Contributor
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1 Message
Blocked from Network use.
Bought an AT&T iPhone 7+ from a person on Facebook buying/selling site. Met at local AT&T store and they checked IMEI and said the phone is good to activate so I bought it. SIM card was in the phone from seller so I made a call just to see what would happen and get message 'this device is blocked from network use'. Put the SIM in a different phone and got same message. So can the phone be activated or not ? Don't have an AT&T SIM myself just bought the phone to resell. Thanks.
formerlyknownas
ACE - Sage
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116.6K Messages
7 years ago
Until you use an active SIM card successfully, The best I can say is I don't know. The SIM card was no good, that I am sure of. Most likely suspended.
You weren't able to use the phone, but bought it any way? If it was cheap enough so you'll make a profit on resale, doesn't that seem fishy?
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MR_SMiT
ACE - Professor
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1.8K Messages
7 years ago
This AT&T Store, is it AT&T Corperate Store or autherized dealer? Maybe somebody checked wrong number, or don't know what they doing?
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JohnnyDoe
Guru
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691 Messages
7 years ago
@Corey213 double check the IMEI using this link to make sure the phone is truly compatible with AT&T:
https://www.att.com/shop/wireless/byop.html
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Busternutt
Professor
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3.2K Messages
7 years ago
A good phone can be sold and afterwards, reported as lost or stolen by the original owner. ATT can only tell you what the current status is.
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formerlyknownas
ACE - Sage
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116.6K Messages
7 years ago
Or perhaps it's the SIM card alone that's blocked.
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alanlev
Tutor
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7 Messages
6 years ago
Do not buy a phone from a private party. Even if you check the IMEI, and even if you call AT&T, and even if AT&T tells you the phone is clean, then you will still be treated like the criminal if the seller reports the phone as stolen after you have been using the phone for over a year. This actually happened to us. After many agents saying we were not at fault, and they understand, and the phone will be unblocked, the fraud department has not taken our phone off the blocked list. Promises, promises, but in the end it is a nightmare. AT&T will not back up their customer, even if you have been with them over ten years without incident.They will not contact the previous owner who reported the phone as stolen.
It is not the employees fault, it is the corporate structure. We have come a long way from "the customer is always right" and "innocent until proven guilty." We have gotten to the place of guilty unless you buy the phone from Apple or AT&T.
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