[KidProdigy]

Hey all,
I live in Canada, and im purchasing a Blackberry Bold from a online site, though im purchasing it LOCALLY. I've talked to the guy responsible for the sale of this phone, he said that he had won the phone at some sort of conference or meeting.
The bold is IMEI unlocked, unbranded, with a box and all accessories...
- I need to know, do you think this is a legit deal?
- Since its unbranded, i REALLY don't know if its a preproduction model or not.. therefore im worried.
- The phone is $450 Canadian.
Please help me and include how i could check if its preproduction or not!! Thanks and give you thoughts

[Jay.]

I know a few people in the Bold forum have ended up with phones with locked PINs, so they couldn't activate BIS or anything. Really unfortunate. :sad2:

It's really not worth it to save a couple dollars, IMO. I got ripped off on ebay trying to do the same thing with who I thought was a reputable seller.

[KidProdigy]

I haven't as I dont have a paypal or anything..
but he said I could take a look at the phone..
could u tell me how i could check or something.

[amazinglygraceless]

Have him provide you the IMEI and have your carrier check it.

But honestly, if I were having the doubts you are having I'd pass.
And I would think unbranded would be pre-production.

[KidProdigy]

Thing is he says he doesnt feel comfortable, because of how people can lock PINS now..

[skyjackal]

Hey all,
I live in Canada, and im purchasing a Blackberry Bold from a online site, though im purchasing it LOCALLY. I've talked to the guy responsible for the sale of this phone, he said that he had won the phone at some sort of conference or meeting.
The bold is IMEI unlocked, unbranded, with a box and all accessories...
- I need to know, do you think this is a legit deal?
- Since its unbranded, i REALLY don't know if its a preproduction model or not.. therefore im worried.
- The phone is $450 Canadian.
Please help me and include how i could check if its preproduction or not!! Thanks and give you thoughts

Caveat emptor (sp?)

Just buy from a reputable seller. The couple of extra bucks you'll spend will be well worth the peace of mind. Good luck!

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[eyerolleddapiec]

Thing is he says he doesnt feel comfortable, because of how people can lock PINS now..

if your doing a face to face, just meet him at a local carriers store and have them run it while u are there. If its free and clear, pay the man and enjoy...if hes not willing to do that run the other way

[Reed McLay]

Buying a BlackBerry off eBay - BlackBerryFAQ

This is specific to eBay, but it also applies to your situation.

Be very careful, particularly if it is described as unbranded. All production BlackBerrys are carrier branded.

[thepaintedpony]

Hahahaha... a similar topic was on a Judge talk show recently - same thing about a Canada phone. It end up being a bad deal. I'm NOT saying this one is, but if you are concerned and something smells fishy - it probably is! Good luck with your decision whatever you decide!

[Branta]

Thing is he says he doesnt feel comfortable, because of how people can lock PINS now..

Alarm bells ringing loudly here. This sounds like an excuse to stop you handling and fully testing the phone yourself. The only people who can 'lock' a phone PIN work at Research in Motion, and they need a good reason to do it... like reported (through authenticated channels) as Stolen Phone. It can't be done hands-on with the phone, its done from a computer.

Fully unbranded usually means stolen prototype or stolen from manufacturing. There are very few legitimate unbranded Bolds around. 'Won as a prize' is a great way to avoid producing ownership documentation.

If you decide to continue... Buying local probably means cash, and this will leave you with zero protection if it all goes bad. I would not expect anyone to carry $450 in the hope the phone is good, so go in to examine and check, and arrange a second meeting a day or two later to complete the deal if everything is good. If a second meet is not acceptable to the seller and its 'deal now or forget it' - time to call his bluff and walk away, because that is the classic way to prevent proper investigation.

Make a note of the phone IMEI and PIN and get them checked out later by your choice of advisor - and cross check against the box labels to make sure you're not getting old phone in new box. If possible also get the software version and VendorID from the Help screen (Alt+Shift+H). Software version on a production phone should be at least 4.6.0.92 (the original Rogers branded release had this buggy nightmare). Vendor_ID can be looked up online and should match the box.

Other points which gave the game away for forum users who got scammed - Look under the battery for any evidence of a 'Property of RIM' label.
Look for the word 'Beta' in any of the screens.

Be alert for scams, and take a trusted friend with you as witnesss and backup. If that happens to be a very large friend who is familiar with law enforcement so much the better.