Blocked IMEI

[MidlandLV]

Hello. 

I am In really sad situation. I bought IPhone X from one guy. He posted selling topic at facebook market. On that moment I checked IMEI at different sites. Even payed 2 paunds at checkmend site. Phone was really brand new and clean IMEI. He said that its locked on vodafone, but I can unlock it trough some sites or in easiest and capest way - buy pay as you go sim card. So I bought this sim. It worked for one day. In next morning phone started to show no service. I did all steps from internet about how to fix this issue. Connected to ITunes, made hard resets, everything. Even gone to another city to Apple store. Where they keeped IPhone for few days. I get it back with letter, that phone is in great condition and provides strong signal. So I again go to vodafone store. One of workers there said to me that IMEI is blocked. I need to contact previous user. So I contacted him at facebook. But he answers really strange, like I dont know nothing, dont ask stupid questions, when I sold phone it was working great. So. And vodafone says that they cant give any information about previous user, whitch phone was this, nothing. So. What is my options to get IMEI unblocked. It is not reported as stolen or lost. IMEI is just blocked. How I understand, by carrier. I dont know even why. Vodafone cant tell be reason of block. And how bodafone said, only previous owner can solve this problem by calling to vodafone support and talk about why IMEI is blocked. Please help me. I spend a lot of pure earned money to get this phone, and also want to use it.  Thank you. If you need some proofs about that I bought this phone, I have all facebook messenger chats, bank money transfer to this person, phone box etc. 

[BandOfBrothers]

A very unfortunate position to be in @MidlandLV  as your unable to have Vodafone unblock the phone I'm afraid.

As has been advised only the original owner of the phone can do this.

Sadly this is something we see on the forum when a person has bought a phone in good

faith and then the dreaded No Service pops up.

Are you able to raise a dispute via the site you purchased it.

I assume checkmend is showing it as blocked ?

I assume no sim card is working in it and your sim card is working Ok in another phone ?

Apple cant help with a network blocked phone and resets won't lift the bar I'm afraid.

I wish you all the best with this situation. 

[MidlandLV]

Well, yes... This is really bad experience.. Lesson that better is to buy some new phone from store..

CheckMend shows that IMEI is just blocked. Not stolen or lost. On the moment when I met with seller, I checked also IMEI and it was all clear. It just get blacklisted after 5 days when I purchased this phone. 

Also SIM works on other phones, not on this IPhone.. Its just blocked from any networks..

This system with IMEI blocking is really strange. That new user has no permisions to even discover what is the reason of IMEI block, or who was the previous user to contact him. For example, if after purchasing phone you didnt save any contacts with him..

[BandOfBrothers]

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@MidlandLV wrote:

Well, yes... This is really bad experience.. Lesson that better is to buy some new phone from store..

CheckMend shows that IMEI is just blocked. Not stolen or lost. On the moment when I met with seller, I checked also IMEI and it was all clear. It just get blacklisted after 5 days when I purchased this phone. 

Also SIM works on other phones, not on this IPhone.. Its just blocked from any networks..

This system with IMEI blocking is really strange. That new user has no permisions to even discover what is the reason of IMEI block, or who was the previous user to contact him. For example, if after purchasing phone you didnt save any contacts with him..

---

We do see that people buy phones and they work for days and sometimes even months after and then the phone becomes barred.

Vodafone can't discuss with you the particulars due to certain data protection they have to adhere to.

It's so not fair as you've parted with money you've earned to be able to have a nice iPhone and this then happens to you.

Sadly I do not see a favourable outcome to this for you @MidlandLV 

[AnnS]

Hi @MidlandLV 

This is going to be between you and the dishonest seller, Vodafone won't be able to help they didn't sell you the phone.

Phones are not blacklisted without a valid reason usually due to being reported lost or stolen and being the subject of an insurance claim where the phone would be the property of the insurance company,  You could well have someone else's property in your hands and you would have no idea of the circumstances as to how the phone became in this dishonest persons possession before selling on the phone to you.

If the seller won't cooperate, you have no choice but to put this down to an expensive experience and make sure you only purchase a phone from a reputable site.

[vodaboado]

Can I just say the same thing happened to me, I got shafted £1100 for an iPhone 11 when they were out of stock on release. If it had been ANY other network than VODAFONE ... 3 - O2 - etc which don't auto NETWORK LOCK the phone which is a disgraceful outdated practise this would of worked outside of the UK and been useful to me elsewhere and I could of probably sold it to someone who could get good use out of it in Singapore etc. But no, not vodafone, not the UKs "Number one network" ##~## through no fault of my own I've ended up with a grand paper weight and the advice here is deal with it.

Same situation as the poster, it worked for about 3 days then got IMEI blocked by the seller

I think your stance is a complete ##~## joke. There is no way what so ever that the majority of people buying a phone outright are going to pay whatever the odds are on sometthing that imediately depreciates by half its value in resale - the same sort of people who buy a brand new car might promote that but its downright idiotic, the difference being a second hand car even if reported stolen - WILL STILL DRIVE ! 

I think new it was £1500 or £1700 so it's not like you got it crazy cheap and expected a dud or the old addage "you get what you pay for" comes into account ##~## me, its over a grand of our hard earned cash burned to some shister. 

I have tried this phone ALL OVER the world - but because of this diabolical network BEING SIM LOCKED as well as IMEI blocked there is no way around it. The only possible solution is to get a new IMEI grafted into it in India or something, which may brick the phone completely (thanks vodafone). The way this NETWORK handles these issues is absolutely disgraceful. 

I would happily return the stolen ##~## device for my grand back but in this world the big boys always win.

The network doesnt give a ##~## either they make there money by charging morons 100£+ a month for an 18 month contract to run their phone into the ground and pay 3X it's actual value

This whole system in the UK is an absolute joke, even Ireland does it better! But your Vodafone and EE are truly leading the way in terms of both market share bafflingly and also bad practise. 

I cannot believe that the only advice or assistance here is suck it up buttercup you should never expect a bargain. What a ##~## circlejerk. Of course I guarantee if I PERSONALLY took a phone contract from Vodafone - sold it on facebook and reported it as stolen - this would not work out in my favour either. Let's put it to the test. Get scammed a grand or scam yourself a grand.

No brainer right? There are clearly no repercussions for this after all.

I am disgusted at the attitude here & disgraced by the official stance of the company. 

If the seller won't cooperate, you have no choice but to put this down to an expensive experience and make sure you only purchase a phone from a reputable site.

0

If the seller won't cooperate, you have no choice but to put this down to an expensive experience and make sure you only purchase a phone from a reputable site.

0

If the seller won't cooperate, you have no choice but to put this down to an expensive experience and make sure you only purchase a phone from a reputable site.

0

[vodaboado]

Can I just say the same thing happened to me, I got shafted £1100 for an iPhone 11 when they were out of stock on release. If it had been ANY other network than VODAFONE ... 3 - O2 - etc which don't auto NETWORK LOCK the phone which is a disgraceful outdated practise this would of worked outside of the UK and been useful to me elsewhere and I could of probably sold it to someone who could get good use out of it in Singapore etc. But no, not vodafone, not the UKs "Number one network" ##~## through no fault of my own I've ended up with a grand paper weight and the advice here is deal with it.

Same situation as the poster, it worked for about 3 days then got IMEI blocked by the seller

I think your stance is a complete ##~## joke. There is no way what so ever that the majority of people buying a phone outright are going to pay whatever the odds are on sometthing that imediately depreciates by half its value in resale - the same sort of people who buy a brand new car might promote that but its downright idiotic, the difference being a second hand car even if reported stolen - WILL STILL DRIVE ! 

I think new it was £1500 or £1700 so it's not like you got it crazy cheap and expected a dud or the old addage "you get what you pay for" comes into account ##~## me, its over a grand of our hard earned cash burned to some shister. 

I have tried this phone ALL OVER the world - but because of this diabolical network BEING SIM LOCKED as well as IMEI blocked there is no way around it. The only possible solution is to get a new IMEI grafted into it in India or something, which may brick the phone completely (thanks vodafone). The way this NETWORK handles these issues is absolutely disgraceful. 

I would happily return the stolen ##~## device for my grand back but in this world the big boys always win.

The network doesnt give a ##~## either they make there money by charging morons 100£+ a month for an 18 month contract to run their phone into the ground and pay 3X it's actual value

This whole system in the UK is an absolute joke, even Ireland does it better! But your Vodafone and EE are truly leading the way in terms of both market share bafflingly and also bad practise. 

I cannot believe that the only advice or assistance here is suck it up buttercup you should never expect a bargain. What a ##~## circlejerk. Of course I guarantee if I PERSONALLY took a phone contract from Vodafone - sold it on facebook and reported it as stolen - this would not work out in my favour either. Let's put it to the test. Get scammed a grand or scam yourself a grand.

No brainer right? There are clearly no repercussions for this after all.

I am disgusted at the attitude here & disgraced by the official stance of the company. 

If the seller won't cooperate, you have no choice but to put this down to an expensive experience and make sure you only purchase a phone from a reputable site.

[vodaboado]

If the seller won't cooperate, you have no choice but to put this down to an expensive experience and make sure you only purchase a phone from a reputable site.

[vodaboado]

If the seller won't cooperate, you have no choice but to put this down to an expensive experience and make sure you only purchase a phone from a reputable site.

[chistery]

I am completely happy with the stance of the networks and the refusal to unblock IMEIs like this.

If thieves knew they could just steal my phone, sell it, and the "unknowing" buyer could just get it unblocked because they were scammed, we'd see a lot more crime.

Facebook, Gumtree, etc should maybe be doing more to remind buyers that their cash purchase will have no protection and it may be a scam though.