Bought a brand new note 4 on ebay and its rooted

[Esandoval1432]

So today i received my new galaxy note 4 in the mail, everything about it looked brand new. It was shrink wrapped and everything, but when i went to put in my card info on google pay i got a message saying that the phone is not safe because of it being rooted. So i downloaded root checker turns out it, it was rooted.

So i then started researching how to unroot i have done it before but years ago, anyway so first thing is to get the model. On the about phone it says SM-n9100F. But when i go into odin mode it says SM-N100A. So i downloaded and tried both of those stock firmwares. But once i hit start i get a fail almost immediately, i would love some help please.

 

[Laura Knotek]

Would you be able to contact the seller and request a refund?

 

[Mooncatt]

I would send it back, as it is clearly not new. That means no warranty, and no way to know if any malware was installed. Just too much risk there.

I know you said it claimed to be new and was shrink wrapped. The thing is, I've never seen a phone shrink wrapped from the factory. I also just checked an unboxing video of the Note 4 and it wasn't shrink wrapped either. Phones usually just ship with the film protectors on the front, back, and sides, and that's what I saw in the video. If this is what you are referring to, that also would mean little because you can use the phone normally with those in place. (Heck, I kept mine on the screen for several months on my current phone.) If it was actual shrink wrap, then it happened after someone rooted it.

So wether it was actually shrink wrapped or you mis-stated, it doesn't matter because it would still leave the phone vulnerable to use and rooting.

 

[Esandoval1432]

Yep it was shrink wrapped, and i still cannot remove the damn root on this device. I already contacted seller but no answer yet. I just wish i could just remove the damn root. i also downloaded Phone INFO and Knox warranty void: 0x0 so warranty is not void right?

its so weird it says color black/32gb but its actually white/32gb

 

[anon(5719825)]

With that phone, Samsung used an app called Samsung Kies to restore the original firmware onto it. You can download the firmware on your computer and run it. Connect the phone. It will ask you for the serial number which is located inside the cover under the battery and you will also need the model number which will be on the outside of the box the phone came in.

You should have no problem restoring the phone using Kies. I did this in the past to restore my Note 4 to remove root.

 

[Mooncatt]

i also downloaded Phone INFO and Knox warranty void: 0x0 so warranty is not void right?

Samsung, like most warranties, is only for the initial purchaser from an authorized retailer. Technically speaking, if I bought the phone and gave it to you without ever opening it, it would still void the warranty and no app could check that aspect. If the seller claims you have a warranty, then that is something the seller likely has set up independent of Samsung. How good that warranty (if any) is, is anyone's guess.

 

[Esandoval1432]

I downloaded Kies 3 clicked on Tools clicked on Firmware upgrade and initialization
" does not support initializing.

i give up i'm just gonna return this crap

 

[Esandoval1432]

Makes sense

 

[datum9]

what carrier is it?

if you are in NoVA and it's AT&T, I will buy it from you.

 

[Rukbat]

If not (datum's offer) and the seller doesn't get back to you, contact eBay - they usually take the buyer's side. (They've even refunded donations when the buyer complained that they never received anything.)