Samsung Galaxy S4 Sprint Network...

[Milkman333]

Can someone please help. I've exhausted all means of research trying to find my answer, hopefully someone here can help!

Here it goes. My Wife has the HTC One through Sprint and she wanted the SG4.
I looked through eBay and found a brand new one for $500. I read all the details and everything looked fine.

When they phone arrived, sure enough. It was brand new no scratches, pretty much flawless. It had no sim card. So we took the sim card from her HTC One thinking it would work once we put it in the SG4 and it did, BUT we noticed that for example if she called me, it wasn't her number that would show up, it was a completely different number.

We took it to Sprint and they pretty much told us that we cannot activate the phone. That's pretty much all they said.

So what does this mean? Am I stuck with a non working $500 phone? Do I sale it and say it has a bad esn?

Oh... Btw... Contacted seller and even filed ebay buyer protection and of all things I didn't win.

Your opinions most appreciated!

 

[Christopher Matthews Jr]

Sprint is a strictly CDMA (no SIM card) mobile service.

The 'SIM' card that you took out of your wife's phone, was most likely a chip to enable 4G access.

Are you sure the S4 you bought is compatible with Sprint's network?

 

[Milkman333]

I am 100% sure. But I'll quadruple check when I walk out of work! All the manuals and paperwork on it say Sprint?

Should I sell it back on ebay as "bad esn" or just as is... I don't wanna screw anyone over like I was screwed!

Sprint is a strictly CDMA (no SIM card) mobile service.
The 'SIM' card that you took out of your wife's phone, was most likely a chip to enable 4G access.

Are you sure the S4 you bought is compatible with Sprint's network?

 

[Christopher Matthews Jr]

Yes, as it seems that is the case.

The seller probably just sold you a device with a bad ESN.

Tapped from my Nexus 10.1

 

[Milkman333]

Yes, as it seems that is the case.

The seller probably just sold you a device with a bad ESN.

Tapped from my Nexus 10.1

I actually filed an eBay protection claim and lost! I tried leaving him/her negative feedback and even then they wouldn't let me do that!

 

[ab304945]

Sprint phone have a built in sim card.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[gollum18]

Sprint phone have a built in sim card.

Posted via Android Central App

The new s4 and one have removable sim cards because they are international phones. Sprint is making the switch to removable sims in the near future, it's part of the network vision upgrades.

Sprint GS3 Running TN's Msg and Chubbs

 

[Christopher Matthews Jr]

Haha I tried posting information on another sprint thread, and was also proven wrong. I am way out of my game when it comes to CDMA, as I have been a strict GSM customer.

Tapped from my Nexus 10.1

 

[ab304945]

The new s4 and one have removable sim cards because they are international phones. Sprint is making the switch to removable sims in the near future, it's part of the network vision upgrades.

Sprint GS3 Running TN's Msg and Chubbs

Didn't realise that. That's good to know

Posted via Android Central App

 

[Almeuit]

Yes, as it seems that is the case.

The seller probably just sold you a device with a bad ESN.

Tapped from my Nexus 10.1

I think this may be the case.. I am sorry that you have to go through this OP.

When spending that much for smartphones I buy from something like Amazon. I saw a HTC One for sale on ebay for 150 less... But reasons like this I didn't want to risk it so I bought mine through amazon.

Sent from my Sprint HTC One using AC forums.