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My big sister who, like me, lives abroad, buys a ton of stuff off of
eBay. Anyway, since she has been spending alot more time recently back
in the states due to work, she figured it would be a good idea to
simply buy a phone off of ebay (CDMA, so she would be able to use it on
a local compatible network where she lives as well, and she's locked on
one of the camera phones that i think verison sells, A670 something,
not familiar with US models), that she could then adapt to a US network
and use while she's there. While i keep telling her to avoid this as i
am NOT trusting of things from eBay in general, she is adamant about
it.

What i want to know, is, on the chance that i'll be right (which i'm
guessing is high),and the phone she ends up buying does turn out to be
used/stolen (i hear that happens alot), is there any way she would be
able to use it nontheless? I'm not an expert, but could a phone that's
been "non-activated" (dunno if thats the term) be activated by a
different person alone or with help from a tech? or is it something
that the service supplier or whatever needs to reprogram or something
with one of those phone codes i keep hearing about (sorry for sounding
so lame, but i'm a complete n00b when it comes to cellphones)?


Also, she would still need to get some sort of plan with a supplier
even if she brings her own phone to it, am i right on that????

Given that by myself, i've been unable to convince her that it sounds
like a really bad idea to me, any assistance, and opinions on the
likelyhood that this could happen, would be greatly appreciated...


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Archangelus1 wrote:
> My big sister who, like me, lives abroad, buys a ton of stuff off of
> eBay. Anyway, since she has been spending alot more time recently back
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>snip<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

I guess the bottom line is "will the phone my sister wants to purchase
off ebay work on Verizon (or any other network)
The answer is: maybe
If the phone:
Does not have an outstanding balance
Is not listed as lost/stolen
Already programmed into the Verizon database.
ie: already programmed with Verizon firmware.

My personal experiance with Verizon is that they WILL NOT activate a ESN
(cell phone serial number) that belonged to another network, in my case
Sprint. YMMV They gave me several reasons why not, most of them B.S.. In
my research to "repair" the ESN on my other phone I discovered that the
CDMA security involved several other numbers programmed into the phone.
Not impossible to change but impractical.
IF you (she) can get the ESN number off the phone and contact Verizon
yourself, DO NOT rely on the seller's word, and see if they will
activate it.

I have two paperweights, one a Ericsson T60 and the other a
Sprint(Qualcomm)SCP-7300

Most likely you will have to purchase a plan. They want your money and
will nickle and dime you to death.

Seumas

The above is free advice and should be considered worth as much as you
paid for it.

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Archangelus1 wrote:
> My big sister .......

Most service plans require a one or two year committment. If your big
sis is not here for the full term of the service plan, she will be
wasting a lot paying fees for the time she isn't here. Have her
consider prepay. Tracfone, Beyond Wireless, CallPlus to name a few.

If she insists on a Verizon plan, the phones are subsidized when
starting a plan and are a lot cheaper than they can be found on eBay.
A Keyocera phone that I just got for $49 when I signed up for a new
plan went on eBay the other day for $152.

Lena

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

Wrong... and wrong.

Verizon will most certainly WILL activate any compatible phone.
That they can get into and program.

On that Sprint phone - did you have the sub lock??
If not, Verizon couldn't program it. (Sprint locked it)
How in hell is that Verizon's fault?

On that T60 - isn't that a GSM phone? You know that Verizon is
CDMA don't you. The phone wouldn't work on their network.

So far, you're two for two...


"Seumas Elphen" <Die-spammer.scum.dog@here.com> wrote in message
news:EyaHe.107857$oK.76693@okepread02...
> My personal experiance with Verizon is that they WILL NOT activate a ESN
> (cell phone serial number) that belonged to another network, in my case
> Sprint. YMMV They gave me several reasons why not, most of them B.S.. In
> my research to "repair" the ESN on my other phone I discovered that the
> CDMA security involved several other numbers programmed into the phone.
> Not impossible to change but impractical.
> IF you (she) can get the ESN number off the phone and contact Verizon
> yourself, DO NOT rely on the seller's word, and see if they will activate
> it.
>
> I have two paperweights, one a Ericsson T60 and the other a
> Sprint(Qualcomm)SCP-7300
>

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Richard Ness wrote:
> Wrong... and wrong.
>
> Verizon will most certainly WILL activate any compatible phone.
> That they can get into and program.

Well, wait. The other issue is that Verizon doesn't have firmware for the
Sanyo, nor does any other US CDMA carrier besides Sprint. Sprint sells
Sanyos *exclusively* in this country.

ISTR Verizon not wanting to activate phones that they don't at least have
firmware for.

>>I have two paperweights, one a Ericsson T60 and the other a
>>Sprint(Qualcomm)SCP-7300

No, the SCP isn't a Qualcomm, Qualcomm's old phone model numbers started
with QCP. SCP is always Sanyo.

And I guarantee the Ericsson T60 won't run on Verizon at all, as it's not a
CDMA phone. It's a TDMA phone, and TDMA phones aren't compatible with
Verizon's CDMA network. Verizon couldn't get a T60 to run on their network
even if they wanted to.

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Steve Sobol, Professional Geek 888-480-4638 PGP: 0xE3AE35ED
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Steve Sobol wrote:
> Richard Ness wrote:
>
>> Wrong... and wrong.
>>
>> Verizon will most certainly WILL activate any compatible phone.
>> That they can get into and program.
>
>
> Well, wait. The other issue is that Verizon doesn't have firmware for
> the Sanyo, nor does any other US CDMA carrier besides Sprint. Sprint
> sells Sanyos *exclusively* in this country.
>
> ISTR Verizon not wanting to activate phones that they don't at least
> have firmware for.
>
>>> I have two paperweights, one a Ericsson T60 and the other a
>>> Sprint(Qualcomm)SCP-7300
>
>
> No, the SCP isn't a Qualcomm, Qualcomm's old phone model numbers started
> with QCP. SCP is always Sanyo.
>
> And I guarantee the Ericsson T60 won't run on Verizon at all, as it's
> not a CDMA phone. It's a TDMA phone, and TDMA phones aren't compatible
> with Verizon's CDMA network. Verizon couldn't get a T60 to run on their
> network even if they wanted to.
>

You are correct, the T60 was from an older contract with Cingular. I
never tried to get Verizon to activate it 'cause I _knew_ it would not
work. Never said I tried.
The SCP7300 has a Qualcomm number of QCT-7000, it was even remarketed
by Kyocera for awhile. I did a lot of research whilst trying to "repair"
this phone. I've been told that Kyocera has purchased Qualcomm, but have
seen nothing to back that up yet.
I reset the Service programing code in the SCP7300 to the VZW standard
of all zeros and spoke to every CS person I could talk to, and the tech
at the local store with no luck. Even threating to cancel all my
contracts moved them not one inch.
The firmware IS the issue. In the firmware are a_key ssd_a ssd_b keys.
these keys authenicate the phone to the CDMA network. Not just the ESN.
There are many whitepapers on the subject on the 'net to be read.

But my trials, tribulations, and musings just detracts from the orignal
question.

Thus my suggestion to the person wanting advice still stands. Check
with VZW (or whatever carrier) BEFORE you purchase a phone from a third
party. Make sure that VZW will activate it. The key word here is
compatable (a phone they can program). I've read that some travelers use
a sim-card type phone. That way they can change phone/networks as they
travel and keep their data. YMMV

Seumas
The above is free advice and should be considered worth as much as you
paid for it. No refunds.

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

On Mon, 01 Aug 2005 11:01:42 -0500, Seumas Elphen
<Die-spammer.scum.dog@here.com> wrote:

.. I've been told that Kyocera has purchased Qualcomm, but have
>seen nothing to back that up yet.

Kyocera took over Qualcomm's cellular phone entity several years ago.


Pegleg
U.S. Navy Retired
Support Our Troops

All great things are simple, and many can be expressed in single words:
freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope.
Sir Winston Churchill

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On Mon, 01 Aug 2005 11:01:42 -0500, Seumas Elphen
<Die-spammer.scum.dog@here.com> wrote:
I've been told that Kyocera has purchased Qualcomm, but have
>seen nothing to back that up yet.

See below:

Press Releases
12/22/99
QUALCOMM and KYOCERA Sign Agreement for Terrestrial CDMA Phone
Business

SAN DIEGO - December 22, 1999 - QUALCOMM Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM)
and Kyocera Corporation (NYSE: KYO) today announced at 1:30 p.m. (PST)
that they have reached a definitive agreement which will result in a
newly formed unit of Kyocera acquiring QUALCOMM's terrestrial-based
wireless Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) consumer phone business,
including its phone inventory, manufacturing equipment and customer
commitments. Under this agreement, Kyocera has agreed to purchase a
majority of its CDMA chipsets and system software from QUALCOMM for a
period of five years. Kyocera will continue its existing
royalty-bearing CDMA license agreement with QUALCOMM. The transaction
is expected to close by the end of February 2000. The financial terms
of the agreement, which is subject to regulatory approval and other
customary closing conditions, were not disclosed.


Pegleg
U.S. Navy Retired
Support Our Troops

All great things are simple, and many can be expressed in single words:
freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope.
Sir Winston Churchill

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Seumas Elphen wrote: > Thus my suggestion to the person wanting advice still stands. Check
> with VZW (or whatever carrier) BEFORE you purchase a phone from a third
> party. Make sure that VZW will activate it. The key word here is
> compatable (a phone they can program). I've read that some travelers
> use a sim-card type phone. That way they can change phone/networks as
> they travel and keep their data. YMMV

You're kinda missing the point of my question. I'm not asking about an
issue of phone/network compatability (and i now know the phone she
wants to buy IS supported by verizon, its called the CDMA SHG-A670 i
think), what i want to know is if there is anything that can be done
should it turn out to be marked as used/lost/stolen by the service
provider after she buys it (which i keep reading happens alot when
buying phones from eBay)...

As for the GSM SIM-card phones, apparently that isn't an option, at
least one of the two networks she normally uses when in Germany &
Israel supports CDMA only and she won't/can't switch to another network
(i'm betting on it being the Israeli one, i lived in that god-forsaken
nightmare excuse of a country long enough to know how messed up the
local cellphone service providers are)...


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Seumas Elphen wrote:

> The SCP7300 has a Qualcomm number of QCT-7000, it was even remarketed
> by Kyocera for awhile. I did a lot of research whilst trying to "repair"
> this phone. I've been told that Kyocera has purchased Qualcomm, but have
> seen nothing to back that up yet.

No, Kyocera purchased Qualcomm's handset business so Qualcomm could
concentrate on making buttloads of money licensing CDMA and marketing
cellular chipsets.

> I reset the Service programing code in the SCP7300 to the VZW standard
> of all zeros and spoke to every CS person I could talk to, and the tech
> at the local store with no luck. Even threating to cancel all my
> contracts moved them not one inch.
> The firmware IS the issue. In the firmware are a_key ssd_a ssd_b keys.
> these keys authenicate the phone to the CDMA network. Not just the ESN.
> There are many whitepapers on the subject on the 'net to be read.
>
> But my trials, tribulations, and musings just detracts from the orignal
> question.

Well, I think the original question has been answered. *I've activated other
carriers' phones on Verizon before.* But due to firmware issues, the
likelihood that any Sanyo will ever be activated by VZW is, in my opinion,
unlikely. Really, the only point that needs to be made is the one you've
already made,

> Check
> with VZW (or whatever carrier) BEFORE you purchase a phone from a third
> party. Make sure that VZW will activate it. The key word here is
> compatable (a phone they can program). I've read that some travelers use
> a sim-card type phone. That way they can change phone/networks as they
> travel and keep their data. YMMV

and the details are just that, details. BTW, CDMA phones don't use SIM
cards. GSM phones do.

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Archangelus1 wrote:
> Seumas Elphen wrote: > Thus my suggestion to the person wanting advice still stands. Check
>
>>with VZW (or whatever carrier) BEFORE you purchase a phone from a third
>>party. Make sure that VZW will activate it. The key word here is
>>compatable (a phone they can program). I've read that some travelers
>>use a sim-card type phone. That way they can change phone/networks as
>>they travel and keep their data. YMMV
>
>
> You're kinda missing the point of my question. I'm not asking about an
> issue of phone/network compatability (and i now know the phone she
> wants to buy IS supported by verizon, its called the CDMA SHG-A670 i
> think), what i want to know is if there is anything that can be done
> should it turn out to be marked as used/lost/stolen by the service
> provider after she buys it (which i keep reading happens alot when
> buying phones from eBay)...

Ah. Yes, the A670 will work on Verizon -- Verizon sells their own version of
the phone -- but there are some features that won't work (in particular, the
downloadable apps GetItNow uses are written using a different programming
language and different technology than the ones Sprint PCS Vision uses, so
you won't be able to download VZW apps to your Sprint phone). On the point
of ESNs, I did have a situation, once, where I ended up with a Sprint phone
that had been reported stolen. I was lucky. I was able to contact the
original owner of the phone, since they were using the same phone number and
had simply gotten an insurance replacement. They called and authorized
Sprint to release the ESN, after which I could activate it. But it is by no
means guaranteed that this will work for everyone. Check the ESN first, with
Sprint (or whoever the original carrier is).

> As for the GSM SIM-card phones, apparently that isn't an option

Not with Verizon.

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Steve Sobol wrote on [Mon, 01 Aug 2005 14:14:59 -0700]:
> Archangelus1 wrote:
>> Seumas Elphen wrote: > Thus my suggestion to the person wanting advice still stands. Check
>>
>>>with VZW (or whatever carrier) BEFORE you purchase a phone from a third
>>>party. Make sure that VZW will activate it. The key word here is
>>>compatable (a phone they can program). I've read that some travelers
>>>use a sim-card type phone. That way they can change phone/networks as
>>>they travel and keep their data. YMMV
>>
>>
>> You're kinda missing the point of my question. I'm not asking about an
>> issue of phone/network compatability (and i now know the phone she
>> wants to buy IS supported by verizon, its called the CDMA SHG-A670 i
>> think), what i want to know is if there is anything that can be done
>> should it turn out to be marked as used/lost/stolen by the service
>> provider after she buys it (which i keep reading happens alot when
>> buying phones from eBay)...
>
> Ah. Yes, the A670 will work on Verizon -- Verizon sells their own version of
> the phone -- but there are some features that won't work (in particular, the
> downloadable apps GetItNow uses are written using a different programming
> language and different technology than the ones Sprint PCS Vision uses, so
> you won't be able to download VZW apps to your Sprint phone). On the point

Are there any actually useful get it now apps?

> of ESNs, I did have a situation, once, where I ended up with a Sprint phone
> that had been reported stolen. I was lucky. I was able to contact the
> original owner of the phone, since they were using the same phone number and
> had simply gotten an insurance replacement. They called and authorized
> Sprint to release the ESN, after which I could activate it. But it is by no

Hmmm, does that mean you bought the phone from someone who stole it?

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Justin wrote:

>>of ESNs, I did have a situation, once, where I ended up with a Sprint phone
>>that had been reported stolen. I was lucky. I was able to contact the
>>original owner of the phone, since they were using the same phone number and
>>had simply gotten an insurance replacement. They called and authorized
>>Sprint to release the ESN, after which I could activate it. But it is by no
>
> Hmmm, does that mean you bought the phone from someone who stole it?

Well, the buyer said it was lost and he picked it up.

But there was a manual and the original box. How often do you *find* a phone
with that stuff?

The original owner told me he reported it stolen to the police, so I should
probably follow up with them. Maybe they can nail the guy, who was a bit of
an ass when I complained about the ESN not being activatable.

It boils down to the fact that an eBay auction went down to the wire, it was
a phone model I really wanted - to replace a broken phone, I needed a
working phone, and I didn't take my own advice to check the ESN before bidding.


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Steve Sobol, Professional Geek 888-480-4638 PGP: 0xE3AE35ED
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> On the point of ESNs ... and authorized Sprint to release the ESN,
> after which I could activate it. But it is by no means guaranteed that
> this will work for everyone. Check the ESN first, with Sprint (or
> whoever the original carrier is).

Ok, dude, what the hell is an ESN (cellular-illiterate here,
remember?)????
And isn't that something that can be modified or changed (seem to
remember reading something about that, or is it something called
IMIE)????


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