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hey guys pretty much a noob here. i got an alltel ppc-6800 for a really good deal. reason why i got it for a good deal is that it has a bad esn. what i want to do is reflash the unit and use a verizon rom on it instead and have it on the verizon network. big question is that i've been reading the wiki on how to flash, etc... but should i follow the steps for downgrading to stock verizon rom or what?
I think before you start anything you might wanna think it over. Are you using this phone for yourself because personally I would NOT try to activate a phone with a bad esn, you do realize they will need the esn correct? I would make sure Verizon will let you use the phone on their network.
first off, the ESN is BAD. VZ will not activate it. you would need a clean device (most commonly a broken one where you can still salvage a good ESN)
and take the clean ESN from the broken phone and swap it with the bad ESN on the good one. now, not only is this 100% illegal, and there is a fat fine and possible jail time for changing ESN's, but it is very advanced work. and if you are really a 'noob' as you stated, ESN swapping is reserved for those with technical knowledge far above us, and this process is way over our heads. dont bother with it. sell it on eBay and buy a brand new one.
aguas said:
first off, the ESN is BAD. VZ will not activate it. you would need a clean device (most commonly a broken one where you can still salvage a good ESN)
and take the clean ESN from the broken phone and swap it with the bad ESN on the good one. now, not only is this 100% illegal, and there is a fat fine and possible jail time for changing ESN's, but it is very advanced work. and if you are really a 'noob' as you stated, ESN swapping is reserved for those with technical knowledge far above us, and this process is way over our heads. dont bother with it. sell it on eBay and buy a brand new one.
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Not good advice. Plain an simple
yea i do not plan on cloning a device. way to much work. well i got the phone because the person did not want to pay for the cancellation fee so there is hold on the esn before any activation can occur on their network. It is not on a currently black list for "Lost/Stolen" phones. So really i can activate the phone on alltel i just have to pay the rest of the money, lol which im not doing. And my buddy at verizon said it maybe possible to put it on the network he just wants me to reflash to verizon and he's gonna try to add it to the network.
vlhoang said:
yea i do not plan on cloning a device. way to much work.
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No that shouldn't even be talked about on this forum thats just asking for trouble. I would NOT condone the replacement or changing of any ESN on any device its illegal period.
KDKobes said:
No that shouldn't even be talked about on this forum thats just asking for trouble. I would NOT condone the replacement or changing of any ESN on any device its illegal period.
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as i *clearly* stated. i was informing him of his options.
also, now that he said that the ESN is 'on hold' it's really irrelevant since he first stated it was a bad ESN, which are two totally different things.
and i am wondering a few things..
i have heard of some shady craigslist people selling IMEI banned phones. If i get one by chance..is it possible to change IMEI? or am i screwed with a paperweight. I have seen some RIFF-box tools claim to be able to do it, but this is a pretty new phone so I am not sure if its supported.
Will T-Mobile work with a customer that accidentally came up on a banned phone? Does t-mobile actually ENFORCE the ban on the IMEI? I know of some people that had a supposed banned IMEI and it worked just fine.
Any information will be greatly appreciated!
Rather than potentially go through all of that, try calling T-Mobile when you meet the seller and verify with them if the phone is able to used without issue and hasn't been banned.
Also, talk of hacking and changing ESN/IMEIs are not allowed in the forums.
ricky05 said:
and i am wondering a few things..
i have heard of some shady craigslist people selling IMEI banned phones. If i get one by chance..is it possible to change IMEI? or am i screwed with a paperweight. I have seen some RIFF-box tools claim to be able to do it, but this is a pretty new phone so I am not sure if its supported.
Will T-Mobile work with a customer that accidentally came up on a banned phone? Does t-mobile actually ENFORCE the ban on the IMEI? I know of some people that had a supposed banned IMEI and it worked just fine.
Any information will be greatly appreciated!
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bring your sim card with you and slap it in before you hand over the cash. When I sold my Droid on Craigs List I actually met the guy at the verizon store to make sure he didn't have an issue getting it activated. Its not much to ask..
i completely understand about imei changing not allowed..
i was mostly asking if it was POSSIBLE..not how to do it really..but ok
and thanks for the reply about meeting the guy there..thats probably what I will do.
I've worked for tmobile for a long time, they do not block imei's.......that is sprint and verizon which block esn's. Your safe to buy the phone.
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using Tapatalk
You'll be fine with any GSM Carrier... Imei doesn't mean anything.
Just be sure your getting a Legitimate phone.
SmartHat said:
You'll be fine with any GSM Carrier... Imei doesn't mean anything.
Just be sure your getting a Legitimate phone.
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Unless it is on their blacklist an a stolen phone.
I bought a Motorola Cliq from CraigsList about a year ago... Turns out the guy I bought it from was a T-Mobile employee who had stolen the phone. I got a phone call from someone at T-Mobile asking me about the phone. I gave them all the information I had on the guy and then asked what it all meant to me.
I was told that because I had purchased the phone legitimately and had done nothing wrong that I could keep the phone and that T-Mobile had no interest in punishing a customer for someone else being dishonest.
As someone else said, pop your SIM card in the phone when you meet and see if it works.
Make sure you check that speaker phone works. I bought mine from a guy on craigslist for 275 and the speaker didn't work. I could hear out of the phone speaker (the one in front) but not out of the one in the back (above and to the right if the HTC logo behind the phone). So just check that the phone rings, that you can hear speakerphone, and that you can hear music.
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App
ricky05 said:
i completely understand about imei changing not allowed..
i was mostly asking if it was POSSIBLE..not how to do it really..but ok
and thanks for the reply about meeting the guy there..thats probably what I will do.
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If u change the imei then u will have one of someone else phone.
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App
Can't the guy just report it stolen after you put your sim in to see if it works? This is the main thing stopping me from getting a G2 or Nexus on Craigslist. Will everything be perfect if it works when you put in your sim?
I would ask the seller to email the IMEI to me, and verify it with TMo. If all is good, double check it when you meet with the dude and you should be OK.
djsinco said:
I would ask the seller to email the IMEI to me, and verify it with TMo. If all is good, double check it when you meet with the dude and you should be OK.
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Thanks for the response!
but even after checking the imei with tmobile, couldn't he just write down the imei number and report it stolen after I check it with the sim and buy it?
The concern to me is that the seller stole it. you could have TMo document the IMEI search in your notes, that and a printout of the CL post would cover you.
Youll be ok. I've never hear TMo blacklist any phones...even ones that were reported lost/stolen.
You bought it...just keep records of all your interactions with the seller.
Posted from my HTC Vision via XDA App
I have purchased and sold numerous phones over Craigslist.
I would recommend that you meet in an area that is well-lit and very PUBLIC. I typically try to meet at a coffee shop or something. I have heard of horror stories in my area about people setting up robberies through CL so be careful and aware of your surroundings.
Spend a few minutes using the phone... I.E. make a test phone call, send a text message, test sound output, etc. If the seller is not okay waiting a few minutes while you do these things, hand them the phone back and find a different seller. If there is nothing to hide, this process is reasonable.
Thanks for all the responses guys but my main concern is with the imei number. What is a sure way to know that it will not be blocked later on by a person?
Bbe1367 said:
I've worked for tmobile for a long time, they do not block imei's.......that is sprint and verizon which block esn's. Your safe to buy the phone.
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using Tapatalk
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There is nothing you can do to prevent a seller from calling customer service and giving them the IMEI saying that its stolen, BUT that doesn't have any impact on you.
ESN's are used on CDMA phones and those can be blocked to prevent service reaching a device. IMEI's do not work the same way. Regardless of whether or not the phone is reported as stolen, it would continue to work.
Just keep a record of your communication with the seller in case he tries to scam you down the road saying you stole it from him, but that is highly unlikely. Just be sure to check the device and make sure everything is working.
I take a gun with me when I go pay/pick up my item.
johnnyham89 said:
Thanks for all the responses guys but my main concern is with the imei number. What is a sure way to know that it will not be blocked later on by a person?
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T-mobile DOES NOT block IMEI numbers AT ALL,
Sprint and Verizon use CDMA networks, hence you have to give them your ESN number.... which they CAN block.
Since you are with T-Mobile... this scenario DOES NOT, I repeat DOES NOT apply to you.
just be careful about the phone itself, Making sure EVERYTHING works fine, scratches, dings.
Like somenone said... if there is nothing to hide than he WILL wait for you to test out the phone until you are satisfied. Meeting in a coffee shop or a public spot will do you good!
Hey, I'm in need of some help. On my birthday, I lost my fascinate. I called bdubs multiple times to see if anyone turned it in and of course, no one had turned a phone in. so, I called up asurion and filed a claim. I got my replacement and had it for six days when my landlord calls my home phone.she had found my fascinate. Great news, or so I thought. I call asurion up again and explain what happened. I figured I could get it off the blacklist since I found it. Well, asurion said not only would they not remove it from the list, but that phone was now their property. they wanted me to send in my old phone. Not only that, but they won't give my ninety bucks back.
Anyways, I've decided to give the phone to my mother in law for christmas since she has an eris. I'm assuming I need to change the esn. How would I do this? I'm just going to swap it with my moto droid. I've read that this is illegal, but if I'm swapping the esn with one of my phones, then it's legal? Any clues?
Its not illegal. I've changed esn numbers all over my verizon accounts and never had a problem. You can deactivate your phone and activate another in place of it online through your verizon wireless account.
Rockin' DJ05, Minimal Icognito, being just plain Stupidfast
TheSonicEmerald said:
Its not illegal. I've changed esn numbers all over my verizon accounts and never had a problem. You can deactivate your phone and activate another in place of it online through your verizon wireless account.
Rockin' DJ05, Minimal Icognito, being just plain Stupidfast
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I think the OP is talking about something different.
The ESN on your old Fascinate is a hard coded serial number. You can't just change the number to make it so you can activate it again. ESNs are loaded into Verizon's system to identify the devices tied to their network so you're pretty much screwed and you need to just send the phone back to Asurion as they requested. As per your policy with them, that device does belong to them.
once the phone is reported lost or stolen the ESN can't be activated on another line, so if i am understanding you correctly, giving it to your mother in-law won't do you any good unless you just want to give her a headache trying to get it activated that can't be done.
it can be done and it isn't illegal as most people think... google is your friend
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App
Try calling VZW and telling them what happened. They control the database, so if you tell them that you found the device and it is no longer lost, they may be able to de-blacklist the ESN for you.
Check the terms and conditions for your insurance. This is all detailed there.
Vzw can't remove it. Asurion owns it now.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App
Let me get this straight, Mr. Kuhlman.
You lost your $500+ phone, filed an insurance claim ... Does your insurance cover lost or did you claim it was stolen? ... .... So they send you another $500+ phone after you only pay, I'm assuming shipping + deductible = $90? Now you "found" your phone and plan to keep both $500+ phones? You make out quite well with that deal. How is this fair? What makes you think you are so entitled? And you want the $90 back as well!!!
Mr. Kuhlman, are you familiar with insurance fraud? And you posted this on a public forum...
SupraLance said:
Let me get this straight, Mr. Kuhlman.
You lost your $500+ phone, filed an insurance claim ... Does your insurance cover lost or did you claim it was stolen? ... .... So they send you another $500+ phone after you only pay, I'm assuming shipping + deductible = $90? Now you "found" your phone and plan to keep both $500+ phones? You make out quite well with that deal. How is this fair? What makes you think you are so entitled? And you want the $90 back as well!!!
Mr. Kuhlman, are you familiar with insurance fraud? And you posted this on a public forum...
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couldn't agree more...this is exactly the reason why we have high deductibles...send it to asurion it is their property....
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App
Some confusion about changing ESN numbers here. There are two types of ESN swaps.
1) Changing your ESN # registered to your account
2) Changing the ESN # of the phone itself
#1 is to get a phone activated on the network. #2 is to get the phone unlocked and activated on *another* network. Neither is illegal.
The only thing illegal related to ESN swaps is if you clone an ESN, so that two phones have the same ESN at the same time. Although it is only illegal if done for purposes of fraud. If you were to buy 2 phones, and for whatever reasons wanted to clone their ESN's and put the other away on a shelf and never use again, then you could do this legally.
For instance someone may want to use a fancy Droid X on their limited verizon plan. Verizon wont sell or activate a droid x if you dont subscribe with a data package. You may decide to activate it yourself by cloning an existing phone's ESN so that your droid x can make voice calls and receive texts, but nothing else.
Thread closed per rule 9.
This is insurance fraud and the recipient of the phone could be charged with handling stolen goods, and more ... you could be charged with fraud and theft.
Lets say Im selling a phone and someone wants to check if the esn is clear for themselves and I give it to them.
Can they take that number and do something to "steal" it and put it on another device?
just curious.
Im assuming no but im not entirely sure so I figured I would just ask
No its tied to phone so its safe.
I thought people could clone phones???
Sent from my LG-P999 using xda premium
Yes it can be done. Never give your ESN out. IF they want to check it out meet up at a retailer.
Verizon told me that you can give esn and no harm can come off it..maybe its a cdma thing?
zelendel said:
Yes it can be done. Never give your ESN out. IF they want to check it out meet up at a retailer.
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This is good advice. One more thing: You can simply call customer service for Verizon/Sprint and ask that a particular ESN(or MEID) is clear, and in doing so, have the rep to make a note in your account that you called on a certain date & time with that particlar ESN(or MEID). This will protect you, as it becomes documented that someone inquired about the ESN(or MEID) if later it's discovered they attempted to steal it.
yes it can be stolen, as long as that esn is not active on an account. All you need is the esn to put that phone into an account
kidFromBigD said:
This is good advice. One more thing: You can simply call customer service for Verizon/Sprint and ask that a particular ESN(or MEID) is clear, and in doing so, have the rep to make a note in your account that you called on a certain date & time with that particlar ESN(or MEID). This will protect you, as it becomes documented that someone inquired about the ESN(or MEID) if later it's discovered they attempted to steal it.
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In reference to that, there is a website called http://www.checkesnfree.com
You can check any ESN for free and fast. I do business on CL regularly and it has never failed me.
.
Thread moved. Would advise you to read forum rules and post in correct section.
Failure to comply with forum rules will result in an infraction and/or ban depending on severity of rule break.
Hi guys.
I can see few of those over ebay for good price. Is there any way step by step how to fix it? If the phone will be rooted and installed new custom rom will that work, or will that be still locked?
As a fan of Galaxy s4 can afford to pay full price and would love one after my galaxy s2. Any help will be more than appreciate.
Thanks
I wouldn't even attempt to deal with a bad ESN phone.
SmolkoSK said:
Hi guys.
I can see few of those over ebay for good price. Is there any way step by step how to fix it? If the phone will be rooted and installed new custom rom will that work, or will that be still locked?
As a fan of Galaxy s4 can afford to pay full price and would love one after my galaxy s2. Any help will be more than appreciate.
Thanks
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If the ESN is bad, that usually means the customer had their service terminated for non-payment, or the device was reported lost/stolen. You're either going to end up paying off someone else's account/ETF, or you are going to get a phone call from the police. Either way, it isn't worth it. Bad ESN phones might be flashable to a different carrier, or used as parts to repair damaged phones.
-Mike
mcapozzi said:
If the ESN is bad, that usually means the customer had their service terminated for non-payment, or the device was reported lost/stolen. You're either going to end up paying off someone else's account/ETF, or you are going to get a phone call from the police. Either way, it isn't worth it. Bad ESN phones might be flashable to a different carrier, or used as parts to repair damaged phones.
-Mike
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Thats what I mean. Can I reflash it to different carrier and avoid police phone call?
Thanks.
ESN is not within the ROM
SmolkoSK said:
Thats what I mean. Can I reflash it to different carrier and avoid police phone call?
Thanks.
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The ESN is not contained within the ROM, there are tools that can modify an ESN (some independent wireless dealers have access to those tools, for example cricket/pageplus dealers). You may be limited to those "fringe" carriers if they change the ESN.
Like I said though, you are asking for trouble messing with these. Best case scenario, you violate a carrier's TOS, worst case scenario, you get busted for possession of stolen property.
-Mike
SmolkoSK said:
Hi guys.
I can see few of those over ebay for good price. Is there any way step by step how to fix it? If the phone will be rooted and installed new custom rom will that work, or will that be still locked?
As a fan of Galaxy s4 can afford to pay full price and would love one after my galaxy s2. Any help will be more than appreciate.
Thanks
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Click to collapse
message me i can fix ur esn 35 bucks
mrej201 said:
message me i can fix ur esn 35 bucks
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I agree as to do so would need the phone? I am in Venezuela and I would like to place a esn to use it here