Phone blacklisted

[cavedog]

So last night at about 10pm my phone stopped working saying Emergency calls only. This morning too. SO I put my sim in another device and it works. If I put another network's simcard in it also says no service.

Now this can't be because I bought the phone cash on bidorbuy about almost a year ago.

The guy I buy the phones from gets it from Vodacom and still sell phones on bidorbuy and he is a verified seller with tons of positive ratings.

Now suddenly this. I also even used 1 ADH claim already without any problems.

How can check if a phone is blacklisted? I suspect it has been blacklisted but MTN can't or won't tell me.

 

[cavedog]

Found out from Vodacom it has been blacklisted because of Bad Debt.... Looks like this guy buys bulk on credit then don't pay and the phones get blacklisted.

He is a verified seller on bidorbuy since 14 March 2008...........

 

[fs87]

I also bought a Dell Latitude laptop off bidorbuy, and it showed a balance of 2 years warranty on the dell support site. Unfortunately when I needed support a week later, Dell sent a letter stating that is was a stolen laptop and no support is available.

 

[reactor_sa]

I wish people would stop buying high value items without original invoice. High value portable items are the first things to be targeted by criminals.

 

[cavedog]

I wish people would stop buying high value items without original invoice. High value portable items are the first things to be targeted by criminals.

I am very tech savvy especially when it comes to high value device and buying online....

http://www.bidorbuy.co.za/user/949989/Concept_Cellular

There is the person. Look at all the info and stuff there and see if you would have made him out as selling items not as clean as it appears. I also received the device sealed with Vodacom stickers on it.

How could I have known that it was a item bought on credit and never paid?

I requested the PoP and will see now if they supply if not then I will just spam all his purchases with warnings and inform BoB

 

[Nimz]

Same shyte happened with my dad.

Bought a Note 3 sealed in the box a year ago(albeit on Gumtree).

Last week it stopped working only to find out it was blacklisted due to bad debt.

Called the seller and he gave us a sad story about losing his job etc. He agreed to pay us back but in drips and drabs.

Nothing more we can do. unless we get it unblacklisted (illegally):erm:

 

[Lawnchairman]

Thats why when you purchase online you need to check if phones are blacklisted. Moving along you may want to lay a criminal charge of fraud against the seller and perhaps try to recover your money in small claims court.

 

[cavedog]

Same shyte happened with my dad.

Bought a Note 3 sealed in the box a year ago(albeit on Gumtree).

Last week it stopped working only to find out it was blacklisted due to bad debt.

Called the seller and he gave us a sad story about losing his job etc. He agreed to pay us back but in drips and drabs.

Nothing more we can do. unless we get it unblacklisted (illegally):erm:

I can understand buying from a person like that. How are these guys getting tons of these phones to sell then? I mean I bought 1 a year ago and they still have many more of the devices so I doubt they source from contracts.

 

[Nimz]

I can understand buying from a person like that. How are these guys getting tons of these phones to sell then? I mean I bought 1 a year ago and they still have many more of the devices so I doubt they source from contracts.

In our case the dude took 8 contracts and sold the phones. He told us many of them are taking him to court regarding the matter.

Most of them take phones on contract and sell them as a means to get quick cash upfront.
Instead of taking a loan etc

 

[cavedog]

Just got a reply from the seller on bid or buy.

He apologized and offered to replace it with a new device. Lets see what happens. Hopefully not another credit bought phone that won't last long.....

 

[sand_man]

Just got a reply from the seller on bid or buy.

He apologized and offered to replace it with a new device. Lets see what happens. Hopefully not another credit bought phone that won't last long.....

That's nice of him. I guess this is the risk of buying contracted devices.
It could happen to anyone.

I wouldn't think twice before buying from a seller with his ratings, almost 2500 transactions with a 99.48% rating is superb!!

 

[cavedog]

That's nice of him. I guess this is the risk of buying contracted devices.
It could happen to anyone.

I wouldn't think twice before buying from a seller with his ratings, almost 2500 transactions with a 99.48% rating is superb!!

Exactly what I though and he is BoB verified. Well will advise what happens. Just backing up my data and packing the device up. Will see what he sends.

 

[cavedog]

Just a update on the matter. Very very nice guy. He got me a brand new sealed S5 LTE version.

Took some time because he could not find a device in blue again so I had to settle with a pearl white device but very happy that I got a new sealed device again. Also registered for adh again and now have 2 claims available again on the new device.

Big ups to them @ concept cellular.

 

[sand_man]

Nice!!! That's as good an outcome as you could have hoped for yes.

 

[arr0w]

Just a update on the matter. Very very nice guy. He got me a brand new sealed S5 LTE version.

Took some time because he could not find a device in blue again so I had to settle with a pearl white device but very happy that I got a new sealed device again. Also registered for adh again and now have 2 claims available again on the new device.

Big ups to them @ concept cellular.

Did he tell you why your previous phone was blacklisted?Does he resell used handsets and you purchased the handset of somebody who defaulted on payments?

 

[Proton]

so all went well after that?

 

[cavedog]

so all went well after that?

Yup. Still got the device and still working fine. Very decent guy. It seems that some devices even kalahari.com suffered from it. Businesses buying contracts in bulk then closing down then no longer pay the cellphone companies and the devices gets blacklisted for bad debt.

It is something to take note of when buying phones. I have only noticed Vodacom and Telkom doing this but I think any network can do it.

 

[FlashSA]

How can this practice of blacklisting phones when there is no theft involved be legal? I have never seen a condition in a cellphone contract application that says the Cell company retains ownership rights on the device until the full 24 months contract is paid? They have a right to go after someone who defaults on a cell contract repayment, but blacklisting the device is unfair as the person who took the contract out is well within their right to sell the device whenever they want to....

 

[cavedog]

How can this practice of blacklisting phones when there is no theft involved be legal? I have never seen a condition in a cellphone contract application that says the Cell company retains ownership rights on the device until the full 24 months contract is paid? They have a right to go after someone who defaults on a cell contract repayment, but blacklisting the device is unfair as the person who took the contract out is well within their right to sell the device whenever they want to....

This is very true. What if for example I pay a contract for 12 months and then default on payments. Now the device which I had paid 50% gets blacklisted for bad debt rendering the device useless.

Surely that is not right. Not sure the legality of it but I know Telkom and Vodacom does it.

 

[FlashSA]

This is very true. What if for example I pay a contract for 12 months and then default on payments. Now the device which I had paid 50% gets blacklisted for bad debt rendering the device useless.

Surely that is not right. Not sure the legality of it but I know Telkom and Vodacom does it.

Considering this issue is becoming more widespread, myBB should definitely do an in depth article to investigate the legality.