Did I mess up? General T-Mobile Questions

[Cliff Woolfork]

I'll try to keep this simple. I purchased a like new condition Sony Xperia Z1s and it was on a plan, financed. The seller admitted it was not for use on T-Mobile due to him not paying the bill and keeping the phone. A quick swappa ESN check showed it was indeed financed but not blacklisted.

I went to cellunlocker and bought a network unlock code to SIM unlock the device. It now works on AT&T for instance but my question is this...

Now that its unlocked will it work on T-Mobile again?

If I bought a T-Mobile SIM and inserted it would it raise any black flags?

I don't have a TMO SIM card to check it. Any advice or help would be appreciated.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[Rukbat]

It hasn't been blacklisted yet. It will be. Once it is, it won't work on AT&T either. (The seller took the phone and didn't pay for it. That's theft. You took it from him. That's receiving stolen property. Knowingly, since he told you that he kept it without paying the bill.) They'll go after him for the payment, and you'll be left with a useless phone.

 

[Crashdamage]

If you activate it on T-Mobile under your plan it will *definitely* raise flags. I'd be surprised if you get it activated at all.

Carriers do share their IMEI blacklists and are getting more and more hardcore about stopping theft - which is exactly what they consider keeping a phone that isn't paid for.

Could be very likely that the phone may cease to function soon.

Android since v1.0. Linux user since 2001.

 

[mdk32014]

I would not have purchased that. I would have reported him that is what I would have done.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[Cliff Woolfork]

I contacted T-Mobile about that Z1s and the rep informed me that if its now unlocked, regardless of its status within T-Mobile, its good to use on any GSM network besides T-Mobile and its MVNO subsidiaries. She told me that the phone I bought will not work on any TMO account and its only blacklisted for TMO.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[Crashdamage]

I contacted T-Mobile about that Z1s and the rep informed me that if its now unlocked, regardless of its status within T-Mobile, its good to use on any GSM network besides T-Mobile and its MVNO subsidiaries. She told me that the phone I bought will not work on any TMO account and its only blacklisted for TMO.

That's as far as she knew. Providers DO share their IMEI blacklists.

 

[Almeuit]

I contacted T-Mobile about that Z1s and the rep informed me that if its now unlocked, regardless of its status within T-Mobile, its good to use on any GSM network besides T-Mobile and its MVNO subsidiaries. She told me that the phone I bought will not work on any TMO account and its only blacklisted for TMO.

Posted via the Android Central App

It sounds like they barred the phone themselves .. but I have never heard of that before to be honest. If you don't pay for a phone or something they usually blacklist the IMEI number and that goes for ALL carriers. This is a law (if I recall correctly) that they all have to follow to prevent people from stealing phones and using them on carrier networks.

That's as far as she knew. Providers DO share their IMEI blacklists.

This is correct - they do.

 

[raino]

It sounds like they barred the phone themselves .. but I have never heard of that before to be honest. If you don't pay for a phone or something they usually blacklist the IMEI number and that goes for ALL carriers. This is a law (if I recall correctly) that they all have to follow to prevent people from stealing phones and using them on carrier networks.

She could have been lying, if the shared blacklisting is immediate. Maybe it'll still work on TMO, and she just didn't want it to become their problem when it does get blocked. Either that, or the shared IMEI blocking is not immediate, whereas a carrier's own system is.

There's no law in the US mandating IMEI blacklist sharing. It's an agreement between carriers.