Right now I am trying to pickup two 8830's from ebay. I need them to replace two Motorola Q's which are under contract but suck. I was wondering if anyone here has had any luck going the ebay route?
I just emailed the seller and asked him if the esn was clear. I also look at there feedback rating. I usually won't buy from anyone that is below 97%. Also sometimes they will post the esn number and all you have to do is call your carrier and ask them if the esn is clear. Since i have verizon as my carrier i just made sure to search for a BB verizon compatable phone.
Good Luck and be careful.
I bought mine off ebay, I made sure the seller had perfecty feedback, and made sure they take refund if the blackberry doesnt work.
I had no problems once i got it and got my service switched over.
only thing is when the guy mailed me the phone he never wiped the blackberry, he send me all his address book and everything else. I made sure Verzion resest the phone.
I bought my Alltel branded 8830we "New In Box" on ebay for $150 a few months ago. Seller had 100% positive and I felt safe. Didn't run the ESN. Unit was perfect as was my transaction. Activation was flawless. I love(d) Alltel...
I've bought many phones on eBay and had good luck. Heard some horror stories thogh too. Just watch their feedback, you'll see the dirtbags usually.
I just bought a Verizon 8830WE on ebay. It should arrive shortly. I've bought and sold many phones on ebay. I have not had any problems. Like others have said, just watch the feedback.
Incidentally, I am replacing a Motorola Q9m less than 6 months old that I purchase directly from Verizon. It's given me more headaches than any ebay phone ever did.
Well, I got the first one in... and had to send it right back for a replacement. The usb connection was loose and the phone wouldn't charge. As soon as I get one that works I will be hunting for the second one I need.
I've bought a lot of phones off of Ebay and Craiglists.com. I like Craigslist because you can search your area so you don't have to pay for shipping. Also, they are usually cheaper because the sellers need $$ ASAP and you can usually negotiate with the seller. I've bought and sold with Craigslist and I've never had a problem.
I bought mine on eBay, and it was a piece of cake. One thing to consider: Some carriers are reluctant to release a previous owner's PIN so you can get e-mails on your phone. If they won't do it, and the seller can't or won't do it, you're stuck.
My carrier is Sprint, and they released the PIN for me without any fuss at all.
I picked up an 8830 off ebay for $100. It was a bit of a hassle getting it all set up since the seller didn't clear everything out 100% and still had their old email accounts on it.
Here's my recommended steps after you get your phone.
#1. Perform a Handset Wipe. To reset it like new and erase any of the sellers remaining data off the phone.
Blackberry Key
Scroll down to Options
select Security options
General Settings
Blackberry Key
select "wipe handheld"
check "include 3rd party"
continue
type "blackberry"
press trackball
#2. Once it reboots, Under options, status, write down the ESN and PIN. Call Verizon to activate the handset on your account.
#3. The previous owner still had my 8830's PIN tied to his old Blackberry Internet Service account. I had to call Verizon Customer service and select technical support. The tech was able to delete the previous owners account and then I was able to set up my own BIS account. After that I was able to load in my email account.
I like everyone else above bought my alltel 8830 from ebay w/o any problems. Like someone else mentioned my seller didn't wipe the phone before he mailed it to me.
Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
