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Hi
Just wanted to know how warranty is handled with the nexus one bought directly from google: is it activated automatically so I don't need the receipt anymore, do I have to do this myself, is the warranty outside US supported or not? What do I need from the seller beside the device itself? And do I have to activate the device with google? First android phone not from HTC...
Thanks for help.
Can no one help me?
Not sure if this applies to Nexus One, but I had other HTC devices purchased from eBay and the warranty did apply to them.
They check warranty status via serial number, so you don't really have to have anything else.
Hi
I purchased mine through eBay, my first question before bidding was if they still had the receipt.
If you get a problem tell them it was purchased as a present and they should update the details.
edit..................................................
The nexus one is made by HTC.
Its activated automatically (no receipt needed).
It is tied to the serial # (rather than the owner or an address).
Ring HTC and they will tell you how long it has left. (Think my N1 came with a 2 year warranty)
Has anyone purchased any nexus s from the below seller?
http://cgi.ebay.com/Unlocked-Samsun...Cell_Phones&hash=item3f065ee3ef#ht_582wt_1139
I'd go with buying from Amazon. HTC sells an unlocked version of the N1 at a deal. Not sure if it is TMo or ATT. You might want to check on that. Good luck!
got my N1 from ebay. no receipt as it was upgrade from vodafone. I rang htc, gave them imei and they said no problem, I still have regular warranty.
Today I recieved my SGS2. I bought that online. The seller told me that it is factory unlocked but when I saw the O2 Logo at Startup, I got it that its Branded.
I called the Seller and he said, He will send Unlock Key to me and that will make it Factory unlocked OR If I want to replace, He can send me Factory unlocked.
Guys tell me what to do? Should I change it or Replace it?
Do you think branded phones are better or factory Unlocked?
There's actually two separate issues. Getting the SIM unlocked is no big deal and once it is you can use it freely on any carrier. A branded phone is supported by the carrier that branded it. That means unique updates that are usually rolled out after Samsung's general releases. I don't know about O2, but most carriers add their own customizations, apps, and settings to their phones. They may or may not bother or effect you. There's instructions in the dev section on how to "unbrand" a branded phone. It requires rooting and some time and skill. If you don't want to go though the hassle return the phone and ask for an unbranded one.
Personally, I'd always go for the unbranded option if it's given. The only reason is that when you get your next phone in xx months time, you can sell an unbranded a lot more favourably than a branded one, even when SIM unlocked.
That's the experience I've had, so it's only my opinion.
jjdoctor said:
Today I recieved my SGS2. I bought that online. The seller told me that it is factory unlocked but when I saw the O2 Logo at Startup, I got it that its Branded.
I called the Seller and he said, He will send Unlock Key to me and that will make it Factory unlocked OR If I want to replace, He can send me Factory unlocked.
Guys tell me what to do? Should I change it or Replace it?
Do you think branded phones are better or factory Unlocked?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
replace it if given the option. naturally.
johncmolyneux said:
Personally, I'd always go for the unbranded option if it's given. The only reason is that when you get your next phone in xx months time, you can sell an unbranded a lot more favourably than a branded one, even when SIM unlocked.
That's the experience I've had, so it's only my opinion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Seller gives one year warranty, but he says he has to open the seal of the box to confirm that units have all accessories and LCD is not damaged before shipment since he imports those.
How would I know that he has De-branded that phone and sent me again?
If A set is De-Branded, How can I find that it was previosuly Branded..?
More likely that there's something dodgy about your seller.
Stock O2 UK firmware has minor branding .One an O2 boot screen and two minor bookmarks on web browser for O2 .
Original O2 Product code is G|T-I9100KAO2U with CSC KD1O2U.
Debranded means removing original firmware and no way to tell what was their before .Apart from stuff in the box with an O2 label or the O2 Product code on the Box .
jje
What will happen if you return is he will de brand your device hence why he has told you he would have to open to check. That is bull, he should no what stock he has. Your im a sticky situation but i guess it all depends on if you are planning on rooting your device and planning on flashing custom Roms cus if you was then not a alot to worry about, keep what you got or REFUND
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App
Branded means it has branding on it does not mean it is sim locked .
Factory unlock in this respect suggests that he will unlock the locked to a network so any sim card can be used ..
NOTE OP you have double posted this question which is a waste of everyone's time answering the same question twice .
jje
My Moto X pure's charging pins broke on my phone. Literally $440 down the drain, and there's nothing to do but buy another one, but what the hell do I do with this thing? my warranty is voided because I unlocked my bootloader (Thanks Motorola, thanks.) and every year there is a new problem with a smartphone I buy. I literally buy a phone every year because something stupid happens to the ones I buy. My Find 7a? Screen cracked, and there is literally no such thing as a how to guide to replace the screen. My Mate 2? 100% garbage phone that I sold to my friend, which was stolen from him. The only thing I have left is this garbage iPhone 5 that is more of a burden that it is a benefit. I've been contemplating to just say screw it and buy an iPhone 6/6s, but I would rather use a Nokia n900 than to touch one of those normie devices. I've been thinking of buying one of those Meizu phones but support and root instructions for those things is nearly impossible to find. Right now I am super pissed off and I need my phone to continue with my work. I cant even swap sd cards to my iPhone 5 because its a CDMA abortion model and wont work with my metro PCS sim. I have literally little to no money right now, and there isn't a phone out there that can compete with this thing. Samsung? Garbage. Huawei? Shady. HTC? dead on arrival. Apple? Next. If there is anything I can do I would greatly appreciate the options.
First, make sure the charging problems is because of the phone, not the cord or the power supply. If it is the phone here's some ideas:
-Try the warranty. Even though the bootloader's unlocked, being that it's a hardware problem, they might still fix it. Doesn't hurt to try
-If you can't use the warranty, pay to get it fixed
-If you're buying a new phone but don't have money, some companies allow you to pay over some time, like 6 months
-Huawei isn't shady
-Sell the phone. Someone may buy it to repair it. But you'll be losing by doing this and not getting it repaired yourself, as I doubt it'll sell for much.
Sent from my MotoG3 using XDA Free mobile app
tzzeri said:
First, make sure the charging problems is because of the phone, not the cord or the power supply. If it is the phone here's some ideas:
-Try the warranty. Even though the bootloader's unlocked, being that it's a hardware problem, they might still fix it. Doesn't hurt to try
-If you can't use the warranty, pay to get it fixed
-If you're buying a new phone but don't have money, some companies allow you to pay over some time, like 6 months
-Huawei isn't shady
-Sell the phone. Someone may buy it to repair it. But you'll be losing by doing this and not getting it repaired yourself, as I doubt it'll sell for much.
Sent from my MotoG3 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
-Currently I am at the Repair & Return page on the Motorola site, and they are asking for $111 for a repair. There is no mention of the warranty, other than the "My Device" site where it stated my warranty wont end until October 2016.
-I believe those companies are carrier companies. Carrier locked, bloated devices that aren't factory unlocked.
-Huawei did some dodgy things when it came to the Mate 2 getting its Lollipop update, and same with the mate 7. Currently the HAM 2 is still a burden to use.
I am planning to sell the phone for a good 300, along with the find 7 for a 300/250 price tag. With that money I could get a whole new phone, probably the Meizu Pro 5 or Mate 8, but, of course, there is Abosolutely no support for the Pro 5, and the Mate 8 is like $800. Probably might get the Oppo R7 Plus, its the holy grail of Phablets imo.
EDIT: How much do you think the X Pure would sell for in its current state? Nothing else (Literally nothing) is wrong with the phone, its on Marshmallow and its rooted.
Delta65 said:
-Currently I am at the Repair & Return page on the Motorola site, and they are asking for $111 for a repair. There is no mention of the warranty, other than the "My Device" site where it stated my warranty wont end until October 2016.
-I believe those companies are carrier companies. Carrier locked, bloated devices that aren't factory unlocked.
-Huawei did some dodgy things when it came to the Mate 2 getting its Lollipop update, and same with the mate 7. Currently the HAM 2 is still a burden to use.
I am planning to sell the phone for a good 300, along with the find 7 for a 300/250 price tag. With that money I could get a whole new phone, probably the Meizu Pro 5 or Mate 8, but, of course, there is Abosolutely no support for the Pro 5, and the Mate 8 is like $800. Probably might get the Oppo R7 Plus, its the holy grail of Phablets imo.
EDIT: How much do you think the X Pure would sell for in its current state? Nothing else (Literally nothing) is wrong with the phone, its on Marshmallow and its rooted.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The repair and return page might be talking about damage where your at fault, like a broken screen. Contact Motorola and tell them your problem. Don't mention that it's unlocked. The most you'll lose is the money spent on postage if they don't fix it because of the bootloader.
Some large retailers allow you to pay over 6 months for any purchases over a certain amount. You'll need to check what there is in your country.
I'm not sure how much it'll sell for, but keep in mind, some people aren't gonna pay too much for a phone which they can only assume that the seller is trustworthy and there's no other problems
Sent from my MotoG3 using XDA Free mobile app
tzzeri said:
The repair and return page might be talking about damage where your at fault, like a broken screen. Contact Motorola and tell them your problem. Don't mention that it's unlocked. The most you'll lose is the money spent on postage if they don't fix it because of the bootloader.
Some large retailers allow you to pay over 6 months for any purchases over a certain amount. You'll need to check what there is in your country.
I'm not sure how much it'll sell for, but keep in mind, some people aren't gonna pay too much for a phone which they can only assume that the seller is trustworthy and there's no other problems
Sent from my MotoG3 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wont Motorola instantly send the phone back to me once they realize it is factory unlocked?
And Retailers meaning Sony, Huawei, etc? I live in the US, could you tell me some retailers that have that option available?
And I was thinking on selling the phone to one of my friends, not online or anything like that.
Delta65 said:
Wont Motorola instantly send the phone back to me once they realize it is factory unlocked?
And Retailers meaning Sony, Huawei, etc? I live in the US, could you tell me some retailers that have that option available?
And I was thinking on selling the phone to one of my friends, not online or anything like that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If it's clearly a hardware problem, they MIGHT fix it. Can't say for sure, but there's a chance.
I don't live in America, but this is what we have in Australia https://www.kogan.com/au/interest-free/ . Good Guys also do it for some items.
I'm sure there must be some stores in America that do it.
Sent from my MotoG3 using XDA Free mobile app
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.
Hiya,guys! Recently bought a g930f exynos or so i hoped. When checked,it said bootloader verizon and baseband version verizon. Suspicions arose when i saw in the menu verizon location agent. When restarting the phone,the verizon logo never comes up,just samsung one. And even the compass is accurate which on my verizon phone is all messed up. Some of the service codes work,too,like for checking imei,etc. But they do noy work on a verizon phone. However,the phone maybe feels a littlw bit laggier and it overheats like a lot. Feels almost too hot to handle sometimes.
So my 2 questions are these signs that he flashed the phone with g930f firmware somehow bcs bloatware is gone,only the location verizon agent. And the second one is which firmware is the most suitable to flash on a g930v bcs this phone lasted longer on sot but it did overheat more than mine.
Thanks a lot to everybody who joins the discussion.
Have a nice and sunny weekend!
Boot the phone into download mode, that is the true model and can not be faked like firmware etc
Never knew this,confirms that it is a g930v verizon.
Thank you,detection. So I might ask fir a partial or full refund,lol.
Btw,which rom is the most suitable to flash - is it just g930u fw cuz it is free of bloat and is qualcomm supported?
Yes I believe you can flash the G930U firmware to the V model S7, not sure what bloat if any it contains as I have the G930F
But if you were wanting to flash custom ROMs / recovery, you're gonna need the Exynos S7 (G930F or G930W8), all US model S7s with Snapdragon CPUs are bootloader locked
Thats why i wanted exynos and bcs it contains 0 bloatware and has longer battery life. Thank you very much for the useful information.
You're welcome, maybe you can use some legal jargon to force the seller into giving you the phone you paid for (G930F) if it was from a store
Good luck
Didnt wanna spam my topic but now how do i flash another rom on that phone? Will a hard reset from the button at the top of the phone set it to basic verizon branded firmware or no?
Ps : he says he didnt mess with the software of the phone (ebay seller with around 9k feedback), maximum partial refund 25 bux from 240$ that i paid.
pursuitforce said:
Didnt wanna spam my topic but now how do i flash another rom on that phone? Will a hard reset from the button at the top of the phone set it to basic verizon branded firmware or no?
Ps : he says he didnt mess with the software of the phone (ebay seller with around 9k feedback), maximum partial refund 25 bux from 240$ that i paid.
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Grab the ROM from updato.com or sammobile.com and flash with ODIN 3.12.3 or higher version
(Phone must be in download mode (Volume down & Home & Power) )
Flashing HOME_CSC will not reset, flashing CSC will
Once you have flashed new firmware, a reset will not take you back to a previous firmware, it is no longer on the phone, it will only reset the firmware you have flashed
Ebay always side with the buyer, so threaten him with opening a case against him with ebay and you'll probably have more luck with better refund amount
He advertised it as G930F, you have proof it is not as advertised, therefore he broke the terms of the contract and will lose the case, make sure he knows that and he believes you will open a case
But what can I do except threaten to return the item? He said return or 25$ refund,these are my options.
Threaten to open a eBay case saying that if I dont get my full refund/exchange, I will open a case with eBay due to false advertising. He will either a.) give a refund/exchange or b.) you will have to open a case.
Hopefully not though.
pursuitforce said:
But what can I do except threaten to return the item? He said return or 25$ refund,these are my options.
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Personally I would go for the full refund / return option, that's not the phone you thought you were buying and is limited because of the locked bootloader
But make sure you get the refund in full before sending anything back, and tell him you want him to pay for return delivery costs, you will win no matter what, don't let him bully you, ebay will side with you if you open a case and he knows it
I have won plenty of free items on ebay by threatening to open cases when the item was not as described, faked PS3 controller for example, I told the guy I was going to open a case if he didn't refund in full and pay for delivery for the return, he kicked up a fuss for a couple of messages, admitted defeat and I received an email saying I could keep the item and I was also refunded in full, done that a few times
They only do it because a lot of people don't know they will win the case, don't let scammers bully you, you've got the law on your side