Got my unlocked, unactivated iPhone stolen..

[navindralr]

I've sold a couple phones through craigslist. I think I used eBay once or twice in the past, but I hate that website now. I feel like it is too easy to get scammed on there and the site caters to the buyer.

What I do when I sell phones on craigslist is meet at Grand Central Station in NYC. It's very close to me, and if anyone has been to it, they know that it is very public and there are both NYPD and NY Port Authority police everywhere. I make sure to do the transaction near to officers (such as on those shelves that line the walls of the terminal), and sometimes have even gone as far as letting the officer know my situation, in case he sees any shady business go down. The last thing I want to deal with is chasing some ghetto scrub through NYC.

 

[Guy Mancuso]

Not saying every transaction is bad but the real point is why go through all those commen sense actions which mean nothing even when you done your due dilence and someone still rips you off or worse. The bigger question is for what to save or earn a few extra dollars over transactions that are more safer to you as the buyer. Case in point Paypal held up three transactions on me with the sale of actually three iPhones two weeks ago as the seller . Why you ask Paypal could not guarantee the payments to me where good . So they put them under review until they actually cleared the money. They actually protected me from a bad transaction. Now you do whatever you want but I sell big ticket camera gear and buy big ticket camera gear as I'm a working Pro photographer and even as a seller I want a paper trail. Anyone I mean anyone can try and go back on a deal or say it was stolen or a million other reasons where they say the transaction is bad. I am a owner of a photo forum with a buy and sell section where hundreds of transactions go on and even with members that are not new and been around I see bad stuff happen all the time. I get the emails and there not fun to read on what goes on. Okay granted a iPhone is cheap money I get that and I agree why care about a paper trail in general but if your in business for yourself and have a reputation on the line than CL is not a good place to do business , you simply have no recourse as a buyer or seller in any transaction. Now if this was 20 years ago maybe even 10 than sure life was much safer. Today it's simply not the greatest choice meeting face to face and that's a really sad thing. Look at this poor guy. Took the phone and ran, happens everyday on the streets of our big cities. The other problem is even in small towns this stuff happens with drug addicts that could care less where they are they need a fix and do anything to get it.

Look you have your opinion and I have mine. You have done fine with CL so do many people but it's the biggest risk in selling any type of product when other avenues pose less risk. It's your personal safety that counts and some folks think there bullet proof and it's usually the younger generation that has that mentality, I get that I was young once too and have two kids now. I'm old I get that but I also been around the block and don't take risks but again I'm dealing in much larger numbers as well. Granted 600 is peanuts but 3 grand is not. I can't cover a 3k transaction loss.

We can argue this all day long till the cows come home but that's my opinion. Like it or not I'm allowed to have one.

 

[DarkSel]

i see from the IMEI 013441006453204 that he now has activated it. anything i can do to get it blocked? any one know how to figure out what network he used?

Call AT&T and ask them to block the IMEI (assuming you have service with them). Report the serial number and IMEI to the police. Try to add the IMEI on as many stolen databases as you can.

 

[Guy Mancuso]

Interesting thing I did this morning, my wife is traveling and she did not check in last night after dinner. Now I totally trust her and never ever done this but I looked up her iPhone with find my phone as I was concerned since she has health issues and wanted to be sure she was back at the hotel and sure enough it tracked her phone right to the hotel.

Be nice if this was on the phones even if they are not activated but in this case as soon as the thief activated it find my phone travel
Tracked it down.

Maybe with serial numbers and such that can be done, don't know the technology on it but that would stop some of this.

And yes I did tell her this morning that I tracked her, she thought it was pretty cool I could do that.

 

[ihav0frnds]

Call AT&T and ask them to block the IMEI (assuming you have service with them). Report the serial number and IMEI to the police. Try to add the IMEI on as many stolen databases as you can.

i tried calling them yesterday, but the thing is i did not activate this phone on at&t -- got it new as a replacement, so at&t was saying they could not do anything for me. just annoys me that this thug is enjoying it.

 

[DarkSel]

i tried calling them yesterday, but the thing is i did not activate this phone on at&t -- got it new as a replacement, so at&t was saying they could not do anything for me. just annoys me that this thug is enjoying it.

Try again. Call all major GSM carriers and report your phone stolen. Say that you can provide proof of purchase if necessary. I'm sure you'll get lucky eventually.

 

[phpmaven]

Not saying every transaction is bad but the real point is why go through all those commen sense actions which mean nothing even when you done your due dilence and someone still rips you off or worse. The bigger question is for what to save or earn a few extra dollars over transactions that are more safer to you as the buyer. Case in point Paypal held up three transactions on me with the sale of actually three iPhones two weeks ago as the seller . Why you ask Paypal could not guarantee the payments to me where good . So they put them under review until they actually cleared the money. They actually protected me from a bad transaction. Now you do whatever you want but I sell big ticket camera gear and buy big ticket camera gear as I'm a working Pro photographer and even as a seller I want a paper trail. Anyone I mean anyone can try and go back on a deal or say it was stolen or a million other reasons where they say the transaction is bad. I am a owner of a photo forum with a buy and sell section where hundreds of transactions go on and even with members that are not new and been around I see bad stuff happen all the time. I get the emails and there not fun to read on what goes on. Okay granted a iPhone is cheap money I get that and I agree why care about a paper trail in general but if your in business for yourself and have a reputation on the line than CL is not a good place to do business , you simply have no recourse as a buyer or seller in any transaction. Now if this was 20 years ago maybe even 10 than sure life was much safer. Today it's simply not the greatest choice meeting face to face and that's a really sad thing. Look at this poor guy. Took the phone and ran, happens everyday on the streets of our big cities. The other problem is even in small towns this stuff happens with drug addicts that could care less where they are they need a fix and do anything to get it.

Look you have your opinion and I have mine. You have done fine with CL so do many people but it's the biggest risk in selling any type of product when other avenues pose less risk. It's your personal safety that counts and some folks think there bullet proof and it's usually the younger generation that has that mentality, I get that I was young once too and have two kids now. I'm old I get that but I also been around the block and don't take risks but again I'm dealing in much larger numbers as well. Granted 600 is peanuts but 3 grand is not. I can't cover a 3k transaction loss.

We can argue this all day long till the cows come home but that's my opinion. Like it or not I'm allowed to have one.

Putting aside any safety concerns about meeting someone in person to sell them a phone/camera whatever, what I don't understand is why as a seller who sells to somebody else for cash you need a paper trail.

 

[phpmaven]

Sounds like you live in some fantasy world. The real world isn't as scary as you make it out to be. I've bought/sold literally hundreds of iPhones between 2010 and now on Craigslist and have never been robbed, mugged, or attacked. You just have to use common sense about where and when you meet people. Of course if you do something blatantly stupid like meeting at a gas station a 10pm then you're just asking for something bad to happen.

General rules for Craigslist:
- If a transaction is above $200, bring another person with you and meet INSIDE a public place. Mall food courts and bank lobbies work well. The other person can't run or anything. If they refuse, sell to someone else.
- Don't meet after 7pm. If they want the phone bad enough they'll wait until the next day
- If you're doing the buying then never have more cash on hand than needed to purchase the device and don't pull your cash out until the phone is already in your hands and you're done inspecting its condition.
- Try to read people by the way they talk/text on the phone. Usually if they sound jittery, nervous, or shady on the phone then pass up on the transaction and sell to someone else. Use your sense of judgement and don't let your greed blind you.
- Also make sure to have the person meet you in an area you're familiar with. Your risk increases exponentially when you meet in areas that you're not familiar with. That goes for both buying and selling. Again use your best judgement and don't let your greed blind you to meet in a place you're not comfortable with.
- If the person says they don't have a car and are meeting on foot, meet them inside a place, never outside. Even for low value transactions. Makes it harder to run.
- Craigslist is the one place where I would say stereotyping people is acceptable. Once you are face to face with the person, keep your guard up and be on alert if they look to you like the type of person who might try and run off with your stuff. Obviously a middle-aged person is pretty unlikely to attempt to run off with your device.
- NEVER meet at/near your house.

Use common sense and you will avoid most problems.

You make some excellent points, but I do have a few comments.

"- If a transaction is above $200, bring another person with you and meet INSIDE a public place. Mall food courts and bank lobbies work well. The other person can't run or anything. If they refuse, sell to someone else."

I would counter that no matter how much the transaction is you should ALWAYS meet inside a public place. Also, what makes you think somebody can't run out of a bank lobby or food court?

"- If the person says they don't have a car and are meeting on foot, meet them inside a place, never outside. Even for low value transactions. Makes it harder to run."

If I had a potential buyer who told me they didn't have a car and couldn't meet me where I wanted to meet them, that would be a big red flag for me and I would move on to another buyer.

 

[bwsteg]

Ive purchased and sold items via Craigslist for over 10 years now..The only mishap I had was accepting 2 fake $100 bills (which were actually good looking "fakes"), although I managed to track down the thief and got my money back. Now I am even more aware of the situation...

 

[cuzo]

i got a replacement iphone from apple, and i had it unlocked but never activated. i was trying to sell it on craigslist. because i am way too trusting and believing in the goodness of people, i tried to meet up with a person to sell it. he said he wanted to take a look at the screen to see if it was new and just grabbed it from my hand and ran off. i felt like an idiot, but now i was wondering if there's anythign i can do to get the phone blocked. i called att, and they said they can't block it because it was never activated on the network. they then transferred me to apple, who said they couldn't do much either. am i SOL in getting it blocked?

feel real dumb, though financially it might work out better since i have insurance and will get a check cut out to me for the full $700 then i guess.

NRA is needed, flash the desert eagle and that punk wouldn't do something so stupid.

 

[Coleman2010]

NRA is needed, flash the desert eagle and that punk wouldn't do something so stupid.

So, you're suggesting selling an iPhone to a buyer at gun point.

 

[karmatourer]

What a world you live in.

Why not use to use craiglists is your question. There is no paper trail either for the buyer or seller. There is no recourse on the sale at all, no credit card protection, no paypal protection. Its a cash deal with also the chance of getting counterfeit money, you may not only lose your Iphone like this poor fella but worse your wallet , jewelry and get held up with a gun. Its a major risk, you dont know who around you at any given location that has his friends on site with guns in hand or whatever to jump you. Its really stupid, its exactly like going into a neighborhood and doing a drug deal, there is not much difference risk wise. Sure its a legal transaction but getting robbed obviously is not. Seriously im not the biggest fan of ebay and its fees but its worth the fees to protect yourself. Also there is trade in sites which sure your not getting maximum dollars for your trade but you will live to see another day.

Craiglist is for morons that absolutely have no regard for there own protection. Anyone that uses it deserves there fate only to save or gain a fee dollars. Obviously your life is not important enough and this poor guy will get ziltch from a insurance company if not actually acuse him of insurance fraud . He has absolutely NO proof this even happened. Was it on video, was there a witness. Most cases NO.

Tell you what you want to meet me at a connivence store at 9pm tonight. Even the thought of doing that is stupid and worse doing it than your really a idiot. No offense but the bottom line anything can happen why put yourself in any of those situations. I'm 56 and maybe more mature in thinking and I have been around the block and done many transactions , this is something I would never do. Do I feel bad for this poor soul , well yea I do but this is not a way to learn a lesson it could have been his last, people kill for absolutely no reason. Dont put yourself in a victims position ever.

My 23 year old daughter did a craiglist transaction without my knowledge . I ripped her to no tomorrow on what she did and what could have happened. Trust me I scared the crap out of her and she will never do it again.

Hopefully I just did the same here. Free life lesson

 

[mso4]

Look you have your opinion and I have mine. You have done fine with CL so do many people but it's the biggest risk in selling any type of product when other avenues pose less risk. It's your personal safety that counts and some folks think there bullet proof and it's usually the younger generation that has that mentality, I get that I was young once too and have two kids now. I'm old I get that but I also been around the block and don't take risks but again I'm dealing in much larger numbers as well. Granted 600 is peanuts but 3 grand is not. I can't cover a 3k transaction loss.

We can argue this all day long till the cows come home but that's my opinion. Like it or not I'm allowed to have one.

Thanks for sharing. I think I'll stick w ebay or trade in websites from now on. What other precautions do you take when selling on ebay?

 

[RetiredInFl]

I've sold a lot of things on eBay and never had an issue. Fees are added to the sale price.

They aren't added to the sale price, they are SUBTRACTED from what you get paid. Not sure what eBay you use.

Sell an item and get paid $500 for it.

• eBay deducts 10% (current fee unless you are TOP RATED) = $50
• PayPal deducts 3% = $15 (or 4% if it comes from a foreign bank)
• Shipping (insured & signature) at least $12

That's $76 that comes OFF what you get from the seller. That's 15% it just cost you.

 

[CEmajr]

They aren't added to the sale price, they are SUBTRACTED from what you get paid. Not sure what eBay you use.

Sell an item and get paid $500 for it.

• eBay deducts 10% (current fee unless you are TOP RATED) = $50
• PayPal deducts 3% = $15 (or 4% if it comes from a foreign bank)
• Shipping (insured & signature) at least $12

That's $76 that comes OFF what you get from the seller. That's 15% it just cost you.

Don't forget eBay also takes a "Final value fee" on shipping now too. It's usually anywhere from $.50 to $2 depending on how much you charged the buyer for shipping.

 

[ddublu]

I've sold over 10k items on eBay. Like any business, building in fees/costs are just part of doing business. Lots of improvements to eBay over the years with the protection offered to buyers and sellers. Positive feedback is also critical.

 

[phpmaven]

They aren't added to the sale price, they are SUBTRACTED from what you get paid. Not sure what eBay you use.

Sell an item and get paid $500 for it.

• eBay deducts 10% (current fee unless you are TOP RATED) = $50
• PayPal deducts 3% = $15 (or 4% if it comes from a foreign bank)
• Shipping (insured & signature) at least $12

That's $76 that comes OFF what you get from the seller. That's 15% it just cost you.

I'm sure he meant that he adds the cost to his price.

 

[Guy Mancuso]

Thanks for sharing. I think I'll stick w ebay or trade in websites from now on. What other precautions do you take when selling on ebay?

Photograph the item so there is no debate on what someone is buying. Full descriptions and honest appraisal of the gear your selling. If something is wrong you disclose it in writing . Send invoice to buyer , copy any email to buyer. Photograph box with product in it for shipping , I keep that just in case. Document everything,. Once I'm paid I move money from Paypal to bank account. Paypal can't go after my bank account on any recourse but can in a Paypal account . So I move money. Send tracking info and track it myself and have delivery signatures in place. Basically cover your self for any debate or issue. I do sell on forums more than eBay but follow most of the same procedures I also ask for phone numbers plus full contact info.

E bay's fees have gone up which does hurt the bottom line but they also increased some of the protection factor in it. I mostly sell privately through forums with members I have known fo awhile but I'm also dealing in higher dollar value items so I try to be very careful.

All this is about comfort level that you have be it on CL, eBay , trade in or privately. Everything has risks as a buyer or seller.

 

[SR71]

Why not use to use craiglists is your question. There is no paper trail either for the buyer or seller. There is no recourse on the sale at all, no credit card protection, no paypal protection. Its a cash deal with also the chance of getting counterfeit money, you may not only lose your Iphone like this poor fella but worse your wallet , jewelry and get held up with a gun. Its a major risk, you dont know who around you at any given location that has his friends on site with guns in hand or whatever to jump you. Its really stupid, its exactly like going into a neighborhood and doing a drug deal, there is not much difference risk wise. Sure its a legal transaction but getting robbed obviously is not. Seriously im not the biggest fan of ebay and its fees but its worth the fees to protect yourself. Also there is trade in sites which sure your not getting maximum dollars for your trade but you will live to see another day.

Craiglist is for morons that absolutely have no regard for there own protection. Anyone that uses it deserves there fate only to save or gain a fee dollars. Obviously your life is not important enough and this poor guy will get ziltch from a insurance company if not actually acuse him of insurance fraud . He has absolutely NO proof this even happened. Was it on video, was there a witness. Most cases NO.

Tell you what you want to meet me at a connivence store at 9pm tonight. Even the thought of doing that is stupid and worse doing it than your really a idiot. No offense but the bottom line anything can happen why put yourself in any of those situations. I'm 56 and maybe more mature in thinking and I have been around the block and done many transactions , this is something I would never do. Do I feel bad for this poor soul , well yea I do but this is not a way to learn a lesson it could have been his last, people kill for absolutely no reason. Dont put yourself in a victims position ever.

My 23 year old daughter did a craiglist transaction without my knowledge . I ripped her to no tomorrow on what she did and what could have happened. Trust me I scared the crap out of her and she will never do it again.

Hopefully I just did the same here. Free life lesson

What a load of crap. I'm 18 and have done countless deals on Craigslist. I've sold of iPhones, iPods, MacBook's, and recently, two iPads and an iPad Mini. I do all of these deals either at the mall in a busy store or a Starbucks, the Apple Store, or a Verizon store. I also always bring someone else along with me. I've never had a problem with Craigslist and have always gotten top dollar or made a profit by selling things on CL. No fees, no shipping, just a quick ad and meet the next day. Quick, easy, and I get my money right then and there.

If you don't think you can get scammed by doing a deal online, you're just being ignorant. All of the people who have had horrible experiences on CL either didn't make sure to meet in safe place or just didn't take the necessary precautions in order to ensure a safe deal. Always bring a buddy, meet in a very public or busy location, and never accept a check. You'll have no problems.

 

[Guy Mancuso]

Yes that brazing I'm 18 and bullet proof attitude. Good luck with that. Please never take any ones advice ever, you certainly know everything at 18 years old. I applaud you

 

[macbookman83]

The police can do this?

Well AT&T can blacklist it but giving the serial to police will aid in the overall investigation......... The problem is that since it was unactivated it really puts the buyer at a disadvantage

 

[CEmajr]

Just sold a Galaxy S3 at the Verizon store this morning to a lady. Clean cash transaction. That easy.