[robbiedigital]

...my PIN and IMEI.

OK..long story. Phone bought from Pacific. According to them, refurbished by RIM (do they even do that? Anyway...).

Phone works fine on Rogers network - can make calls, send SMS, blackberry messenger, but can't register with BIS.

Rogers said that they do not recognize my vendor id, 179, so cannot help release my phone.

Now, I've looked up 179 and it says F-100 or Fast 100. I can't find that carrier anywhere to contact them.

What can I do to release the PIN and IMEI so that I can register with BIS as Rogers?

Excuse any technical misquotes - I know nothing about phones, so this is all completely new to me.

Thanks

[faisal.haider]

Who is the provider of the phone you boight? Does the phone say rogers on it or atnt or wut it says?

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[robbiedigital]

it actually says nothing on startup...just blackberry

[jeli2657]

Sounds like your blackberry is locked to a carrier. Contact the company you bought the device from, and explain to them it is a locked device. Ask if they will exchange it for you.

[robbiedigital]

No one - I got it from Pacific mall, supposedly unlocked and refurbished. Why would you say it's locked to a carrier? No carrier page displays and apart from BIS, it works fine with my Rogers SIM.

What I understand is that it was previously registered on BIS with another carrier (vendor id 179). Does this make sense? Fack, I'm confused.

The thing is, carrier 179 is supposedly F100, and I can't find that carrier anywhere!

[jeli2657]

Yea, I guess I don't know what I'm talking about lol

[robbiedigital]

BUMP! Anyone?!

Just saw another thread...someone said:

"Hello,

In a thread from a few months back, you said:

"Vendor ID 179 is for hansets that are purchased from retailers who are not mobile phone service providers."

I am very confused and Rogers is not helping me!

[StoneColdx]

What information do you listed under Options-Mobile Network?
Just b/c nothing shows up on the start-up screen does not mean it isn't tied to a carrier. I don't have a carrier splash screen on mine @ start-up either but my phone is Alltel specific.
Let us know...

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[GYGZACH]

Vendor 179 means the phone is unbranded, in all likelihood your phone was registered to another network and the pin was never released. There is no carrier for Vendor 179 as far as I know.

[GlenB]

BIS accounts contain the unique PIN of a device and that PIN cannot be used in another BIS account. BIS access for your carrier will only allow them to maintain/change BIS accounts registered through their network. So to me, it sounds like the PIN is associated with a different carrier's BIS account. Your own carrier's tech support may be able to escalate that to RIM and request that RIM locate and zero the PIN in the old BIS account.

[gmkahuna]

I may be wrong, but I'm guessing Jeli is right...

[robbiedigital]

Thanks for your input guys.

Under Options, Mobile Network it says Rogers.

As far as the store I bought it from - they said the phone was a refurbished phone bought from RIM. Does RIM even do that? Anyway, I trust nothing they say.

[robbiedigital]

more updates...

Called RIM - they told me the phone is locked to T-Mobile
Called T-mobile - they said Rogers must give me APN settings to unlock
Called Rogers - they said APN settings have nothing to do with it and that T-mobile has to give me unlock codes

I'm going nuts here...this is ridiculous.

BTW, the phone was bought from Cell123 at Pacific Mall...just so everyone knows.

[GlenB]

Go into options, advanced options, SIM card. Hold shift and type MEPD

It will show whether the phone is locked to a specific network or not. If it is - you need to get it unlocked, but I dont believe it is as it wouldnt work for voice etc.

The APN setting is a total red herring.

Assuming it is unlocked, it is most likely that the BIS account has been created with T-Mobile - they are the ones that the BIS account is associated to and they would be able to remove the BIS account - though they are unlikely to be willing to as you wont be the person the BIS account belongs to. At this point, the only way forward would be what I said, call your carrier, Rogers, ask them to escalate to RIM to have the existing T-Mobile BIS account PIN number zeroed, allowing you to create a new BIS account within Rogers area of the BIS system.

[cavingjan]

Sounds like you really need to go back to the store where you bought it.

[robbiedigital]

Latest update:

I got T-mobile to escalate to RIM (as an aside, Rogers WOULD NOT do this on my behalf. How pathetic is it that T-mobile, of who I am not a customer, was more helpful than my own carrier of 10+ years?).

RIM is currently investigating the situation with my phone though at first glance, they said everything looks good from their perspective.

IN any case, they asked me to provide info on where I bought it from...makes me wonder if it was stolen or if something else fishy is going on...

[robbiedigital]

Well, it may not be their device, but it is in their interest to help me.

Me with functioning blackberry = data/SMS/MMS usage = $ for Rogers.

[AngryChineseDriver]

Damn, and I thought about going to P-Mall to buy a phone in the past.

Really messed up, you should go back to Cell123 and complain, tell them that you've retained counsel and are gonna get white cops to drop by, call AM1430 and complain, etc...

But seriously, good luck.

[robbiedigital]

We'll see what RIM comes back with! I'm hoping for a solution, but if that's not possible, and I have some sort of "proof" of foul play on the part of Cell123, I guarantee you I'll be causing as much trouble for them as I can until I get a refund.

[robbiedigital]

UPDATE!

Just called RIM.

Basically, due to modifications to factory settings which are against their rules (software/hardware agreements), the phone has been permanently blacklisted for Blackberry data. They wouldn't elaborate, but said:

No web browsing
No email
No chat programs
EVER

Now, unfortunately, they also said they will not provide this in writing! So, I can't even "prove" to the store that this is BS. So frustrating.

I suppose this is permanent and real? Sounds like it, unless y'all have any ideas!

[anon(1603170)]

UPDATE!

Just called RIM.

Basically, due to modifications to factory settings which are against their rules (software/hardware agreements), the phone has been permanently blacklisted for Blackberry data. They wouldn't elaborate, but said:

No web browsing
No email
No chat programs
EVER

Now, unfortunately, they also said they will not provide this in writing! So, I can't even "prove" to the store that this is BS. So frustrating.

I suppose this is permanent and real? Sounds like it, unless y'all have any ideas!

How about you return the phone? If you gave an answer to that question then i didnt read it

Its been blacklisted for blackberry data = pin and possibily imei is being blocked by BIS servers = no good

The guys at cell123 might have changed the vendor id, that would be one of the factory settings modification that is against the rules.

[Radius]

How about you return the phone? If you gave an answer to that question then i didnt read it

Its been blacklisted for blackberry data = pin and possibily imei is being blocked by BIS servers = no good

The guys at cell123 might have changed the vendor id, that would be one of the factory settings modification that is against the rules.

Exactly, everyone has been suggesting you just take it back, so do it already!!

Or just sit there and play with a bad phone and complain about it forever, it's up to you. RIM didn't have to get involved anyhow as from their perspective no carrier would have registered it and even if they did, RIM would have shot it off the network in short order.

So basically you are wasting time and the longer it takes you to confront the seller, the less leverage you have. Get on it!

[robbiedigital]

Hey guys,

The reason I didn't take it back is because the place I bought it from is a little independent Asian kiosk with a "final sale" type policy. There is no notion of customer service or accountability. In any case, I did call them and they said bring it in...so we shall see.

[robbiedigital]

How about you return the phone? If you gave an answer to that question then i didnt read it

Its been blacklisted for blackberry data = pin and possibily imei is being blocked by BIS servers = no good

The guys at cell123 might have changed the vendor id, that would be one of the factory settings modification that is against the rules.

They did in fact change it to 179...

[anon(1603170)]

They did in fact change it to 179...

They are not allowed to do so, its an illegal move by their part considering the tools available to do that are illegal leaks. Only RIM can change vendor IDs (legally). One more reason for a refund. When you called rim, did they ask you for the vendor id on the phone and the imei?