Help Not sure what to do? Flash or Pass?

[Bigboy2u]

Hello, I am a newbie and need some help deciding what to do?

Three weeks ago I made a huge mistake and bought a Sprint branded LG Marquee

 

[wetbiker7]

Dude.... The guy freakin sold you his phone then reported it stolen so his insurance would cover it. That's what it sounds like to me.

All I'm gonna say is that if it were me and I knew where the guy lived...... 1 way or the other he WOULD pay for screwing me over. That's just me though. :evil:


As for converting your phone to Boost, there are a few members in here that can probably help you with that. Hang tight and hopefully they'll help you out.

 

[Bigboy2u]

No I don't have his address. I have the lic plate off the car he and his buddy drove two of their cell phone numbers and an email address. Its kind of sad that with that much info you need a court order to get access to any of it.

Dude.... The guy freakin sold you his phone then reported it stolen so his insurance would cover it. That's what it sounds like to me.

All I'm gonna say is that if it were me and I knew where the guy lived...... 1 way or the other he WOULD pay for screwing me over. That's just me though. :evil:


As for converting your phone to Boost, there are a few members in here that can probably help you with that. Hang tight and hopefully they'll help you out.

 

[Bigboy2u]

Yes, links to guides and the correct order to do this in would be a great place to start. I could be wrong but it seems those that do this often know all the tricks and in and out to avoid making a brick. I am just hesitant to brick semi-functional phone and make it even worth less!

 

[wetbiker7]

I know for sure that the Sprint Evo and other phones can be flashed over to Boost. I see no reason why the Sprint version of the Marquee can't be done the same way.

Also, have you tried contacting Sprint with this issue about the bad ESN? Wouldn't it be nice if the guy woke up to a phone that didn't work. I would contact them and let them know what happened and that you have spoken with the police. If the guy reported the phone stolen for insurance purposes and actually sold it, that's fraud.

 

[Bigboy2u]

Ya I got bounced around by several departments over at Sprint. They didn't know what to do with me. I ended up at someplace like account special services or something. They took the info and that was all. This was why I have waited almost three weeks before I decided to do as I want with this phone. I figured if Sprint contacted the previous owner and sent him a nasty letter I would hear from him (on day one once I found the phone to be reported lost/stolen I called the previous owner from the number in the phone). I gave him my whole name and my home phone number so the police or anyone could have reached me. But all he wanted was his phone back and I kept asking what about the money I am out when I bought it? He would never answer me and only told me "I had to give him the phone back". I told him we could meet at the police station and I would return the phone... He just never seemed to want to do that.

I have concluded that his son wanted a new phone so he made up the "it got stolen/lost at school theme".

OH this is the part that just blows me away... the father tells me... the day my son lost his phone I reported it stolen (get the two words in the same sentance... "lost phone and reported it stolen" not exactly the same thing. Then he tells me that day he went on Craigslist and bought his son an LG Lotus. Well here is an interesting fact... the Craigslist ad I responded to was posted the same day he reported his son's phone lost/stolen. So why wouldn't you check Craigslist for another Marquee? And the only Marquee that was for sale within 25 miles of his house was his son's lost phone (the one I bought). You would think they would have checked Craigslist for his lost phone or looked for another like it.

So, yes I am convinced that dear ol' dad and son had a plan to collect the insurance money (why the ESN was probably good when I bought it). Then later they report it lost/stolen buy never make an official police report.

I even offered to pay the guy $50 to just have Sprint clear the ESN and he refused. I wish the insurance companies had fraud lines you could call and turn people like that in. I would bet that if I was able to trace the license plate or phone numbers of the kids who sold me the phone they would return back to the father at some point.

Sorry to ramble on about this but my blood pressure goes up when I talk about it...LOL I am on permanent disability and only get a fixed income every month. So I try to conserve where I can and so far I have bought a lot of used phones over the years (can't afford new ones!). Guess I was bound to take a hit at some point. Just amazes me what people will do for a lousy $100. I am more mad a Boost since I had an i1 and they killed the tower closest to me and my reception went in the toilet! Not that I was happy with a phone forever stuck on Droid 1.5 but it was working.

I know for sure that the Sprint Evo and other phones can be flashed over to Boost. I see no reason why the Sprint version of the Marquee can't be done the same way.

Also, have you tried contacting Sprint with this issue about the bad ESN? Wouldn't it be nice if the guy woke up to a phone that didn't work. I would contact them and let them know what happened and that you have spoken with the police. If the guy reported the phone stolen for insurance purposes and actually sold it, that's fraud.

 

[wetbiker7]

Ya I got bounced around by several departments over at Sprint. They didn't know what to do with me. I ended up at someplace like account special services or something. They took the info and that was all. This was why I have waited almost three weeks before I decided to do as I want with this phone. I figured if Sprint contacted the previous owner and sent him a nasty letter I would hear from him (on day one once I found the phone to be reported lost/stolen I called the previous owner from the number in the phone). I gave him my whole name and my home phone number so the police or anyone could have reached me. But all he wanted was his phone back and I kept asking what about the money I am out when I bought it? He would never answer me and only told me "I had to give him the phone back". I told him we could meet at the police station and I would return the phone... He just never seemed to want to do that.

I have concluded that his son wanted a new phone so he made up the "it got stolen/lost at school theme".

OH this is the part that just blows me away... the father tells me... the day my son lost his phone I reported it stolen (get the two words in the same sentance... "lost phone and reported it stolen" not exactly the same thing. Then he tells me that day he went on Craigslist and bought his son an LG Lotus. Well here is an interesting fact... the Craigslist ad I responded to was posted the same day he reported his son's phone lost/stolen. So why wouldn't you check Craigslist for another Marquee? And the only Marquee that was for sale within 25 miles of his house was his son's lost phone (the one I bought). You would think they would have checked Craigslist for his lost phone or looked for another like it.

So, yes I am convinced that dear ol' dad and son had a plan to collect the insurance money (why the ESN was probably good when I bought it). Then later they report it lost/stolen buy never make an official police report.

I even offered to pay the guy $50 to just have Sprint clear the ESN and he refused. I wish the insurance companies had fraud lines you could call and turn people like that in. I would bet that if I was able to trace the license plate or phone numbers of the kids who sold me the phone they would return back to the father at some point.

Sorry to ramble on about this but my blood pressure goes up when I talk about it...LOL I am on permanent disability and only get a fixed income every month. So I try to conserve where I can and so far I have bought a lot of used phones over the years (can't afford new ones!). Guess I was bound to take a hit at some point. Just amazes me what people will do for a lousy $100. I am more mad a Boost since I had an i1 and they killed the tower closest to me and my reception went in the toilet! Not that I was happy with a phone forever stuck on Droid 1.5 but it was working.

Wow man. I'm really sorry that you are having to go through all of that bullshit over this. It's sad that some people out there are like that. Just down right dishonest. They'll get what's coming to them 1 day, of that I'm sure. It's just unfortunate that you are having to suffer for their wrong doings.

Hopefully one of the members in here will help you convert the phone over to Boost. If I knew how to do it, we would have already started working on it.

I lucked up and found 1 here at Android Forums and bought it for $150 w/ 3 protective cases and already rooted. The member I bought it from was just awesome to deal with. (thanks Septembersrain)

I just checked on Ebay and a BUY IT NOW Marquee w/ a bad ESN is going anywhere from $70 up to $180. If ya don't end up flashing it over to Boost, you can probably sell it for close to what you have in it or maybe even a little more.

Whatever you decide to do, I hope it works out for the best.

 

[Bigboy2u]

Well I need to sell my Moto i1 (Nextel) that I just took out of service so I am going to list the LG also with a bad ESN that can be flashed to Boost, Metro or Cricket. I would like to give it a try but the whole process is enough to make my head explode. I would need someone to kind of hold my hand and this time of year everyone is outside playing! LOL So fingers crossed that between both phones I can scrape up enough to get a decent used or maybe even a new phone! Haven't had a new phone in years.

If something comes up I can always end the auction.

 

[wetbiker7]

Well I need to sell my Moto i1 (Nextel) that I just took out of service so I am going to list the LG also with a bad ESN that can be flashed to Boost, Metro or Cricket. I would like to give it a try but the whole process is enough to make my head explode. I would need someone to kind of hold my hand and this time of year everyone is outside playing! LOL So fingers crossed that between both phones I can scrape up enough to get a decent used or maybe even a new phone! Haven't had a new phone in years.

If something comes up I can always end the auction.

Well if you do decide to fix it or sell it and buy a Boost Marquee you won't be sorry. I am very happy w/ mine and glad that I went ahead and bought it.

Best of luck to you and hope to see you back in here. Bloodawn is DEVing for the Marquee now and he's very good at what he does. I ran his ROMs over in the Prevail section.