BEFORE they initiate a lockdown.
We can't have nice things because of this and if it keeps up I see (Samsung) wanting to put a full purchase price hold at time of purchase and then release it when they get the trade ins. :-(
thats why i like to pre order and buy my devices for cash, no waiting and you know your phone is bnib
cpufrost said:
That's the new way, they allow multiple trade in devices so the scumbag will select devices with the highest trade in to bring down the purchase price to the lowest possible level and sell it on arrival making hundreds in profits.
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Click to collapse
I read about this somewhere just recently. The bad guys are sure creative in figuring out how to game the system. Around here we have to be very careful of FB Marketplace. Sometimes it seems there are way more sketchy stolen items on it than legitimate items.
The other thing is you probably should get a screenshot of the persons drivers license when making a purchase for such a large amount of money. That way the Police know where they live and they got a photo as well. If the seller is not willing to provide that info to you then stay away. I am not gonna send somebody $900 on the internet and just hope they willl send me what they promised without fully checking them out first.
Nobody would accept that. They can simply say don't buy it then. How would he now you wouldn't be a dodgy guy and use his driving licence for scams? The safest way of this kind of trade in risks is to request the purchasing invoice where you could see if it was purchased with trade in option. If the seller doesn't provide it then i would recommend not to buy the phone for the first 3 months of phone's releasing date when trade in would have been completed already.
Always a risk when you guy items from individuals. The one thing for sure, if the deal is too good to be true, it usually is sketchy.
Paul_Deemer said:
The reason that happened is probably because the guy purcahased the phone from Samsung with a Trade-in discount. He did not send his phone in as part of the agreement. Then they tried to bill his card for the amount of the Trade-in and it didn't go through for whatever reason. After that they blocked his phone which you purchased from him. He most likely hated the phone kept his old phone and now you are screwed until you contact Samsung and resolve it. They specifically state on the Trade-in info they send you with the shipping label that if you don't send them the Trade-in phone within 2 weeeks the new phone will be locked out. The other reason they do that is if it's reported stolen. So your only two options are 1) Contact Samsung or 2) Throw it in the trash.
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Click to collapse
This is the most likely reason, and the only thing you can do is to contact Samsung. You could offer to pay the trade in value discount that was applied at the time of purchase, but that could be up to £570 (here in the UK) as that was the top tier (S21Ultra) trade in if I remember rightly.
I think there must of been some genuine trade in purchase, as a valid IMEI number is required at the time of ordering the new phone....Unless there is a way of generating IMEI numbers I'm not aware of.
I would contact Samsung before doing anything else with the phone, as I wouldn't be surprised if Samsung have locked the phone through Knox or something.
That phone is locked via knox. Nothing you can do unless you contact samsung and give them proof of your transaction then from there it's either they will help you or wont care at all.
That's samsungs fault at first. Here in Turkey, you pay full price. After they receive trade-in device they refund discount amount to you. This is the only way to stop such thing.
rroyy said:
That's samsungs fault at first. Here in Turkey, you pay full price. After they receive trade-in device they refund discount amount to you. This is the only way to stop such thing.
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Click to collapse
Right, and too, because of folks not playing nice and taking advantage of others, they will wind up doing the same thing here in USA. At the very least placing a merchant hold for the full device price on the method of payment and releasing it upon successful redemption of trade in value.
Samsung locked the wrong phone. They should be locking the new phone. Call them
Will_T said:
I read about this somewhere just recently. The bad guys are sure creative in figuring out how to game the system. Around here we have to be very careful of FB Marketplace. Sometimes it seems there are way more sketchy stolen items on it than legitimate items.
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Click to collapse
Agree with you, FB\Meta is a mess.
I've had nothing but stellar results selling and buying using Swappa. They are pretty stringent with phone condition and both buyers and sellers.
My favorite transaction was about 4 yrs ago when I dropped a very well protected Nexus 6 just wrong while waiting on a lift, and the screen broke. If it were newer I would have replaced the screen, but 10 minutes into a business meeting I found a replacement for $150 in my city on Swappa. I pinged the seller and he was sitting across the street from me. When I got out of the meeting 30 minutes later, I walked across the street and he handed me the like brand new phone in box and waited for me to boot up! All pre-checked IMEI on Swappa for free to ensure not stolen, etc.
armst433 said:
Samsung locked the wrong phone. They should be locking the new phone. Call them
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It's an S22U. It is the new phone....
I'm hoping OP updates us, I wanna know whats going on with this rather strange story.
Parzival__ said:
So I bought a S22 Ultra off Facebook marketplace for $900 I did an imei check with my carrier and confirmed it wasn't stolen or anything of that nature and we set it up on my account in store with the guy present and confirmed it worked. Fast forward a week I wake up to a nice message on my phone that Samsung has blocked my device due to incomplete trade in and that I need to contact Samsung to fix it. Cant use the phone at all. I have a $900 paper weight. Does anyone know of a bypass for this? Will rooting it give me the ability to get around this?
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the phone turns on? it comes in wi-fi where are the wi-fi networks? if you get high is there a bar? if it exists write www.youtube.com done do glue in the copy bar open Youtube go to click and see Youtube Terms of Service in the bar write this E-FRP site addresses appear and there is e-frp click open and see for Samsung and other functions for you you are interested in ftp and test account or Samsung it would be better to have another phone active go to Youtube and in the bar write e-frp for Samsung because there are several steps. Good luck
Paul_Deemer said:
The other thing is you probably should get a screenshot of the persons drivers license when making a purchase for such a large amount of money. That way the Police know where they live and they got a photo as well. If the seller is not willing to provide that info to you then stay away. I am not gonna send somebody $900 on the internet and just hope they willl send me what they promised without fully checking them out first.
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Click to collapse
Well the crazy part is it was a in person purchase. Dude met me at spectrum mobile and they verified it was unlocked and would work and that's when the transaction happened.