There’s a guy on Ebay with good feedback selling an iPhone 15 Pro. It is financed and tied to his Tmobile account. He says he has to make the payments, otherwise his family lines would be shut down.
He says Tmobile won’t unlock it until it is paid off. I use Tmobile btw.
Is it worth to save $250?
I understand it’s not ideal but what’s the worse it can happen? Can’t I say to Tmobile I bought it from the guy and paid for it. Don’t shut down my iPhone in case he stops making payments.
Any experience buying such a phone?
For the record, I am a T-Mobile customer as well (since September 2015) and I visit the T-Mobile subreddit multiple times a day. You can check what I am going to say there if you like.
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What is the worst that can happen?
Seller stops paying. Phone is blacklisted for non-payment. Blacklisting is not the same as unlocking. You can have an unlocked phone that is blacklisted and because of that it will not work on any US domestic carrier network.
Some points:
1. You can tell T-Mobile whatever you want to tell them. They will ignore you. The transaction of a device/phone on EIP (payments) is a contract between them and the original seller. You're a third party. They don't give a **** about what you think, say, believe or want. They want their money - from the original buyer.
2. You trust the seller? Based on what? Words that they said to you? Those are just words. Stuff happens, people lie, whatever. The seller has no loyalty to you.
3. In the past, locked T-Mobile phones that were paid off have been sold and T-Mobile customers have been able to put those devices on their account for 40 days of service and then ask for an unlock. It would seem however, that T-Mobile is NOT doing that anymore. They want the original buyer to make the unlock request. Once you leave T-Mobile, they delete your account immediately. So, if the original buyer leaves T-Mobile then there is no account for T-Mob to look up so they can unlock the device. T-Mob is enforcing this now.
4. Based on 3, this is going to mean that YOU ARE DEPENDENT ON THE PERSON YOU ARE BUYING THE PHONE FROM TO UNLOCK YOUR PHONE WHEN IT'S PAID OFF. You can ask, but they won't unlock it for you because you AREN'T the original buyer. Now, that doesn't take into account an automatic unlock after payoff, but you're trusting it will all go smooth.
You're asking. My opinion - VERY BAD IDEA!
