Database Users

tips for buying off ebay?

any tips? anything specific to look for?

if new, then look for descriptions that say the phone is sealed in box, if its just new in box but not sealed then it could've been used and just repackaged to look like new
if used then always look for actual pictures of the phone in the posting, make sure you read what condition the phone is in (scratches or anything) and how long it was used for
the phone should run you anywhere from 350-450
PS: Bought 2 new sealed vibrants off of ebay one for 420 and other for 430

ld006 said:
if new, then look for descriptions that say the phone is sealed in box, if its just new in box but not sealed then it could've been used and just repackaged to look like new...
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That is excellent advice to minimize buyer's risk, which is why phones in that state command a higher price than just "mint" phones in excellent condition. (Like a new car depreciates immediately when you drive it away from the dealer.)
Also, note that eBay has a Buyer Protection Program to help resolve disputes, and it is in eBay's own interest to guard the integrity of its marketplace. That does not mean they guarantee your satisfaction or even that the phone will function properly. But eBay will guarantee that the merchandise shipped meets the seller's advertised description, and "New, Sealed in Box" is an objective standard.
As a buyer I once bought such an advertised phone that did not fit that description as-delivered, and the seller was not cooperative in resolving the problem. So I had to escalate the issue to eBay, which found in my favor and saw to it that my money was refunded when I returned the merchandise. Actually, that's the closest I ever came to being burned on eBay. I think it is less risky than buying from a Craigslist seller.

I paid 350 for a 2 weeks old one (barely used) with the original box & accesories, all in perfect condition. What a sweet deal!

Check the seller's rep. I wouldn't but from anyone with fewer than 40 sales and a 98% pos rep.
Just my .02

Ebay is great, until you need to talk to them on the phone because of a shady seller!
gonintendo said:
any tips? anything specific to look for?
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I really don't want to scare you off ebay, however, with a purchase like this, I would do my ebay research very carefull.
You need to know the truth, the truth is, if you run into a problem, you will have tons of difficulty contacting ebay via phone.
I ask you to do 1 simple thing for me, just 1. Try to find an ebay phone number, search their site, search google, try to find a phone number to talk to a human being. Now, if you are able to find a phone number, call the number, see if you can get through to a human being. It took me almost 3 weeks to find a phone number, I litterly called about 20 numbers all of which were fake, old, no longer active, or put me through loops.
Finally, if you do have a problem, such as you paid for the product and didn't get the item, be ready for another saga that can last a very long time.
I've had a case open with ebay for nearly two months, supposedly ebay had decided in my favor, and I was due a full refund. Guess what, ebay never issued me a refund, the case still says open, 2 months now, no refund.
I would procede with caution, and only use paypal.
But, I beg of you, take my little challenge, try to find an Ebay phone number from their site, then if you eventually find one, see if you can get someone to pick up on the other end.
Good luck.

Always pay with PayPal. Any disputes with the seller, PayPal will back you up. They have a buyers protection program. Look it up on their website. By the way, you dont need a Credit Card to use PayPal, you can link it to your bank account if you prefer to pay cash.

SamsungVibrant said:
I really don't want to scare you off ebay, however, with a purchase like this, I would do my ebay research very carefull.
You need to know the truth, the truth is, if you run into a problem, you will have tons of difficulty contacting ebay via phone.
I ask you to do 1 simple thing for me, just 1. Try to find an ebay phone number, search their site, search google, try to find a phone number to talk to a human being. Now, if you are able to find a phone number, call the number, see if you can get through to a human being. It took me almost 3 weeks to find a phone number, I litterly called about 20 numbers all of which were fake, old, no longer active, or put me through loops.
Finally, if you do have a problem, such as you paid for the product and didn't get the item, be ready for another saga that can last a very long time.
I've had a case open with ebay for nearly two months, supposedly ebay had decided in my favor, and I was due a full refund. Guess what, ebay never issued me a refund, the case still says open, 2 months now, no refund.
I would procede with caution, and only use paypal.
But, I beg of you, take my little challenge, try to find an Ebay phone number from their site, then if you eventually find one, see if you can get someone to pick up on the other end.
Good luck.
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I agree with the poster...to a point. Ive been anebayer for years.
Ebay number? I googled it:
http://contact.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ShowCUPortal&guest=1
Its on the ebay website. Called it too . Current and valid. Long wait time though
I never trust the disputing system on ebay. Slow, almost like they dont care.
However ebay golden rule:
unless you Really truly know/trust the seller....
always pay with a credit card (not visa debit) and using paypal.
Paypal are very quick to deal with fraud/issues and very favorable to the buyer usually (I know, I sell and buy a lot ! ).
Paypal are good if you use a credit card because they are afraid of chargebacks.
Buy from sellers you trust. A good thing to do is simply ask the seller before you buy! They are human too....and if they seem legit (good reason for selling, give you an accurate description of the phone), by all means buy!
I've bought and sold on ebay (internationally):
* logitech mice
* Logitech Keyboards
* Three laptops
* Diamond 1
* Diamond 2
* N82
* N95
* Nexus One
* HTC Desire
* Samsung Captivate
I've had issues but theyve all been resolved on paypal/ebay.
Just my $0.02 and in no way an endorsement or bag-out of anyones comment or services
Oz

I've learned my lesson never to buy anything used that is expensive and mechanically or electronically complex. Good luck with whatever you choose to do!

I've had Good Luck with Craigslist
I've purchased 2 Vibrants and a HTC HD2 from Craigslist.
All three were in next to new conditions and I'm very happy with my purchases. I was able to inspect the phones BEFORE putting up my money. I also require the seller to sign a receipt and provide ID before making the purchase. Can't be too careful in todays world.
I paid $300 each for the Vibrants and $250 for the HD2.

verify that the phone is not stolen. Request the IMEI number from the seller and call T-mobile up to check if the device was ever reported as stolen. I think there is also a website where you can check the IMEI # for its validity....not sure how accurate that is though

ozy944 said:
I agree with the poster...to a point. Ive been anebayer for years.
Ebay number? I googled it:
http://contact.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ShowCUPortal&guest=1
Its on the ebay website. Called it too . Current and valid. Long wait time though
I never trust the disputing system on ebay. Slow, almost like they dont care.
However ebay golden rule:
unless you Really truly know/trust the seller....
always pay with a credit card (not visa debit) and using paypal.
Paypal are very quick to deal with fraud/issues and very favorable to the buyer usually (I know, I sell and buy a lot ! ).
Paypal are good if you use a credit card because they are afraid of chargebacks.
Buy from sellers you trust. A good thing to do is simply ask the seller before you buy! They are human too....and if they seem legit (good reason for selling, give you an accurate description of the phone), by all means buy!
I've bought and sold on ebay (internationally):
* logitech mice
* Logitech Keyboards
* Three laptops
* Diamond 1
* Diamond 2
* N82
* N95
* Nexus One
* HTC Desire
* Samsung Captivate
I've had issues but theyve all been resolved on paypal/ebay.
Just my $0.02 and in no way an endorsement or bag-out of anyones comment or services
Oz
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ummm that link you provided seems to be for australia.
could you possibly post the working number, so we can call and verify it works.
thanks

SamsungVibrant said:
ummm that link you provided seems to be for australia.
could you possibly post the working number, so we can call and verify it works.
thanks
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Sure,
Maybe ebay has different policies for Australia...go figure...
If in Aus: 1800 088 741
If overseas: +61 2 8288 0199
Have you tried live help? It has an approx wait time of 15 mins, works only with internet explorer but it is a real live person on the chat line and theyre usually very helpful.
Didnt mean to sound like I was dissing you, I just havent had the same sort of experience that you have and I've been using ebay since I was a mid teen! (I'm in my early twenties now)

http://cgi.ebay.com/New-T-MOBILE-Sa...Cell_Phones&hash=item3cb0e36719#ht_500wt_1154
what do you guys think of this? he claims it's new but there's no box.

double post

gonintendo said:
http://cgi.ebay.com/New-T-MOBILE-Sa...Cell_Phones&hash=item3cb0e36719#ht_500wt_1154
what do you guys think of this? he claims it's new but there's no box.
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Home-made photo.
Definitely seems legit. I thought the vibrant only had 2gb built in and 16gb on card.....should clarify that.
The price is a bit steep for a used vibrant with no box. I'd watch it but keep looking around at the same time.

Check this one out , http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...68431&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT#ht_1286wt_916
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

thanks guys. i really appreciate it.

ozy944 said:
Home-made photo.
Definitely seems legit. I thought the vibrant only had 2gb built in and 16gb on card.....should clarify that.
The price is a bit steep for a used vibrant with no box. I'd watch it but keep looking around at the same time.
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a microSD-to-SD adapter, and a 2GB microSD card -- provided more to bundle the movie Avatar than to supplement the 16GB that's already on board.
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from engadget
http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/22/...ew-shootout-captivate-for-atandt-and-vibrant/

I usually assume new w/o box is stolen or just a used phone they're trying to pass off as new.

How to tell if Samsung Galaxy Note N7000 is refurbished or not

Hello everyone
I do have Samsung Galaxy Note N7000
And i was wondering how to tell if my galaxy note is refurbished or factory made
because i keep notice that my phone keep freeze a lot plus the Google maps and GPS totally kill the phone and so slow to use so please tell me if that normal thing to happen too or not ,

It might be the firmware.
Try Flashing XXLA6 Stock.
AFAIK, There is no way to tell whether a unit is brand new or Refurbished.

Dont know if this applys to notes. But for my galaxy s the different of a retail and a refurbished( the replacement phone samsung gave me) was the sticker on the back of the.phone showing serial imei and such. The retail onw is nice and good quality with samsung logo and made location. The refurb one is just one cheap sticker with some barcode and number
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk

JazonX said:
It might be the firmware.
Try Flashing XXLA6 Stock.
AFAIK, There is no way to tell whether a unit is brand new or Refurbished.
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Click to collapse
That means i shud flash my phone to European version ?
Is that ROM is the fastest ?
tg9413 said:
Dont know if this applys to notes. But for my galaxy s the different of a retail and a refurbished( the replacement phone samsung gave me) was the sticker on the back of the.phone showing serial imei and such. The retail onw is nice and good quality with samsung logo and made location. The refurb one is just one cheap sticker with some barcode and number
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk
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I cant tell if my material good or not on the phone because i havent used any galaxy note's before except mine
So i was thinking that some guys says go to RTN number but idk how to do that
because they say i shud dial up some code which never work for me
any idea about that code ?

From where did you get it ?
Do not flash XXLA6
wipe your device and flash the latest Emirates rom (arabic rom)
it is fast and stable.
The ICS will be released soon.

M.Noury said:
From where did you get it ?
Do not flash XXLA6
wipe your device and flash the latest Emirates rom (arabic rom)
it is fast and stable.
The ICS will be released soon.
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Click to collapse
I got it from a guy who sells them on big hardware site in egypt
And i already have the emirates version on my phone
Just the thing is , how to tell if my phone is refurbished or not , whats the steps to know ?

there is no physical evidence new / user or phone from shop returns ...

i have your same version of the note, and it does the same with freezing, a friend has the same note but with v2.3.6 not 2.3.5 and it works a lot better.
so try updating to 2.3.6 (assuming that your device has no warranty) or wait for the ICS

Never ignore gut feelings!
I should have trusted my gut when I received my "NEW" SGN (N7000) -- a purchase I made on Amazon from a seller named "Goodios" -- when it arrived in a box with a broken factory seal. There was a sticker over the original seal but upon closer inspection it was obvious that the original factory seal had been broken. Unfortunately for me, due to the seller's high feedback rating I unconsciously began making excuses for them from the get go. I assumed they opened the box merely to add an aftermarket US power adapter despite common sense screaming out the fact that there would have been no practical reason to do such a thing. Any additional accessories could have simply been dropped into the shipping box -- there was after all plenty of room.
The last and biggest clue which would finally convince me that this was in fact NOT a new unit as described by the seller was the missing sticker that should have been covering the screw at the top left corner of the battery well. Removal of this sticker voids the factory warranty, and the fact that it was missing on mine told me that my unit was likely refurbished.
Unfortunately again for me I didn't figure out that last clue until after the 30-day window in which I could have returned the phone. I'm kicking myself now because that's something I would have otherwise thought to check had my suspicions not be quelled by the seller's feedback rating. A high positive feedback ratio often signifies an honorable seller, but it can also signify a crooked seller with ignorant customers like me. Another expensive lesson learned (sigh).

AjaxTheCleaner said:
I should have trusted my gut when I received my "NEW" SGN (N7000) -- a purchase I made on Amazon from a seller named "Goodios" -- when it arrived in a box with a broken factory seal. There was a sticker over the original seal but upon closer inspection it was obvious that the original factory seal had been broken. Unfortunately for me, due to the seller's high feedback rating I unconsciously began making excuses for them from the get go. I assumed they opened the box merely to add an aftermarket US power adapter despite common sense screaming out the fact that there would have been no practical reason to do such a thing. Any additional accessories could have simply been dropped into the shipping box -- there was after all plenty of room.
The last and biggest clue which would finally convince me that this was in fact NOT a new unit as described by the seller was the missing sticker that should have been covering the screw at the top left corner of the battery well. Removal of this sticker voids the factory warranty, and the fact that it was missing on mine told me that my unit was likely refurbished.
Unfortunately again for me I didn't figure out that last clue until after the 30-day window in which I could have returned the phone. I'm kicking myself now because that's something I would have otherwise thought to check had my suspicions not be quelled by the seller's feedback rating. A high positive feedback ratio often signifies an honorable seller, but it can also signify a crooked seller with ignorant customers like me. Another expensive lesson learned (sigh).
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Thats really annoying when you can find people like these all over the internet trying to steal you with all ways possible . Sorry to hear that you fell in such a trap man .
Sent From My Samsung Galaxy Note N7000 Using XDA Premium

AjaxTheCleaner said:
I should have trusted my gut when I received my "NEW" SGN (N7000) -- a purchase I made on Amazon from a seller named "Goodios" -- when it arrived in a box with a broken factory seal. There was a sticker over the original seal but upon closer inspection it was obvious that the original factory seal had been broken. Unfortunately for me, due to the seller's high feedback rating I unconsciously began making excuses for them from the get go. I assumed they opened the box merely to add an aftermarket US power adapter despite common sense screaming out the fact that there would have been no practical reason to do such a thing. Any additional accessories could have simply been dropped into the shipping box -- there was after all plenty of room.
The last and biggest clue which would finally convince me that this was in fact NOT a new unit as described by the seller was the missing sticker that should have been covering the screw at the top left corner of the battery well. Removal of this sticker voids the factory warranty, and the fact that it was missing on mine told me that my unit was likely refurbished.
Unfortunately again for me I didn't figure out that last clue until after the 30-day window in which I could have returned the phone. I'm kicking myself now because that's something I would have otherwise thought to check had my suspicions not be quelled by the seller's feedback rating. A high positive feedback ratio often signifies an honorable seller, but it can also signify a crooked seller with ignorant customers like me. Another expensive lesson learned (sigh).
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This is why I prefer to go out n buy stuff myself rather than ordering it from eBay or Amazon..if u yourself would have gone out to a Samsung store or any other store u wouldn't have gone through this..
Sent from my Galaxy Note with Blazing CM9

AjaxTheCleaner said:
I should have trusted my gut when I received my "NEW" SGN (N7000) -- a purchase I made on Amazon from a seller named "Goodios" -- when it arrived in a box with a broken factory seal. There was a sticker over the original seal but upon closer inspection it was obvious that the original factory seal had been broken. Unfortunately for me, due to the seller's high feedback rating I unconsciously began making excuses for them from the get go. I assumed they opened the box merely to add an aftermarket US power adapter despite common sense screaming out the fact that there would have been no practical reason to do such a thing. Any additi]onal accessories could have simply been dropped into the shipping box -- there was after all plenty of room.
The last and biggest clue which would finally convince me that this was in fact NOT a new unit as described by the seller was the missing sticker that should have been covering the screw at the top left corner of the battery well. Removal of this sticker voids the factory warranty, and the fact that it was missing on mine told me that my unit was likely refurbished.
Unfortunately again for me I didn't figure out that last clue until after the 30-day window in which I could have returned the phone. I'm kicking myself now because that's something I would have otherwise thought to check had my suspicions not be quelled by the seller's feedback rating. A high positive feedback ratio often signifies an honorable seller, but it can also signify a crooked seller with ignorant customers like me. Another expensive lesson learned (sigh).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could you please post a picture of a note with or without the sticker? I've looked everywhere but i can't find a picture. I fear i am like you and am missing the sticker but am still within the time period to return my note

AjaxTheCleaner said:
I should have trusted my gut when I received my "NEW" SGN (N7000) -- a purchase I made on Amazon from a seller named "Goodios" -- when it arrived in a box with a broken factory seal. There was a sticker over the original seal but upon closer inspection it was obvious that the original factory seal had been broken. Unfortunately for me, due to the seller's high feedback rating I unconsciously began making excuses for them from the get go. I assumed they opened the box merely to add an aftermarket US power adapter despite common sense screaming out the fact that there would have been no practical reason to do such a thing. Any additional accessories could have simply been dropped into the shipping box -- there was after all plenty of room.
The last and biggest clue which would finally convince me that this was in fact NOT a new unit as described by the seller was the missing sticker that should have been covering the screw at the top left corner of the battery well. Removal of this sticker voids the factory warranty, and the fact that it was missing on mine told me that my unit was likely refurbished.
Unfortunately again for me I didn't figure out that last clue until after the 30-day window in which I could have returned the phone. I'm kicking myself now because that's something I would have otherwise thought to check had my suspicions not be quelled by the seller's feedback rating. A high positive feedback ratio often signifies an honorable seller, but it can also signify a crooked seller with ignorant customers like me. Another expensive lesson learned (sigh).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If it was fulfilled by Amazon then you might have hope. Let them know what you discovered and then tell them the item was not as described and that you demand a full refund. Amazon customer service phone number 1-866-216-1072
---------- Post added at 01:55 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:52 AM ----------
Techimplant said:
This is why I prefer to go out n buy stuff myself rather than ordering it from eBay or Amazon..if u yourself would have gone out to a Samsung store or any other store u wouldn't have gone through this..
Sent from my Galaxy Note with Blazing CM9
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Good point but hard to find a "brick and mortar" store in the USA that sells this international unlocked phone therefore Amazon and ebay. I didn't even know Samsung had their own stores. If they have them in the USA it must be major cities like NYC, Chicago, LA, etc.

SanDisk 64 gb $16.99 and Samsung 32gb class10 $15

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SanDisk-Mob...roSDXC-micro-SDXC-micro-SD-Card-/190707919764
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Samsung-32G...HC-TF-Flash-Memory-Card-Class10-/200798591681
I am not for sure if the cards are real but, for these prices, you can pull the plug easily. If they turn out to be fake you can always file a claim or contact the seller.
Sent from my SGH-T999

Wow! That looks like a good deal. I'm so tempted. But last time I bought something that looked too good to be true from eBay I got scammed...

Did OP or anyone buy this?

"The shipment will take 7-14 WORKING DAYS
And we will process orders within 24-48 hours
All returned items MUST BE in the original packaging and you MUST PROVIDE us with the shipping tracking
number ,your eBay ID ,and specific reason for return
Returned items must be in its original condition and packaging with all components and accessories included
Return shipping and insurance charge are to be paid by the buyer
We do not guarantee the compatible issues "
**** that, you have to pay return shipping with insurance to China if there's an issue.

I've been burnt every time that I bought a memory card at a dirt cheap price on ebay. Not risking it again.

silversonic1 said:
I've been burnt every time that I bought a memory card at a dirt cheap price on ebay. Not risking it again.
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especially when it is shipping from china too

raviluke said:
especially when it is shipping from china too
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lol, nothing like waiting 3 weeks to get scammed,
If I am going to bend over, I'd rather not wait 3 weeks to do it...

Yeah. It looks too good to be true but what if it is?:0
Sent from my SGH-T999

I agree. Last time I ordered a card on ebay that I thought was a 32GB class 10 kingston I later learned it was a fake when the writing came off from me touching. The worst thing is I didn't even save that much just so I just ordered a sandisk off newegg for $10 dollars more and Im happy.

That seller's feedback is near perfect though. And wow that 64GB card is so tempting.

Feedback
Feedback doesn't mean as much as you think. I recently saw something similarly attractive, a 32gb usb flash drive for like $14, and the guys feedback was like 99.2 or something, but when I got the card which also was shipping from China the actualy memory chip had been cut out. I looked the seller up on Google and got a load of scam complaints. I truly wonder though, how they have such great feedback...

lets all pitch in and buy one

am i the only one that got a little bit pissed with many threads in this section with obvious knock-off SD cards?
obvious fake SD cards are obvious there's no GREAT DEAL with something like that, the prices will NEVER get that low like it or not its FAKE

I am cautious when buying stuff like that from eBay.
Sent from my LG-P999 using xda premium

This seller hasn't only got near perfect feedback he is also a top rated seller though but the price does look too good to be true.

I think a lot of times there are those that purchase items like this and don't even realize that they have been scammed and thus the good feedback. I mean I know a lot of people who just buy the products based on price and are not aware of how the product should function. for example it doesn't matter (because they don't know the difference) if it's a class 10 or a class 4 as long as their pictures are on it, to them it works as advertised and then give good feedback. Many may not even check or even know how to see if the card actually has as much memory as it should. the only thing that matters is that the price is right and that they received it ahead of the estimated delivery date (I once heard my daughter express surprise that she received a phone case way ahead of said date and would give a good feedback based on this)

Scam!!!!!!!
Thread needs to be closed before people jump in
Galaxy Note @ mobile

it's a scam. there were deals like this back on February. Me and my friend spent like almost $100. i lost my money. my friend got his money back from paypal.
They sent us no memory card, instead usb card readers. Please be careful!!! I learned my lesson
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda app-developers app

I bit the bullet and bought + paid for this. Not counting on it to be 64gb of course. However, while I've been burned by China before, I've also received the occasional unexpected gift.
I remember that I used to have a tool that could A) write a whole USB drive's memory, and report back it's true capacity, and B) modify the capacity declaration to more accurately reflect the drive's actual size.
I'll take a look and see if I can track this software down again, and I'll report back with my findings.
aalupatti said:
Scam!!!!!!!
Thread needs to be closed before people jump in
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I think the XDA member demographics probably trend toward being a pretty astute tech-buying crowd. I doubt anyone will misinterpret the OP as an endorsement of that particular eBay auction.
If you're a frequent ebayer, and stay on top of timelines, then it's pretty low-risk to order stuff like this. The eBay and Paypal dispute systems work fairly well for buyers. Truthfully, most Chinese sellers will settle a complaint before it even gets to that stage. They seem to be very intent on avoid negative feedback, and preventing Paypal claims. In my experience, most Chinese sellers don't want to go through any kind of formal return process. I think their mentality is just to move on, push more product, and sell-sell-sell. They'll generally offer some sort of compensation for a product that doesn't work, or even just outright refund your purchase if you agree not to leave a negative feedback. Even if that isn't the case, eBay and Paypal are good about handling disputes over fraudulent items, and I doubt that you would ever be made to pay for tracked shipping back to China.
Where most people run into trouble, is that they let more than the 45 day dispute window elapse, or the wait beyond the point where negative feedback can be issued (at which point, most Chinese sellers on eBay don't care about your complaints). =
Instead of closing the thread, maybe the OP could more explicitly warn everyone about the likely fakeness?

SanDisk 64 gb for $16.99, if it sound too good to be true, IT IS. Goddamn when will you M.F. learn. I've bought so much stuff from china, cheap and expensive never been burned. you need to know whats real and whats not(how do you know: if it sound too good to be true, IT IS) . If it was priced around 40 or 30 dollars (20 to40% cheaper compared to global prices I would believe it. but nearly 70% cheaper....
If you know anything about electronics you should know that the margins on memory chips are extremely low at the moment.. could be theft... well if you like that buy it, karma is a *****. Do some research, before buying any thing: example in china a 1ghz dual core cortex a9 always means 2x 500mhz cores. a 256GB USB stick (are expensive and hard to get) on ebay @30 dollars: means a usbstick put on infinite loop copying. meaning you need to be glad if it turn out a 256mb file fits.
I expect more from people visiting these kinds of sites (i'm often disappointed), leave this threat open as a warning to the wannabe's -hackers-, and the really gullible folk.
if it sound too good to be true, it is.
ps even with proper research and guys with great ebay scores (witch means absolutely nothing, thank baby jezus for paypal) you can get burned, but you reduce the changes of getting burned significantly.

[Q] Is this note 4 a scam?

Ive been wanting to get a note 4 since it came out, but its been a bit too expensive. However, i was looking on ebay and found this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/291317302078
I can decide if its a scam or not. The seller has high feedback and accepts paypal, which are both good signs, but it costs so much less than normal. What do you reckon?
BTW. I am in the UK

Looks like they mostly sell clothing items. Not where I'd buy a phone from.

The N910F is the generic snapdragon model for the Note 4 line, for the European region. Australia has it as the N910G. The ad does appear to be legit, as does the seller, however I agree with the previous poster. That particular seller seems to have more clothing than anything else.
eBay is a difficult site to judge. Things can always seems legit but then you get screwed over and yet other things that don't look so much, are legit.
At the end of the day, that decision will be in your hands, but IMO I would purchase such a device from a more reputable place such as an electronics store, rather than online, just for the peace of mind and security in having warranty and meeting the seller one on one.
This kind of purchase is like an investment and you wouldn't buy a property without knowing everything about it first would you?

I agree with everything said. But if you pay via PayPal, even if you get scammed, you can get your money back from PayPal, even if the seller refuses to acknowledge their fault. I'm not saying go for it, I'm just saying that you have buyer's protection both from eBay and PayPal.

DefinitelyDefinitely something fishy if you check their negative feedback in the last
Definitely something fishy I wouldn't waste your time as is if you look at their negative feedback in the last month alone somebody mentioned they received an empty box without a phone.
I just paid £560 for one delivered on eBay last week and I thought that was a very good price everybody else was paying £599 even on Black Friday and cyber Monday.

Nexus 6 Ebay fraud...pass along this information if you know somebody

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.
Click to expand...
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 ?
Click to expand...
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.....
Click to expand...
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.
Click to expand...
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.
Click to expand...
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.
Click to expand...
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.