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617aircav

Suspended
Jul 2, 2012
3,975
818
That is the risk you are taking as a trade off for a cheaper phone. If you want to avoid all of the worrying and nervousness, just buy a phone from a retail store.

Just don't spend an amount you can't afford to loose.
 

CEmajr

macrumors 601
Dec 18, 2012
4,450
1,230
Charlotte, NC
If you're worried about a phone getting blacklisted that's why you pay with your credit card. A chargeback can be filed long after the 45 days granted by eBay and PayPal. I've had to do it a couple times for some items. Amex credits the amount back almost instantly.
 

617aircav

Suspended
Jul 2, 2012
3,975
818
If you're worried about a phone getting blacklisted that's why you pay with your credit card. A chargeback can be filed long after the 45 days granted by eBay and PayPal. I've had to do it a couple times for some items. Amex credits the amount back almost instantly.

If you do this how do you return the phone to the seller?
 

RetiredInFl

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Jul 7, 2008
2,422
237
FORMERLY NJ now FL
That is the risk you are taking as a trade off for a cheaper phone. If you want to avoid all of the worrying and nervousness, just buy a phone from a retail store.
That wasn't the point of my OP. I know all the "ins and outs" of eBay, PayPal and credit card protection and shopping online (I'm almost 70 and have been buying & selling on the net since way before Al Gore invented the internet :) ). I was simply wondering where so many of these "bad IMEI" phones are coming from. Seems like way too many for people just scamming insurance and/or not paying their bills. Probably 25% of the listed iPhones (and other phones as well) are all "bad imei."
 

RetiredInFl

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Jul 7, 2008
2,422
237
FORMERLY NJ now FL
If you do this how do you return the phone to the seller?
eBay holds the sellers funds and the seller must refund you when the phone is returned. It doesn't work 100% of the time but probably 99%. Also, if you chargeback using your credit card PayPal can put your account into "negative." Just because the CC company does it willingly PayPal can (and has) rejected it. People have been sent to collections and their credit dinged. Doesn't happen often but since PayPal is NOT a bank they aren't under the same rules the CC companies are. You are still safer with a credit card but it's not a "sure thing."
 
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