I've been advised a lost/stolen phone without a SIMCARD cannot be blocked and therefore one can't claim from insurance for it. I always understood the network could "brick" a phone by using the IMEI number, with or without an associated MISISDN number. Can anyone verify this for me?
-
Join the MyBroadband community
South Africa’s biggest forum. Discuss, discover, and connect with thousands of members.
-
Question of the Day: How frequently are you watching FIFA World Cup 2026 matches?
Blacklisting phone without Simcard
- Thread starter furms
- Start date
SHL
Executive Member
- Joined
- Dec 17, 2012
- Messages
- 6,215
- Reaction score
- 11,277
Lost or stolen devices do not need an active sim to be blacklisted. I've just recently processed bulk blacklisting with Vodacom for stolen devices. What's required is the police case number, imei number and make/model of device.
SHL
Executive Member
- Joined
- Dec 17, 2012
- Messages
- 6,215
- Reaction score
- 11,277
Nope. Case opened first then blacklist with relevant network.
deweyzeph
Honorary Master
The police themselves have nothing to do with blacklisting cellphones. They are there to record the fact that a piece of your property was stolen. If your phone was stolen, whether it had an active sim card or not is completely irrelevant to the police or the case. The phone was stolen, you report it to the police, and they give you a case number. It's as simple as that.
Asked and answered above.
Open case for theft with SAPS
Report to insurance with case number.
In the old days you used to get a form from the provider to have a device blacklisted, don't know if that is still a thing.
deweyzeph
Honorary Master
A device can only be blacklisted if it has IMEI number and a sim slot. Whether it had a sim card inside of it at the time it was stolen or not is irrelevant. What is relevant is whether it has the ability to have a sim card.
Secondly, I don't see what relevance blacklisting has to your insurance claim. If your tablet was stolen and you have a police case number then the insurance company must honour your claim. Whether it was blacklisted or not has no relevance to the claim.
SHL
Executive Member
- Joined
- Dec 17, 2012
- Messages
- 6,215
- Reaction score
- 11,277
1) Police case number
2) Make/model and imei number of device
3) All devices did not need to have an active sim inside
4) All devices were local stock (not sure if they can/will blacklist foreign device)
BBC
Senior Member
So from my experience
The network provider asks you which sim was in the phone to confirm, as once a sim is inserted into a phone the IMEI is logged by the service provider. They match this data to confirm the right device is being blacklisted
Otherwise anyone can go around blacklisting anyone's phone
Not too sure on the process for sealed / unused phones
The network provider asks you which sim was in the phone to confirm, as once a sim is inserted into a phone the IMEI is logged by the service provider. They match this data to confirm the right device is being blacklisted
Otherwise anyone can go around blacklisting anyone's phone
Not too sure on the process for sealed / unused phones
deweyzeph
Honorary Master
A lot of tablets don't even have the ability to put a sim card in them, i.e. they are WIFI-only, so blacklisting isn't even relevant in that case.
deweyzeph
Honorary Master
It does seem kind of pointless considering your phone is likely to be on the other side of the Limpopo before you even have a chance to report it stolen.
Is it possible at all to have a cellphone's IMEI blocked if it has been
without a SIM card for more than a year?
FNB says the IMEI and phone number combination isn't returning any matches.
The phone was only used on WIFI, it makes zero sense that a device cannot be blacklisted at all without a SIM card.
The insurance company requires something apparently impossible to get.
The phone's battery drain was also a lot less than with a SIM, so there are advantages to not having a SIM in a phone.
without a SIM card for more than a year?
FNB says the IMEI and phone number combination isn't returning any matches.
The phone was only used on WIFI, it makes zero sense that a device cannot be blacklisted at all without a SIM card.
The insurance company requires something apparently impossible to get.
The phone's battery drain was also a lot less than with a SIM, so there are advantages to not having a SIM in a phone.
SauRoNZA
Honorary Master
I've never needed a SIM card to blacklist anything.
The only thing they care about is the IMEI.
Who cares if it returns any matches? They put it in the system to block it FORWARDS.
With what service provider did you blacklist your Phone?
At this stage, I will just call anybody.