How can I unlock a GALAXY S5 bought from Ebay locked by Rent-a-Center?

[AC Question]

GALAXY S5 from ebay locked by rent-a-center

i bought S5 for tmobile from ebay and after 7 month i got blocked by Rent a Center
front screen is locked and says locked by Rent a center
can not use it or bypass anymore..

anyone has similar problem or work around

 

[dpham00]

Re: GALAXY S5 from ebay locked by rent-a-center

This is one of the reasons why I don't buy from eBay. The seller might have stopped payment to rent a center who locked the phone. But anyway, try to contact the seller to get the issue resolved.

Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note 4

 

[xceeder]

Re: GALAXY S5 from ebay locked by rent-a-center

i bought S5 for tmobile from ebay and after 7 month i got blocked by Rent a Center
front screen is locked and says locked by Rent a center
can not use it or bypass anymore..

anyone has similar problem or work around

Have a look on XDA devs site and see if there's a way of unlocking it using adb commands...

Sent from my Nexus 7

 

[boyo1]

same thing happened to me today and i bought my phone on ebay around 6 months ago, this is why i was always afraid of buying phones on ebay if you found a way to fix it please let me know ive been trying to reboot it but it still doesnt work

 

[John Johnson16]

Re: GALAXY S5 from ebay locked by rent-a-center

rent a center locked my S5 today. I'm trying to figure a way around this myself. I bought my phone from a used phone dealer

 

[colyn1353]

Re: GALAXY S5 from ebay locked by rent-a-center

This is why I always say but many don't listen NEVER buy a phone from eBay or any used phone sellers. If you are going to buy used get one off craigslist but only if the seller agrees to meet at the carriers outlet so it can be verified by them to be clean..

 

[brandonbowers1]

Phone is locked because it's reported stolen. It's a program developed by Samsung hard wired into the phones. You bought a stolen phone and the imei is blacklisted. Return it to rent a center and they will pay you for it.

 

[boyo1]

will they really pay for it? because im afraid to go and they just say they cant do anything and ill have to end up paying for it again

 

[fdghd]

I had the same thing happen to me yesterday. Anyone know how to get around it?

 

[colyn1353]

Everybody who has asked how to get around the locked device.... Instead of coming here asking how to fix your issue you should have contacted the seller and eBay.. These phones are stolen which is why they have locked them.. Let eBay know this seller sold you a stolen phone..

eBay can get you your money back....

 

[troshs]

Re: GALAXY S5 from ebay locked by rent-a-center

Pro Tip: anytime you buy a phone from eBay, Craigslist, etc. Always ask the seller for the ESN number BEFORE YOU Buy and verify it with the carrier. The carrier can then tell you if it's been locked out, reported stolen, etc. If the seller won't or can't give you the ESN, it's simple: don't buy. You'd be taking a risk at your expense. Also, like a poster above me said, if it's a local sale, have them met you at a carrier store and let the rep check it before you buy it. Once again, if they aren't willing to do any of these things, they're not legit.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[can3gxw]

Re: GALAXY S5 from ebay locked by rent-a-center

Checking the ESN or IMEI with the carrier won't help one bit if the phone is currently being paid for. If the seller is currently in good standing, the IMEI will come out clean, you take the phone, 6 months later the seller's account is in collections, and they blacklist the phone.

The same thing is starting to ramp up here in Canada - people getting phones on bogus accounts, selling them, and then the buyers are stuck with a $700 paperweight.

Contact eBay immediately and advise them. It might be too late to open a dispute, but if you never ask you will never know.

 

[colyn1353]

Re: GALAXY S5 from ebay locked by rent-a-center

Checking the ESN or IMEI with the carrier won't help one bit if the phone is currently being paid for. If the seller is currently in good standing, the IMEI will come out clean, you take the phone, 6 months later the seller's account is in collections, and they blacklist the phone.

If you contact the carrier directly they will let you know whether the account is still active and let you know if it is transferable..

 

[renagade69]

Re: GALAXY S5 from ebay locked by rent-a-center

File a police report and submit it to ebay. Its illegal to have in your possession a stolen phone.It does not matter if you have a receipt from ebay. Rent-A-Center can prosecute you and your easy to find with the phone on.

 

[gorgeouszacha]

Take it baCk to A Rent A Center store near you and they will try to help u resolve the problem

 

[Mal Lignant Tumor]

If you take it to a RAC, seeing as how the phone belongs to them, do not expect them to return it to you. Also, because the phone was probably stolen from a RAC customer in the first place, stand by for the arrival of a police unit.

Contact eBay now!

 

[Mitch Austin]

Re: GALAXY S5 from ebay locked by rent-a-center

i bought S5 for tmobile from ebay and after 7 month i got blocked by Rent a Center
front screen is locked and says locked by Rent a center
can not use it or bypass anymore..

anyone has similar problem or work around

I have a phone from rent a center and I got an update last week and what that update was. Was from rent a center if u don't pay your weekly or monthly payment they will shut your phone done to were u can't do nothing with it at all that's what the guy from the rent a center I got my phone from

 

[James Brewer6]

Don't worry you can unlock it and use it again. you have to install a custom OS system. Buddy bought one from someone that was the same way. I had it unlocked in about 2 hours......

 

[Robert Smith31]

I work for rent-a-center 19 years now and it is not worth the aggravation. If you have a phone that is locked by the program not only is it probably a stolen phone ( which will catch up with you at some point) but the program that will shut the phone off also puts your phone's status to "custom" which will louse up your chances for updates, etc. Evidently the program wasn't thought through. I have had customers come and wonder why their phone can't update...Only Straight Talk phones suck more than that.

If you get a phone like this your best bet is to notify law enforcement that you have been sold a stolen phone and hope that RAC will offer something for the phone. It's not guaranteed they'll pay for the phone, it's theirs anyway. It may or may not be worth paying for it. I wouldn't offer anything for a phone that was already mine, would you?

 

[Trey Rawls]

Does it work for galaxy note 3 and can you tell me exactly how to do it. Cause I cant get in the phone at all