Lost Blackberry

[astonmartin1]

One of my co-workers lost his blackberry curve at work a few weeks ago. He reported it lost to tmobile and he files a claim. He pays a deductible to get his new curve. Roughly about two weeks later his "lost" phone was found by another worker. And since my buddy now has two phones. He offered to sell me one of his curves for a 100 bucks so I am wondering If I were to buy the phone, would I be able to use the first phone which he reported lost if I would put my sim in?

[Jude526]

No because it has been blacklisted. He can call TMobile and tell them the lost phone was found and turned in at his work. it will never be able to be activated because of the esn being reported as stolen. This happens a lot where people report a phone lost and then it turns up no worries. Just call the carrier

[astonmartin1]

Originally Posted by Jude526

No because it has been blacklisted. He can call TMobile and tell them the lost phone was found and turned in at his work. it will never be able to be activated because of the esn being reported as stolen. This happens a lot where people report a phone lost and then it turns up no worries. Just call the carrier

Okay thanks. Thats what I thought but he was insisting that since I have a tmobile I can simply insert my tmobile sim and use it with no trouble.

[astonmartin1]

He claims that GSM carriers such as AT&T and Tmobile dont blacklist phones like CDMA so I can simply insert my tmobile sim card and use it? Can someone give me more information on this please

Thanks

[dx169]

I would still make him call his carrier to make sure to see if the device will work if I were you.

[redman12]

UnlockMe - Blacklist & Barred & Blocked. Your Mobile Blacklisted?

Vodafone & T-Mobile
If you place an active Vodafone or T-Mobile SIM into a blacklisted handset, the phone will appear to function perfectly UNTIL you try to make an outgoing call. When you try to call out from the handset you will hear a sequence of beeps and then the call will be dropped!!

[Gawain]

Originally Posted by astonmartin1

He claims that GSM carriers such as AT&T and Tmobile dont blacklist phones like CDMA so I can simply insert my tmobile sim card and use it? Can someone give me more information on this please

Thanks

There is most certainly a clearing house for IMEI which are tied to GSM devices. They can be blacklisted.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[Myveggies]

I was told GSM carriers can't blacklist phones, that's why there are a lot of people out there falsifying lost phone claims.

Just tell him to let you do a test call, plug the sim in and see if you can make a call. Or call T-Mobile and ask if the phone is cleared>

[bigtime2]

Both, being able to use the phone and not being able to use the phone, are possible. I personally think it depends on the associate (at T Mobile) who reports the phone lost/stolen. If the associate does not go through all the steps then the phone can be used, if it is later found. However, if that associate has been working there for a while and has been through this process a few times, he or she will know to go through all the steps and make sure that phone cannot be used ever again.

It happened to me over two years ago. I bought a used Pearl on Craigslist, and later found out it was stolen. The person who sold it to me let me send a few text messages and make a phone call and it worked fine. About three or four days letter I was making a phone call and it just made that sound like when you get a dropped call. Tried againa few times, same thing. Called T Mobile from another phone and was told that the Pearl I had just bought had been reported lost/stolen a few months earlier.

There have been a few threads on this forum where people mentioned that you only cannot use BBM, but you will be able to use voice, text and web on a phone that has been reported lost/stolen.

So, both are possible, but it would be the best if your friend called T Mobile and told them he found the phone. In which case they would ask him to send it to T Mobile. But he is refusing to call them because he knows if he calls T Mobile he won't make that $100, which he planned on by selling you the phone.

[mandony]

If TM has notified RIM, then, the phone's PIN will have been locked; it will NOT be operable using BB services. It MAY will be operable as a telephone only.

[BB King]

There is a good chance that he can use that blackberry. I am currently using 2 devices. And thats how I got the 2nd one. I "thought" I lost my first device, called it in, got my replacement device. I then found my device and never called in finding it or anything. I put my sim card in and I have not had a problem yet. Its been about 7 months now. And also... I have another friend who has done the same thing, and its been about 4 months without any issues for him also.

[astonmartin1]

Originally Posted by BB King

There is a good chance that he can use that blackberry. I am currently using 2 devices. And thats how I got the 2nd one. I "thought" I lost my first device, called it in, got my replacement device. I then found my device and never called in finding it or anything. I put my sim card in and I have not had a problem yet. Its been about 7 months now. And also... I have another friend who has done the same thing, and its been about 4 months without any issues for him also.

So were you able to use the blackberry data plan?. Such as pin, email ect..

I greatly appreciate everyones response!

[BB King]

Also.. just as a foot note.. I was told that the "key" was if the phone was reported LOST or STOLEN is where the blacklisted comes into play. I think Stolen is usually accompanied by a police report when Insurance is involved. Where as Lost can just be misplaced and many carriers have provisioned a time frame in which it may be blacklisted.

[astonmartin1]

Originally Posted by BB King

Also.. just as a foot note.. I was told that the "key" was if the phone was reported LOST or STOLEN is where the blacklisted comes into play. I think Stolen is usually accompanied by a police report when Insurance is involved. Where as Lost can just be misplaced and many carriers have provisioned a time frame in which it may be blacklisted.

So if he reported it lost they would blacklist it? and why not if its stolen?

[BB King]

Yes.. I am currently using that "lost" one now and have been for a while as the newer one awaits a trackball replacement. But yes. I am using ALL NORMAL blackberry services (BBM, Email, Pin2Pin etc). When I switch devices I just have to go into my carrier BIS page and switch my pin and esn number.