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iPhone X Did I Get Ripped ?

SevengerNC

SevengerNC

macrumors regular
Original poster
Apr 19, 2012
151
14
Winston Salem, NC
Jan 2018 I bought a NEW iPhone X 64 Verizon from an individual on Facebook Marketplace. Paid $800 instead of $1,000 plus tax, went straight to the Verizon store, activated the phone and all has been good for 6 months.

Yesterday, I went to Verizon to check out the trade-in value ($609) and see about paying the retail difference of a new Samsung. Dude confirmed my trade-in value and then started clicking on my iPhone. Looking at #'s & such, he then asked about my buying & activating the phone which I told him how it happened.
Then he laid the bomb on me. The serial?? # of my phone shows it as stolen, fraudulent … or something, and now the value is ZERO.

He said probably what happened was the original owner bought one or several, paid the taxes and then never paid another dime after selling it to me. Actually, I was thankful he didn't confiscate it or cut it off, but it is worth ZERO at Verizon.

Now the question - -
However, if I was able to activate it and continue with no problems, shouldn't I be able to sell it to another individual, and they could activate it just like I did?
Thanks !
 
The Verizon blacklist is shared with other carriers in the U.S. Activations would not be possible.

The local value of your phone definitely took a hit.
 
1) Confirm with Verizon that the phone is listed as stolen
2) If it is confirmed as stolen, you need to go to your local Police Department and turn the phone in.
3) Being in possession of stolen goods is a crime.
 
I can't figure how I got it activated - UNLESS it was so new it hadn't had time to get on the bad list.
This does not seem like a good situation.
He didn't say it was stolen - just that this phone has some sort of issues ??
Crap
 
SevengerNC said:
I can't figure how I got it activated - UNLESS it was so new it hadn't had time to get on the bad list.
This does not seem like a good situation.
He didn't say it was stolen - just that this phone has some sort of issues ??
Crap
Click to expand...

It takes a while before the blacklist kicks in.

The original owner didn’t pay the monthly fees. The device belongs to Verizon until that debt has been paid.
 
yep you got rip thats why you need too be vary carefull when buying from others some time it may be worth more too pay tax and get a phone that you can sell later
 
Is this in the States? Some crazy laws. In my country, the item would still be legit but the original buyer would get economic consequences and the police would later show up at his door, at one time if he doesn't pay. The item is used and doesn't have the same value as a new one, so Verizon needs to get the rest of the money that is lost with the used value. Why not get all the money instead of a used phone and then rest of the money? They can get all the money since they already are going to go for money. Why should a legit buyer be punished for another persons criminal act? The police/Verizon needs to get the money from _that_ person and not from you, in my honest opinion. Verizon gets scammed and they move the role as a victim from a multi-million corp to a single person. Not okey. There must be some insurence company to cover this. We get free insurence with our version of "Verizon" too, but the laws protect us from stupid s**t like this. I just found out I will never buy a phone outside my country, as I might get punished for something I didn't do and something I did legitimately. If I buy a stolen car, I must return the car and get paid the value back so I can buy another car. The police doesn't steal from me because another person stole it earlier.

How Verizon can solve the problem (like I know other countries does) is to cooperate with banks. If the original buyer doesn't pay, then the value is withdrawn from that persons paycheck before it comes to the credit account. Happened to me once. I didn't know of the problem and checked it out later to find out this was sort of the reason. Unpaid bill and they got their money. Problem solved and honest good people doesn't get punished.

Edit: It must be in US, since Verizon and I just noticed "Winston Salem, NC"
 
Last edited:
JPack said:
It takes a while before the blacklist kicks in.

The original owner didn’t pay the monthly fees. The device belongs to Verizon until that debt has been paid.
Click to expand...
Realistically the phone belongs to whoever got the phone, there's just a separate loan that someone is responsible for that isn't secured by the phone, as far as I recall.

It's quite possible that the original owner simply reported it lost/stolen to get some sort of an insurance replacement out of it basically.
 
If the iPhone is still working for now, I'd keep using it until it stops working since that's the only way you can get value out of it. Though it's risky in the sense that it could stop working at any time--and maybe at an inconvenient moment.

I don't know if it's possible for you, but if you can hold out until the new iPhones are released most rumors indicate that all of the new models will be much cheaper. I'd deactivate your current iPhone and put in a drawer--or sell it but stating openly that it has a bad ESN and is for parts only.

Your next iPhone should be retail or you should at least meet up at the carrier store to confirm it's paid off. Sorry this happened to you.
 
Last edited:
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The OP did say:
“He didn't say it was stolen - just that this phone has some sort of issues ??
Crap
“

So the OP bought the phone knowing that something wasn’t right.
Also he didn’t bother to find out the problem.
I would say a good portion of the “blame” is on him also.
 
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