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This is clearly stolen... how to report

A fool and his money were lucky to get together in the first place.

Any idiot who buys this phone is beyond help. A zero feedback seller with a locked phone and a fishy story isn't just a red flag; it's a red flag on a red pole in a red tent at a red circus.

Policing ebay is a lost cause.
 
Lol, whoever bought this is a fool. They're going to be super screwed when whoever lost it finally remote wipes/locks it. Just dumb.
 
mcdj said:
A fool and his money were lucky to get together in the first place.

Any idiot who buys this phone is beyond help. A zero feedback seller with a locked phone and a fishy story isn't just a red flag; it's a red flag on a red pole in a red tent at a red circus.

Policing ebay is a lost cause.
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This. Especially the part about policing ebay.

OP, your desire is admirable. However, even if you find a way to report this, the rightful owner of that phone (yes it's obviously stolen) is never going to see it again. Try not to lose sleep over it. **** happens.
 
eoblaed said:
Why not?

If you see something bad happening, you shouldn't try to intervene even if when cause you no harm? Just let it go down without any attempt at intervention?

I'm not saying he's obligated to, but there shouldn't be pressure for him not to.
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Well it's kinda like when you believe the neighbors wife is being beaten and you call the cops.... only to find out that's what she's into. It might not be stolen, OP has no proof it is, accusing someone of such a crime without proof isn't cool.
 
eoblaed said:
The ebay seller didn't buy that device from anyone.

It's about the only story he could come up with to justify why he doesn't have the passcode. The 'original' seller forgot to tell him? Really? This guy just handed over a wad of cash for a phone that he didn't even test or see working? Sorry, no. "Seller handed it to me and left without telling me the password". Really? And this transaction happened so fast the ebay lister never had a chance to ask? Who was the 'original' seller ... The Flash?

And ... this guy contacted the 'original' seller to purchase the phone in the first place, if this was a legitimate transaction, he'd easily be able to get in touch with him and say "yo, need the passcode".

Nope. No chance the ebay lister is telling the truth.
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Did you even read my post at all? It was only one sentence and you still went off on some entirely irrelevant rant.

I was referring to the person who wins the auction.
 
PNutts said:
Nobody saw anything bad happening here because nothing did. It was a poorly written eBay auction for a locked phone. Anything else is speculation. You're gonna' see a lot more of this with Activation Lock.

If the guy in another thread tries to eBay his old 4s that's currently locked to his ex-girlfriend's iCloud account is the OP going to report that as stolen, too?
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It is called suspicious activity. It gets reported all the time.

As a general statement, I am pretty sure 90% of posters would have a different opinion if they had their new blue iPhone 5c stolen.
 
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sclawis300 said:
It is called suspicious activity. It gets reported all the time.

As a general statement, I am pretty sure 90% of posters would have a different opinion if they had their new blue iPhone 5c stolen.
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Huge difference in someone sneaking around your house late at night and someone listing a locked phone on eBay... I understand your point, but I think the OP is going overboard in his suspicion that this is a stolen phone... I can think of several legitimate reasons for this scenario, at least 1 or 2 of which have already been mentioned... Does it seem suspicious? Maybe, but only if you are paranoid... The buyer has apparently already left positive feedback, so apparently he's happy with his purchase...

FYI, there are buyers than can reflash the software, give it a new IMEI # and resell it for use with prepaid carriers...
 
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eoblaed said:
The girlfriend thing is at least a plausible story.
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Here's a plausible story: In 2011 TriMet (public transportation in Portland) recovered 2,733 "portable electronic equipment" items (phones, laptops, etc.). 790 were claimed by their owners. After two weeks unclaimed items are donated to charity.

So... Dude gets a phone from charity, can't get it to work or needs money, sells it to buffoon #1 (who doesn't how dude got it) and trys to sell it on eBay. Aren't assumptions fun!

brendu said:
regardless of who stole it, this is clearly stolen property being sold on ebay and I was just trying to send ebay a notice that they should check into it... I couldn't find an easy way to do that.
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As you previously mentioned eBay asks that you notify your local police. Why didn't you do that since it's "clearly stolen"?
 
Seriously? You're really giving the seller the benefit of the doubt.

How do you know they're not just an idiot? Some people don't know to check and make sure the phone is cleared and deactivated. Many people don't know that the phone may have a blocked ESN and to check that.

Just because you're an informed buyer and check this doesn't mean everyone else is.... and given they're being forthcoming with the story, my guess is they didn't realize that they were buying a locked device and now have no way to contact the seller they bought it from.
 
scotrinaf said:
FYI, yes it can, a buyer bought one from me and did it... Maybe not the new IMEI part, but he did reflash the software to use it on a prepaid service...
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You can flash a cdma iphone to work on another cdma carrier but you cannot change the IMEI.
So some things can be done, not everything like you suggested.
And with the new security feature that Apple implemented with ios 7 the device cannot work or do anything unless you enter the apple ID and password from the account it was locked to.
No amount of flashing or hacking can get you around that security feature currently.
So its paperweight or can be used for parts.
 
scotrinaf said:
FYI, yes it can, a buyer bought one from me and did it... Maybe not the new IMEI part, but he did reflash the software to use it on a prepaid service...
Click to expand...

FYI then I was right and you were wrong. DONE

Lesson:

First, no IMEI change in any iPhone unless it's one that has up to EDGE no 3G service and above iPhones.

Second, flashing official software won't get you to unlock the iPhone, it's a database unlock. You can pay to have the iPhone IMEI unlock into the database of course or if really old firmware then using ultrasn0w in jailbroken state. Also, many prepaid companies run in the same network that the lock phone runs like NET10, then the phone doesn't need to be unlocked.

Third, even if they flashed the software if it was iOS7, the person won't be able to remove the registered apple ID, so you sold yours w/ iOS 6 or below.

Fourth, are you saying you stole/"found" a phone and re-sold it then? Interesting from someone that sells bible books.
 
Carlanga said:
FYI then I was right and you were wrong. DONE

Lesson:

First, no IMEI change in any iPhone unless it's one that has up to EDGE no 3G service and above iPhones.

Second, flashing official software won't get you to unlock the iPhone, it's a database unlock. You can pay to have the iPhone IMEI unlock into the database of course or if really old firmware then using ultrasn0w in jailbroken state. Also, many prepaid companies run in the same network that the lock phone runs like NET10, then the phone doesn't need to be unlocked.

Third, even if they flashed the software if it was iOS7, the person won't be able to remove the registered apple ID, so you sold yours w/ iOS 6 or below.

Fourth, are you saying you stole/"found" a phone and re-sold it then? Interesting from someone that sells bible books.
Click to expand...

If you will go back and read the post before you jump to conclusions, you will find that I sold the phone as an "iPod" because I found out AFTER I bought it that there was the possibility it had been stolen. Secondly, he flashed the phone with software for a different carrier, he flashed it with iOS6, not iOS7, I never said that. I also never said that the phone was locked or unlocked...

You need to quit assuming things, because you know what that does...
 
scotrinaf said:
If you will go back and read the post before you jump to conclusions, you will find that I sold the phone as an "iPod" because I found out AFTER I bought it that there was the possibility it had been stolen. Secondly, he flashed the phone with software for a different carrier, he flashed it with iOS6, not iOS7, I never said that. I also never said that the phone was locked or unlocked...

You need to quit assuming things, because you know what that does...
Click to expand...

I don't need to search back in your history/posts nor I care. I only reply based on what YOU wrote to be true on a thread for an iOS7 device and specifically what you wrote that I replied to. Why would you even talk about other iOS version in this thread if it doesn't hold true then is just a rant and waste of a post that makes others that want answers about this thread and topic to be confused. I clearly see you don't understand what IMEI, flashing, etc means.
 
Jett0516 said:
good luck to the buyer of that phone :apple:
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I wish I saw this auction earlier. All you need to do is put it in DFU mode, restore, and the passcode will be gone. Worst comes to worst, I can always jus return it via eBay's new return policy!
 
henryonapple said:
I wish I saw this auction earlier. All you need to do is put it in DFU mode, restore, and the passcode will be gone. Worst comes to worst, I can always jus return it via eBay's new return policy!
Click to expand...

That is false.
Did you read what we said above?
Its a new security feature Apple implemented with ios 7.
Once locked via icloud you will need the apple ID and password of that account to ever be able to activate that phone.
 
Xenc said:
eBay and PayPal will happily screw over the seller in wrongful accusations, too. :)
Click to expand...

True. sold a couple of iphone 5s gold last week. Fingers crossed the buyers are good people.

----------
henryonapple said:
I wish I saw this auction earlier. All you need to do is put it in DFU mode, restore, and the passcode will be gone. Worst comes to worst, I can always jus return it via eBay's new return policy!
Click to expand...

And you are bad buyer, the kind that spoils ebay. You knowingly bought a locked phone and yet want to return it on what basis?
 
Implied warranty says phone should work


617aircav said:
True. sold a couple of iphone 5s gold last week. Fingers crossed the buyers are good people.

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And you are bad buyer, the kind that spoils ebay. You knowingly bought a locked phone and yet want to return it on what basis?
Click to expand...
 
617aircav said:
And you are bad buyer, the kind that spoils ebay. You knowingly bought a locked phone and yet want to return it on what basis?
Click to expand...

You have high expectations for someone who is not only willing, but eager to buy (what is likely) stolen property.


alent1234 said:
Implied warranty says phone should work
Click to expand...

The phone would work, it would just be completely locked... as it said repeatedly in the description. So long as the phone showed the passcode screen, it would work as advertised and there'd be no reason to return it.
 
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