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Hello All,
Apologies in advance for a necessarily long story but I think it has implications for unsuspecting customers. Hope people start checking goods very carefully!!
I bought a new 64GB TPT with Keyboard Folio from a reputed online seller in UK on 19 January, paid full price and for next day delivery.
Parcel arrived promptly the next day in a big black plastic bag with carton inside. So I signed for it and opened the big plastic bag. Inside I found a large Thinkpad Carton which was a bit banged up and there was some rattling inside. I was now worried but having signed for it, I opened the outer carton and found a smaller Thinkpad Tablet box inside it, which looked undamaged.
However, on closer inspection, it was clear that this was NOT a sealed box, that someone had opened it and re-taped with narrower tape. I was getting quite worried now that I had been sent a customer return rather than Brand New.
Anyway, I open the smaller Thinkpad box, find the tablet inside but guess what, the red security seal was broken. I didn't even need to open the seal, it was poorly stuck back. I take the tablet out and see smudges and dust on the screen and scratches on the back!!
I decided enough is enough and phoned the dealer who promptly sent me an email requesting a photograph. I sent that after several attempts and they acknowledged receipt and that they had requested replacement from supplier.
I took further steps to make sure that I don't get lumbered with a used item. I checked the serial number on the despatch note and the boxes and compared it to the serial number on the tablet inside the flap cover of the SD/SIM slot. They were the same. I cleaned the screen, there were no scratches.
I thought to have a look at the tablet working anyway while waiting for exchange. It powered on and went into the home screen straight away, further confirmation that whoever had handled it before hadn't bothered to factory reset. The battery showed 3/4 charge so I went to "Settings" to have a look.
Much to my surprise, the internal storage showed up around 28GB (I had purchased the 64GB tablet) which I couldn't understand. Then the tablet shut down and stayed dead (SOD) despite every effort to put life into it. I emailed the seller anyway but they are closed on the weekend. I knew by now that not only had I been sent a USED and scratched customer return but also a defective and lower spec tablet. Weird enough but it gets worse.
I left it on charge for >24 hours and tried again today. Thankfully the tablet started without a hiccup, went into the home screen and I went straight to "Settings" and "About Tablet" to confirm internal storage. It still showed about 27.4GB plus 540MB used space. No question that they sent me 32GB tablet.
I then discovered the worst thing I could expect. I went into status and checked the Serial Number of the System Unit as recorded IN the tablet firmware itself. Guess what, the serial number embedded in the tablet is TOTALLY DIFFERENT from that in the pull down flap cover of SD slot and that on the cartons!
Until this point, I had assumed that some sleeper in the warehouse had mistakenly sent me a customer return. Now I question that assumption.
The shocking thing in this whole scenario is that the Outer carton, Inner carton and Despatch note all state the same serial number and this matches with the small print label inside the pull down flap SD slot cover. But the embedded System Unit Serial Number is COMPLETELY DIFFERENT!
I would not have known at all if I hadn't become suspicious from the outset. Even then it was the internal storage size that caught my attention and induced me to check system unit serial.
There is no doubt whatsoever that a replacement cannot be refused by the dealer, I phoned them and emailed photos on the day of receipt. Why should the embedded system unit serial be different from that on the SD flap cover which is after all, part of the tablet itself?
However, I would ask other forum members if I am mistaken in thinking that system serial number as seen in Settings>About tablet>Status should be the same as on the SD flap label and the boxes. If they are different as I have now found out, what is the implication?
If I am correct in thinking that the serial numbers everywhere should be the same, how come the sticky label on the SD flap cover is same as on the cartons. Indeed, according to despatch note and boxes, the serial number on them should be the 64GB machine. Not mine though!
I would appreciate comments and advice. Once again, sincere apologies for the long post and a couple of repetitions (long winded as usual!).
Kind regards
Sounds like a pretty terrible thing to have to deal with, hope you eventually get what you paid to receive.
The S/N on the flap matches the System-unit serial number under About Tablet on my tablet
Thanks for confirming that, mine is different
MrKwatz said:
Sounds like a pretty terrible thing to have to deal with, hope you eventually get what you paid to receive.
The S/N on the flap matches the System-unit serial number under About Tablet on my tablet
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Click to collapse
My serial number in Settings>About tablet>Status = MP06xxP
On the label inside the SD flap cover on tablet, despatch note, both outer and inner cartons, the serial number reads = MP04xxX
So does this mean that whoever despatched it did a dodgy swap of the SD cover flap on my unit to show a different serial number "to match the purchased unit"?
If so, is this a fraudulent alteration of serial numbers to deceive the customer?
I take a dim view of it if this is what has happened and wonder if I should bring it to Trading Standards Office's attention.
I still can't believe someone would go so far as to alter serial numbers but surely he would know that the correct serial number would be embedded in the About Tablet!!
I certainly will compare serial numbers on all electronic items in their displays whenever possible as it looks like someone has been dodgy in this case!
I just didn't expect it from a very well known dealer although they said on the phone that it was despatched direct from their supplier, who now has several questions to answer. It is illegal to alter serials just as it is to alter car plates.
Thanks for your confirmation.
Kind regards
Update
Hello All,
I phoned the dealer this morning and he said they have forwarded my emails to the supplier and it will take 5 days for them to respond.
I decided this was total dung and phoned HM Govt Trading Standards Office and they said that as the contract is between dealer and me, supplier is irrelevant and that I am entitled to refund forthwith from the dealer as they did not supply the goods that I ordered.
There may be an issue of misconduct as well somewhere in the chain as I cannot imagine the Settings>About tablet>Serial number being different from box, invoice and sticky label on SD flap unless someone actually changed the sticky label or even the SD flap!
Amazing. I am waiting to hear from the dealer and taken plenty of photos to show mismatch, scratches etc. I have asked for a refund as there is no way I will trust this dealer again even if the fault is the supplier's. The dealer should deal with the supplier rather than asking me to wait 5 days for them to pontificate.
Thanks for your patience. I strongly recommend that people check the product serial number in its OS or display before accepting it as genuine. You never know these days, despite this dealer having a good reputation this happened.
Best wishes!
I guess I'm "lucky" that I ordered mine straight from Lenovo Direct and waited 2 months for them to deliver (3 months - Keyboard Folio).
I wish you the best, I would have blown my top if I got scammed like that.
All I can say is wow. Hopefully you will get what you purchased or a full refund.
wow
TS
I am still waiting though!
twospirits said:
All I can say is wow. Hopefully you will get what you purchased or a full refund.
wow
TS
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Click to collapse
The dealer has not yet responded to my request for refund. I decided I didn't want a replacement from his dodgy supplier and I have advised my credit card company of the issues.
Out of interest, I searched the internet for serial number fiddling and it turns out that this is very common with Sony PS3. Apparently, scammers repackage cleaned and used PS3's AND alter their serial numbers to resell at new price!
All I can say is that this is the first time I have come across years of online purchases in the UK and it is probably a new innovation that only scam artists can think of.
Check serial number is my new motto!
Kind regards
KF
So, i just received my 7.7 Galaxy Tab today. I purchased it off of E-Bay. The item description was "brand new". However, when it arrived, the little Samsung sticker on the box was already broken (FedEx guy was already gone when I opened it). I pulled it out, all the plastic wrap on the device is there and appears to have never been removed. When i turned it on, it was already set to english, so i did not have to do anything (i.e. i did not get the android quick start screen)
Just wondering if anyone knows what i should look for to see if there is something wrong, if it was already registered or anything else.
Try to ask the seller on why the seal was already broken, carefully check of any scuff marks or signs of usage.. if it all looks and even smells pristine then you should have nothing to worry about.
Sometimes the seller will turn on to make sure it works. I'll bet this is the case. You probably have a brand new one. Enjoy.
I did the smell test, have looked it over carefully and did not notice any signs of use. I e-mailed the seller to see why, but I think all appears to be ok.
TBarb169 said:
I did the smell test, have looked it over carefully and did not notice any signs of use. I e-mailed the seller to see why, but I think all appears to be ok.
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I really love doing the smell test on new devices! ( not kidding )
Maybe he just wanted to check it out and see if he shipped a fully working device. A lot of local samsung retailers in my place also break the seal the boxes especially if the first few batches of shipment, they test for basic functionality and check if everything is in place.
Did you buy an unlocked P6800? I don't know if all of these come factory unlocked of if the seller does it.
At any rate, there were a ton of defective 10.1s from the first shipment so maybe the seller had bad memories of that and wanted to be sure the units he's moving work.
No, it is the P6810 wifi only.
If you know someone who took advantage of the recent $199 brand new Nexus, locked to T-Mobile, "sealed in box" deal, tell them it was a fraud and file for a return claim IMMEDIATELY. I figured it out today when I opened the box
a) for starters, the original Google box did not read "make in china"; even if it did, it would say.....umm.. Made in China (Grammar, people, grammar).
b) The original Google OEM packaging did not have the production date inscribed on the box; this "new box" did.
c) the dotted seal itself was a quite a bit misaligned (you guys will know what I am talking about)
d) No N6 is EVER locked to specific service. I still took the bait thinking that well, since it says locked to T-Mobile, the sim will come separate. I am not sure if this part is authentic, but I assumed that none of these N6 OEM boxes were supplied with sims inside. This one came with one inside. So, how did it end up inside if this was "sealed"?
e) the BIGGEST giveaway--the OEM screen protector was quite unique for our handsets; it was rough to touch but plain, and more importantly, it had a marked white triangular spot at the left corner of the handset (Google's way of saying that you can peel this from here if you want). This one I received had a cheap 60 cents type screen protector with smudges and crumples all over.
So, yea, filed a report and waiting for a refund. So much for my future love for this brilliant beast. Now I will have to give more love to my current one.
sdg1980 said:
If you know someone who took advantage of the recent $199 brand new Nexus, locked to T-Mobile, "sealed in box" deal, tell them it was a fraud and file for a return claim IMMEDIATELY. I figured it out today when I opened the box
a) for starters, the original Google box did not read "make in china"; even if it did, it would say.....umm.. Made in China (Grammar, people, grammar).
b) The original Google OEM packaging did not have the production date inscribed on the box; this "new box" did.
c) the dotted seal itself was a quite a bit misaligned (you guys will know what I am talking about)
d) No N6 is EVER locked to specific service. I still took the bait thinking that well, since it says locked to T-Mobile, the sim will come separate. I am not sure if this part is authentic, but I assumed that none of these N6 OEM boxes were supplied with sims inside. This one came with one inside. So, how did it end up inside if this was "sealed"?
e) the BIGGEST giveaway--the OEM screen protector was quite unique for our handsets; it was rough to touch but plain, and more importantly, it had a marked white triangular spot at the left corner of the handset (Google's way of saying that you can peel this from here if you want). This one I received had a cheap 60 cents type screen protector with smudges and crumples all over.
So, yea, filed a report and waiting for a refund. So much for my future love for this brilliant beast. Now I will have to give more love to my current one.
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Click to collapse
Did the phone work?
Whether the phone worked or not is irrelevant. The phone is counterfeit, meaning its components would be subpar. Especially the screen, which would be an IPS LCD at best, TFT LCD at worst, with a resolution decidedly below the 2560x1440 of a genuine article.
As the above post mentions, it is most possible counterfeit. My guess is that it is at best a US refurbished item that was sent to China for repackaging and became "new and sealed." I checked for its IMEI and turned out clean.
I did not even turn on the phone because
a) ethically, it would be wrong and
b) if I am going to return a counterfeit or not as described item, the closer it is to the original condition, the better it is for full refund
sdg1980 said:
If you know someone who took advantage of the recent $199 brand new Nexus, locked to T-Mobile, "sealed in box" deal, tell them it was a fraud and file for a return claim IMMEDIATELY. I figured it out today when I opened the box
a) for starters, the original Google box did not read "make in china"; even if it did, it would say.....umm.. Made in China (Grammar, people, grammar).
b) The original Google OEM packaging did not have the production date inscribed on the box; this "new box" did.
c) the dotted seal itself was a quite a bit misaligned (you guys will know what I am talking about)
d) No N6 is EVER locked to specific service. I still took the bait thinking that well, since it says locked to T-Mobile, the sim will come separate. I am not sure if this part is authentic, but I assumed that none of these N6 OEM boxes were supplied with sims inside. This one came with one inside. So, how did it end up inside if this was "sealed"?
e) the BIGGEST giveaway--the OEM screen protector was quite unique for our handsets; it was rough to touch but plain, and more importantly, it had a marked white triangular spot at the left corner of the handset (Google's way of saying that you can peel this from here if you want). This one I received had a cheap 60 cents type screen protector with smudges and crumples all over.
So, yea, filed a report and waiting for a refund. So much for my future love for this brilliant beast. Now I will have to give more love to my current one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Was the seller from the US or Hong Kong ?
mikeprius said:
Was the seller from the US or Hong Kong ?
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Click to collapse
Did my bit of research to figure that out. First, some context. So, lot of Chinese sellers have a US pos (point of sale) with a residential address here (primarily happens to be in California cities because of closer proximity to airports with ease of international imp-exp) and sell stuff here as US seller. It is only when you look at their sale history and what they've been selling vis-a-vis their returns/return comments, most buyers are disgruntled with having requests to either take partial refunds and take off negative reviews or keep the product and...options are endless.
My seller was in PA, and I have been keeping an eye out for a NIB N6 for months. Few weeks ago, they (32GB, Blue or White) were being sold for $285 directly from Hong Kong from different sellers. Not too many bought those (I kept them on my watch list to see what's going on). Suddenly, these vanished from the site (for the most part). Then, this $199 deal came along from a 98.5% rating seller. Sounded too good to be true; still, I jumped at it because I was hoping for the best and also trusted Ebay's return policy. Now this...so, I think that My seller is likely a point of contact for Chinese sellers.
sdg1980 said:
Did my bit of research to figure that out. First, some context. So, lot of Chinese sellers have a US pos (point of sale) with a residential address here (primarily happens to be in California cities because of closer proximity to airports with ease of international imp-exp) and sell stuff here as US seller. It is only when you look at their sale history and what they've been selling vis-a-vis their returns/return comments, most buyers are disgruntled with having requests to either take partial refunds and take off negative reviews or keep the product and...options are endless.
My seller was in PA, and I have been keeping an eye out for a NIB N6 for months. Few weeks ago, they (32GB, Blue or White) were being sold for $285 directly from Hong Kong from different sellers. Not too many bought those (I kept them on my watch list to see what's going on). Suddenly, these vanished from the site (for the most part). Then, this $199 deal came along from a 98.5% rating seller. Sounded too good to be true; still, I jumped at it because I was hoping for the best and also trusted Ebay's return policy. Now this...so, I think that My seller is likely a point of contact for Chinese sellers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have seen a lot of sellers from Hong Kong, but it never occurred to me that they were using US addresses to front. Ironically, the product was nearly the same as the Hong Kong......Ebay has gotten much better about fraud though. Before (over 10 yrs ago) Ebay and Paypal were 2 separate companies and the protection was very weak and only a percentage of the price. Now they allegedly cover it....I'm curious to what ends up happening with your situation.
sdg1980 said:
If you know someone who took advantage of the recent $199 brand new Nexus, locked to T-Mobile, "sealed in box" deal, tell them it was a fraud and file for a return claim IMMEDIATELY. I figured it out today when I opened the box
a) for starters, the original Google box did not read "make in china"; even if it did, it would say.....umm.. Made in China (Grammar, people, grammar).
b) The original Google OEM packaging did not have the production date inscribed on the box; this "new box" did.
c) the dotted seal itself was a quite a bit misaligned (you guys will know what I am talking about)
d) No N6 is EVER locked to specific service. I still took the bait thinking that well, since it says locked to T-Mobile, the sim will come separate. I am not sure if this part is authentic, but I assumed that none of these N6 OEM boxes were supplied with sims inside. This one came with one inside. So, how did it end up inside if this was "sealed"?
e) the BIGGEST giveaway--the OEM screen protector was quite unique for our handsets; it was rough to touch but plain, and more importantly, it had a marked white triangular spot at the left corner of the handset (Google's way of saying that you can peel this from here if you want). This one I received had a cheap 60 cents type screen protector with smudges and crumples all over.
So, yea, filed a report and waiting for a refund. So much for my future love for this brilliant beast. Now I will have to give more love to my current one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is a moot point compared to the rest of your post, but the ATT models can be locked. I purchased one for someone, and it was carrier locked. The person didn't really care since they use the AT&T side of straight talk anyways.
Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
...The phone is counterfeit, meaning its components would be subpar. Especially the screen, which would be an IPS LCD at best, TFT LCD.....
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Click to collapse
I think it is a look a like.
The price 199, is to low for a brand new N6.
chapelfreak said:
It is a moot point compared to the rest of your post, but the ATT models can be locked. I purchased one for someone, and it was carrier locked. The person didn't really care since they use the AT&T side of straight talk anyways.
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Click to collapse
I'm not comprehending your point here. I'm talking about fraud. As I type this, I'm being fully refunded through eBay. Whether you got the original one or not for your friend is the point of this thread, not which carrier.
NLBeev said:
I think it is a look a like.
The price 199, is to low for a brand new N6.
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Click to collapse
No, it's the real deal but used or at best refurbished. Look up on eBay. Thousands of well known brands are sold as new or used. I got my N6 brand new over there. So, it's not always fraud. In this case, it's not as advertised and the box is fake. That's all.
When you see "brand new in box" after two years of a flagship phone, you'll have raised eyebrows for sure. I did, bit the bullet anyways, and am getting refund.
sdg1980 said:
I'm not comprehending your point here. I'm talking about fraud. As I type this, I'm being fully refunded through eBay. Whether you got the original one or not for your friend is the point of this thread, not which carrier.
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Click to collapse
My comment was in response to your point d. The N6 is in fact locked to a specific carrier, ATT, in my experiences buying them for customers.
I've had bad luck buying "new" phones in the past. I'll never forget the headache when I bought a brand new Galaxy S and the speaker doesn't work. Wasn't the seller's fault. The phone was just defective. Anyway I decided just to send it to Samsung since it was covered under warranty. They sent it back to me THREE TIMES before they actually fixed the problem. Then I bought a Samsung Galaxy Note II on ebay and the camera wouldn't focus. Finally I decided to never buy a phone from ebay again. I feel your pain.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using XDA-Developers mobile app
sdg1980 said:
I'm not comprehending your point here. I'm talking about fraud. As I type this, I'm being fully refunded through eBay. Whether you got the original one or not for your friend is the point of this thread, not which carrier.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your point D mentions that no Nexus 6 is ever carrier locked. As written that's false, making point D invalid. To make point D valid you would need to mention that no N6 comes carrier locked to T-Mobile.
That is why he pointed it out.
As far as I know, there havent been any rumblings of a Nexus 6 Clone on the net like Samsung phones.
Also there were 3 variants of the Nexus 6 where as 2 of them were carrier locked and one which was carrier branded but technically unlocked.
T-Mobile/At&T are carrier locked, while the Verizon version is not and I can attest to this because I own a Verizon variant running on T-Mobile.
Like most Chinese clones the phones are usually IPS or TFT panels with subpar resolution of the original. Also they can only achieve 26 but will have a fake 4G icon to make people think the phone is using 4G.
Now your story is a cool one, as you did not even test the phone, or actually use the phone. You didnt even turn on the phone. Therefore I do not buy your story, and without proof you cannot say the phone is a clone or fake one. You have every right to inspect the item you bought to make sure it is not fake. So i find your claims incomplete of merit.
@bvzxa3: T-Mobile never locked their Nexus 6. That dubious honor was reserved for AT&T, along with having the death star on the back. Also, he never said the phone was counterfeit. I made that assumption based upon the description of the box having spelling errors and misaligned "cut here" hash marks. A later post of his mentions his belief the phone was in fact refurbished, but not by Motorola.
two variants: unlocked US version, and an International version.
I bought one from us for only $249.00 and have never had a problem with it.
I agree you should have tested it without that you should not get a refund.
I got Verizon one and it was locked.
Sent from my Pixel XL using xda premium
sdg1980 said:
If you know someone who took advantage of the recent $199 brand new Nexus, locked to T-Mobile, "sealed in box" deal, tell them it was a fraud and file for a return claim IMMEDIATELY. I figured it out today when I opened the box
a) for starters, the original Google box did not read "make in china"; even if it did, it would say.....umm.. Made in China (Grammar, people, grammar).
b) The original Google OEM packaging did not have the production date inscribed on the box; this "new box" did.
c) the dotted seal itself was a quite a bit misaligned (you guys will know what I am talking about)
d) No N6 is EVER locked to specific service. I still took the bait thinking that well, since it says locked to T-Mobile, the sim will come separate. I am not sure if this part is authentic, but I assumed that none of these N6 OEM boxes were supplied with sims inside. This one came with one inside. So, how did it end up inside if this was "sealed"?
e) the BIGGEST giveaway--the OEM screen protector was quite unique for our handsets; it was rough to touch but plain, and more importantly, it had a marked white triangular spot at the left corner of the handset (Google's way of saying that you can peel this from here if you want). This one I received had a cheap 60 cents type screen protector with smudges and crumples all over.
So, yea, filed a report and waiting for a refund. So much for my future love for this brilliant beast. Now I will have to give more love to my current one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You didn't share any links so it is hard to know what the situation was other than the fact that you feel ripped of by the unauthentic looking phone. But let me share my own experience of buying what seemed like new phones and how that turned out.
I really like Samsung Note 3. I think it was one of the best phones ever made, not because it has the best performance or build, simply because it is a good toy; it is easy to root and a lot of development has been done on it. You can tear it apart and put it back together in 5 minutes. It is not full of glue and impossible to reach corners. After 3 years used Note 3 phones still get sold at prices higher than some mid tier phones. I also have an S7 edge but I rarely use it. It is just not as much fun.
It is because of that, that I have owned 6 of them so far. If I break them I either fix them or get another one. And since it is not sold in retail stores anymore the only place to get them is Ebay.
Six months ago I found one advertised as a new T-Mobile phone on Ebay for ~$240 but it would be shipped from Hong Kong. I was curious how a T Mobile phone would actually be sold in Hong Kong? But with today's global economy it would not be a far stretch of imagination so I went ahead and ordered it. Took about a month to get it and when I opened the box I could swear the thing was a new phone. Everything was correct down to the T Mobile logo on the box.
After a few days I realized that, as new as the thing looks on the outside, it was in fact not a T Mobile phone. The LCD had an image burned into it which was visible especially on a blue background. It had clearly been used as a demo unit for a long time showing the same image over and over, which had gotten burnt into the OLED display. The headset connector had been used 366 times, charger connector 1216 times, and S pen had been detached 313 times. So the phone had been used extensively.
I dug a bit more into the hardware of the phone and I found that the model number hardcoded into the phone was SM-N900TZKETMB which is the model number for a black phone. This phone was white so clearly the frame and the back had been changed. I should have known better because the phone had a gold trim. T Mobile never sold this phone in this color.
I called Samsung and they said the phone had run out of warranty. I actually guessed it myself because again I could access the hardcoded info in the phone and I knew it had been manufactured more than 2 years before the purchase date.
So, in summary, this was not a new phone. This is a refurbished phone, albeit masterfully refurbished. I emphasize that it was not a copy. I verified myself that it has all the genuine hardware inside. So I ended up returning it for a refund.
A few months later, I found a "new" T-Mobile Sony Xperia Z3 on Ebay, another one of my favorites, sold from Hong Kong. Went ahead and ordered it, just to go through the same ordeal. If you know one thing about Z3 it is probably the fact that it has a great camera. The camera on this one was horrible. I have never before or since seen a camera that bad. The LCD was dim with uneven brightness, and some other problems... you get the picture. I ended up returning that as well. Later, I found out that T Mobile never sold this phone in this color either, so fool me once...
A couple of months passed by and I figured that since I like Note 3 and that white phone with the gold trim actually looked good, knowing that I will get a refurbished phone, I should go ahead and order another one from Hong Kong. After all, it was the original hardware in a refurbished shell, so what could go wrong. I ordered it and it came, again, in a sealed box with all bells and whistles. This time however, the phone would not function properly. It would not attach to T Mobile LTE network and even after putting the right APN etc, I would lose connection after every reboot. I started looking into the hardware. I found that it was in fact an N9005 (international model) refurbished as a N900T!!! They had force-flashed the T Mobile ROM on it and in the process had blown the knox fuse, which was a deal breaker since I need to use the phone in a secure corporate environment. That phone went back to Hong Kong as well.
So three phones from three different vendors all having the same problem. Why?
Because there is a cottage industry in China that buys used phones from the US and other countries. They clean them up, replace the exterior frame, replace any broken components with aftermarket parts, and they even print the exact same brochures, boxes, and plastic wrappings to masquerade them as new, and they sell them on the internet. This is a step-up from the fake phones they used to make a few years ago so at least the hardware inside is mostly authentic, but they are dishonest and will easily lie to you about the phones being new. The above-mentioned phones were all shipped, not from Hong Kong, but from China through Hong Kong. Not everyone is picky like me to go through all this trouble to test and return these effectively used products. Some people just use the phone to make phone calls, which most of these phone do very well anyway.
I do not want to disrespect the Chinese. But in the consumer electronics sector, this is unethical and I see it being done more and more by them. Selling low grade goods disguised as original products to people erodes the buyers confidence. Five years ago if I wanted to buy a replacement LCD on Ebay, I could find some at the $100 dollar price mark and some at the $10 level, which would tell me which one it the Chinese low quality crap so I could stay away from it. Today, I want to buy a Sony LCD on Ebay and I have a price range from $20 to $50 and there is no guarantee that the $50 is any better than the $20 one. For what I know they may have all come from the same crappy low quality manufacturing line in Shenzhen.
Just to make things clear here, when we're referring to AT&T locking the device, we're referring to a SIM lock, not a bootloader lock. Regardless of carrier, the US Nexus 6 could be bootloader unlocked so custom ROMs could be installed. But only AT&T SIM locked the device.
Hey everyone,
Not sure exactly how to start this thread, but this is not only going to include a few questions from me, but also discussion on how this is possible, have you seen anything like it, and why its done?
So to start off, a few weeks ago my dad dropped his Galaxy A5 and broke the screen, long story short, got him a new phone, was a brand new flat Galaxy S7 from a local store in Pakistan.
The seller was very persistent in saying that it's a 100% genuine and even has warranty, albeit not one that applies in Pakistan, but it does have 'foreign warranty'.
Now I have to mention here that there are normally 3 types of phones available here:
-Sold officially through an authorized distributor / retailer. An official Samsung Galaxy S7 goes for about 620 USD with 1 year warranty and accidental coverage in Pakistan.
-Smuggled / imported illegally from abroad. Usually still sealed, you can tell because of the foreign languages on the instruction booklet, and/or a European CSC. A smuggled Galaxy S7 would go for about 550 - 570 USD.
-American variants of flagship phones, more commonly known as 'kit' phones. Imported in bulk, wrapped in bubble wrap, and shipped as is. No box, no accessories. Just the phone itself. A 'kit' T-Mobile Galaxy S7 (G930T) for example, would be around 400 - 420 USD depending on the seller.
I chose for option 2, the smuggled / imported one, for the sole reason that the official retailer for Samsung did not have a flat GS7 in stock, there was a 2 week waiting period. So I went for the smuggled one, since it was raining heavily that night, I was in a hurry to get home, so I didn't even open the phone in the shop, I just picked up what I thought was a 'brand new' phone and went on my way. The box said G930F, and Silver Titanium on it. It also had a suspicious 'Smart Care 24 month warranty' sticker on the top left corner of the box.
ALSO, I needed a Dual SIM phone, so I assumed the box would say G930FD, but it didn't, again, I noticed all this stuff when I got home.
See here:
As I started noticing these little things, I instantly noticed the sticker on the front of the box said:
SM-G9300FZKAXSG
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now, the G9300 model means it's the Chinese / HK variant, with the Snapdragon 820, rather than the Exynos 8890.
However, the 'FZKAXSG' part was obviously fake, because the first few letters refer to the device colour and storage or something, and the 'XSG' part refers to the UAE CSC, which is impossible, since the G9300 is exclusive to HK and China.
I was hesitant to open the box, but I still went ahead with it, since fake boxes are also common here, I reluctantly cut the seal, and pulled out the phone, which at first glance, did not look silver AT ALL, in fact it looked nothing like my Silver Titanium S7 edge. It looked more 'Gold' to me than anything else, but I could be wrong.
In fact, it seems as if it's a mix of both Silver and Gold.
Excuse the fingerprints and air bubbles, I had actually put the plastic back on, after checking the phone, this picture was taken after I was done with the phone.
Turn the phone around, and there's the ordinary Samsung DUOS branding, underneath is where the sh*t begins. The font in which the IMEI, S/N, and country of origin are written looked 100% fake and again, nothing like the way it's written on my S7 Edge.
Furthermore, it said G930F on the back, which it definitely wasn't.
The sticker on the back that should've said G930FD if it actually was a Dual SIM, said G9300 instead. The IMEIs check out to be clean, but do not belong to an S7, you can check online.
Unsurprisingly, the accessories are also upside down, on my S7 Edge box, the headphones are on top, and the charger and cable are below it.
Now, I turned the phone on, went through the setup process, this is where I just wanted to punch myself and the seller.
Settings > About > Model Number: SM-G9300
It was Android 6.0.1, with a security patch of June 2016.
There was no Software update button anywhere in the settings app.
I downloaded the Phone Info app, and installed it. It said 0x0 KNOX, model number SM-G9300. Manufacturing date was March 2016, and the Colour / Internal Storage tab says 'Gold / 32GB'.
I checked the firmware tab, where the Bootloader, PDA and Baseband showed that of a G9300, but the CSC code said 'G9350ZZH1ABP9', which is that of an S7 Edge.
CSC code itself said 'TGY' which is a Hong Kong CSC, which I assume was done to get Google Play Services installed on the phone, since the G9300 has only one firmware available on SamMobile, which has a CHC CSC, which is Chinese, which means no Google Apps installed.
And just to confirm any remaining doubts I had, the Phone Info app confirmed it was a Snapdragon 820, and not the Exynos 8890.
So, this has fake IMEIs, a strange ROM with parts of the flat S7 and the S7 edge, a fake back cover, and probably because of the fake back cover, the camera hump and the chrome ring around the heart beat sensor and flash is protruding a lot more than it should be.
I then went back to the seller, where there was another guy already arguing with him, he had sold the same G9300 phone to that guy who was complaining that the phone would FC a lot, and was getting extremely warm.
I knew this seller, so I asked him to cut the bull**** and give me a 'real' brand new Galaxy S7. He handed me another shady looking S7 box, with G930FD on the back, took the phone out and it checks out to be a 930FD, hardware wise at least. Works like one, looks like one, has an Exynos chipset. BUT, NO Serial Number and IMEIs of a G930A? WTF
I then asked him about that again, where he goes to say, 'all the S7s coming to Pakistan are like this'. In the same location, there were a few other shops selling S7s and sadly, they were all like this. Fake back covers, fake IMEIs, fake boxes, and no serial numbers. They all work fine though.
Here is a Gold Platinum GS7 that I got from him, that works fine as well, but just has the weird protruding camera hump and the fake back cover that has the fake font and no Serial number written on it.
Sorry for the extremely long post, just wanted to create this thread for discussion purposes and to express how saddening it is to see this sort of crap happening, only in Pakistan as far as I know.
Let me know if you've seen anything like this before, and if so, where? Also, how do they manage to pull it off? Flashing different IMEIs, and why do the phones not have a Serial Number in the settings app? It just comes up as a bunch of random numbers, rather than starting with Rxxxxxxx and Phone Info detects no S/N at all.
However, all the phones have 0x0 KNOX and work perfectly fine as well. In fact, I even flashed 7.0 Nougat on it, and there's nothing wrong with it.
Cheers,
murtaza02
murtaza02 said:
Hey everyone,
Not sure exactly how to start this thread, but this is not only going to include a few questions from me, but also discussion on how this is possible, have you seen anything like it, and why its done?
So to start off, a few weeks ago my dad dropped his Galaxy A5 and broke the screen, long story short, got him a new phone, was a brand new flat Galaxy S7 from a local store in Pakistan.
The seller was very persistent in saying that it's a 100% genuine and even has warranty, albeit not one that applies in Pakistan, but it does have 'foreign warranty'.
Now I have to mention here that there are normally 3 types of phones available here:
-Sold officially through an authorized distributor / retailer. An official Samsung Galaxy S7 goes for about 620 USD with 1 year warranty and accidental coverage in Pakistan.
-Smuggled / imported illegally from abroad. Usually still sealed, you can tell because of the foreign languages on the instruction booklet, and/or a European CSC. A smuggled Galaxy S7 would go for about 550 - 570 USD.
-American variants of flagship phones, more commonly known as 'kit' phones. Imported in bulk, wrapped in bubble wrap, and shipped as is. No box, no accessories. Just the phone itself. A 'kit' T-Mobile Galaxy S7 (G930T) for example, would be around 400 - 420 USD depending on the seller.
I chose for option 2, the smuggled / imported one, for the sole reason that the official retailer for Samsung did not have a flat GS7 in stock, there was a 2 week waiting period. So I went for the smuggled one, since it was raining heavily that night, I was in a hurry to get home, so I didn't even open the phone in the shop, I just picked up what I thought was a 'brand new' phone and went on my way. The box said G930F, and Silver Titanium on it. It also had a suspicious 'Smart Care 24 month warranty' sticker on the top left corner of the box.
ALSO, I needed a Dual SIM phone, so I assumed the box would say G930FD, but it didn't, again, I noticed all this stuff when I got home.
See here:
As I started noticing these little things, I instantly noticed the sticker on the front of the box said:
Now, the G9300 model means it's the Chinese / HK variant, with the Snapdragon 820, rather than the Exynos 8890.
However, the 'FZKAXSG' part was obviously fake, because the first few letters refer to the device colour and storage or something, and the 'XSG' part refers to the UAE CSC, which is impossible, since the G9300 is exclusive to HK and China.
I was hesitant to open the box, but I still went ahead with it, since fake boxes are also common here, I reluctantly cut the seal, and pulled out the phone, which at first glance, did not look silver AT ALL, in fact it looked nothing like my Silver Titanium S7 edge. It looked more 'Gold' to me than anything else, but I could be wrong.
In fact, it seems as if it's a mix of both Silver and Gold.
Excuse the fingerprints and air bubbles, I had actually put the plastic back on, after checking the phone, this picture was taken after I was done with the phone.
Turn the phone around, and there's the ordinary Samsung DUOS branding, underneath is where the sh*t begins. The font in which the IMEI, S/N, and country of origin are written looked 100% fake and again, nothing like the way it's written on my S7 Edge.
Furthermore, it said G930F on the back, which it definitely wasn't.
The sticker on the back that should've said G930FD if it actually was a Dual SIM, said G9300 instead. The IMEIs check out to be clean, but do not belong to an S7, you can check online.
Unsurprisingly, the accessories are also upside down, on my S7 Edge box, the headphones are on top, and the charger and cable are below it.
Now, I turned the phone on, went through the setup process, this is where I just wanted to punch myself and the seller.
Settings > About > Model Number: SM-G9300
It was Android 6.0.1, with a security patch of June 2016.
There was no Software update button anywhere in the settings app.
I downloaded the Phone Info app, and installed it. It said 0x0 KNOX, model number SM-G9300. Manufacturing date was March 2016, and the Colour / Internal Storage tab says 'Gold / 32GB'.
I checked the firmware tab, where the Bootloader, PDA and Baseband showed that of a G9300, but the CSC code said 'G9350ZZH1ABP9', which is that of an S7 Edge.
CSC code itself said 'TGY' which is a Hong Kong CSC, which I assume was done to get Google Play Services installed on the phone, since the G9300 has only one firmware available on SamMobile, which has a CHC CSC, which is Chinese, which means no Google Apps installed.
And just to confirm any remaining doubts I had, the Phone Info app confirmed it was a Snapdragon 820, and not the Exynos 8890.
So, this has fake IMEIs, a strange ROM with parts of the flat S7 and the S7 edge, a fake back cover, and probably because of the fake back cover, the camera hump and the chrome ring around the heart beat sensor and flash is protruding a lot more than it should be.
I then went back to the seller, where there was another guy already arguing with him, he had sold the same G9300 phone to that guy who was complaining that the phone would FC a lot, and was getting extremely warm.
I knew this seller, so I asked him to cut the bull**** and give me a 'real' brand new Galaxy S7. He handed me another shady looking S7 box, with G930FD on the back, took the phone out and it checks out to be a 930FD, hardware wise at least. Works like one, looks like one, has an Exynos chipset. BUT, NO Serial Number and IMEIs of a G930A? WTF
I then asked him about that again, where he goes to say, 'all the S7s coming to Pakistan are like this'. In the same location, there were a few other shops selling S7s and sadly, they were all like this. Fake back covers, fake IMEIs, fake boxes, and no serial numbers. They all work fine though.
Here is a Gold Platinum GS7 that I got from him, that works fine as well, but just has the weird protruding camera hump and the fake back cover that has the fake font and no Serial number written on it.
Sorry for the extremely long post, just wanted to create this thread for discussion purposes and to express how saddening it is to see this sort of crap happening, only in Pakistan as far as I know.
Let me know if you've seen anything like this before, and if so, where? Also, how do they manage to pull it off? Flashing different IMEIs, and why do the phones not have a Serial Number in the settings app? It just comes up as a bunch of random numbers, rather than starting with Rxxxxxxx and Phone Info detects no S/N at all.
However, all the phones have 0x0 KNOX and work perfectly fine as well. In fact, I even flashed 7.0 Nougat on it, and there's nothing wrong with it.
Cheers,
murtaza02
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To be honest, the option you selected was the worst of all three. Purchasing a new boxed pack phone without local warranty is a very risky idea. I have bought a Note 4 Exynos, an S6 and an S7 during the last couple of years.
The Note 4 was N910C version in used condition with box and all accessories.
S6 was box packed without warranty or you can say with international warranty.
S7 was a verizon kit.
Guess what? The S6 proved to be my worst purchase ever. After a couple of months its charger stopped working and again after few days the handsfree also broke. While the Note 4 worked perfectly with all its accessories through out my holding period. Currently the S7 is also working perfectly and even its pressure sensor is showing the correct readings which shows it is still water proof sealed.
So always remember that in Pakistani markets, buying a new phone without local warranty is just like buying a refurbished phone and is 99% of the times, a waste of money.
Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
Pretty sure these devices are stolen/reported stolen/bad imei devices bought from another country. IMEI's have then been changed and serial numbers removed (not sure how they did that) so that they cannot be traced back. Boxes can be original or fake.
Also, your seller is shady, very shady. Pretty sure he knows what he's selling , else he would go after his distributor for selling him fake phones, but he aint. So, he very well knows what phone he's selling.
If I were in your position, I would have waited 2 weeks and got one from Samsung authorized seller.
sirius_gamer said:
To be honest, the option you selected was the worst of all three. Purchasing a new boxed pack phone without local warranty is a very risky idea. I have bought a Note 4 Exynos, an S6 and an S7 during the last couple of years.
The Note 4 was N910C version in used condition with box and all accessories.
S6 was box packed without warranty or you can say with international warranty.
S7 was a verizon kit.
Guess what? The S6 proved to be my worst purchase ever. After a couple of months its charger stopped working and again after few days the handsfree also broke. While the Note 4 worked perfectly with all its accessories through out my holding period. Currently the S7 is also working perfectly and even its pressure sensor is showing the correct readings which shows it is still water proof sealed.
So always remember that in Pakistani markets, buying a new phone without local warranty is just like buying a refurbished phone and is 99% of the times, a waste of money.
Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I might know you from another forum, PG.
Tbh, Karachi is a way different market than the crap you get here in Rawalpindi. There's way more variety there than there is here.
The things you mentioned with the S6, only the accessories died, which meant the phone was okay I guess?
Same for the S7, I'm not using the provided charger, I'm using my own that I got from Dubai.
Haven't tried the headphones.
Other than that however, the phone works perfectly.
I haven't had an issue before like this, most of the brand new phones I do buy are without local warranties, I don't fancy paying 10-15k extra for something I'll never use.
And believe me, thankfully, I've never had the need for a warranty.
The exception being my current S7 edge, which I've bought with the local warranty and insurance because the other ones weren't available.
Appreciate the post though, and the advice. After this I'm kinda spooked, so I'll probably stick to local warranties then, even though they're unreasonably expensive.
Cheers buddy, nice to see Pakistanis on XDA.
Sent from my SM-G935F
munchy_cool said:
Pretty sure these devices are stolen/reported stolen/bad imei devices bought from another country. IMEI's have then been changed and serial numbers removed (not sure how they did that) so that they cannot be traced back. Boxes can be original or fake.
Also, your seller is shady, very shady. Pretty sure he knows what he's selling , else he would go after his distributor for selling him fake phones, but he aint. So, he very well knows what phone he's selling.
If I were in your position, I would have waited 2 weeks and got one from Samsung authorized seller.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The original IMEIs were probably bad, hence them being changed to those of different phones, makes sense.
I myself didn't know that erasing or changing serials and IMEIs on Exynos phones was possible.
Sadly, the shady seller thing is true, all sellers know what they're selling, but each one will react differently when asked about it. Some will eventually crack and be honest, some will be stubborn d*cks and not admit it, and some will be so scared of the authorities that they'll offer you some form of compensation.
Advice taken though, and definitely will be used for the next purchase. I was looking forward to getting an imported Galaxy S8 then, but after this experience, I'll probably just settle for the officially sold one with a legit warranty.
Sent from my SM-G935F
murtaza02 said:
The original IMEIs were probably bad, hence them being changed to those of different phones, makes sense.
I myself didn't know that erasing or changing serials and IMEIs on Exynos phones was possible.
Sadly, the shady seller thing is true, all sellers know what they're selling, but each one will react differently when asked about it. Some will eventually crack and be honest, some will be stubborn d*cks and not admit it, and some will be so scared of the authorities that they'll offer you some form of compensation.
Advice taken though, and definitely will be used for the next purchase. I was looking forward to getting an imported Galaxy S8 then, but after this experience, I'll probably just settle for the officially sold one with a legit warranty.
Sent from my SM-G935F
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Samsung Service box is what they would have used I guess, same hardware as that at official Samsung repair center.
Also, because you are technically sound/tech sayvy you found that the first one was fake. Someone who is not technically sound would never have found that out and kept using it assuming it's the real thing.
munchy_cool said:
Samsung Service box is what they would have used I guess, same hardware as that at official Samsung repair center.
Also, because you are technically sound/tech sayvy you found that the first one was fake. Someone who is not technically sound would never have found that out and kept using it assuming it's the real thing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All tips and tricks I've learnt from XDA. I honestly wouldn't be able to tell at all, if I hadn't read so much stuff here.
Another thing I wonder is if the refurbishment or tampering was done inside Pakistan, or somewhere abroad and then the boxes get repacked and sent here?
Because it's really inconsistent how the boxes are so well copied, they look exactly like real ones, but then the IMEI stickers, the different font on the back cover, the protruding camera lens is where they lack the finesse, and their shoddy workmanship starts to show.
Sent from my SM-G935F
murtaza02 said:
All tips and tricks I've learnt from XDA. I honestly wouldn't be able to tell at all, if I hadn't read so much stuff here.
Another thing I wonder is if the refurbishment or tampering was done inside Pakistan, or somewhere abroad and then the boxes get repacked and sent here?
Because it's really inconsistent how the boxes are so well copied, they look exactly like real ones, but then the IMEI stickers, the different font on the back cover, the protruding camera lens is where they lack the finesse, and their shoddy workmanship starts to show.
Sent from my SM-G935F
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No clue on that.. Would be profitable to do it inside your own country though...
Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk
I have seen similar things but your case is unique. You should return the phone and ask for full refund from your seller and then buy phone from Samsung store.
We can't say for sure about that other shops or market is selling same phones. May be it is just your guy.
Sent from my Note
Guys, could you with 930F and FD confirm if the serial number is printed on the back cover of your phones?
Sent from my SM-G935F
murtaza02 said:
Guys, could you with 930F and FD confirm if the serial number is printed on the back cover of your phones?
Sent from my SM-G935F
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, G930F laid out like this
IMEI xxxxxx/xxxxx/xxxx. SN xxxxxxxxxx
*Detection* said:
Yep, G930F laid out like this
IMEI xxxxxx/xxxxx/xxxx. SN xxxxxxxxxx
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Much appreciated.
Country of origin mentioned as well?
Actually I'm going out tomorrow to return the refurbished ones to the seller and get a refund.
Gonna show him this thread just to prove him wrong. Idiot keeps insisting that S/N isn't printed on the S7, but it is on the S7 edge.
Sent from my SM-G935F
murtaza02 said:
Much appreciated.
Country of origin mentioned as well?
Actually I'm going out tomorrow to return the refurbished ones to the seller and get a refund.
Gonna show him this thread just to prove him wrong. Idiot keeps insisting that S/N isn't printed on the S7, but it is on the S7 edge.
Sent from my SM-G935F
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
CE0168 (!) (Not to be disposed in bins symbol here)
G930F SAMSUNG, YATELEY, GU46 6GG, UK
DESIGNED & ENGINEERED BY SAMSUNG
IMEI: XXXXXX/XX/XXXXXX/X S/N: XXXXXXXXXX
That's everything it says at the bottom of the back panel of the G930F S7 Flat
*Detection* said:
CE0168 (!) (Not to be disposed in bins symbol here)
G930F SAMSUNG, YATELEY, GU46 6GG, UK
DESIGNED & ENGINEERED BY SAMSUNG
IMEI: XXXXXX/XX/XXXXXX/X S/N: XXXXXXXXXX
That's everything it says at the bottom of the back panel of the G930F S7 Flat
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's exactly how it is on my S7 edge as well.
Thanks for confirming.
Sent from my SM-G935F
murtaza02 said:
That's exactly how it is on my S7 edge as well.
Thanks for confirming.
Sent from my SM-G935F
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No probs, good luck with the refund
How do you know the phone is even genuine samsung hardware, not fake imitations that china manufacturers are pumping out?
The stolen IMEI is possible but why would changing that number require a new fake back cover to be put in place? Seems very odd.
Also regarding dodgy sellers knowing what they selling usually by their reaction you can tell if they aware, e.g. I brought 2 western digital hard drives from amazon about 6 months ago from a 3rd party selller, I noticed odd behaviour with the drives so started checking details of the firmware etc. and then someone gave me a tip to check the serial numbers on western digital's website, sure enough the serials were invalid and that confirmed they were fake's. It turned out the seller was in my city, so I paid him a visit, he wasnt there but I spoke to him on the phone, and he was giving me excuses like they HP OEM drives not using WD warranty, for sure I knew then he knew what he was selling, as otherwise he would have been in shock, thank me for the discovery and pulled his product of the amazon website. In the end he refunded me and I purchased them again directly from amazon.
I live in the UK which shows this stuff isnt limited to eastern countries.
murtaza02 said:
Guys, could you with 930F and FD confirm if the serial number is printed on the back cover of your phones?
Sent from my SM-G935F
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes. The back says "SM G930FD. DESIGNED AND ENGINEERED BY SAMSUNG. MANUFACTURED IN INDIA. IMEI 1/2 and then the S/N"
Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk
chrcol said:
How do you know the phone is even genuine samsung hardware, not fake imitations that china manufacturers are pumping out?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know man. Phone Info claimed the phone was genuine but was missing a valid Samsung S/N.
It showed Exynos 8890 and everything seemed okay, it even accepted a G930F Odin file and I flashed it to Nougat.
IMEIs belonged to some budget AT&T phones from the US, the quality of the back cover was horrendous, you could tell the font was wrong, and don't even get me started on the box. It was so poorly copied, I just hate myself for not checking while I was at the store.
Anyway, I did eventually go back and get a refund from him, and I'm sure as hell not going back to that guy again.
He was so stubborn, he refused to admit they were refurbished / fakes and kept insisting they were brand new.
Sent from my SM-G935F
djpeesh said:
Yes. The back says "SM G930FD. DESIGNED AND ENGINEERED BY SAMSUNG. MANUFACTURED IN INDIA. IMEI 1/2 and then the S/N"
Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The fake didn't say anything about being engineered by Samsung.
It was like:
SM-G930F SAMSUNG YATELEY GU46 6GG UK
MADE BY SAMSUNG
IMEI 1: IMEI 2:
No S/N and no country of origin either. Also, none of the phones said G930FD regardless of being Dual SIM.
Sent from my SM-G935F
murtaza02 said:
I don't know man. Phone Info claimed the phone was genuine but was missing a valid Samsung S/N.
It showed Exynos 8890 and everything seemed okay, it even accepted a G930F Odin file and I flashed it to Nougat.
IMEIs belonged to some budget AT&T phones from the US, the quality of the back cover was horrendous, you could tell the font was wrong, and don't even get me started on the box. It was so poorly copied, I just hate myself for not checking while I was at the store.
Anyway, I did eventually go back and get a refund from him, and I'm sure as hell not going back to that guy again.
He was so stubborn, he refused to admit they were refurbished / fakes and kept insisting they were brand new.
Sent from my SM-G935F
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We have a market here in Bombay where you get almost perfect knockoff phones. They're so perfect that you can't figure out what's real and what's not.
My regular phonewalla was telling me about how he got scammed by someone who exchanged a fake S7 (somehow they don't seem to have S7 edge fakes) for 25k rupees and bought some other phone. He only found out when he sold that phone to another customer and that customer took it to the service center for some issue.
He's now started making sure that people's numbers are actually their own and asking for address proof whilst exchanging phones.
Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk
I recently purchased 3 S7 edge G375U from ebay seller "cellitems" and my experience is far from acceptable.
Only 1 out of 3 looked new. 2 out of 3 were scratched up especially on the flash and sensor lens on the back. All 3 came with the box seals broken. When I contacted them they assured me they were new and only opened for unlocking. I was thinking what? These are factory unlocked to begin with!
I started looking more closely to these phones and it turned out all them are Sprint version G375P with G375U ROM installed. Although it works fine but I surely don't like being lied to.
If admin see this, please move this thread to the discussion. Posted here by mistake
"Although it works fine but I surely don't like being lied to."
For the principal, I'd go for a refund, or more assertive resolution that failing... and look elsewhere
Asking for a refund on 2. Keeping one for personal reason. I think ebay should have a better system in place to punish these sellers. It's said that most customer didn't know they got tricked. 1 star feedback will be given. I wish ebay can notify other buyers of this scam.
e20140 said:
I recently purchased 3 S7 edge G375U from ebay seller "cellitems" and my experience is far from acceptable.
Only 1 out of 3 looked new. 2 out of 3 were scratched up especially on the flash and sensor lens on the back. All 3 came with the box seals broken. When I contacted them they assured me they were new and only opened for unlocking. I was thinking what? These are factory unlocked to begin with!
I started looking more closely to these phones and it turned out all them are Sprint version G375P with G375U ROM installed. Although it works fine but I surely don't like being lied to.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You must be new to eBay...
90% of everything on eBay is fake
*Detection* said:
You must be new to eBay...
90% of everything on eBay is fake
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's not true. Im buying 3 phones in the past and not one was a fake.
I think the buyer should be more careful and reading the ratings for example. Not reading the positive ratings.. Read the negativ ratings. I didnt say its his fault... I dont like it too and hate them sellers.
To the op :
Did you Pay via Paypal? So u can Open an issue on Paypal. Until its not solved the seller didnt get his money
lladwein said:
That's not true. Im buying 3 phones in the past and not one was a fake.
I think the buyer should be more careful and reading the ratings for example. Not reading the positive ratings.. Read the negativ ratings. I didnt say its his fault... I dont like it too and hate them sellers.
To the op :
Did you Pay via Paypal? So u can Open an issue on Paypal. Until its not solved the seller didnt get his money
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Naive
Ratings and feedback mean nothing, I bought a PS3 controller from a guy with thousands of 100% positive feedback, controller was a fake
Bought iPad charger from someone with very high 100% positive feedback, also fake
You want to know how they keep their 100% positive feedback? The same way they tried to get me to reverse my negative rating by refunding me under the agreement that I could keep the item as long as I changed my feedback from negative to positive (I did not change my feedback)
eBay ratings = Nothing
You got lucky
*Detection* said:
Naive
Ratings and feedback mean nothing, I bought a PS3 controller from a guy with thousands of 100% positive feedback, controller was a fake
Bought iPad charger from someone with very high 100% positive feedback, also fake
You want to know how they keep their 100% positive feedback? The same way they tried to get me to reverse my negative rating by refunding me under the agreement that I could keep the item as long as I changed my feedback from negative to positive (I did not change my feedback)
eBay ratings = Nothing
You got lucky
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Kind of luck is always needed.
But Ive learned that there's always a trusted Shop where you can buy.
lladwein said:
Kind of luck is always needed.
But Ive learned that there's always a trusted Shop where you can buy.
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Yep, you can find hidden honest gems shops, but like I say, you have to sift through the 90% of fakes to find that 10% pot of gold
I'd rather pay the extra to buy from a real online shop than use eBay these days
e20140 said:
I recently purchased 3 S7 edge G375U from ebay seller "cellitems" and my experience is far from acceptable.
Only 1 out of 3 looked new. 2 out of 3 were scratched up especially on the flash and sensor lens on the back. All 3 came with the box seals broken. When I contacted them they assured me they were new and only opened for unlocking. I was thinking what? These are factory unlocked to begin with!
I started looking more closely to these phones and it turned out all them are Sprint version G375P with G375U ROM installed. Although it works fine but I surely don't like being lied to.
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Normally I would leave this be but this is a legitimate discussion Im goin to move this thread so more can see and read
Thread moved to general and discussion
*Detection* said:
Yep, you can find hidden honest gems shops, but like I say, you have to sift through the 90% of fakes to find that 10% pot of gold
I'd rather pay the extra to buy from a real online shop than use eBay these days
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For my personal use, I ended up buying it from Bestbuy. Even Items directly from China operated store was good. Got one of those Lenovo's fastest tablet for cheap!
Recent experience of buying new phone on eBay (all local USA sellers) is horrible. Aside from S7 edge, I bought a LG G5 in the summer and ended up returning them all, 5 times total. Again, the phone was installed with unofficial ROMs.
I would like to add, buying from individual ebay sellers (not one with a store) is mostly safe.
I would like to add never buy parts from FixEZ on ebay as they claim oem quality And most def is not...
I bought a lcd and frame assembly from them and its made of reg glass not gorilla and there cust service rep cussed me out when I sent the screen shots of the website as he told me they never claimed oem.
Which they most def did...
The screen cracked in my pocket when i sat down just from the pressure in a front pocket of fairly baggy pants might i add
This was for a LG G4
There is one advantage to there being so many fakes on eBay, so long as the seller advertises them as genuine, and they are not, you can usually get a full refund along with them letting you keep the item if you complain they are breaking eBays Ts&Cs by false advertising
They'll usually try to get you to accept 50% refund & keep the item, but if you push them and tell them you want them to send you a pre-pay box to return the item for full refund & will contact eBay about their false advert, 90% of the time they refund in full and you get an automated message from eBay saying you do not need to do anything else nor return the item
And tbh, I feel no sorrow for them losing any money considering they know they're scamming so many people with fakes
*Detection* said:
Yep, you can find hidden honest gems shops, but like I say, you have to sift through the 90% of fakes to find that 10% pot of gold
I'd rather pay the extra to buy from a real online shop than use eBay these days
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Does factory sealed mean anything when buying on ebay ? Or is there a workaround for that too ? like fake seals or stickers
boydsc331 said:
Does factory sealed mean anything when buying on ebay ? Or is there a workaround for that too ? like fake seals or stickers
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Everything is possible on eBay, easy enough to buy shrink-wrap and claim it is factory sealed
Stickers have often been faked
Firmware on the phone has been faked
Model number on the back of the actual phone has been faked
Model number on the box has been faked / wrong box used
Buy new if you want 100% guarantee it is what you are buying, or make sure you have a good and sure way of being refunded if you still go the eBay route
ok so I went the ebay route. I found an individual seller, not one of those cell phone stores. I got 2 of the 930FD for $460 each. Not a great price but not too bad I thought. They were factory sealed and brand new. Thankyou all for the tips and suggestions.