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benguild

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jul 29, 2003
827
39
So, I preordered a 4S before launch, got it in the mail, and decided to put it on eBay since I wanted to wait and get an unlocked one.

Where I messed up:
NOT ACTIVATING IT BEFORE SELLING IT

... The guy who bought it almost had to send it back to me because it's impossible to activate the phone through iTunes without being the original purchaser. Even if you swap the SIM card. Even if you call AT&T. Even if you call Apple.

Stupid, right?
So, anyone whose iPhone was "stolen" or sold before activation ... it's a paperweight unless it can be jailbroken.

I wasn't even at home when this happened. I was able to "Screen Share" onto his computer, block out the window and type in my information to activate it for him. Then, poof my phone stopped working and his phone started getting my calls/texts! I should have known better ... but nightmare strikes.

I called AT&T, asked them to switch the SIM Card back. They couldn't. Because that card had already been permanently deactivated.

A conference call later I was able to get someone to read the SIM Card number from the AT&T unlocked phone I'd bought days earlier and switch it to that, and had to physically switch it in later.

A few hours without my phone were very stressful knowing someone across the country had access to it for a few minutes. Jeez!!
:mad:
 
Last edited:

dccorona

macrumors 68020
Jun 12, 2008
2,033
1
perhaps forcing the phone into DFU mode and restoring with a clean build of iOS5 would allow you to bypass this?

Haven't tried it so I can't say for sure
 

benguild

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jul 29, 2003
827
39
perhaps forcing the phone into DFU mode and restoring with a clean build of iOS5 would allow you to bypass this?

Haven't tried it so I can't say for sure

He said he'd tried everything, including a restore. It has something to do with the phone's IMEI/Serial number ... specifically that iTunes won't activate it. Bummer.
 

kvizzel

macrumors 6502a
Jan 15, 2011
559
6
Why not run to the AT&T store and get a new sim card? Once that is activated the other one is deactivated. No worries.
 

Purplepear

macrumors newbie
Oct 8, 2011
16
0
Why not run to the AT&T store and get a new sim card? Once that is activated the other one is deactivated. No worries.

Not possible. I had a complicated upgrade swap (upgrade swap over diff accounts) and it took them an hour to realize they needed to activate the phone under the original sim and then swap the phones.
 

AndrewR23

Contributor
Jun 24, 2010
4,548
1,721
Wow, def learned something new here.


Glad everything worked out...I hope the buyer was trustworthy too.
 
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