Every day thousands of used and new cell phones make their way to Craigslist to be sold. Most of the time, the seller has gotten a new phone and wants to get some cash back for the old one, the transaction goes fine, and everyone’s happy. Seller has cash and the buyer has a new usable phone with no 2 year contract. The last thing anyone wants to do is get cheated or scammed, shell out $300-$400 on a shiny paperweight.
In response to the hundreds of emails this post has generated – we now offer a discount on the checkmend service at our website. http://www.mobilelizard.com. Here you will be able to enter your phones esn/imei/meid or serial number to get the report which will tell you definitively whether or not your phone is currently blacklisted.
Before we get into anything else, a little primer:
In the USA Sprint and Verizon phones operate on the CDMA using ESN numbers (sometimes called the MEID#) to identify each individual phone active on their network. AT&T & TMOBILE operate on the GSM network . They use IMEI numbers to identify each phone. (These phones also use sim cards) For more of an indepth explanation on these systems – see the following link to an article at diffen.com
Cell phone companies can Blacklist (Block) any ESN or IMEI number, rendering the phone useless. Once a phone is blocked it will be problematic to get it activated. Prior to 2011/2012 it was fairly unusual for phone companies to block phones for any reason other than non payment. However with the popularity of the more expensive iphone and samsung galaxy models , Verizon and Sprint began to actively block ESN numbers due to a high incidence of fraud. Tmobile and AT&T joined in the activity to block IMEI numbers as well, and as of 2013 AT&T and Tmobile have been sharing a ‘blocked imei list’. This means its no longer possible to unlock a blocked AT&T phone and use it on a different network: Tmobile, simple mobile etc. Neither is it possible to unlock a Tmobile phone to use on any GSM network inside the USA.
There are Bad people on Craigslist:
Unfortunately there are others who prey on buyers’ lack of this knowledge for the sole purpose of getting quick cash.
These sellers usually have one of a few different scenarios going:
1. Individuals who bought bad esn phones themselves and are trying to pawn them off on others.
2. Individuals who have a large outstanding balance on their cell phone bill. Instead of paying it, they sell the phone, collect the cash leaving unsuspecting buyers to deal with the outcome.
3. Individuals selling stolen smartphones or smartphones they found.
4. Organized re-sellers – Individuals who earn extra cash by buying a brand new smartphone with a 2 year contract at a low price (usually one of the top sellers – iphones/ Samsung galaxy phones) then selling it at retail value, then reporting the phone lost or stolen to the phone company.
In each of these cases, if you’ve bought one of these smartphones: Past due balance on phone/ Phone Reported Lost or Stolen, you may find the phone works for a short time, but will cease to function shortly after purchase. When you call the service provider to find out what the problem is you’ll be told by Sprint or Verizon that your phone has a BAD or BLOCKED ESN number, or in the case of Tmobile and AT&T the phone has a BLOCKED IMEI number
If you have bought a phone with a bad esn or bad imei number chances are you have a very expensive brick /ipod/extra drive on your hands. 9 times out of 10 the buyer will not respond to your emails or calls. Plus the cellphone companies are not exactly the most helpful when it comes to this scenario. You’re pretty much on your own.
How to avoid buying a bad/blocked smartphone:
There’s no 100% foolproof method of avoiding the bad smartphone deal on craigslist, but there are a few ways to ensure you don’t become a willing victim.
1. Do your research. As the old saying goes, “if its too good to be true…” If a brand new unlocked samsung galaxy s4 costs $700 retail at new egg or amazon/ebay and someone’s selling one for $500, . Many buyers fail to realize they don’t pay the true retail value of a smartphone at sprint/verizon/tmobile/at&t . Their price is subsidized. Don’t jump at the deal because the price is great. If you want to know what the real cost of the phone is a little research will help. Look around at new egg or online retailers to see what the lowest price is. Then see if the seller’s price is inline with that. If you ask for $100 off and they agree, there is a chance something may be wrong with the phone
2. Ask the seller questions: If the phone is brand new – ask for the carrier details and more pictures. If its used , ask for pictures to show the condition, whether there is water damage, why they’re selling phone etc.
3. Try to buy from a reputable person on craigslist. Ask your friends for a referral. If the seller has posted a website or store name/phone number google it to see what’s been written about them. Email or call directly.
4. Make sure the serial number on the box matches the serial number on the phone
5. Check blocked ESN and IMEI lists to see if the phone you plan to buy is on it. Calll Sprint/Verizon/Tmobile/ATT to check the number and see if there’s any outstanding issue. You can get the ESN or IMEI number from the seller . Some sellers will provide the number without an issue. Some will not to prevent being found out, or to protect themselves from scammers and cloners looking for clean ESN and IMEI numbers.
6. If the seller will not give you the IMEI or ESN before hand you can run a check when you meet up, but before you pay either by calling the service provider or using the following tool : CHECKMEND. – Available at our website<
The fix is IN
At mobilelizard.com we get daily emails from craigslist and ebay buyers all over the USA who’ve found themselves with a blacklisted smartphone. Bad news first: There is no known ‘legal’ fix for a bad IMEI number that’s going to make it golden once more. You can unlock the phone for use outside of the USA, or sell it to a repair shop for parts. We provide unlocking services for most GSM phones on Tmobile and AT&T – iphone 5, iphone4s. All Samsung Galaxy models and Tabs, Blackberry (inlcuding Z10 and blackberry Q10) , Nokia, HTC, LG, Huawei, Alcatel etc. We also unlock providers in Europe/ UK/ Latin America/South and Central America and the Caribbean.
For Verizon users with Blacklisted ESNs – there is some recourse . Thankfully, we can help to clean and clear bad ESNs and IMEIS in some cases. Email us for more info.
We hope this has been helpful!
Let us know if you’d like to hear more!
Hi I had bought an AT&T iphone 4 on a yard sale n I then bought an straight talk SIM card and unlimited plan as well it worked foe a little while like 10min but I truer to call my girl and it says my phone was blocked if it is a bad esn or so what can I do because I had got rid of my other phone ?
Hi Eduardo
Yes, we can depending on the carrier. email us at unlock@mobilelizard.com
Thanks!
Hello
Please check your email – we replied to you directly.
I have the same issue with a verizon phone. I bought it and the owners owe a bill. Is there anything I can do
Hello,
Look locally in your area – find someone who will flash it to another carrier
Hi James,
we responded to you directly – please check your email.
Thanks!
hello, i have purchased a Lumia 920 from at&t which was unlocked to use for metro pcs, when i went to the store everything was fine until the guy told me the phone was blocked do to it still being under the previous owners name. i bought this phone off a friend which told me he found at his job (chucke e cheese) and i believe him. what could be wrong? blocked IMEI? black listed phone? how can i check and how can i fix it?
Josue,
Phones which are reported lost or stolen almost always have their imei’s or esn’s blocked. Once an IMEI is blocked on an at&t or tmobile phone there is not much anyone can do about it. Only the phone company or the owner of the phone can remedy that situation. the only exception to this are certain samsung models.
I bought a Iphone 4 with a blacklisted imei it is a ATT can someone help me get it off the blacklist.
Hello ,
Once an IMEI is blocked on an at&t or tmobile phone there is not much anyone can do about it. Only the phone company or the owner of the phone can remedy that situation. the only exception to this are certain samsung models.
Hi. I bought a Tmobile Galaxy S3 off my sister’s boyfriend but he didnt tell me that the IMEI was blocked by Tmobile. I already have a Tmobile sim card for the Tmobile Galaxy S3 I bought, but the problen is the IMEI is blocked so I cant even use Tmobile. Can you guys please help me????? Ive been trying everywhere to see if they unblock IMEI but no luck. Please whenever you guys get a chance respond a-sap.. Thanks you so much!
Hello Melissa,
Email us directly – unlock@mobilelizard.com for help with your galaxy s3
Melissa i had same situation with tmobile also did u get it to work ?
baught a Samsung s2 sgh i757m
guess what not registered to netwoeked some one told me that means its black lisdted can u help
Hello william
Email us directly – unlock@mobilelizard.com for help with your galaxy s2
Hi, I bought an iphone 5 off craigslist.Icant activate it because it is still active on the previous owners
Account what can I do! If I can’t activate it. Can I file a small claims
Suit against him? Have plenty of evidence!proving his ad was false.
You can ask him to take it off his account. If you wish to pursue legal action, you should speak with legal counsel prior to exploring that option.
For anyone buying a phone off craigslist its becoming increasingly difficult to discern if its a fair purchase or not. Sellers can and have sold phones while they are still active then reported them stolen or lost.
Once that happens the imei is blacklisted and your phone is dead.
One option worth exploring is completing the transaction in an AT&T or Tmobile store, and transferring the phone into your name on the provider’s database at that time. If the owner then reports the phone lost or stolen it should be safe from blacklist action. Note – this is not guaranteed to work 100% of the time. The cell phone company will only allow this action if their policies permit, and the phone is free and clear. If there is an unpaid balance on the account or the phone is still under contract transfer may be problematic.
Help me out with an att s3 bicked phone? Please send info
email us at unlock@mobilelizard.com
Hi i brought a blacklisted T-Mobile LG L9 on craigslist 3 days ago and I wanted to know if I could unlock iy and use it with another prepaid service provider. I have simple mobile but it wont work? If so, what other carriers can i ise this phome with because I just had my first child and am pissed i lost out on this phone and cant use it!!! PLEASE HELP!??
Hello Tiffaney,
Sorry this has happened to you. Once an IMEI is blocked on an at&t or tmobile phone there is not much anyone can do about it. Only the phone company or the owner of the phone can remedy that situation by straightening it out with the phone company. The only exception to this at the moment are some samsung models.
I bought a samsung galaxy s3 for tmobile off craigslist it worked for a few days now it says no network and found out the imei number is bad is there anything I can do to get it to work again
Hi Jennifer,
Check your email for a response.
Just bought a galaxy s4 for tmobile from craigslist. Guy sold it to me for 380, the phone worked awsome for 2 days until today i couldnt make calls! Called tmobile and they said the phone was reported stolen and that the guy must have reported it stolen to get a brand new one from the insuranse company. What can i do as tmoblie is not doing anything at the moment
Sorry – seems you’ve bought from some dishonest person. Tmobile is correct. Its unfortunate they’re now putting the burden solely on unsuspecting buyers. I’ll email you directly, as there may be a remedy for your specific samsung model. if you have other questions email us at unlock@mobilelizard.com
Hi, I bought a Galaxy S4 off Craigslist couple months ago. Yesterday, I just found out from T-Mobile that the IMEI is blocked due to non-payment. Is there any way you would be able to unlock the phone for international usage? I will file police report tomorrow and subpoena T-Mobile to give me the name of the account holder and sue him/her at small claim court as well due to false advertisement. Thank you.
hello
Yes, your phone can still be unlocked for international usage, its only blocked in the USA. Email us at unlock@mobilelizard.com for instructions, or sign in to the website and order your unlock. Good luck with your efforts! let us know if you succeed! You may just set a precedent to stop the scammers out there :).
I purchased a metro pcs galaxy exhibit off Craigslist I can’t use my metro pcs sim card because his account is still active and I can’t reach him now I really need some help don’t have the money to waste
Hello –
Usually service providers will not transfer a phone to your account if the phone you purchased is still active on someone else’s account. Unfortunately only the account holder can take the phone off their account. You might consider selling the phone for parts or moving to another provider.
Bought a phone off craigslist from someone who found an iphone. I went to activate it and they said it was blocked. Can you help with this? Thanks!
hello –
email us at unlock@mobilelizard.com – we’ll need to know the carrier – AT&T/Tmobile/Verizon etc
I bought a busted sprint gs3 off CL to fix my water damaged gs3 the guy told me it was clean. I took the logic board out and replaced my water damaged one called up sprint to do a esn swap and was told it was banned for something on the account my guess it was non payment. Is there any thing I can do. Thanks
Hi Will,
email us directly – unlock@mobilelizard.com
Hello I just purchased a at&t galaxy note 2. I got it home activated on my prepay plan It worked for about 20 minutes then I had no service I tryed calling a number and my phone said it was blocked by service provider. So I called at&t gave them my iemi number and they said i purchased either a lost or stolen phone. Is there any fix to this? Thank you hopefully you can help me.
please email us at unlock@mobilelizard.com
Just bought a galaxy s3 for Sprint from craigslist. He sold it to me for $250, the phone worked for a few days until today i couldn’t connect or make calls. Found out the ESN is bad is there any thing I can do?
Yes, there is – email us at unlock@mobilelizard.com
Hello there, Can i ask you a question? If I buy the iphone5 from att or t-mobile on craiglist and it work for a few days, then the seller put the iphone into the blacklist. What should i do for that situation?
Hello Trung –
There’s not much you can do with a blacklisted iphone on a gsm network like at&t or t-mobile. Use as an ipod/sell for parts/unlock and use outside the usa.
I have Google Nexus S 4g for Sprint. When trying to activate it with Sprint the IMEI comes in as a HTC Hero. There is no tampering on the device and it seems brand new. Any help is appreciated.
Hello,
Perhaps there’s no tampering visible to the naked eye. While there may be an easy explanation e.g. human error on sprint’s end, if you didn’t purchase this directly from sprint, there’s always a chance the ESN was tampered with. If you’d like to explore further, email us unlock@mobilelizard.com
Hi,
I bought a Verizon iPhone 5C off Craigslist and am using it with At&t Straight Talk. If the phone is later reported as stolen, will I still be ok as it would only be blacklisted with Verizon?
Excellent question, especially because we’re not 100% certain about the answer. Let’s do an experiment – email us directly with your phone’s ESN number at unlock@mobilelizard.com.
I bought a metro off craigslist. Its already activated what can i do i want my own name on it
Call/Walk in to a Metro and have them transfer the phone into your name.
So I’m planning on buying an iPhone 5s from a seller of CL. He’s selling it for $650, brand new, showed pics and everything and even agreed to go to the T-Mobile store with me. My question is once I’m there, what should I ask the people that work there to make sure he can’t screw me over later?
Hi Shawn,
You should really find out if the seller is in good standing (aka does he have a huge bill he probably won’t pay?) but its doubtful tmobile will release that info to you unless the seller gives permission. You can find out from them if transferring ownership to you in Tmobile’s system right then and there protects you from having a blocked phone if the seller defaults later on. Then if they agree to do this – get it in writing, just in case.
hello, i have a blacklisted Att iPhone 5s. What can you guys do to unlock for use in outside USA ???
Hello,
The unlock service for the att iphone 5s is not available at this time. Try an alternate method such as a gevey sim.
I brought some phones from a lady selling them local a galaxy s4 At&t and 2 sony experia lt30at all the esn were clean when I purchased now all are bad. Can they be fixed any way.
Hello – not sure about the sony experias – you might just want to sell to people who want to use outside of the usa. That choice also works for the S4, you can either unlock them ahead of time and sell or sell as is for them to unlock. The S4 – pretty sure someone in your area is advertising locally about how to fix that. And, your local repair store that buys/sells phones will always be on the lookout for parts phones. Good luck
hello guys thanks for helping ppl .this time i need ur help i have a galaxy s4 for tmobile and is blacklisted i wanna know how to fix this please help me!! thanks
You’re welcome! Thanks for reading. Your S4 may be able to get fixed. Check your local ads for someone who fixes bad imei’s. Otherwise you can unlock and sell for out of usa usage, or just sell for parts.
Hi, I just bought an iPhone 4S for sprint on CL, I tried activating it on my account but it says it’s still activated on another account. What can I do to fix this?
hello – please email us at unlock@mobilelizard.com
I just bought a metro pcs Samsung galaxy s4 off of craigslist and can’t activate it…..I went to a metro pcs store and was told that my imei was not in the system (in other words it wasn’t scanned) and its not blacklisted but couldn’t be activated….is there any way to fix it….it’s brand new.
Hello –
there’s a possibility it can be – email us at unlock@mobilelizard.com
Hello and thanks for the info. I have purchased a T-Mobile S4 Galaxy from a friend 6-8 months ago. It has been working fine until today. I now can not make or receive any text or calls. When I called T-Mobile they said the imei number is bad and is blocked because some payment was not paid off. (They wouldn’t tell me how much the payment was.) Reading from the above comments it seems as if you had a solution for some Samsung phones. Please let me know if there is anything that can be done. Also why do I see people selling phones with bad imei numbers on ebay for 250-300.00$?!?! Why would somebody buy that?
Hello –
The easiest fix to return you phone to full functionality: Your friend has to pay off their phone bill. To explore other options look for local stores that fix bad imeis.
good luck
Hello…I do have a Samsung Galaxy Nexus with a bad IMEI that has been reported to T-Mobile as stolen..is there any solution to this problem??
Hi,
have a look at our latest post http://mobilelizardblog.com/2013/10/solutions-bad-esnbad-imei-phones/
Hope this helps
Bought a T-mobile sgh T839 a while back but couldn’t get it activated because it was blocked, it a pretty old phone so I hope this won’t cost too much…please help!!
http://mobilelizardblog.com/2013/10/solutions-bad-esnbad-imei-phones/ should give you an idea of all the options at the moment
I bought a galaxy S4 from someone on CL, and everything looked fine and worked ( it’s the international version and I didn’t insert any SIM to try it out until I brought it home). When I inserted T-mobile SIM and powered it, the phone keeps rebooting automatically. It doesn’t do that without a SIM card in it. The model is GI9500.
Second question I have is that, I bought Iphone 5 (AT&T) about 7 month ago on CL, and its still under warranty and still use on AT&T network. However, when I did recently request an unlock to use it for my travel abroad, AT&T denied my request with an email stating the phone was reported stolen or lost by another AT&T customer. Is there any recourse for this ? and why AT&T didn’t block the IEMI if it was reported stolen as they claimed ? is there anyway I can unlock this phone relatively cheap, so I can use it on my travel. Thanks.
Lets start with your second question first.
Att’s official policy is they don’t unlock until after a period of time – 90 days – 6 months depending on the customer account history or unless they’ve recovered a significant portion of the phone’s cost already. Given a brand new iphone 5 is around 650-700, that could take some time. You’re lucky in that whoever the phone belongs to is still paying the bill. If they stop or report the phone stolen/lost your iphone 5 will be dead shortly afterwards. Factory unlocking for ATT iphone is now no longer cheap and fairly iffy. Your best bet is to go with a gpp/gevey/rsim for travel.
The S4.. I’d try another sim card. if the same thing happens there’s either something wrong with your sim card reader or the phone’s software. ARe you 100% sure this is a genuine S4 or could it be a chinese clone? I’d double check.
Hello, i bought an unlocked iphone 5(it was bought unlocked from straight talk) from someone off craigslist about 2 and a half months ago, before i did i asked for the imei number and it was clean, i checked the number with pretty much every phone carrier there is to make sure it wasnt a blacklisted then unlocked phone. Then i called straight talk to double check, it actually had a clean esn. I then bought the phone and activated it, had my number transfered to straight talk and everything. Everything was great! But after my 1st month with the phone, when my service ran out because the month was over, i called straight talk to pay over the phone and they told me that the phone couldnt be activated because it was reported as lost/stolen… I told them that i had called before buying it and it was ok, and also that it was actually working 1 day before i called to make my payment… I asked what i could do then and they simply told me that they were, and i quote “sorry”, and asked me if i needed to be assisted with something else. I got mad(i recon this is a common response) and called the police, i made my report and everything, but after 5 days of no response from the police, i was still without a phone, and i NEED a phone as it goes hand to hand with the amount of income that i get home. Anyways, i remembered that the phone was still unlocked, so i went to metro pcs, activated it with them and i had service… But their service isnt very good where i live, and just 2 days ago i ran out of month with them and i am not planning on going back with them.
Now after that, my question is. What can i do? I cant afford to get a plan with at&t,verizon, sprint, etc… Im inside the low price range… Now the phone is unlocked and i can activate it with some other company, but the only carriers that actually work where i am located are boost mobile and yes straight talk… Is there something to do? What can i do? Thank you for reading, i will be waiting for your response.
Hello Juan,
sent you an email directly….
I am in the UK, i bought a HTC one, which worked for 2 months but the other week it stopped working due to being reported stolen, do i need to give it to the police, i’m not sure what the laws are like for the UK?
Best Regards
Samuel
Hi samuel,
We would like to help, but our area of expertise doesn’t cover the uk :). What I do know is the european countries share a blocked list. Its entirely possible that if you turn it into the police and its not claimed after a period of time, you may be able to then claim ownership.
Hi, I bought an iphone on ebay and the ESN is bad.. sprint wont let me activate it.. anyway you can help?
hello,
email us directly at unlock@mobilelizard.com – will need to know the model of the iphone as well.
If I buy an unlocked iphone 5 from craiglist or ebay, can it be possible for the phone to have a bad imei? I plan to use it in Mexico and I know I will need a GSM carrier.
Hello!
If it is already unlocked and has a bad imei it will work fine outside the usa.
Hey I just bought a phone and it’s blocked from net work use. I really need some help. Worked for ten minutes or so and now nothing. It’s a galaxy s4, I thought I was getting a friend hook up and now just screwed. Thank you
Best thing is to try and get your money back. If you can’t : read below for options.
http://mobilelizardblog.com/2013/10/solutions-bad-esnbad-imei-phones/
Hi i bought a Samsung Note 3 T-moblie to work on AT&T and the Note 3 has an outstanding balance and now i have no service and i wanted to know if there’s anything i can do so i can get service back to my phone thank you
357518050226828 this is the IMEI of the Samsung Note 3 please get back to me ASAP as i paid a lot of money for this note 3 thank you
Hi,
please read : http://mobilelizardblog.com/2013/10/solutions-bad-esnbad-imei-phones/
I was wondering if a bad esn phone works if I put my activated sim from a previous phone inside of it?
Hello: Not likely.
So i asked my grandmother for a new phone. She has a galaxy note 2. The only problem is she reported it lost about a year mayber more ago. The phone is for att does this mean it has a bad esn
Its possible it doesn’t – AT&T mobile didn’t start sharing blocked lists until the start of this year. I’d test it with a sim card if at&t or tmobile or if verizon try and get it turned on. Alternately you can use our esn/imei checker to determine that.
Hello I bought a phone on craigslist that was listed as at&t, I wanted to connect it to another carrier and they told me the IME number was invalid, to make it a short story the phone ended up being from T-Mobile company
& it’s blocked! God will take care of all this bad people trying to steal money from hard worker people, now I want to fix my phone but need to know if is possible and how much?
Hello,
I believe the problem of stolen phones/blocked imei phones being sold has gotten to be so big – the carriers will be forced to address it. AT&T in particular has been putting up so many road blocks, it’s caught the eye of lawmakers. At the moment its possible, depending on the model of phone you have. There are people who fix samsungs and I believe HTC & LG phones. Iphones – you may have better luck trying to sell it for parts, or to someone going overseas.
Very upset, I purchased 2 iPhone 5S tmobile carrier for $550 from craigslist and when I took it to connect tmobile said they are black list phones!! They are in mint cond but won’t let me use! What can I do now I hear I can send them to be used overseas can I have them used overseas in Costa Rica for my family ?
Sorry about that. Yes, you can unlock them to be used overseas. You can try to use tmobile’s factory unlock. A gpp/gevey/rsim unlock may be cheaper.
I’m trying to sell my phone…on craigslist. I’ve only used it on a MVNO and the previous owner had it rooted. Due to the fact that this is an unlocked phone, how can I give buyers peace of mind that this phone this phone will work for them?
The guy I tried to sell it to told me that the websites that check imeis are not accurate. He called AT&T and they “had no record of the phone being activated on their network”. So where does that leave me?
Hello!
Your phone works – and you’ve only used mvnos. Whether or not its been activated on att it will work on att or tmobile. The mvnos (straight talk/h2/ red pocket/simple mobile) use AT&T and Tmobile’s cell towers. If it was blocked by AT&T it wouldn’t work on any sim service carrier/mvno at all. AT&T can only provide the info that’s in their system. Its entirely possible that someone paid full price for the phone and never activated it on AT&T, but used it unlocked on another network. This doesn’t mean the phone is bad. I’ve had many customers from outside the us do exactly this and unlock for use outside the usa. Good luck with your sale.
Hi I was going to buy a iphone 4s on craigslist but it has a bad esn through verizon my question was would I be able to unlock it and use it with my AT&T prepaid sim card?
Anything’s possible! You’d have to use one of these :http://www.gevey.com/
however, if you’d prefer to remain on verizon – email us @ unlock@mobilelizard.com
I bought a sprint note 3 with bad esn wat can I do
This should answer your question. http://mobilelizardblog.com/2013/10/solutions-bad-esnbad-imei-phones/ Good Luck!
Hi, I bought a LG G2 on ebay and the IMEI is bad.. t-mobile wont let me activate it.. anyway you can help?
Sorry to hear, look at local stores to see if someone offers that service. Alternatively you can always factory unlock it for sale overseas or sell for parts.
I got a at&t note to from a lady on Craigslist then it turned out to be locked where I can’t use it at all what do I do now? Is there any way to fix this
Check your local repair stores to see if anyone offers that service.
Hi,
I live in Barbados and i would like to purchase a blacklisted iphone 5s…… it’s locked to ATT ….. Do you think unlocking it will enable it to work on Digicel in the Caribbean? Is there anyway it will work here?
Should work fine once unlocked. You will need a rsim/gevey sim unlock however.
i want to purchase an atnt iphone and get it switched to metro, do you know any legit places i can get it unlocked, and how do i go about checking if the esn/imei is clean or bad before buying it or physically having the phone in hand
hello,
We do provide unlocking services for at&t – the iphone factory unlock service can be obtained from at&t. The majority of 3rd party unlocka for at&t iphones are somewhat unreliable at the moment. you can use our check esn service at the website http://www.mobilelizard.com to find out if the imei or esn of any phone is good or bad.
I am looking to purchase a used iphone for my son. I am wondering after I meet with a person at a verizon store to check the esn, isn’t it still possible for the seller to contact their insurance after and have it black listed? Or is their a way to transfer ownership of the item and clear the title?
Hello Jennifer,
We do recommend trying to meet with any seller at the verizon store. Have verizon note that the phone is being sold on the person’s account (if they do own the phone). That way its difficult for them to say the phone was stolen or lost later. There’s no way to ‘transfer ownership’. The blocking of phones across networks is meant to cut fraud and force consumers to buy only from the phone companies and legitimate dealers. If you do end up with a stolen/fraudulent phone its doubtful they will do much to assist.
Good Luck!
I was burned by a Craigslist thief, I bought an iPhone 5c which was suppose to be att, switched to a sprint phone
I bought it open because he said he charged the phone, now I’m stuck. Please help
hello – your options are listed here:
http://mobilelizardblog.com/2013/10/solutions-bad-esnbad-imei-phones/ unfortunately not too many alternatives for the 5c and 5s on at&t.
Hi somebody wants to sell me a iphone 4 16gb Verizon its bad esn I was wondering If I could possible switch it to metro pcs even though its bad esn
Its possible – you’ll have to find a store who flashes to do it for you.
Hey!
I have iPhone 5s I buy in craiglist and was working great for 2 months but today was blocked
And in the T-Mobile store they talk me my phone was repot stolen so I’m looking some help for fix this issue
hello, unfortunately there’s no new information on iphones – AT&T and T-mobile. Once they are blocked in the usa you’re blocked from all GSM networks. Since both AT&T and Tmobile are very loathe to unlock iphone 5s, the only recourse you probably have is to sell it to someone to use outside the usa.
I bought a galaxy s2 for T-Mobile off craigslist and there telling me the phone is on the stolen list. Is there a way to get working on T-Mobile or what is my best coarse of action?. Thanks in advance.
Hello,
Please see our blog post here – http://mobilelizardblog.com/2013/10/solutions-bad-esnbad-imei-phones/
Bought a Samsung Galaxy S4, M919. Found out today from TMobile that the IMEI is blocked by TMobile for non-payment of the phone on a financial plan. I didn’t give but $120. for the phone. Is there anything I can do to get the IMEI unblocked. Is it illegal for me to have it unblocked? Can TMobile come after me if I have it done? I tried to work with TMobile and told them I would pay the monthly payments but they said they couldn’t do that. Thanks for any info you can give me.
hello Paula,
Please read – http://mobilelizardblog.com/2013/10/solutions-bad-esnbad-imei-phones/ you will find your answer there.
Good Luck!
Hi, I bought a iphone 4 on virgin mobile off of ebay and tried to activate it and they need the number of the cell phone but it does not show up anywhere on the iphone. They said the esn is good but they need the phone number to activate what do i do now?
The phone number should be in settings-Phone-my number –
I bought a samsung galaxy s2 for att on craigs list and i found out it was blacklisted. Is there anything I can do like maybe switch to net 10 or something like that any advice is appreciated.
Hello Hope,
Please read – http://mobilelizardblog.com/2013/10/solutions-bad-esnbad-imei-phones/
Good Luck!
Hi I have an iPhone 4S I bought from a sell site but I found out it had bad esn is there a way to fix it it was reported stolen 🙁 it’s a sprint phone. Please if u could help that would be greatly appreciated 🙂
Hello – there is no way to ‘fix’ it. You may be able to transfer it to a prepaid service like Net 10, where you can still get talk text and data for a reasonable monthly cost. We do offer activation on this service for iphone 4 and 4s.
Hi I recently bought a phone on craigslist and it has a bad imei so is there anyway I can get the phone fixed again
http://mobilelizardblog.com/2013/10/solutions-bad-esnbad-imei-phones/ Please read article – you’ll find answers there
hi, i just bought a note 3 for tmobile, little did i know it work for that day only and the next day it show no network, i ask around and call t mobile they said they cant do anything…… 🙁 and said they phone was reported for stolen or lost??? i bought the phone …. stolen or lost, yea right. need help really bad, no phone to use and sold my s4 on the same day. sad now days people scam other for what little money they try to make of you. any how any help would be great, thanks!
http://mobilelizardblog.com/2013/10/solutions-bad-esnbad-imei-phones/ —–bad imei answers are here
I bought a lg optima l9 from.metro.and i call metro , to activate. It and the said it was reported.lost. is there anything i can do to use it on simple mobile sim card
Hello – try going to a cricket or boost etc to see if they can assist.
i bought a iphone 5 verizon from a guy on graigslist ,then i find out that the phone i cant use it because it have an apple ID on it that its not removed .and know i cant find this guy number. is there anything i can do ?
Hello,
Unfortunately no. There is no loophole around the activation/ID lock at the moment. We put up a blog post about this a few weeks ago: http://mobilelizardblog.com/2013/12/planning-iphone-craigslist-check-activation-locks-buy/ Your only recourse is to call apple customer care.
Vicky,
I just bought a note 3 that no longer works because the seller reported it stolen. Can you please email a fix for this?
We responded.
Same thing happened to me! Verizon note 3 reported stolen after I bought it on CraigsList. Please help!!!
Hi Antonio,
Emailed you directly.
Hi if I have a Verizon phone with a Sim card can I just take my Sim out and sale it or do I have to take the phone completely off my account
Hi Jesus,
You have to take the phone completely off your account. If you don’t anyone buying from you will not be able to activate it, because it will still be tied to your account. Kudos for investigating before selling!
Hi I need to unlock my galaxy s4 from T-Mobile I buy it to someone else on Craigslist like 2 months ago and yesterday T-Mobile locked it can I unlock and make it work with T-Mobile again?…
Hello,
The answers to your question are found in this post it lists solutions/ options for bad esn, bad imei phones that have been reported lost or stolen, or blocked by tmobile or AT&T due to non payment or fraud.
http://mobilelizardblog.com/2013/10/solutions-bad-esnbad-imei-phones/
Are you people just dumb or lazy? 90% of your questioms were already previously answered by the admin. Of you’d just browse the blog instead of being so selfish and entitled and thinking you’re the only person with the problem your having. Scrolling down a bit prevents so much unneeded work for the admin since he’s not answering the same questions 20+ times
I bought a note 3.. The guy told me that he got it in Korea.. So some of the things on the menu are in Korean.. Like the touch dial.. And some apps.. So I tried to get it unlock on the cheap at a website called fiverr . and the guy ran my imei and told me thatybphone is a knock off.. Well I I have bought in life knock offs and my phone doesn’t look like one.. 1 first of all I open the menu on the about device. And did the multi tapping on the devices system. And the little jellybeans came out and said it was a 4.3 I used the camera in video mode. And took pictures at the same time ..which a fake won’t do.. And the s pen has all its functionalities. My questions is how can unlock a phone with a imei.. That says its another phone and have you ever heard of this
Hello
Its entirely possible your phone is a knockoff – there are tons of high quality clones for sale coming out of china/korea they improve their product constantly, so yes it could be a knockoff. To answer your question #2, yes I’ve seen imei’s that point back to a completely different phone that the one it should be. This does happen when the imei number of the actual phone has been reprogrammed to clone the imei of another phone.
I have the same problem as Vicky, any help would be greatly appreciated.
The answers to your question are found in this post it lists solutions/ options for bad esn, bad imei phones that have been reported lost or stolen, or blocked by tmobile or AT&T due to non payment or fraud.
http://mobilelizardblog.com/2013/10/solutions-bad-esnbad-imei-phones/
My dad bought a Galaxy s4 three months ago on craigslist. It worked fine until yesterday. We went to T-mobile and they told us that it was reported as a stollen phone.
Is there anything that can be done other than selling it for parts or unlocking it for use outside the U.S.?
I’m so upset that this happened because my parents are such good people and they’ve been having such a tough time these days as it is. 🙁
Hi Sue,
its always disheartening to hear these tales – you can try to find someone who will ‘fix’ the imei there are plenty of people on craigslist who will do so, prices range anyplace from $30-$100 depending on what country or state you’re in. Because you do have a Samsung phone, you’ll likely be able to find someone who can. Good Luck!
I just bought a iphone5c and I can trun it on because the person I got it from still has her number on the phone. What do I do please help
Only the phone service provider or the owner of the phone can assist you. for the iphone 5c, there isn’t much remedy at the moment.
hi. I have an att sgs3 that I want to activate on straight talk. when I put the ST SIM in, I get a recording that says “This device has been blocked by carrier, please contact carrier for more assistance “. Didn’t completely read this thread, but didn’t notice anything related to this message. could anyone help me understand this recording?
your phone has been blocked. It won’t work with any sim provider in the USA.
I have a Sprint Samsung Galaxy S3 that was bought off of eBay and doesn’t have a SIM CARD slot and is blacklisted and needs to be unlocked for use of travel purposes….. What can I do
There isn’t anything you can do with a non sim slot phone that’s blocked. Only sprint can unlock it for international travel.
I bought a galaxy s4 (AT&T) off craigslist and it was not blacklisted activated it on my line and two days later got a msg saying it has a blocked imei. How can I get the phone working again?
hello,
we’ve just launched our imei repair service. email us for instructions thanks.
Hi, I found a htc 4g smart phone on the sidewalk. I would like to keep it, if possible. No one has stepped forward to claim it, it’s been 2 weeks. How can I find out if it is blacklisted, or if it is, what can I do to remedy that. I can’t just throw it away.
j
hello – there is a certain period of time carriers will make you wait before being able to activate a lost phone. Call the carrier the phone is with – they’ll tell you.
Hi,
I bought a galaxy S3 from Craigslist and I have ran into an issue similar to that of Vicky’s (Sep 9). I tried activating with straight talk and they stated that the phone was not properly scanned at the store. Is there anything I can do to resolve this other than driving out of state to pick someone’s teeth out? Your advice will be strongly appreciated.
Thanks,
Bobby
LOL. You could try unlocking it and using another sim service. It was stolen from the store – that’s why it wasn’t scanned.
hello i bought a phone on craglist and when i took to connect to simple mobile they told me it was blocked but not blacklisted he told me i can unlock it for 150 and connected to att or net10 should i trust him
It really is your choice, but down the road, if it is blacklisted you wouldn’t be able to receive service on att.
hello please help me. i bought an iphone 5 from ebay and latter found out it was on the blacklist. please help me…..
Hi, have at look at http://mobilelizardblog.com/2013/10/solutions-bad-esnbad-imei-phones/ it will outline your options
Hi , I have a question. I buy at&t galaxy note 3 … it was unlock before it was reported lost or stolen… can I still use in the USA….
hello,
No you won’t be able to use it in the usa. It will be blocked across all GSM carriers.
I bought the 5s for my son and it’s blocked too. (Tmobile)
sorry Janice – afraid there’s no good news on the iphone 5s or the note 3. Your only option is to sell both for parts – or for use outside the usa.
I have a S4 from Sprint that i purchased, the guy won’t release it from his account since he didn’t close it out completely and not wanting to cooperate. Anything i can do about this?
Not much you can do about getting him to release it from his account. if he doesn’t do it the phone won’t be able to be activated in your name unless you run into some sprint customer service rep with a heart. Your best bet it to flash and switch to another provider. Good Luck.
Bought a at&t note 3 with bad esn, can you please help repair? I still want to use at&t. Thanks
unfortunately there is no known fix that we are aware of for the note 3. You can unlock to sell for overseas use or sell for parts.
I’ve searched google and, maybe I’m just not using the right keywords, but is there a way to ensure a seller with a legitimate phone won’t turn around and report it stolen the next day? I understand you still check the IMEI or MEID numbers to make sure it’s not stolen before you make the transaction. If we meet at a Verizon store, will getting the phone activated onto my account with the seller there ensure he can’t go behind my back and report it stolen? My husbands phone is out of warranty and he’s not due for an upgrade till later this year, but unfortunately his touchscreen stopped working on his current phone. I’d just like to pick up a decent used phone for him now until he can get an upgrade.
emailed you directly.
I have the same exact scenario except it is a bad charging port on a Samsung Galaxy S3. We are using he verizon network and I am in the process of purchasing a used cell phone from craigslist (Droid Razr Maxx). He is willing to meet at the verizon store, but how do I know that he is not still in contract on this phone (in his ad he said he is selling due to upgrade)?
while at verizon store, try to make sure phone is transferred into your name – or that person has no outstanding balance. Good luck!
Actually, I am a developer and programmer. I am working on this issue at hand because I for one think it is wrong!!!
The phone itself is a piece of hardware at the end of the day! A computer. I am thinking this, completely wipe the phone, unlock the boot loader, then install basic drivers and a custom ROM or a compatible Android version which can be downloaded from Google. After unlocking the bootloader and reinstalling all the drivers and software, we have a bare bone system, the boot loader is unlocked as well.
Now, from this point, it gets tricky but I would think it would be possible. I know of shady small carriers or employees who do this for developers/programmers, sell the ESN/imei with no device, or I think I’ve heard of carriers generating new ESN/Imei numbers for people trying to port a phone over. Anyways, if I understand correctly, can’t you change the imei/ESN number on the phone if the bootloader is unlocked?
I have a droid 3 which they say is impossible to unlock, I have it connected to my laptop and eclipse and command prompt ready to go… I also have a working ESN/imei of a different phone that I don’t use… I am going to hack this phone if its the death of me and then I am going to clone the working ESN/imei over to it and I will let you know if I was successful…
best wishes!
Hi Vicky I have the same problem. Bought a iPhone 5s off Craigslist and it says it’s been reported stolen. It’s stuck on the activation screen . Help !!
there’s no fix for this at the moment unless its verizon.
Admin,
I have a verizon Glaxy S4 sold to me and have been told that it has been listed lost/stolen, any advice to get this to work? Or should I play Ghetto Angry birds and throw this phone at a flock of birds?
Thanks
No, not the birds!!
My husband bought a phone from a guy from Craigslist went to get it activated and the man said it was still on another account with a balance left on the bill could he use net 10 or another prepaid service on it anyways it’s a sprint iphone 4s
Yes, he can. Email us for more info. We’ll activate you.
i have an iPhone 6, I need service. 323-364-8215 text me
email us @ unlock@mobilelizard.com
hi i got a t-mobile sgh-t889 samsung galaxy note 2 that i bought off craigslist a few months ago with clean esn/imei now the seller couldnt make the payments and they blocked it. can you help me unblock it? i want to know if it can be unlocked to straight talk. email me thank you.
its possible it can be used on straight talk email us at unlock@mobilelizard.com
hi have a sprint galaxy note 2 with bad esn.. any way to get it cleared and connect to another carrier??
hello
sprint can be flashed to a number of different carriers try cricket, metro pcs or pageplus
I have a bad imei with a blackberry z10 locked to fido, is there anything you do to help please!?
Fido z10 – not at the moment. sell for parts – or try unlocking and sell for use outside canada
Hello I bought a samsung galaxy tab 3 and when I put in the sim card it worked for a few minutes but then said card locked. Called sprint and it said the phone was reported lost or stolen. Any fix or am I left with just a tablet?
tab3 – you may be able to flash to another carrier. Check in your area on craigslist to see whether anyone offers that service.
Appreciate all the help from MobileLizard. Finally got my HTC One working. I got my HTC One from craigslist for $280. The guy I was suppose to pick it up from gave me his “brother’s” number and that “brother” turned out be his room-mate gave me the phone and took the money. This guy also sent me their residence address. I did not ask him for IMEI prior to verify if it was black-listed and neither did I have a micro-sim card to test the phone out. So I just looked at the phone it was working etc and came home with it. When I called MetroPCS to update the device info on my account they said there is a non-payment block on the phone so I cannot activate it. Piss off at this, I call the seller several times but he does not answer. I messaged him but he did not reply. So I called his “brother” who I met, saw, and gave the money to. Luckily he picked up and answered the call. I explained the situation very politely and asked him to request his partner to sort the thing out. Couple of days passed by and no progress. I start calling the guy again but still the same and no response to text messages. I then again call his roommate and he picks up the call. I tell him again, but this time more aggressively, to ask his partner to man-up, pay the bill, take the phone back or they BOTH will be reported to the police for scamming people. He retorted that he has nothing to do with this and he just did the job for his partner. To which I told him “you are the face of this racket buddy,you took the money and you gave me the phone, for all I know the other guy does not even exist. If he is your friend, he is saving his a** and got you in trouble along with him”. He next day I messaged BOTH of them that if I don’t get any answer on by the end of the day, I am going to report to the cops their phone numbers, all the messages we had exchanged, all the phone call logs, and the apartment address they have given me. I then get a text from the seller himself asking about the issue etc. I explain that to him and apologize if I was being to aggressive. He said he will talk to T-Mobile. Couple of days pass by, I call him again he does not answer but texts me saying that somebody hacked his account and he is working with T-mobile. One more day passes and there is no reply from him. I message that, if he does not give an update by the end of day, I am taking everything to the police. In the evening I called MetroPCS and tried to activate the phone and they said everything is fine and the PHONE IS ACTIVATED successfully.
Just wanted to share this with everyone that always ask for their IMEI and verify if it is black-listed. Always ask them if they have any non-payment. Try to do all communication via text or email so you have something in writing. Test the device thoroughly even though they have to wait. Let them know you will check it inside out before hand. Ask them if they were on a contract or bought it outright. Also ask them to provide you with back up contact info in case they report it stolen after they have sold it to you. More importantly use your intuition when you meet them to smell anything fishy. If you do call it off right then. I was actually planning to go all out and launch a report against both of them regardless of consequence they may or may not face. I had nothing to loose. In worst case, like Mobilelizard said, I could have sent the phone outside the states.
Thanks for the feedback! We appreciate it.
I bought a galaxyfacinate. From Craigslist that has a black list imei what to do
hello,
we’d need to know what carrier its on.
Bought s4 from Craigslist on t mobile network imei blocked anything I can do about it? If I was to sell it on Craigslist and letting them know it has a bad imei how much should I sell it for and would I get in trouble for doing that?
A bad imei phone can still be valuable. The value of the phone is simply what the market can bear. Its useless in the usa, but should still fetch a decent price if unlocked.
I have an htc one max for sprint with bad esn can i unlock with any other carriers…also how long after an unpaid bill for sprint to report a bad esn
unpaid bill to bad esn reporting times vary by carrier – the htc one you may be able to activate on page plus.
I bought a Verizon wireless samsung galaxy s3 with a bad IMEI… Trying to switch it to pageplus
You might be able to, however there is a chance they may not since page plus does run on verizon’s network.
I have a samsung galaxy s3 with a bad IMEI
Try looking for someone who can repair the IMEI in your area. Otherwise your choices are sell for parts, or unlock for use overseas.
I bought a (AT&T)LG Optimus G Pro off craigslist and when i tried to activate it it came back as having unpaid bill. Is there anything. I can do? Like unlock it to use on a prepay SIM card.
That would have worked 2 years ago – unfortunately that is no longer the case as providers now share blocked phone lists. Once blocked on att – its blocked on tmobile. All the smaller carriers that use sim cards partner with at&t and tmobile to use their towers for service – so your optimus pro is blocked off all gsm providers.
I have a motorolla droid razr hd wit Verizon. Has a bad esn and says SIM card is need to activate this device. What should I do?
Hello – we can repair the esn depending on the circumstances around the verizon esn going bad. email us at unlock@mobilelizard.com
T-Mobile HTC One with Bad IMEI, can it be unlocked, and still be used on T-Mobile?
Hi Edgar,
It can be unlocked, but won’t be able to be used with tmobile. You can however use it safely outside the us on any carrier.
I have a note 3 that I bought online that was reported lost/stolen can I connect it to another company or unlock it somehow to use it.
hello, we’d need to know what provider your service is with.
I bought an iPhone 5 on Craigslist for TMobile. Went to get it activated, said no service, guys at at TMobile told me to go to the Apple Store to get it checked out. Went to the Apple Store, worker at Genius Bar tried putting their AT&T SIM in, and it worked. Went to get it unlocked, and the owner of the shop said that iPhones can no longer be unlocked that they are scamming me if they tell me they can. He checks the IMEI and it says it it’s blacklisted. Is there anything I can do, or am I stuck with a ridiculously expensive paperweight?
Tried responding to you at the email above, but it bounced back. You can technically, unlock the phone. if you want a detailed answer, provide a real email address or email directly.
I’m sorry, there must have been a typo.
no problem, email on its way
Someone sold me a bad IMEI AT&T iphone 5. I had an AT&T iphone 4 with straight talk prior to buying this phone. I didn’t know the IMEI was bad so I bought the iphone 5 hoping to switch. I cut my SIM card and put it into the iphone 5. Everything worked perfectly fine so I went ahead and gave the dude the money. I went to sleep and wake up the next day and try to make a call and I get a message saying my phone has been blocked from the network. I contacted straight talk and they thought it was a problem of theirs so somehow they got my phone to work again. Everything was good , calls, texts , and data. 2 hours later, the same problem happens. So I call straight talk again , tell them the problem. They fix It again, 2 hours later , THE SAME PROBLEM. I gave up this time and began looking for answers. Is there any way I can use this iphone 5 with straight talk ? There was a comment I saw through my search for answers where if I get another straight talk sim everything would work again. Is this true? How can I use this Iphone 5 with a bad IMEI on straighttalk?
If straight talk is willing to work with you then go with them. Try the new straight talk sim.
Hello,
I have an ATT Iphone 5s, that has been reported stolen. I tried to get in touch with ATT people to get it unlocked, they replied its reported stolen so they cannot complete the request. I want to get the phone unlocked for Overseas use. Can you please help me out with ways I can get it done. Can I get it unlocked overseas or do I need to jailbreak it to use it overseas. I would really appreciate if you can help me in this regard.
Hi John. Yes we can unlock these for overseas use. You don’t need to jailbreak. Shoot us an email @ unlock@mobilelizard.com or head to the website – http://www.mobilelizard.com We just reduced rates and delivery times on all USA iphone unlocks.
From your info, tmobile with bad imei can be unlocked used with other prepaid service beside tmobile if im correct.
Technically Bad IMEI phones of any kind can be unlocked. However if a phone is blocked or blacklisted in the usa, it cannot be used in the usa. However, once unlocked phone can be used outside of the usa without issues.
There are some models of phones which have bad imeis that can be repaired.
Hello, I bought a verizon galaxy s4 from craigslist and i want get it unlocked to use with T-mobile. I have this feeling that it might be stolen or the person i bought it from reported it stolen, how can i find out if it is or not? Thanks for your help
M.
hello, we have a service listed on our website which allows you to check the phones esn or imei to verify its status – http://www.mobilelizard.com
Hello,
I have a friend that has a 5s for verizon that just got sprint and is about to let their Verizon account go bad(I know, dumb move on their end.)
I want to purchase the 5s from them, but I’m concerned that once I buy it, it’ll turn sour as soon as their account goes bad.
They can provide the receipt that the phone was purchased outright, would I still run into any issues when I pop my SIM card into it? I mean, my account is current. So wouldn’t the s/n and imei switch over to my account?
Hello,
Verizon does not especially like consumers to use other networks on their phones. They were forced to sell their iphones unlocked as part of their last deal for more spectrum. If you plan to use a sim card on a bad verizon phone it may work for a while, but once verizon sees the esn they will lock it down completely. If you do want to use it on verizon strictly send us an email at unlock@mobilelizard.com
I guys. Looks like I got suckered too. While working overseas I bought a LG Nexus 5 the was working great on a local carrier. I just moved home to the US and tried activating on T-mobile but was told that the IMEI was blocked. What can I do?
Hello,
sorry there’s not much you can do for the nexus 5 to the best of my knowledge. Things change all the time though. You may have better luck sending it back overseas for a fair price.
I just purchased an iPhone 5s that has an AT&T sim card. It was brand new never opened when I got it. Is there a way I can know what is the status of that handset?. They guy who sold it to me said that it is not on a plan and ready to be activated. I am willing to use it overseas. I just want to confirm it is not on a plan and that it will be working overseas.
Hello,
Sure we have a status check for iphones on our website – it will give you the information you’re looking for. Its called the iphone checker. Once you put in the imei -It will give you the phone, carrier, contract status whether it is locked or unlocked. It will likely work overseas, however you will need to unlock it. We do have the iphone 5s unlock on our website as well. http://www.mobilelizard.com Prices have recently fallen – but the 24 hour unlock will get you the unlock done 100% and within a day.
I have three phone from sprint that have bad esn due to past due payments will I be able to have the phones unlock and sell them. I have a gal 3 , g2 LG and iPhone 5.
Hello – you won’t be able to unlock them for sale but you can have them placed on another network through flashing. If the company youre transferring service to accepts the phones for transfer then you should be fine.
I bought a droid RAZR Maxx from craigslist and at the time of purchase I checked the ENS and it was clear. When I went to activate it I was told the phone was reported stolen. And options besides trashing the phone?
Thx.
hello – would need to know what carrier its on. Thanks!
I made the mistake to purchase a Sprint phone off of craigslist. I have a Sprint account, and the phone is a LG Optimus LG-LS970. I checked and the phone is not stolen, but the account is like $500.00 past due, and i cant reach the seller. What are my options to get this to start working with my phone number?
your only option is to move the phone to a different service via flashing – cricket may take the phone. Page plus will as well. you can port your number over if you’re in good standing with sprint.
My brother has a lg g2 sprint phone and is letting it go bad. He doesnt like the carrier and service. If I buy it from him can I use it on straight talk. They said i could use it as long as it was unlocked. Will it work if he doesnt pay his bill. Can you help.
You have a few different issues here. Once the bill is unpaid long enough the phone will be blacklisted by sprint and not able to be used on that network.
1. Sprint is likely the only option you’ll find that will be able to ‘unlock’ that particular model phone’s sim slot for a straight talk card, so you’ll have to speak with their customer service on it.
2. Yes, if it is unlocked the straight talk card will work, however once Sprint detects any of their blacklisted phones is being used on any network at all they will likely block that loophole as well. So while it will work it will only be temporary.
If I buy an unlocked at&t phone can it still be reported stolen?
hello,
yes it can still be reported stolen and its access to all cell towers blocked – this is what happens when it goes on the blacklist for carriers.
I have a galaxy s4, tmobile, bought it from someone, trying to unlock it and get with metro pcs, but the phone is on a payment plan, thru the last person…help me…
Hello not certain what type of unlock you’re looking for. if it has been blocked or blacklisted then unlocking the sim slot so it will accept a metro pcs card will not solve your problem. You will need a totally different fix then you will have to unlock it for metro pcs.
I bought a T-Mobile galaxy s4 that has a bad imei number due to a payment plan. If I was to unlock the phone can I use it with another carrier???
Hello –
Your phone is now blocked across all the network towers. If you unlocked it, and the phone remained in the usa it would still be blocked on the towers even though the phone itself would be unlocked. contact us directly if you are interested in fixing the bad imei. at unlock@mobilelizard.com
hi, i purchased a sprint iphone 5 through craigslist. the esn is clean and its not blacklisted according to sprint rep, however the phone has a balance. what are my options?
Your phone will be blocked because of the outstanding balance. Your best option is to flash to page plus. There are places that will now flash an iphone 5 over to that service.
I have the same issue with a 5c. It has a balance linked to it. Forgive my ignorance but what does “flash to page plus” mean? Is that a different service?
Page plus is a different service, unfortunately the 5c cannot be programmed with it at this time.
Hi, my question is, all verizon 4g lte phones come out unlocked for the GSM part. If it gets bad esn, will it be still unlocked for overseas use? Guessing you couldn’t use it now in the US with GSM carriers, since Att,tmobile,verizon,sprint now share their blacklist, but wondering would they still work outside the US. My other question is, do you guys deal with verizon esn’s to get them clean? Thanks.
The answer to your question is yes, past a certain point all verizon 4g lte phones do come unlocked for gsm use outside the usa once the esn is bad however, it does get blocked/blacklisted across all gsm towers. You should not experience any issues outside the usa using the gsm slot.
We do offer the verizon cleaning service – if you’re interested please email us at unlock@mobilelizard.com
I bought a Samsung S4 US Cellular phone from Craigslist and was scammed. It was working when I bought it and it stopped working after 3 weeks. I was unable to activate it with Metro PCS. Then, I checked the IMEI number and it’s blacklisted for non-payment. It has a SIM card. Any suggestions?
REplied to you directly.
I have a US CELLULAR Galaxy S4 phone. Can it be unlocked and used with a different company or pre pay company? I have been arguing with US CELLULAR since they revamped their billing cycle. Because my bills have been outrageous, and now they have me owing 522.00 for one month. I found their mistake but they refuse to acknowledge it. Needless to say I don’t plan on paying their trumped up fraudulent bill. What can I do?
Hello,
US cellular phones can be flashed to other carriers -You’d have to decide what service you’d like to go to I’d speak with a store in your geographic area to see what coverage works best prior to discontinuing service with them.
I have a Sprint Galaxy S4 L720T, it has been blocked due to non-payment on bill. What are my options?
Hello,
You can Flash to any other service provider who will accept the phone with its bad ESN. You won’t be able to use on sprint unless you clear up the bill if its your phone, or the owner clears the bill.
I bought a smamsung galaxy s4 from a “supposed friend” and I went to a t-mobil store and, they said that the phone was report lost or stolen. Is there anything that I can do to the phone to get it on a company? Or get it working?
hello,
responded to you directly
Bought a sprint galaxy s4.Sprint said its active on someone else’s account not lost or stolen what are my options?. I live in utah
hello,
Try to contact the person to see if they can/will remove from the account its currently active on once its off you should have no problems. if that isn’t possible your only recourse is likely to have it flashed to another carrier. Good Luck!
Bought phone from a friend went to hook it up they said it was never scanned so they wont put service on it what do I do feel like paid 200 for paper weight sucks anybody have idea let me know
What type of phone is this and what carrier was it originally on?
Hi. I unlocked a samsung galaxy s4 whit a unlock website service they provide me whit the unlock code . The cellphone belongs to at&t it went well but a few second after it shows : phone not allowed mm#6 it means it has blacklisted?? And can I still use this phone in mexico if it not possible here in usa????
hello,
It sounds like the unlock went fine – but when you tried to use it with another sim card it wouldn’t accept the phone on the network. you can easily check if the phone is blocked at our site www. mobilelizard.com using the esn – you can also use the phone outside the usa without any issues if its is blocked.
hi i bought an a iphone 5 from craiglist and the seller said is clean esn from sprint and the phone is ok and now when i used it the phone report stolen phone. Is their anyway i can used this overseas or outside USA. ?thanks
hello.
if your sprint iphone 5 has not been upgraded to ios 7.1 it can be unlocked with an rsim and used. good luck.
I bought an iphone 5 sprint on criagslist that turned out to still be active on an account , What are my options? Would unlocking with a gpp sim work in it’s current condition? The iphone is on version 7.0.6
hello.
1.You can try unlocking with the sim – it may work because its not blocked just active on an account. Don’t upgrade the operating system.
2. get in touch with the seller and ask them to remove it from the account.
I bought a galaxy note 3 (tmobile) from craiglist and when i went to tmobile , they told me i cannot connect the phone because its reported stolen . What can i do in order for the phome to work?
hello you will have to email us directly – unlock@mobilelizard.com
Hi, I am wondering, if I buy a note 3 with a clean IMEI, and later it is reported stolen, is there any way to ensure it won’t be reported stolen?? In other words is there a warranty on a phone for a period of time before someone can report it stolen, or can anyone report their phone stolen at any given time for an unlimited amount of times??? Please help (And I am talking about T-MOBILE)
Anyone can report their phone stolen after you buy it, or stop paying their bill. The best option is have the transaction in an at&t store and the phone transferred into your name at the time of purchase. If that’s not possible get a signed receipt or document from the seller with their name saying they sold it to you. If they stop paying their bill or report it stolen then it won’t impact you if there is a record of the sale with AT&T.
I bought a droid mini on verizon from craigslist and it says esn is clean but the sim card is bad. Would just getting a new 4g sim card fix this? Is it possible they just put a bad sim card into the phone and the phone itself has nothing to do with it being bad?
Yes, its possible just the sim is bad. Take it into verizon and see what they say. If the phone itself is bad we do provide esn repair for verizon handsets.
Hey I bought an iPhone 5 from sprint on Craigslist and it’s blacklisted is there anyway to activate this phone onto tmobl?
You can try using an rsim – please note if your iphone is upgraded to 7.1 it may be unsuccessful.
I have a t-mobile Xperia z that us showing blacklisted I paid three hundred for it. Is there anything I can do to use it in the US?
hello,
unfortunately there’s no fix for sony phones we’re aware of at this time. Try selling overseas on ebay.
I bought a used samsung galaxy s3 and she said they had it on straight talk but when i went to activate it they said it wouldnt because the bill had not been paid so when i went to tell the lady she had blocked me sprint said until the bill is paid the phone is useless can i get it flashed to straight talk
Hello,
Its not possible to flash a sprint phone to straight talk. It would have to be page plus/cricket etc.
So if you have a Sprint phone and it had an unpaid account, you can still use that same phone through a cricket account? I purchased a phone from TheBlueDot.com and it is a Sprint phone, but when I went to Sprint to activate it they said it could not be activated because whoever had it before had an unpaid account. So I spent my money for nothing I thought. But can I get a cricket account and use this same phone I bought that’s Sprint? I keep hearing people say you can use Cricket or Straight Talk with this phone. Is that true?
hello. If a carrier will accept a phone on its network it can be used. Best thing to do is go to cricket and ask them. Straight talk is not the most viable option for a sprint phone.
I bought a galaxy s4 tmobile phone that has been blacklisted can i unlock and flash it to cricket, or if i buy a clean s4 tmobile can it be used on the cricket network?
hello,
Tmobile phones cannot be flashed to cricket easily as cricket uses cdma technology and tmobile does not.
I bought a galaxy s3 a T-Mobile phone i got from a online sale and i guess someone reported it lost/Stolen is there anyway i can get it turned back on and into my name without getting into any kind of trouble? And can i still use T-Mobile or do i have to go to another carrier ?
Hi Ashley,
you can contact us directly – unlock@mobilelizard.com
I have a sprint s4 that just got shut off today and my friend just gave it to me. Is there anyway I can get this phone turned back on? I guess since he didn’t pay the bill it has a bad esn?
Yes – if he didn’t pay his bill, the esn is now bad. You’ll have to flash to another company.
If I buy a phone on craigslist and meet the seller at a Verizon store to get it checked and activated, can the seller report it stolen later?
If the phone is transferred to a new owner and ownership ties with the old owner severed at a Verizon location they cannot later report it lost or stolen.
i bought a verizon g2 that was later reported, I heard the Verizon G2 is unlocked to work with any US gsm carrier, if i were to purchase a tmobile prepaid plan will it work with the blacklisted vzw g2?
Hello,
The sim card slots of newer Verizon phones are unlocked and will work with gsm carriers. You may not be able to get 4G LTE – in most cases it will only be 3G but it does work. Since your phone is blacklisted not blocked (there is a difference) it may work if you put a different carrier’s card in the sim slot. Verizon may choose to (at some point in time) block the signal from that sim. I have seen phones work continuously without issue, and others work for weeks/months then experience blocked signal.
Hi, I got suckered into buying a Verizon HTC One and it turns out it’s blacklisted.. Is there anyway I can use it on a prepaid Tmobile line? Or am I stuck with a expensive paper weight? Thanks.
please email us directly unlock@mobilelizard.com
Hello, I recently purchased a phone from someone I didn’t know. I was able to use the phone once or twice and now it says the device is blocked please contact your service provider. It is a galaxy note 3 from at&t. I have prepaid service through at&t. What do I do?
Hello,
you will need to have your imei fixed. We do provide that service – email us for details unlock@mobilelizard.com
I bought a samsung s4 on craigslist, the seller told me the phone was unlocked, I realize the was unlocked or something is wrong with the phone. I took it to metro pcs it could’nt be activated. I went to two shops to unlocked it the techs told me they could not do anything. Can you please help me with this phone?
What did they say was wrong with the phone?
Hi! I have a Samsung Galaxy Note 3 with Sprint. My bill is ridiculously high so I want to switch service to metro. Will I be able to do this with an outstanding balance on the phone/bill? Please help!
Not 100% certain. you can try putting a sim card from someone else in and see if you get service. metro usually requires BYO devices to be unlocked which is very challenging when it comes to sprint. You’re better off flashing to some other carrier like page plus.
If my brother didnt pay the bill for his lg g2 from sprint what can i do ? Thanks in advance
If you want to use it, its useless on sprint. you’ll have to flash it. eflashers.com can do remote flashing – tell them mobilelizard sent you.
My sister gave me her old verizon iphone 5 because it was shut off due to not paying the bill. I want to switch it to my Verizon prepaid account. Is there anyway I can do that? Because when I dial the programming number, it says the number is not allowed. But that is the only number it says that on. How can I fix that. And it is updated to iOS 7.1.1.. Help?
hello – we do offer a verizon esn cleaning service. visit our website http://www.mobilelizard.com for pricing.
Hello. Can I une an att galaxy s5 with a bad imei on straight talk?
Hello
There is no fix for bad imei S5 phones at the moment. You won’t be able to use on straight talk until there is a fix
My Cousin Gave Me A Tmobile 5c I Was Really Excited About Getting This Phone..! They Allowed Me Access, Set Up My ICloud’s etc But When I Took It To The Store To Get My Sim Cut To Size They Informed Me That The Phone Was Locked 🙁 Is Their Hope.? Please
Hello
We responded to you directly
Hello, bought a phone an att lg g2, from a lady, it was on when i got it. Got my sims card put it in and now get a message about MM2 … so what do i do now? Can I ever use this phone ? Can I get it unlocked and use striaght talk or another carrier?
hello.
If the AT&T LG has been blacklisted or blocked you will need to have the imei fixed.
I bought galxy s5 on Craigslist the phone reporte stolen but i have the box and the 3 imei match is from tmobile can i do something.
Hello
On the galaxy S5 – there isn’t much that can be done at the moment for bad IMEI’s except to unlock and use overseas.
Hi, I was planning on buying Galaxy s5 on craigslist and wanted to know whether its stolen or fully paid or not? Can I call the carrier give the imei number and find that out or can you help with it?
Yes you can do that, the safest thing would be to meet at the carrier and have them transfer the phone into your name at the time of purchase. A phone can be reported lost or stolen after you’ve purchased it.
I have a verizon galaxy s4 that had a bad esn I want to know what could I do to get it working again? Because I would like to have it working on straight talk
hello – put your straight talk card in and see if that works first.
With a blocked phone, will the carrier tell you, say, how much in phone bills is due so you can pay the due amount and clear the phone for use? If it is reported stolen I assume the carrier disavows all responsibility, creating an orphan. Many thanks.
Unfortunately carriers do not allow you the buyer to pay of the bill. Their contract is with the original owner of the phone.
I have a Samsung Galaxy s5 through Verizon. My bill is outrageous and I will not be able to afford it. Am I able to switch to Straight Talk even though my contract isn’t up for another year and I’ll owe a bill?
You should be able to switch – how long it will last is anyone’s guess.
I recently purchased a US Cellular Iphone 5c off of Craigslist. I cannot activate it because it is apparently still connected to the previous owner’s account. Now what – can I at least use this as an ipod? Or….sell it for parts?
A very expensive mistake – one I will NOT repeat.
hello,
sorry to hear that – the easiest thing to do is of course to get their icloud password and login and have them remove it from their account. If they won’t there are unlockers who say they can remove the icloud unlock – use at your own discretion.
I bought a iPhone 5s and there is still a bill owed on it. Can I switch it to straight talk And be be able to use it?
Unfortunately no. If you are trying to use it in the usa it will remain blocked
I bought a At&t Samsung Galaxy s4 off craigslist. The previous owner did not pay their bill. Would I be able to purchase a 3rd party unlock code and a t mobile sim card, unlock the phone and use it on tmobile network or am I stuck with a brick?
Hello,
you will need an imei repair & an unlock in order to use this phone on tmobile. It will cost a bit but no, you’re not stuck with a brick.
Hello, I purchased a Samsung Galaxy S4 knowing it was on an unpaid account. I was told (By US Cellular) it is considered having a bad “IMEI/ESN” and is locked to account. I see i can make a profit off of it by selling it off ebay as is but was wondering if i could somehow unlock it or remove the bad imei/esn to make it more valuable for bigger profits?
I guess i dont know what the phone status really is if its on an unpaid account….. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! 🙂
An unpaid account/outstanding bill means the phone is blocked from using cell towers across the usa. Since it is US Cellular, Not certain there is a commercially available imei repair service for this. you may need to sell on ebay if you cannot find someone locally to repair your imei.
I have purchased a Samsung Galaxy 3 through Verizon at a rummage Sale and when I called Verizon they said it had been reported stolen….Great, So I asked how to fix it into my name, and Verizon said go back to the person I bought it from and ask if they will call Verizon and change or cancel the service in their name, so you can get it into you name, and the woman I bought it from at the rummage would not help me in no way shape or form. Please help me solve this problem because I bought it for my son and paid a pretty penny for it, and I’m not very happy and neither is my son…So please, Please help us …Thanks Vickie in need of desperate help………….
Hello we do provide a service that will enable you to use any verizon phone previously reported lost or stolen. Please see our webpage for more details – http://www.mobilelizard.com
I purchased an iPhone 5 for t-mobile. But when I tried activating it I was told the device was blacklisted and was reported stolen. Is there anyway for me to have it cleared and usable or am I stick with a tiny iPad?
Youre stuck with a tiny ipad until someone figures out a fix.
I bought a galaxy S5 from craigslist and it’s with att I put my straighttalk sim card in da but I keep losing my service so I call straighttalk and they told me da phone was reported stolen att put it on da blacklist but they conect me back with my service but ever week att going to stop my service again cause it’s on da blacklist I call them and they say it’s nothing they can da owner have to call in take it off I can’t even get in tough with da person anymore he change his number what can be done about this people on craigslist are scams and that’s not right
Already responded to. If you can, buy at a store or at a reputable online site.
Hi,
I recently purchased a straight talk samsung galaxy s4 off of ebay I checked the iMEI before purchase they said it could be activated. I also checked the straigh talk BYOP website it said it was ready to activate since it was already a straight talk phone. I called to get it activated and they said it would not activate because it was not swiped correctly. Why did it say it could be activated if the phone had not been swiped correctly
You bought a phone that was stolen from the store. It did not pass through the checkout therefore “it was not swiped.” When this happens, the carrier company will refuse to activate the phone.
I like a dumb a** rushed and bought my daughter an iPhone 4 that the seller said was boost but shows virgin. I am on a fixed income and it really crushed me when my daughter called me on her birthday to tell me that her mother took the phone to boost who said they could hook it up no problem. After several attempts the cashier said there is something wrong with the serial number. I had my ex – wife call virgin and they said it was reported lost / stolen they put her on hold she got scared and hung up. Is there anyway to get the phone hooked up through another service? Please any advice or suggestions would be a blessing. Thanks.
Sorry, there’s no fix really for this. its possible it may be able to be flashed to something else. Look around on cl in your area for someone who can do it.
Hello
I bought a Sprint Note 3 that apparently still had an installment agreement payments balance still owed on the phone. Can I have Ting Wireless activate the phone or is it a brick?
Thanks
Any sub carrier that runs on the sprint network will reject the phone. You can flash to page plus without issues.
My son bought an Iphone and activated it on the Sprint Framily Plan (prepay). He was tired of the expensive bills so he decided to switch to Cricket. I bought the Iphone from him for my daughter to use on Straight Talk. I asked him if he owed a balance on his Sprint bill to which he said no. I felt funny about his response, so I called Sprint and entered his phone number and found out that he does indeed owe a bill to them. My question is-will Sprint block the esn so my daughter won’t be able to use it? Should I pay the balance off to avoid them blocking it? I just activated it with Straight Talk and ported her number from AT&T.
Yes, Sprint will block the phone. If they will accept your payment its better you pay off the balance. Once its blocked it will likely stop working on straight talk.
Good day. I bought a sprint blackberry Q10 with a bad ESN. Can I get it unlocked to be used on a gsm network abroad?
As its a bad esn Sprint Blackberry, sprint will not unlock it. Your only avenue is to see whether it responds to having a non sprint sim placed in the sim slot. If it does put up a request for a code it can be done. If not, we will not be able to unlock it.
if i checked the imei on tmobile iphone and it says it has an outstanding balance on it can it be used for straight talk
No
hi I bought a Samsung galaxy mega from metropcs by ebay.. and I cant used because the imei still activated in another account wath can I do
Ask the seller to remove it from the account. If they do not email us directly unlock@mobilelizard.com
I have a verzion lg g2 that i git from a friend the has a unpaidbill can i use it on straight talk even though it has a unpaid bill?
The g2 should be unlocked. stick a sim in and see what happens
Bought a T-Mobile galaxy s5 from local paper ad. Used 5 months, now blocked as old customer stopped paying. Any recourse? Can I pay off their bill?
No you cannot pay off their bill. Phone companies will not accept payment from anyone they did not have a contract with. For a fix email us unlock@mobilelizard.com
If I purchase a att s5 and it has a bad esn for non payment can I unlock iy and use it on straight talk or will that even work since att uses st towers?
email us directly at unlock@mobilelizard.com
If you unlock a 5c that is on att can it be used if blacklisted after the unlock
Yes an ATT 5c with a bad imei can be unlocked at our site – (you will have to use the att unlock specifically for blocked/blacklisted iphones) it will work outside the usa once unlocked.
i own a note 3 from a Verizon, looking to sell. I dropped the payment and there is a balance due. can I switch my phone to another service provider?
You can, if verizon hasn’t blocked you yet. You’ll need someone to flash or activate on another carrier.
Hello from what I have been reading I’m just plain out of luck, but I’ll ask anyways. My mom bought me a straight talk galaxy s4 off craigslist. I go to activate it and St says phone was never scanned aka stolen from walmart. My guess is one one of there employees. Here’s the fun part the kid used his own cell phone number on Craigslist to sell the phone. I call and tell him that the phone came back stolen and he hangs up, Then blocks my number. I then figured he can’t block private numbers so I hit *69 from home phone and dial his number he answers and I say how could you rip a sick 60 yr old women off right before xmas?” He hangs up and sends a text message “stfu and oh yeah have a merry xmas. Of course I keep calling he just keeps hitting the f.u. button. I left a bunch of messages to harass him seemed like my only recourse. Anyways the first question, is there anyway to activate it or am I stuck with a small wifi tab? Second questions is I saw you say before unlock it and sell it over seas, where would I sell it. Any and all info would be appreciated. To all the honest people who have been ripped off I feel your pain it really sucks. From what I’ve seen if buying a used phone where you meet the buyer simply call the company straight talk, at&t or whoever phone is branded give them serial number and Imei or meid (under battery). If phone is good he should have no problem waiting for this process before cash changes hands.
To unlock this you will need to purchase a samsung manufacturer unlock code. We do have those sor sale at our website http://www.mobilelizard.com. It will work fine outside the usa once unlocked. If you are interested in having it work in the usa email us directly at unlock@mobilelizard.com
Lastly, the only foolproof way to buy a phone at less than retail value is to purchase from a cell phone store, or a trusted online retailer – amazon for example.
Meeting a buyer face to face in a store is no longer a sure thing. Many folks have done this only to have the phone stop working weeks or months later when the seller still turns around and reports it lost/stolen or simply does not pay the early termination fee or balance on the phone.
I recently bought a Sprint LG G2 from Craigslist that when looked up said it could be activated on Ting. But once I bought it and went to activate it, it told me I had to swap my account. So when I called sprint they said that the account had an outstanding balance. Is there any way to get this activated on my account. Please advise.
No there is no way to get it activated on your Ting account. You will have to switch carriers.
I found a Verizon Galaxy S4 and when I called Verizon to activate it they informed me that they couldn’t activate it because it had been reported lost/stolen. What do I need to do to activate this phone through a pre-paid network? If I buy the Verizon SIM activation kit will it work?
No. The phone has been reported lost/stolen. Theres nothing you can do.
Hello, I bought or was told it was a Sprint Galaxy S5 SPHG900BKS. I went to sprint to swap the phone and replace an old one and get we do not recognize that number. I called sprint and they say its registered to some other carrier and sprint can’t use it. I’ve tried to get ahold of the seller and of course get no response. Can your services correct this type of issue. Sprint also said the ESN is not blocked. Thanks for your time.
It may have been flashed to another carrier – take it to a local store to see if they can figure it out for you.
if I buy a galaxy s5 from craigslist and its locked can I unlock it?
If you mean sim unlock, yes. It is not advisable to buy phone with bad imei or esn. There isn’t always a solution or workaround for it, and depending on the phone the fix can be expensive.
I have a sprint Iphone 6 plus but want to switch to another provider. Only issue is I am on easy pay. Will the phone work if i switch to another provider after having phone unlocked?
Hello. Your phone will continue to work as long as sprint does not blacklist or block it. They will do so if there is an unpaid bill or ETF.
I have a couple iPhone through Uscellular and their is a balance on them and the account has been canceled, I have been told there is a way to unlock them so they could be used on verizon or cricket, also that after so many months it will release and could also b used on uscellular network again…is this true?
Don’t know if there is any truth to that. UScellular is very regional, its possible If the iphone is a 5 or below you may be able to unlock it. But, as its uscellular, neither cricket nor verizon will easily accept the phone.
It’s been working fine with prepaid, will that last or will it eventually be blacklisted
it will eventually be blocked if the owner stops making bill payments or does not pay the phone’s early termination fees.
Bought a use galaxy s4 tmobile the store says I can’t use it bcuz of previous owners bill. Can I bypass at all???
email us at unlock@mobilelizard.com
I bought a tmobile iPhone 6 plus from someone and it has a bad emi, I wanted to unlock it and use it foe sprint. Is there anything I can do?
A tmobile phone cannot be reconfigured for sprint use.
I bought an iPhone 6 from a person and then found out that that phone has been reported as lost would I be able to do anything about it or would I be able to connect it with any carrier?
You would not be able to use in the usa to the best of our knowledge
I bought a Samsung galaxy. Found out it has bad esn due to none payment. Can it be switched to straight talk or any other company? If so does it need to be flashed?
it is difficult to answer this question without knowing what carrier and which galaxy model it is.
I recently bought a Galaxy S4. It is a sprint phone, It has been cleaned and cleared. I would like to flash it over to cricket. Is it possible for the phone to be unlocked and flashed over to cricket or any other non contract plan. Thank you, Michele
Its possible. email us at unlock@mobilelizard.com
I have a Tmobile account and I bought a new phone from QVC. I thought it was a TMobile phone but when it arrived the box said Boost. How do I get Boost to unlock the phone? I may just send it back to QVC.
Send it back. Boost does not unlock.
I bought an AT&T Galaxy S4 phone, but when I turned it on it said T-Mobile. What do I do?
If it does not accept your at&t sim card when you put it in the sim slot, you need to have your phone sim-unlocked. You can do that by visiting our webpage http://www.mobilelizard.com
Bought a T-Mobile Note 3 from Craigslist and I put my t mobile sim card in and it works fine. I looked up the imei on swappa and it says outstanding balance. Should I expect something in the near future?
Its possible, however it isn’t 100% certain that anything will happen.
I bought a T-Mobile HTC m8 with a bad Imei, what should I do?
Please email us directly for information – unlock@mobilelizard.com
Bought a iPhone 6 -A1586; I put my Sprint sim in it and also got the sim for the iPhone. They were just about to take the phone from me at the store because it has a bad IMEI/MEID (previous owner owed bill and phone was under contract still). When I put my sim in it would allow me to set up the phone for a little bit then it would say, “sim locked” or “unable to read”.
Now the guy at sprint allowed me to keep the phone and told me that I would be able to activate it with them in 6 months…is there anything that I can do before then…? I have already tried to take it to PagePlus and they were unable to do anything as well.
***if you look on the apple website it states that the iPhone 6 model A1586 is a phone that was bought directly from apple without a sim
Thank you. I’ll be looking for your response
Wait the 6 months. About that time sprint’s new programs should be up and running. They have been forced to make their phones unlockable, and their sims will likely become compatible with GSM phones, like Verizon’s.
I bought a BlackBerry Q10 with bad IMEI (AT&T) from Ebay. Is it possible to unlock this and use it outside the United States?
Yes, its possible. We do have the unlock available at our website – http://www.mobilelizard.com
I have bought two new looking us cellular samsung galaxy 5s phones for myself and my wife not understanding the whole blacklist deal. I brought them both to be hooked up and was told they had BOTH had bad IMei numbers.I paid close to retail.Is there anything that can be done besides let my son use them as backup tablets?
You can try finding someone who flashes us cellular. Your carrier options will be limited.
So I was one of the not so smart individuals to buy a phone off of Craig’s .. I went to activate and it told me it was a lost/stolen phone. I have no idea what to do with it now. Its a note 4
Email us at – unlock@mobilelizard.com for more information
I bought a iPhone 5s off of Craigslist back in june and it stopped working in July on my birthday actually and I went into t-mobile and they told me that the person whom sold me the phone didn’t pay the balance and that if I had any information to give apple I may be able to pay the remaining balance and I didn’t end up having any information left over. Now I’m stuck not knowing what to do or what my options are….or even how much I could get out of the phone for parts is pretty much brand new no scratches or any cracks.
That is a tough one – Try ebay to sell for parts or as is.
Hey so I just got an IPhone 6 for sprint, the seller told me that nothing was wrong with it, but when I went today to activate it, they told me that it’s not reported stolen but that it’s still active and that it’s suspended, what should I do? I’m trying to contact the seller but he hasn’t replied. Is there anything I can do?
There’s not much you can do in this case unfortunately. Try speaking with sprint – let seller know you’re getting law enforcement involved.
I believe I still had 5-8 months with three of my S4 before my 2 year contract ended with Verizon. Some financial difficulties came up. My S3s were month to month. I got some collection letters 3+ months ago. Now, Swappa and Verizon’s website shows a clear ESN on all phones. I heard Sprint autoclears unpaid account bad ESNs. Is it possible Verizon did the same? Is it cool to sell the phones now? I tried calling Verizon but the rep said he couldn’t tell. Not sure if he was just uninformed or not.
Sprint autoclears bad esn’s? News to us. Verizon definitely would not. Only way to tell is to walk into a store.
I bought an iPhone 5c off of eBay for verizion with a clear esn should I have anything to worry about ?
Not if it remains that way, no
I bought a straigt talk phone from an individual and when I tried to activate it invade was told it could not be activated bc it was not scanned in and I can’t get ahold if person I purchased it from. What are my options? Can I use it on Verizon prepay service or any other service? Can it be flashed over without problems from did carrier I’m trying to use it on? Thanks
hello. Sorry but there’s no solution that we know of for this. Straight talk is a sub carrier and as such will only work on their network(s). If the phone isn’t scanned it was likely stolen and won’t register in their system.
I bought a tmobile g3 has bad imeid number what can i do
Email us directly unlock@mobilelizard.com for more information
I lost my straight tslk phone and reported it stolen and now I’vefound it and have been trying to get it removed for 2 weeks bc there waiting on verizon to onlock it can I go around straight talk and get it unlocked any quicker
very unlikely straight talk is proprietary under the tracfone umbrella. No one else will be able to take care of it.
Hello,
I purchased a galaxy s4 that was connected through Sprint. Tried to use it-bad esn. My sister has service thrpugh metro pcs…can she get it flashed to work for her through metro?
Its got a bad esn, so its going to be difficult, but its not impossible. Maybe not to metro but to something else
hi I bought a iPhone 6plus from my friend the carrier is us cell. I just found out she’s owes a bill on it. She bought the phone out right but has an unpaid bill can I still have it switched to my name on us cell prepaid?
That’s not a question we can answer. Every carrier’s policies are different. However, it helps if you think of it like buying a car. Difficult to sell a car you don’t completely own.
Bought a beautiful iPhone 6 (Sprint) that was suppose to be cleared for activation on Ting, but there is a balance on the account. I had been in touch with the owner who was “working with me” to get it a cleared up (which is actually quite easy, you can put a cheap non-smart phone onto that existing account to release the sold phone). I even offered to take care of it, I just needed her PIN number and security answers which she could change immediately after the switch and she still didn’t do anything.
Sprint says call the police, the police say it’s not a criminal case and I’m sick of all of it! Anyway that you know of to get Sprint to release the MEID for the iPhone or to get them to let me make the change? I have FB conversation showing she knew the problem and was promising to fix it. HELP! I need a working phone adapt…thanks!! Lori
Hello, sorry we are not aware of any measures that will help to clear your situation up. Thanks for listing the non smart phone option.
Hello, I have a galaxy note 4 I’d like to sell the imei is clear but it has a balance, is there any way I can clear that to sell it. I don’t want to be a crooked salesman
Hello
email us at – unlock@mobilelizard.com for more info
Hi i bought a brand new Verizon iphone 6 from Craigslist had a clean imei had it activated with consumer cellular a few days later the phone was blacklisted is there anything i can do?
Thanks
James
Yes, there is the verizon iphone 6 can be cleaned- Email us directly at unlock@mobilelizard.com for more info.
Bought a new Lg g3 tried installing SIM doesnt read. took it to t-mobile and they told me it has a bad Imei. I bought this phone in different country. I can only use it on wifi thats it not as a normal phone. Is there any way i can clean the imei so i can use it?
What is the original carrier on the LG G3?
I got ripped off on Craigslist by a lady..sold me a samsung note 3 still under contract. .she wont pay the bill. .is there anyway to help me …i am out 200.00..she won’t answer my calls the IMEDI number is [info erased]
Yes, we can help you with the note 3 – email us unlock@mobilelizard.com
I bought an iPhone 6plus T-Mobile from a lady on Craigslist who said it had a a clean esn. I went to metro to activate but then was told it was on a negative list (someone reported stolen) -300 :'( I wounder if I could still sell the parts or something because I just lost 300
Hello, unfortunately there is no fix for blacklisted Tmobile iphones. There is also no longer a working unlock for blacklisted or bad imei tmobile iphones. Sell for parts
Bought an iphone 6 plus off craigslist
Found out it was thru tmobile with a balance owed on it.
Can i fix this or should i sell it for parts?
Thanks!
Sell for parts
Bought a iphone plus from a seller and couldn’t unlock as there is pending payment on that att next account. Can i use with an att line or Will it be black listed?
It can be unlocked. It just won’t work. So, no you can’t use with at&t or any other us carrier.
I bought a Black listed Galexy 4. The carrier is Us Celular. Is there a way to get it activated still??
You can check in your area and see if anyone is flashing us cellular.
I a sprint htc one max bad imei . Can u unlock it?
No we cannot.
Bought a Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge from someone but it was blacklisted can it still be used ?
Depends on the carrier – we’d need more info to make a determination on this. Thanks!