Carrier Blacklist full of holes

[dailedailey]

So I got a Verizon A1687 128 gigs on fleabay for $600. Blacklisted of course, but it works for the Blue Death Star and when checked it's clear on Cricket (AT&T's subsidiary). It was purchased as a gift for an overseas family meber, but it's interesting to see that blacklist isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Blocked on T-Mobile and it's MVNOs, but I suspect because they want to control the used devices market.

Anyone else experienced this?

 

[eyoungren]

The ideal of the IMEI blacklist is not the same as the reality of the blacklist.

This is why blacklisted American phones can be sold overseas - and vice versa.

 

[Max(IT)]

What's that about ?
Is a blacklisted phone a stolen one ?

 

[Gav2k]

What's that about ?
Is a blacklisted phone a stolen one ?

Not in America it dosnt seem to be. Blacklisted are phones where people have failed to pay there bill.

Over here it's mainly phones listed as stolen and the database is centralised for all our networks.

 

[C DM]

Not in America it dosnt seem to be. Blacklisted are phones where people have failed to pay there bill.

Over here it's mainly phones listed as stolen and the database is centralised for all our networks.

Blacklisted phones are often lost/stolen ones, and occasionally ones that are not paid up.

 

[eyoungren]

What's that about ?
Is a blacklisted phone a stolen one ?

As explained, a device with a blacklisted IMEI is supposed to not work on any carrier - worldwide. Because it wasn't paid off. Or was stolen. Or lost.

There is a global database for blacklisted IMEIs. The idea is that each country's carriers are to contribute to it.

The reality is that it's voluntary and most carriers only maintain national or regional lists.

Consequently a phone can be blacklisted in the US, but if that is not shared to the global blacklist then a UK or European carrier can still activate that phone on their networks. And vice versa.

It's a noble idea, but it's all voluntary. Until carriers worldwide are compelled to report via local law the holes in the database will continue to remain open.

 

[yaboyac29]

I disagree with the blacklist. We need to stop bailing out stupid people who lose their phones. If you lose any other electronic then it doesn't become unusable. I only say this because people keep getting screwed over.

In the event that your phone is stolen, a police report should be REQUIRED to blacklist a phone.

People that are trying to commit credit card fraud won't want to give their info to the police.

 

[eyoungren]

I disagree with the blacklist. We need to stop bailing out stupid people who lose their phones. If you lose any other electronic then it doesn't become unusable. I only say this because people keep getting screwed over.

In the event that your phone is stolen, a police report should be REQUIRED to blacklist a phone.

People that are trying to commit credit card fraud won't want to give their info to the police.

Sure. All it takes is passing legislation to force major carriers who pay six figure salaries to congressional lobbyists and fund the election campaigns of senators and congressmen to comply by mandate.

 

[dailedailey]

Insurance claims will also get a phone blacklisted. A person who loses a phone is suppose to send it back if they find it after it goes missing.

That's why you never buy a phone on craigslist. Paypal at least has their 180 day buyer window to open a dispute.

 

[aneftp]

Works the same way in other countries.

A blacklisted iPhone in European countries can be used outside the region.

Blacklisting in one country doesn't guarantee blacklisting in another where laws are different.

That's why I prefer iCloud lock. That lock is just about bullet proof worldwide. Who knows. Apple may have agreement with the leasing bank who finances the iPhone upgrade program that Can give Apple the right to iCloud lock phones for non payments. That would be awesome.

 

[nburwell]

This happened to me on Swappa. I purchased an iPhone 6 last year that was the Verizon model. I used it on AT&T without any issues. I subsequently sold it on Swappa once I upgraded to the 6s. The buyer who bought the phone from me used it on Verizon without any issues for a couple months. Then one day it was blacklisted since Verizon stated the phone was being used for fradulent purposes.

To make a long story short, when I got the phone back from the buyer, I inserted my AT&T SIM in the 6 and it worked perfectly fine for me. Tested everything out from data, to making a couple phone calls, to texts. Everything worked without a hitch.