Phone IMEI is showing as Stolen one month after purchase

[msixty]

Rule #1 on Kijiji, no refunds no exceptions. Shitty deal, but that's what you sign up for when dealing with randoms.

[D'z Nutz]

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So the guy is telling me he had purchased the phone from someone else and that person is not being cooperative. He then tells me that he has all the other guys info and filled a police report; and that they will be in contact with me.

I am jumping to the conclusion that he is bullshitting me. I am tempted to just show up at his door and ask for my refund in person.

Don't forget to disrespect his whole family.

[ExtraSlow]

If you show up at his house. Are you planning on beating him up, or appealing to his good and honest nature?

If he's an honest guy, then he's not the scammer.
If he IS the scammer, he's not going to give you your money bag without violence.

[shakalaka]

The fact that he would get you to meet him at his house in the first place is the only reason that makes me think that perhaps he’s not a scammer. Also the fact that he’s keeping in touch with you now bodes well for him. Work hwith him as much as you can I guess, but don’t think there’s much he would be able to do if he doesn’t want the phone back. Personally if he’s being honest through the whole thing, I wouldn’t want the phone back either notwithstanding I had no intention of scamming anyone. That’s just how Kijiji is.

[importracer]

No intentions of Violence, would just rather get a no in person then him deflect the question over text. My career and Family are worth more to me than an assault charge.

I understand the Kijiji rule that it is all buyer beware and am trying to work with him, as he maintained contact.

One thing bothering me is that when I searched his number on Kijiji; he has a bunch of adds saying he buy s iphones/iPads in any condition. To me he is running some sort of a side business, and don't want others to get scammed as I did.

[realazy]

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One thing bothering me is that when I searched his number on Kijiji; he has a bunch of adds saying he buy s iphones/iPads in any condition. To me he is running some sort of a side business, and don't want others to get scammed as I did.

If this is the case, sounds like he's buying, fixing, then reselling them. I would bet he ends up buying stolen or found goods knowingly/unknowingly all the time. Maybe he'll just exchange you one? or just plain refund?

[Kloubek]

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If this is the case, sounds like he's buying, fixing, then reselling them. I would bet he ends up buying stolen or found goods knowingly/unknowingly all the time. Maybe he'll just exchange you one? or just plain refund?

This is what it looks like to me as well. To me, if he is making a business out of it then this should be considered a business expense and a lesson to him that he has to be more careful with things he purchases to fix up. If he is a reputable business owner then I'd say he should provide a refund. It really does seem like he didn't intend for this to happen, but that doesn't absolve him of moral responsibility and improving his process of purchasing phones.

I would try to appeal to him from that perspective. If he is an honest and moral guy he really should give you your money back.

I know when a business insists on screwing me, I do what I can to ensure others are aware of my experience. The internet tends to make that pretty easy to do these days, and you may want to remind him of that if it gets to that point.

[rage2]

If this is his side job, just post a bunch of kijiji ads warning people not to buy from him. You'll get a refund in no time.

[hrdkore]

good to know as I was in the market for a new phone. My buddy had told me that I should meet the seller at the respective cell service provider storefront and get them to transfer the phone so they can't report the IMEI.

[rx7boi]

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good to know as I was in the market for a new phone. My buddy had told me that I should meet the seller at the respective cell service provider storefront and get them to transfer the phone so they can't report the IMEI.

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OP this is not embarassing at all - something like this could have just as easily happened to me. The issue lies with the CARRIER (rogers, etc.)

For eg. FIDO cant do anything - except have you work with the seller to un-blacklist the phone.

http://forums.fido.ca/t5/forums/foru...hread-id/32621

I was under the impression that carriers cannot do this as per buddy's post re: Fido.

[revelations]

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If this is his side job, just post a bunch of kijiji ads warning people not to buy from him. You'll get a refund in no time.

Do what Rage says - tell him that you willl take an exchange or refund, otherwise he and his name/number will show up on a google search - hell, post it here too as Beyond has good google fu

[hrdkore]

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I was under the impression that carriers cannot do this as per buddy's post re: Fido.

http://forums.fido.ca/t5/forums/foru...hread-id/32621

well that's messed up...

[KISS_ME]

I've been had through a similar scam. This is what I've been able to gather:

Someone buys a new cellphone through a contract which subsidizes the handset to a near $0 value. The person then posts then posts that phone on Kijiji which passes all the stolen phone tests. Seller does not pay his month dues on his cell phone bill and carrier tags the phone on the blacklist for lost and stolen.

If it's any comfort i can tell you the blacklist is only national so you can still use it as a travel phone so long as you're travelling outside Canada. otherwise, you can also give the phone to a relative living over seas.

[Seth1968]

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I've been had through a similar scam. This is what I've been able to gather:

Someone buys a new cellphone through a contract which subsidizes the handset to a near $0 value. The person then posts then posts that phone on Kijiji which passes all the stolen phone tests. Seller does not pay his month dues on his cell phone bill and carrier tags the phone on the blacklist for lost and stolen.

If it's any comfort i can tell you the blacklist is only national so you can still use it as a travel phone so long as you're travelling outside Canada. otherwise, you can also give the phone to a relative living over seas.

Perhaps a new law that requires picture ID for such contracts?

[importracer]

Quick update:

Seller did actually go to the Police, and I received a phone call from the officer investigating. He asked me to bring the phone in as it will be held as evidence and complete a statement.

Seller is telling me once police investigation is over, he will do right by me. Best case Scenario, I get a working phone and worst case scenario lesson lesson learned.

I will update with final result whenever the investigation concludes.

[Seth1968]

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Seller did actually go to the Police, and I received a phone call from the officer investigating. He asked me to bring the phone in as it will be held as evidence and complete a statement.

I'd be surprised if this leads to anymore than this:

[CMW403]

So I stupidly purchased an iPhone 8 plus 64gb device off of kijiji for my mom. Threw it in my safe for a couple days until she got home from Vancouver. Tried to activate it for her last night and turned it on to find out it has an "activation lock". I have read and been told that people are now insuring their phones, selling them on kijiji and then reporting the IMEI as stolen so they have my cash and get a new phone. Awesome.

I have found out that the phone is originally an AT&T phone, and that it is blacklisted in Canada. I have read that phones are only blacklisted by country, so would this phone work if I was in the US and I bought an AT&T plan?

Does anyone have any ideas on how I can recoup SOME money from this loss? Lets not go through the whole "kijiji tutorial", yes, I made all the mistakes a kijiji buyer could ever make; met in a random parking lot, only ever spoke through the kijiji app chat so I never got his phone number, and on and on and on.

Lets skip to the ideas on how I can recoup some if any of my losses, please and thank you

Maybe theres a beyond that has family in the states and would buy the phone off of me at a heavily discounted price after he has confirmed that it works in the US?

[G-ZUS]

Throw it on eBay, sell to some EU/ME/Asian buyer

[CMW403]

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Throw it on eBay, sell to some EU/ME/Asian buyer

will it work for them? like can I sell it as is or are you saying sell it to them for parts?

[G-ZUS]

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will it work for them? like can I sell it as is or are you saying sell it to them for parts?

If it's unlocked, it will work out of the country