Providing ESN for an ebay phone

[email protected] (TechGeek) wrote in
news:[email protected]:

> Rico <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:<[email protected]>...
>> >
>> > Hmm, posting the ESN in the auction itself may not be a good idea,
>> > but any good and honest seller would supply you with the ESN upon
>> > request.
>>
>> Well then ... why wouldn't it be a good idea ?
>> Just a gut feeling ?
>>
> While the intentions are good, it leaves the ESN out for anyone to
> mess with it (activate it, put it into fraud status) and screw you and
> your buyer. I'd suggest leaving a line in there to say "feel free to
> send me an email asking for the ESN" that way you're most likely to
> get serious people looking at the ESN, since a lot of these people who
> just want to cause trouble are rather lazy.

Not bad advice.
I definetly don't see any possible point in someone activating it - And the
risk is so small of someone risking their sprint account and ebay account for
fraud .. Just to be goofy ? - As to be negligible[?].
I'll say this - If I was a power seller selling phones on ebay for a living,
perhaps I'd do as you suggest.
For the casual seller,there is no point.

>
>
>> >
>> > If I was bidding on a phone and the seller refused to give me the
>> > ESN, then I'd be very suspicious.
>> >
>> > But then again, if it's stolen, what's to stop them form supplying
>> > you with a good esn and ship you the bad esn?
>> >
>>
>> I agree,and mentioned that in another post in this thread.
>> Only thing there is if they did supply you with a bogus good ESN for a
>> stolen phone,you will have proof of their duplicity by simply saving
>> the emails. For that reason,most cons would either not answer that
>> request at all,or perhaps reply via an anonymous remailer - Either one
>> of which should be grounds for suspicion.
>
> True, but I have seen complaints about similar situations, my only
> fallback would be if they do email you the ESN, or have it in the
> auction, keep it, either print out the auction with a date stamp, or
> save the email so you can verify it and then argue it later, that may
> be your only chance of salvation in a situation like this.
>
Yes its always a good idea to keep records such as this until transactions
are complete.
I keep all receipts,notices and relevant documents/pages in storage until I
get the item and am satified as a buyer,or receive + feedback as a seller.

---

› See More: Providing ESN for an ebay phone

In article <[email protected]>,=20
[email protected] says...
> I'm engaged in a dispute with an idiot - He claims that,when bidding on a=
=20
> phone on ebay,one should never expect the seller to provide you with the=
=20
> ESN,as there are things a scam artist can do with it.
> I say BS,and I wouldn't bid on a phone if the seller refused to provide t=
he=20
> ESN before the auction closed.
> So is there any good reason for a seller not to disclose a phones ESN ?
>=20
> I've sold a few phones on ebay,and listed the ESN right in the auction.
>=20


Unfortunately, you're both right. A scammer *can* do things with the=20
ESN. Then again, I wouldn't buy without having the ESN, either.

I choose not to argue about it. If the seller won't provide, I won't=20
buy.

--=20
R=D8=DF
O/Siris
I work for Sprint PCS
I *don't* speak for them

In article <[email protected]>,
O/Siris <0siris@sprīntpcs.com> wrote:

> In article <[email protected]>,
> [email protected] says...
> > I'm engaged in a dispute with an idiot - He claims that,when bidding on a
> > phone on ebay,one should never expect the seller to provide you with the
> > ESN,as there are things a scam artist can do with it.
> > I say BS,and I wouldn't bid on a phone if the seller refused to provide the
> > ESN before the auction closed.
> > So is there any good reason for a seller not to disclose a phones ESN ?
> >
> > I've sold a few phones on ebay,and listed the ESN right in the auction.
> >
>
>
> Unfortunately, you're both right. A scammer *can* do things with the
> ESN. Then again, I wouldn't buy without having the ESN, either.
>
> I choose not to argue about it. If the seller won't provide, I won't
> buy.

Is there any reason there could be a problem with a New still sealed in
the box phone?

"Robert M." <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> In article <[email protected]>,
> O/Siris <0siris@sprīntpcs.com> wrote:
>
> > In article <[email protected]>,
> > [email protected] says...
> > > I'm engaged in a dispute with an idiot - He claims that,when bidding on a
> > > phone on ebay,one should never expect the seller to provide you with the
> > > ESN,as there are things a scam artist can do with it.
> > > I say BS,and I wouldn't bid on a phone if the seller refused to provide the
> > > ESN before the auction closed.
> > > So is there any good reason for a seller not to disclose a phones ESN ?
> > >
> > > I've sold a few phones on ebay,and listed the ESN right in the auction.
> > >
> >
> >
> > Unfortunately, you're both right. A scammer *can* do things with the
> > ESN. Then again, I wouldn't buy without having the ESN, either.
> >
> > I choose not to argue about it. If the seller won't provide, I won't
> > buy.
>
> Is there any reason there could be a problem with a New still sealed in
> the box phone?

Yep, it could be stolen.

You steal a phone out of a store's inventory (or other means to get
unopened boxes, such as 3rd party, from UPS etc..), they know what
serial numbers are missing, they flag the ESNs as 'stolen'. The phone
can still be sealed, but can be a locked out ESN.

Besides, even if the seller says it's sealed, there's no proof until
you recieve it.

While there are honest sellers on EBay, there are a lot of dishonest
buyers. Check feedback thoroughly, look for consistancies in the
feedback, 20 people leaving identical positive feedback all with
ratings of 1 or 2 are suspicious to me.

Don't be afraid to ask questions, and pay close attention to the
replies and the ad on EBay.

In article <rmarkoff-49D293.17182929042004
@news04.east.earthlink.net>, [email protected] says...
> Is there any reason there could be a problem with a New still sealed in=
=20
> the box phone?
>=20

Yeah. Sealing machines are not terribly expensive. Plus, the ESN is=20
on the box. A customer/scammer who is familiar with a real process=20
can fake a scam one.

--=20
R=D8=DF
O/Siris
I work for Sprint PCS
I *don't* speak for them

In article <[email protected]>,
O/Siris <[email protected]> wrote:

> In article <rmarkoff-49D293.17182929042004
> @news04.east.earthlink.net>, [email protected] says...
> > Is there any reason there could be a problem with a New still sealed in
> > the box phone?
> >
>
> Yeah. Sealing machines are not terribly expensive. Plus, the ESN is
> on the box. A customer/scammer who is familiar with a real process
> can fake a scam one.

A resealed box is not a "New still sealed in the box phone", although in
some cases it could look like one. But its easy to separate someone who
sells 5 items a year on eBay, has been a memeber for years and is
selling a phone, from someone who sells 50 phones a month!

So the question remains. If it is reasonable to assume it really is a
new sealed in the box phone, how could that be a problem?

In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] (TechGeek) wrote:

> > Is there any reason there could be a problem with a New still sealed in
> > the box phone?
>
> Yep, it could be stolen.

You be correct. Thank you.

With ebay, look at the volume. Someone who's been a member for years,
sells 5 items a year, and never sold a phone before is more likely to be
honest than someone who's been a member for 6 weeks, has sold 30 phones,
and has 10 for sale currently, 5 each of two models.

>
> You steal a phone out of a store's inventory (or other means to get
> unopened boxes, such as 3rd party, from UPS etc..), they know what
> serial numbers are missing, they flag the ESNs as 'stolen'. The phone
> can still be sealed, but can be a locked out ESN.
>
> Besides, even if the seller says it's sealed, there's no proof until
> you recieve it.
>
> While there are honest sellers on EBay, there are a lot of dishonest
> buyers. Check feedback thoroughly, look for consistancies in the
> feedback, 20 people leaving identical positive feedback all with
> ratings of 1 or 2 are suspicious to me.

"Robert M." <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> In article <[email protected]>,
> O/Siris <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > In article <rmarkoff-49D293.17182929042004
> > @news04.east.earthlink.net>, [email protected] says...
> > > Is there any reason there could be a problem with a New still sealed in
> > > the box phone?
> > >
> >
> > Yeah. Sealing machines are not terribly expensive. Plus, the ESN is
> > on the box. A customer/scammer who is familiar with a real process
> > can fake a scam one.
>
> A resealed box is not a "New still sealed in the box phone", although in
> some cases it could look like one. But its easy to separate someone who
> sells 5 items a year on eBay, has been a memeber for years and is
> selling a phone, from someone who sells 50 phones a month!
>
> So the question remains. If it is reasonable to assume it really is a
> new sealed in the box phone, how could that be a problem?

I'll post my answer again since you posted your question again.

*********************
Yep, it could be stolen.

You steal a phone out of a store's inventory (or other means to get
unopened boxes, such as 3rd party, from UPS etc..), they know what
serial numbers are missing, they flag the ESNs as 'stolen'. The phone
can still be sealed, but can be a locked out ESN.

Besides, even if the seller says it's sealed, there's no proof until
you recieve it.
**********************