[xxraffyxx]

So I've heard about these stories over and over. I never thought it would happen to me. So I saw on craigslist a blackberry tour for sale. So I called up verizon and I told them I wanted to purchase a phone from a individual what can I do to make sure that I am safe? The lady said just give me the esn number and I can run it and let you know its safe to buy. I meet up with the guy I take a look at the phone and I tell him I want to call verizon first to run the esn number before I buy it. I call up verizon again and I tell them the esn number the lady said its clean and good to buy. So I since I was told it was clean I bought the phone. Well I tried to activate it no more then 15 minutes later, and now they cant activate it, because it was reported lost or stolen. I spoke to a supervisor and he said sorry a million times, and told me why they can't help me out.

What do I do now? I tried calling up the guy again... but SURPRISE! he wont pick up his phone.

[Crunch140]

Call the police. Give them the phone number he gave you.

Best line of defense for yourself....

[lastraid]

Sorry to hear this happened.

If the first rep was able to prperly check it and made error, not sure what can be done about this.

The other option is that from the time you got the number and called back, the real owner may have called in and reported it.

This is hard call, bottom line if it is in the system as reported lost or stolen, not much VZW will do.

Yes as stated above, file a police report.

[xxraffyxx]

Well this is what I was told. If someone reports a phone lost or stolen, it has to go through a system. I called AFTER!! it was reported stolen, and I was told it was clean.

Thats what iis bugging me. I understand the legal obligations that verizon can't help me now, but they made it worst, by telling me it was clean, when it was already reported stolen, its just it takes awhile before it goes through the system.

[lastraid]

Then the only thing I can think that would have happend was the person that told that it was clean, must have made a typo in the system.

I do feel for you, but mistakes happen that has now cost you a lot of money. If the account notes show you called in and the rep told you it was clean, then a supervisor might be help a bit, but no garr on this.

[xxraffyxx]

yeah it showed in my account log that I did call and ask if this esn is clean, but the supervisor I talked to still can't help me out. I will call in a police report, but I already know that it wont help me out. I have no bill of sale only phone calls and I did save his craigslist add, but it wont do anything.

[LawP]

I don't understand the gain of the seller reporting the phone stolen after you bought it. What does he gain.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[xxraffyxx]

I don't understand the gain of the seller reporting the phone stolen after you bought it. What does he gain.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

maybe he got a phone w/ insurance.

[LawP]

maybe he got a phone w/ insurance.

Ah... And the plot thickens. That makes sense.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[rayannamolina227]

Well this is what I was told. If someone reports a phone lost or stolen, it has to go through a system. I called AFTER!! it was reported stolen, and I was told it was clean.

Thats what iis bugging me. I understand the legal obligations that verizon can't help me now, but they made it worst, by telling me it was clean, when it was already reported stolen, its just it takes awhile before it goes through the system.

They have a record of you calling to check it? Could you not use that as leverage to have them help you? "The squeeky wheel gets the grease", could be used in your favor. complain enough about how they helped to make things worse, you may get "hushed" with a new phone.

[xxraffyxx]

yeah believe me I was on the phone for over an hour. He said sorry a million times, but said they cant do anything about it.

[GG1]

VZW should be some what responsible for misleading you. How can it show up clean and 15 mins later it is reported stolen. I would trace the guy who sold it to you, go knocking at his door and walk away with my money. I cant stand people like that. Not suggesting thats what you should do, just saying that is what i would do if it happened to me. Good luck with this, let us know how it turns out.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[lastraid]

VZW should be some what responsible for misleading you. How can it show up clean and 15 mins later it is reported stolen. I would trace the guy who sold it to you, go knocking at his door and walk away with my money. I cant stand people like that. Not suggesting thats what you should do, just saying that is what i would do if it happened to me. Good luck with this, let us know how it turns out.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

15 minutes is a long time. The right full owner or even the guy that sold it might have called in and reported it stolen. who knows.

[bakarus]

if that happened to me i wouldn't just take my money back, i would give him a nice bruising, not that i condone that, but it would be very hard to hold back

[xxraffyxx]

Well what the supervisor told me, I could have the phone activated for weeks, and then if the original owner said the phone was lost or stolen, they HAVE to believe the original owner, because who is to say he isnt lying.

[bakarus]

well i hate to say it but you got burned and learned the hard way. i personally would never buy phones over craigslist or ebay. its really not worth taking the risk, or the headaches that come with it, but in all honesty verizon should definitely give some sort of compensation on their part

[GG1]

Not to be rude but just out of curiousity, is it worth the risk of buying from an add, was there a huge price difference? Im just asking cause im not sure i would be able to. I know you took your precautions by calling wvz before so im not saying its your fault or anything. Did you check if the guy has other adds on craigs list? Try googling his phone # see what comes up.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[xxraffyxx]

well I bought it for $280. I figure i'm going to just unlock the device and sell it as a unlocked phone, but I'll let the buyer know it wont work on verizon because I was screwed over.

[unbreakableblue]

That sucks, sorry to hear it. It also pisses me off because I often sell my old phones on Craigslist once I'm done with them. Guys like this who act like scumbags make the process much harder than it ought to be.

[Rhythmco]

well I bought it for $280. I figure i'm going to just unlock the device and sell it as a unlocked phone, but I'll let the buyer know it wont work on verizon because I was screwed over.

I am in the same damn boat but I purchased mine over ebay. I called and verifed mine too and later when the person I resold it to tried to connect it - surprise it was connected to an account in collections. And my phone was purchased "new in the box". I have no idea what to do with this phone I am so upset. Please let me know if u have any ideas

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[whostoblame]

well I bought it for $280. I figure i'm going to just unlock the device and sell it as a unlocked phone, but I'll let the buyer know it wont work on verizon because I was screwed over.

That would probably be the best thing to do. This is why when I buy from Craigslist I activate that phone on my line or meet at a Verizon store and have them do it.

[xxraffyxx]

I am in the same damn boat but I purchased mine over ebay. I called and verifed mine too and later when the person I resold it to tried to connect it - surprise it was connected to an account in collections. And my phone was purchased "new in the box". I have no idea what to do with this phone I am so upset. Please let me know if u have any ideas

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

Well your in luck... hopefully
did you pay with paypal? let them know you were sold a phone with a bad esn.

or call your credit card company and let them know you bought a phone and found out it had a bad esn

your in a much better boat then me. you have the ebay sales page as evidence that you bought that type of phone, You also have paypal and your creditcard companies you can try and use.

me however I paid cash, all I got saved is his ad (but that doesn't prove anything), I dont have any text message exchanges, I only have call history and that also doesn't prove anything. All I have is a statement from my bank showing a withdraw of $280 out of checking

Things like this ruins my weekend! argh! argh! argh!!!!!! okay
/rant

*edit* I reread what you wrote. If you have the phone back from the guy, get it unlocked and try to sell it as a gsm phone. Thats what I'm planning to do with this.

[DPDCrackBerry]

Okay, here's a piece of friendly advise.......

If you buy a phone from Craigslist, when you meet with the person you need to make a copy of photo ID or copy down their operator number. So if the item you purchase ends of "lost/stolen" you can A: File criminal charges and B: file civil charges.

If the person is wiling to give you this info it's most likely legit.

[elohel]

Damn I'm sorry to hear that dude, that's a messed up situation. Find that guy who sold it to you! Street justice

[bobamedina2000]

When an ESN is put into the system for a stolen/lost check, the system clearly says in big letters it's stolen. There would be no benefit for the rep to lye to you. Not only is the rep supposed to note everything that is discussed, the system automatically stamps the time and user that accessed the account. Is is impossible to go into an account and not leave the stamp.

If it's true that you called and checked first I would call your closest store and ask for the district managers number and email. Try emailing him/her first, then give him a call, if anything the rep should be dealt with.

Being financially compensated is another story. Whats to say the guy that sold it didn't call and report it stolen as soon as the transaction was done, maybe he or a friend has access to the system and waited for the perfect time, maybe he stole it. Either way as far as Verizon is concerned you have a reported lost/stolen phone, if you were to buy it at a Verizon store, you would not have had the issue.

Not trying to sound like a tool, but I know how that company works.