Help S4 Blocked

[NaNaNiii]

I got my S4 off Gumtree, straight swap for an iPhone 5 in August. Today, the phone wasnt making any calls or texts and theres a circle with a line through it on the notification bar. Surprise Surprise, calls to the guys number (from a different phone) now dont go through. Is there anything I can do?!

 

[trucky]

Have you contacted your cellular carrier to see if there's problem on their end or possibly with your account?

 

[Goodspike]

Surprise Surprise, calls to the guys number (from a different phone) now dont go through.

Who is "the guy?" Is this not your phone?

Are you perhaps in airplane mode? On mine that's a different symbol, but different carriers may be different.

 

[EarlyMon]

Who is "the guy?" Is this not your phone?

Are you perhaps in airplane mode? On mine that's a different symbol, but different carriers may be different.

The guy is who he got the phone from.

 

[Hadron]

I'd certainly contact the carrier to see whether they know why.

If it's that the IMEI has been blacklisted then all you can do is explain your situation and see where it goes.

 

[Deleted User]

Stolen phone that was finally reported?

 

[EarlyMon]

Stolen phone that was finally reported?

Sometimes, sometimes it's their screw up.

 

[Goodspike]

The guy is who he got the phone from.

Wait. People actually exchange phones and continue to use the other person's account? All I have to say is wow! That's wrong on so many levels.

 

[ironass]

You can check a phone's history and status for

 

[EarlyMon]

Wait. People actually exchange phones and continue to use the other person's account? All I have to say is wow! That's wrong on so many levels.

He never said that, neither did I. That's not the issue.

 

[NaNaNiii]

Wait. People actually exchange phones and continue to use the other person's account? All I have to say is wow! That's wrong on so many levels.

We traded phones, not our sims.

Phoned Orange and they said that looks like a fraud job. The IMEI was blacklisted and there is nothing they can do about it :/

 

[jamjr74]

If u have ur imei report yours stolen. When I swap phones I always snap a pic of my imei in case of issues like this.

 

[NaNaNiii]

Yeah I have the IMEI and will do. Still pissed at the fact that Im left with a virtually useless phone

 

[Hadron]

If it's fraud rather than theft, I wonder whether there's enough info to link the phone to the original owner? If they were on contract the IMEI would probably be enough, if the victim (the network or insurer) wanted to pursue. You could always offer to testify in case they did.

 

[jamsterdm]

Not gonna lie I work in a phone shop and 2 out of every 10 I sell are blacklisted :/ I blame apple

 

[jameskasmonr]

Not gonna lie I work in a phone shop and 2 out of every 10 I sell are blacklisted :/ I blame apple

So first of all, why the phone got blacklisted if it's from proper channel?

Secondly, since IMEI can get blacklisted, so we should not buy second hand phone?

 

[jhawkkw]

So first of all, why the phone got blacklisted if it's from proper channel?

Secondly, since IMEI can get blacklisted, so we should not buy second hand phone?

It's why I'm very suspect about buying one second hand. It's always a risk, which is why I always recommend that if you're doing an in person exchange to meet at the carrier to ensure proper change of ownership so that they can't turn around and blacklist you.

 

[jamsterdm]

I think sometimes phones are reported stolen and there's a imei mix up of course when buying 2nd the risk is quadrupled as people genuinely do insurance jobs on them

 

[titan2005]

Peoples are buying phone on payment plan. Sell it or trade and the phone will work for a month till install is due but they don't pay.
That's why it's just risky to buy phone from individual on eBay or CL now a day.

 

[NaNaNiii]

EE were useless and the Police even more so, they didn't want anything to do with it. A local phone shop have since fixed it somehow in the sense that I can now make and send calls and texts (basically unbarred) it. They've rooted it and added a custom touchwiz rom. However, I obviously cannot update to 4.3 Jellybean now. Also, when I receive a text message, instead of displaying the contact and message on the lockscreen, it simply comes up as "message received" but oh well, at least I can use it as phone again

 

[Deleted User]

Also, when I receive a text message, instead of displaying the contact and message on the lockscreen, it simply comes up as "message received" but oh well, at least I can use it as phone again

Checkbox under Messaging settings should fix that, if you have access.

 

[NaNaNiii]

Checkbox under Messaging settings should fix that, if you have access.

Wooooo, that worked, thank you

 

[Gomjaba]

Trouble is, you can phone nowadays with "an" IMEI number and get it blocked - you don't even have to own the damn thing. All you need is knowing the IMEI.