yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 3] shaqqq:
If a AT&T Note 3 is blacklisted will it work for T-Mobile if it gets unlocked??
[T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 3] droidkevlar:
Swappa is not the bad guy here. They checked the IMEI at time of sale and it was legit. Its not their fault the seller reported it stolen shortly after the window. I have sold 4 devices on there and bought 1. 0 issues. Always buy from a known seller.....anyways....onto what you can do....file charges against him. You have his name and info...esp since across state lines, depending on the total amount he sold it for, could be a felony. Me personally, I'd go for having him arrested. There are some sites that can unblock imeis from carriers for about $50-75. If you want more info, you can pm me and I will see if I can find the guys handle on irc. He has done it for yrs and a known person in the android world.
[T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 3] Techngro:
My research is very conflicting here. Some say that if it is blacklisted for being reported as stolen, then it will not work on any other networks in the US. Others say that if it's just blocked for non-payment of EIP, then you can still use it on other networks in the US. I am waiting to get the Straight Talk AT&T sim card so I can find out for myself what the deal is.

Yes, I usually use my checking account, which is what I used for this transaction, but I will be switching to my credit cards in the future to have some level of protection (though I don't think i'll be using Swappa or any other online retailer in the near future again).

I know it sounds like i'm *****ing against Swappa, but i'm not. I just thought I would have more protection than they provide since they have all of the sellers information and Paypal has all of his account information. I thought if anything went wrong, I would have some recourse. It's not like it's a year later, it's only been 2 months. Also, Swappa does advertise very heavily that they check IMEI, but what good is that if the same scams that people are experiencing on Craigslist are going to happen on Swappa as well. They advertise it as if it actually does anything, but it really doesn't.

As for going after the person, that's an exercise in futility to be sure. Trying to sue him from across the country would surely drive me insane, not to mention cost me more money. No need to throw good money after bad.

Thanks for the info, but I think i'll just unlock the phone and go to Straight Talk.
[T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 3] droidkevlar:
Pressing charges against someone costs you nothing. And unfortunately, there are always scammers. Swappa has been one of the better ones out there. But you should always protect yourself. Like using a credit card on PayPal. I've never had an issue filing a claim up to 90,days.
[T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 3] saint1332:
sorry about this..this isnt relate with topic.

But how can u pay 30$ for 5gb plan..is it stand alone data or come with voice?

because i pay $20 for 10GB+ 2.5GB hotspot data.

my plan is family with unlimited everything ( $100 a month)
[T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 3] Techngro:
Yes, T-Mobile has a standalone (i.e. not family) plan that gives you 100 minutes, unlimited text/mms, and 5GB of 4G data, all for just $30. It was the perfect plan for me. I never call people or answer the phone when they call me, but last month I used almost all of my 5GB allotment of data. Now i'll be stuck with 2.5 GB until I get my next phone (probably the Note 4 in September). :(
[T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 3] saint1332:
As I know..if you call to t-mobile and when the voice machine ask you what you want to do.. normally we say " talk to customer service" or" talk to representative", you can say " specialist", maybe they can help you with ur problem. thats just my experiment, maybe you already know that.? or u can try.
[T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 3] Techngro:
Thanks, but I already begged them to help me. I'm not the account holder in their system, so they won't give me any information. The only thing they want is the person who is in their system to call them and pay off the phone.
[T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 3] sfsilicon:
Sorry to hear about your experience. I've used swappa in the past and bought my note 3 from there too. Can you share the seller's name. He should be blocked from selling. Was this a new seller with any positive feedback. I'd make a big thing about this with swappa, their reputation is at stake and I can't imagine they want any publicity. They need to make this good with you.

Any reason you don't get a cheap phone or a nexus 5? I would not give up my grandfathered plan.
[T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 3] Techngro:
He had a few feedback, all positive. I'm not sure about sharing the seller's name. I'm just trying to move on. Doing that could start a flame war :) But you're right, he should be blocked from selling.

As for whether any pressure could be exerted on Swappa, I doubt it, but at this point, I also don't care. It's not like i'll be buying from them again in the future.
[T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 3] :
Root the phone and change the status of your phone , and do region unlock , app available on play store by chainfire , that might help you
[T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 3] gummybear00:
I'm wondering about Swappa's feedback system. Let's say two parties buy/sell a phone. They both give each other good feedback. Then 2 months later the phone's blacklisted, can the buyer go back and change his feedback?

I suspect there are a lot of cases where both parties get good feedback, then the phone's blacklisted and the buyer gives up on Swappa and never comes back. So ultimately the scammer retains these good feedback and we'll never know....
[T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 3] conganhthuc:
you need to call your credit card company tell them what happened to cancel you may need to go to tmobile store to get the proof that the phone blacklisted
[T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 3] Techngro:
Well, I didn't finish the sale, so I was able to do that today and leave the negative feedback.

Didn't use a credit card unfortunatley.
[T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 3] Techngro:
UPDATE

So here's an update on my situation.

After considering my options, I ordered a Straight Talk AT&T sim card a few days ago. It was only $7 with free shipping, so I figured I might as well give it a try. It got here today, so I got Chainfire's RegionLock Away app and followed the instructions here (http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2471742) to unlock my Note 3 using the Straight Talk sim card. Didn't have a single problem getting it unlocked. Total cost to unlock ~ $10.

Once it was unlocked, I signed up for the $45 Straight Talk plan (which ends up around $50 with taxes/fees), and after a couple of reboots, I have service. The service seems pretty fast, but I don't want to do a speedtest because it's just a waste of my limited data allotment. It shows as being 4G LTE, but I don't know if that's the case.

So, I pay $20 more for half the data, and I have a Note 3 that is worth considerably less than what I paid for it only a couple of months ago on Swappa. I've definitely learned a valuable lesson here. But at least I have a working phone, so there's that.

Thanks for all of the suggestions guys.
[T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 3] sfsilicon:
Glad to hear that you were able to find a way to use your phone. I though a blacklist now impacts all carriers in the US. Any idea which services besides Straight Talk will work?

I'm sweating right now since I purchased my Note 3 end of December from Swappa and have checked with TMO and they can't confirm if the phone is paid off or not without the original owners information. My seller is a dealer and sold me a Note they purchase from someone else, so there is a risk and no way to get the original sellers information. The Negri thread isn't helping either.

I'm seriously considering selling the Phone on Craigslist and taking a loss for the peace of mind. Luckily I bought the phone with my CC and I think I have 90-120 days of protection. Can you PM me your sellers id on Swappa, I want to check and make sure I did not buy it from the same seller.

---

On a side note I was able to unlock the phone through Tmobile. There was some confusion at first because they couldn't find the phone in their database, but after some persistence they were able to send me an unlock code. Does this mean the phone is paid off?
[T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 3] Muffycheeks:
It means you meet the sim unlock requirements and the phone is not on their hit list. So you're good to go!!
[T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 3] Techngro:
Yes, lucky you. T-Mobile won't unlock the phone unless it is fully paid, so you're good.

I doubt that you purchased your phone on Swappa from the seller who sold me mine that was blocked. I left a negative feedback on his page to make sure that people stay away from him in the future (or at least are aware of his shenanigans).
[T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 3] sfsilicon:
I just checked my sellers feedback page and no negative feedback. When I bought the phone back in December, the seller had sold a couple of phones but had no feedback. I think I was the first person to leave feedback and recall asking why the seller had sold several listings, but had no positive feedback. I did hold off closing the sale on Swappa until I got the unlock code. It is frustrating that TMO has no incentive to develop a process for transferring ownership legally.

Thanks for the information about TMO not providing unlock codes if it is not paid off. Is this then the way to make sure that a phone is paid off and can not be blocked in the future. I guess this does not prevent the original seller from saying the phone was stolen?

From the TMO unlock page:

SIM unlock requirements

As a current or previous T-Mobile customer, you may request a SIM unlock code for your device directly from T-Mobile, without charge. In order to qualify to receive the SIM unlock code your device must not be reported as lost, stolen, or blocked, and you meet the following criteria:

You have purchased your device from T-Mobile or an authorized T-Mobile dealer and activated it on T-Mobile service

You have requested no more than 2 SIM unlock codes per line of service in the last 12 months

You provide proof of purchase if T-Mobile is unable to verify purchase

Your account is in good standing

Your device has been completely paid off

Your device has been active on the T-Mobile network for 40 days

You have used the device in the past 7 days on the mobile number requesting the SIM unlock

If you are under a service contract, you have made monthly payments for at least 18 consecutive months on your plan, or have paid a migration fee for the device

If you are on a Prepaid plan, you have had more than $50 in total refills on the device

If you are a former customer, your account balance is zero and you did not port out a line associated with the device during the buyer’s remorse period

Important: Additional restrictions may apply. Exceptions to some or all requirements may apply in certain circumstances, including for Military Personnel and Business and Government Accounts.
[T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 3] Techngro:
I am very glad it worked out for you, but for me, i've been put off pretty completely on using any third party sites now. Negri, Swappa, Ebay, Craigslist. It's too much agita. I'll just save the extra money next time and get mine straight from T-Mobile.

The worst part about it was that I lost my beloved $30 5GB plan. :(

I'm not sure about whether a fully-paid phone could still be reported lost/stolen. I guess if you're doing for insurance, then yes, it could.
[T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 3] papeshfoo:
$30 for 5gb? I pay $20 for unlimited nationwide 4G, When I check my usage it says I have almost 10,000GB's allowed lol. I'd be happy to get rid of the plan you had lol
[T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 3] Techngro:
You probably have a base plan of $40 or $50 plus the $20, correct? I couldn't see myself paying $60-$70 for cell service, not since I ditched my iPhone and AT&T for T-Mobile.

I only want the data, so $30 total was perfect for me, and no contract of course. I almost always just came up short of the 5GB, so I don't need anymore and I don't call anyone so the unlimited minutes never made sense for me. For the price, it was the perfect plan.
[T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 3] papabear:
Sorry about your loss. Still looking for a phone? Not sure what your price point is. I have a used LG Optimus L9
[T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 3] Techngro:
Thanks (but nobody died, lol).

I'm actually sticking with the blocked Note 3 I got on Swappa. I already unlocked it an am using it on Straight Talk. It's $20 more for only half as much data, but it's the best I can do now. I will be getting the Note 4 (or some other equally awesome device) when it comes out, so hopefully I only have to wait 6 or 7 months. Then i'll get my $30 plan back and all will be right as rain. I'll probably try to sell my Note 3 then, with full disclosure of course. Maybe someone internationally would give me a decent price for it.

As for the whole situation, i've learned a valuable lesson. No more Craigslist, Swappa, Ebay, or Negri. Just straight from T-Mobile. A little extra money paid is worth it to not have to deal with this crap ever again.

p.s. I wouldn't want your L9 anyway seeing as how you're from Hell. It's probably horribly melted and warped from the heat. ROFL
[T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 3] krelvinaz:
Actually, if you had used a credit card you would have been able to reverse the charge due to fraud.
[T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 3] Techngro:
Yeah, people have told me if I had done X, then I might have been protected. I don't know if that's the case. I thought I was protected by using Swappa and Paypal. Turns out I wasn't. And even if I had used a credit card, i'm not sure it would be worth the hassle just for $100 in savings. I do know one surefire way to not have this happen again. Buying direct from T-Mobile. I'm sure people will say I am the exception to the rule in terms of getting scammed, but it sucks nonetheless, and i'd rather not have it happen a second time.
[T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 3] copualt3:
Your not the only one. .techngro. I, too bought the tmobile note 3 back in 11/13 to use on net10. I was thinking of selling it recently, and swappa staff notified me of your device is blacklisted by tmobile for non payment went through the dispute with the original seller..lala..so we are S.O.L.

Sent from my SM-N900T
[T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 3] Techngro:
Sorry to hear about that.

If you don't mind me asking, where did you get it originally? (You can PM me if you don't want to say here). And did you ever get it sold?

People have suggested that I try and sell it internationally, but I have been burned by Ebay in the past and swore I would never use them again, so i'm just waiting and hoping that I can figure out what to do with this phone when I get the Note 4 (which I assume will be out in 6 months or so).
[T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 3] copualt3:
It was from j.yain, Naples, Fl. on Swappa.
[T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 3] Techngro:
Again, that sucks.

I think more and more people are going to have stories about getting scammed on Swappa in the future. People think it's safer than Ebay or Craigslist, but in reality, you have just as much a chance of getting scammed on Swappa as anyplace else. Too bad.

Good luck to you.
[T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 3] copualt3:
Yeah.. you too. Crooks exits everywhere..
[T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 3] t00c00l4m3:
First, good to hear you can use the note 3. And for me I just bought Tmobile Note 3 today for $100 like new and being block for EIP.... at the time buy it I wasn't sure how it will go but I gamble because the price. I thought I can buy it and if doesn't work out use it as small tablet the worst case I can unlock and sell on ebay to oversea people or something. Now, I feel much better.

UPDATE: As soon as I finish the post and check the phone IMEI again, it had show stolen, I guess she plan it along. :crying:
[T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 3] mrbkkt1:
Best option? Buy a broken note off of eBay for cheap with a clean imei. Then swap the motherboards.
[T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 3] drag&fly:
Same thing happened to me. I went to a cell repair shop and for $75 they swapped in a new motherboard.... new IMEI and Serial number of course we're the result. Brand new, Samsung unit.
[T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 3] xmuertex:
Xda does not support imei repair/ change

But check in craigslist around you, you can find a mobile repair faciluty that can
[T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 3] Techngro:
I'm sorry to hear about your situation, but in all honesty, you should have kinda known that you were going to get scammed. $100 for a like new Note 3?

o.0

If it's stolen, it's most likely going to be blocked on all local GSM carriers (unlike mine which was just blocked on T-Mobile). So you're going to have a very hard time using that as anything more than a wifi tablet. You could try to do what others have suggested and swap the mainboard, but unless you are familiar with that kind of thing, it could be more than you can handle.

You should just cut your losses and get a new phone. And don't buy phones that you know are worth $500 from someone selling it for $100. It's a sure sign of a scam.
[T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 3] gentlefriend:
Straightalk Sim

Is your StraightTalk Sim still working in your blacklisted phone today? Many thanks for your answer.
[T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 3] Techngro:
I no longer use Straight Talk because the service wasn't really that good for what I was paying. But I have no doubts at all that the SIM would still work on my Note 3. The SIM card is only a few dollars, so I would say go for it.
[T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 3] nijunhiju:
This morning I visited a T mobile store to get some help, the guy told me I'm not the only person who has the imei problem. Should I unlock the phone and sell it. It seems impossible to fix now. my imei number always appears with /08 at the end
[T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 3] AxAtAx:
delete
[T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 3] quickbird144:
Bought a Note 3 locally for $130 originally T-Mobile with bad imei. No problem, used ChainFire region away app to unlock and am using it on ATT network. Have been doing this for a few years. ATT doesn't know what IMEI or phone you're using unless you call it in. They think I'm using a Note 2. Even if it got down to it. There's places locally that repair the IMEI for about $40.
[T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 3] lddk23:
Similar situation, but not quite. Add'l advice?

Sorry to revive this thread, but I have a very similar situation with slight variation:

Bought a Note 3 (listed as N9005) from Swappa in September. Said it was unlocked, clean IMEI, purchased from a seller who clearly buys and sells hundreds of phones (thought that was good - high profile, not likely to sell bad stuff). Worked fine with a T-mobile network Straight Talk SIM (for my wife, she had that same plan the OP went to - $45/mo, ~2.5-3gb) until just a few days ago. Thought the SIM went bad (was a cut down full size card to fit her old nexus 4, then moved to Note 3). SIM is fine, works in my phone (unlocked Xperia Z2), etc. Finally check the IMEI number in the phone settings - doesn't match the back sticker. Don't remember if I ever checked it before, but had no reason to care since the phone worked fine. Now if I check the IMEI in the settings on the Swappa ESN check, it says blacklisted. IMEI from sticker on back says no problem...but I now notice that the sticker says it's a SM-N900T T-mobile model, not the N9005 unlocked version that it was listed as on Swappa. I also feel dumb for not noticing that before (I'm still quite the newbie) but again, it never had a problem so I didn't think to investigate.

So now, WTF?

Did I run into the same problem as the OP, but with different circumstances, like possibly a switched motherboard up front, which eventually became blacklisted? I'm super confused, and now not sure exactly what to do. New motherboard as some suggested? Sell it as is for big loss, buy new from T-Mobile (forgot to mention, we moved to T-Mobile at the same time as all this **** was happening a few days ago, so her new SIM is just sitting waiting, and working fine if tested in my phone). I posted another comment on my Swappa sale page, just to see what the seller and possibly Swappa staff have to say, but I'm not optimistic.

Anyone else? Thanks in advance for any new insight. I read through many other threads, and this seemed eerily familiar, so I don't need restate of previous advice. You all have given lots of helpful info, I just thought my situation was slightly different and might have something not yet discussed.
[T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 3] Techngro:
Sorry to hear about your situation. Yeah, we both got scammed on Swappa, but yes, your situation is a little different from mine.

Most likely what happened is that the person changed the IMEI to one from a N9005 using less than legal means. It isn't necessary to change the motherboard to do this, it can be done via software.

From my experience, you won't get any help from Swappa, and from what you explained happened, the seller has zero incentive to help you since he most likely intentionally scammed you.

You do have a few options. You can try and sell the device internationally instead of locally, since a blacklist in the US doesn't matter anywhere else, which might mean that you won't have to have a monetary loss at all. Or, you can try and see if you can unlock it and take it to AT&T like I did (read my other posts in this thread to see how). A final option, even though I can't really talk about it on XDA because it is not allowed, is to try and change the IMEI yourself. You can do some Googling and find out more, but that's all I can say about that.
[T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 3] ytj87:
QPST.

It is absolutely legal in the US to alter IMEIs. It's an endlessly repeated fallacy that it isn't. A bill to make it a crime just hasn't gotten momentum, both in 2012 and 2013. It's an industry game to make people think otherwise. Another option is to find someone on ebay who can change it remotely.
[T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 3] lddk23:
Update: reply from Swappa seller

Just wanted to follow up, as I think it's only fair to the Swappa seller (and honestly, the site in general since part of this thread is related to the OP's experience with the site). I commented on my Swappa sale page with a description of my problem. Long story short, this seller is a "trusted" seller with over 1000 good reviews in about a year, so they sell a lot of phones and aren't likely to be shady. They are not sure why the numbers don't match, but also confirmed that it's now blacklisted for whatever reason. They're standing behind their sale, and will be replacing the phone for a working model, and all under the oversight of the Swappa staff (in that they specifically commented in the thread that I can send the phone back and they stand behind the seller). So I'll see what happens, but this is certainly the best case scenario. Assuming the "exchange" process is completed successfully in the next week or so, I'll at least feel better about buying from trusted sellers on that site. The main annoying thing is my wife having to borrow a phone until then.
[T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 3] Techngro:
If you had a seller who was willing to replace your phone, then you got lucky. Absent that, there's nothing that Swappa could do to force the seller to refund or replace. I know because I tried. The best I got from Swappa was moral support ("Yeah, what the seller did was bad"). And for that, I will never use Swappa again.

But I'm glad that it worked out for you in the end.
[T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note 3] lddk23:
Totally understand.

Can't blame you. I'm certainly going to be hesitant, and picky if I do decide to keep using it. I have sold a few things on there, and do think it's better than craiglist or ebay from both ends of the transaction, but there are still some big gaping holes to get caught in. Unfortunately, you got about the worst of it :(