Unlocked phones

I have checked on eBay for used smartphones and found interesting ones.
Many are said to be unlocked and therefore said to be compatible with
any CDMA networks in North America. But I've been told that I would have
to expect problems trying to have a Canadian service provider to
activate an unlocked phone previously activated in the US, because US
phone ESN are not in the data base of the Canadian providers.
Has anyone experienced this situation?
Thanks for helping
Harry

"Harry Pott" <harryp04@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:cNx%e.52807$f_3.383834@weber.videotron.net...
>I have checked on eBay for used smartphones and found interesting ones.
>Many are said to be unlocked and therefore said to be compatible with any
>CDMA networks in North America. But I've been told that I would have to
>expect problems trying to have a Canadian service provider to activate an
>unlocked phone previously activated in the US, because US phone ESN are not
>in the data base of the Canadian providers.
> Has anyone experienced this situation?
> Thanks for helping
> Harry

Don't believe it..the ESN it an ID for the phone so the network knows it is
connecting with the correct phone that belongs on its network.

I took an old phone I had used on Celluar 1 to Mexico to use on the prepaid
network TelCel. No problems

In message <1128190844.1a71863588b912ed7b3b869d4ff39b63@teranews>
"GeekBoy" <GeekBoy@Geeks.com> wrote:

>
>"Harry Pott" <harryp04@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>news:cNx%e.52807$f_3.383834@weber.videotron.net...
>>I have checked on eBay for used smartphones and found interesting ones.
>>Many are said to be unlocked and therefore said to be compatible with any
>>CDMA networks in North America. But I've been told that I would have to
>>expect problems trying to have a Canadian service provider to activate an
>>unlocked phone previously activated in the US, because US phone ESN are not
>>in the data base of the Canadian providers.
>> Has anyone experienced this situation?
>> Thanks for helping
>> Harry
>
>Don't believe it..the ESN it an ID for the phone so the network knows it is
>connecting with the correct phone that belongs on its network.
>
>I took an old phone I had used on Celluar 1 to Mexico to use on the prepaid
>network TelCel. No problems

Good for you. That doesn't change the fact that as a matter of policy,
many CDMA providers won't activate phones which aren't already in their
database.

--
I used to be indecisive. Now I'm not so sure.

I've activated US phones on Cellular One in Bermuda before. I have
activated an old ATT phone on Telcel in Mexico as well.

Vacation destination countries often are fairly open to this. Bell
Canada and Telus have traditionally required you to have their stuff
only. The other poster is correct that Verizon has been fairly liberal
about activating foreign phones on their net. I've heard that they
have tightened up on this a bit.

In message <1128266250.462038.9250@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com> "Stuart
Friedman" <stu@crimapp.com> wrote:

>I've activated US phones on Cellular One in Bermuda before. I have
>activated an old ATT phone on Telcel in Mexico as well.
>
>Vacation destination countries often are fairly open to this. Bell
>Canada and Telus have traditionally required you to have their stuff
>only. The other poster is correct that Verizon has been fairly liberal
>about activating foreign phones on their net. I've heard that they
>have tightened up on this a bit.

It makes sense that a vacation destination would be more willing to
activate then other carriers.

To be honest, I can't really fathom why TELUS/Bell/others are so anal,
what's the harm if you want to save them the money they normally spend
subsidizing new handsets?

--
SCIENTISTS COMPARE APPLES AND ORANGES FOR VITAMIN CONTENT
"It's like comparing apples and oranges," says researcher

"DevilsPGD" <spamsucks@crazyhat.net> wrote in message
news:0bouj1tjt5n1g54k8io28k4h9he5nefe06@4ax.com...
> In message <1128190844.1a71863588b912ed7b3b869d4ff39b63@teranews>
> "GeekBoy" <GeekBoy@Geeks.com> wrote:
>
>>
>>"Harry Pott" <harryp04@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>>news:cNx%e.52807$f_3.383834@weber.videotron.net...
>>>I have checked on eBay for used smartphones and found interesting ones.
>>>Many are said to be unlocked and therefore said to be compatible with any
>>>CDMA networks in North America. But I've been told that I would have to
>>>expect problems trying to have a Canadian service provider to activate an
>>>unlocked phone previously activated in the US, because US phone ESN are
>>>not
>>>in the data base of the Canadian providers.
>>> Has anyone experienced this situation?
>>> Thanks for helping
>>> Harry
>>
>>Don't believe it..the ESN it an ID for the phone so the network knows it
>>is
>>connecting with the correct phone that belongs on its network.
>>
>>I took an old phone I had used on Celluar 1 to Mexico to use on the
>>prepaid
>>network TelCel. No problems
>
> Good for you. That doesn't change the fact that as a matter of policy,
> many CDMA providers won't activate phones which aren't already in their
> database.
>

Uhmm..what does a "database" have to do with a phone?

NOTHING

Its the SERIAL NUMBER the network needs to communicate with the phone.

> --
> I used to be indecisive. Now I'm not so sure.

"DevilsPGD" <spamsucks@crazyhat.net> wrote in message
news:ke41k1hrp0pnp8esmq47uckvc7lce3fgur@4ax.com...
> In message <1128266250.462038.9250@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com> "Stuart
> Friedman" <stu@crimapp.com> wrote:
>
>>I've activated US phones on Cellular One in Bermuda before. I have
>>activated an old ATT phone on Telcel in Mexico as well.
>>
>>Vacation destination countries often are fairly open to this. Bell
>>Canada and Telus have traditionally required you to have their stuff
>>only. The other poster is correct that Verizon has been fairly liberal
>>about activating foreign phones on their net. I've heard that they
>>have tightened up on this a bit.
>
> It makes sense that a vacation destination would be more willing to
> activate then other carriers.
>
> To be honest, I can't really fathom why TELUS/Bell/others are so anal,
> what's the harm if you want to save them the money they normally spend
> subsidizing new handsets?
>
Its the agent that does this. If you go to the actual carrier they are
usually more than happy to use your old phone.
The agent gets commission and plus activation fees for new phones as opposed
to only activation fee for old phone.


> --
> SCIENTISTS COMPARE APPLES AND ORANGES FOR VITAMIN CONTENT
> "It's like comparing apples and oranges," says researcher

In message <1129138300.7d4a1466f6448e1157db18a76c8f05a7@teranews>
"GeekBoy" <GeekBoy@Geeks.com> wrote:

>
>"DevilsPGD" <spamsucks@crazyhat.net> wrote in message
>news:0bouj1tjt5n1g54k8io28k4h9he5nefe06@4ax.com...
>> In message <1128190844.1a71863588b912ed7b3b869d4ff39b63@teranews>
>> "GeekBoy" <GeekBoy@Geeks.com> wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>"Harry Pott" <harryp04@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>>>news:cNx%e.52807$f_3.383834@weber.videotron.net...
>>>>I have checked on eBay for used smartphones and found interesting ones.
>>>>Many are said to be unlocked and therefore said to be compatible with any
>>>>CDMA networks in North America. But I've been told that I would have to
>>>>expect problems trying to have a Canadian service provider to activate an
>>>>unlocked phone previously activated in the US, because US phone ESN are
>>>>not
>>>>in the data base of the Canadian providers.
>>>> Has anyone experienced this situation?
>>>> Thanks for helping
>>>> Harry
>>>
>>>Don't believe it..the ESN it an ID for the phone so the network knows it
>>>is
>>>connecting with the correct phone that belongs on its network.
>>>
>>>I took an old phone I had used on Celluar 1 to Mexico to use on the
>>>prepaid
>>>network TelCel. No problems
>>
>> Good for you. That doesn't change the fact that as a matter of policy,
>> many CDMA providers won't activate phones which aren't already in their
>> database.
>>
>
>Uhmm..what does a "database" have to do with a phone?

Simple: If the reps don't have the ability to add a new serial number to
the database, then what's in the database is all that matters.

--
DevilsPGD - A spews parrot and a member of the spews lunatics
of n.a.n-a.e. (AKA spews fanatics)

In message <1129138458.16cd3f9c69407da42d852fd43343e027@teranews>
"GeekBoy" <GeekBoy@Geeks.com> wrote:

>Its the agent that does this. If you go to the actual carrier they are
>usually more than happy to use your old phone.
>The agent gets commission and plus activation fees for new phones as opposed
>to only activation fee for old phone.

No. I'm friends with my dealer, and they'll do anything within their
power to help me (I've purchased half a dozen phones for personal use
from them, gone there to sign contracts even though I can do it from
home just so that they get a commission)

They simply cannot get TELUS to activate a phone not already in TELUS'
system.

--
DevilsPGD - A spews parrot and a member of the spews lunatics
of n.a.n-a.e. (AKA spews fanatics)