Contract blacklist scam

[Lochenz]

Hi 

I purchased a phone new and sealed (too good to be true looking back🙄🥲) in October 2020

it’s now become blacklisted as the seller didn’t pay their contract! 

does anyone have any advice or have been through similar and know the best course of action?🥴 now £640 and one phone down lol

[Schockwave]

Hello @Lochenz ,

Welcome to the community,

Sorry this has happened to you, but unfortunately, the only person, who can get this unlocked and the blacklist removed, is the person who did not pay his contract.

You are lucky, or unlucky, that you have been able to use the phone for that length of time. I would say, lesson learnt, be careful when purchasing any product in future.

Have you spoken to EE? Not sure there is anything they can do either.

[Lochenz]

Thank you @Schockwave for the reply 

I’d say unlucky because if it happened sooner - I’d be more covered by the likes of PayPal and eBay 🤦🏻‍♀️ 
EE were lovely but unfortunately can’t do anything. I’m in the process of speaking with citizens advice about getting my money back from the seller atm so we shall see! 

[Chris_B]

@Lochenz  You could still report this to eBay and the police as this is called fraud.  I’ve only ever known of one case where someone actually got convicted of this though so I wouldn’t hope of any outcome from it. 

[Lochenz]

It’s just an absolute nightmare tbh and I really cannot believe someone can just get away with it!

[Chris_B]

@Lochenz   That’s why you can report this to the police it’s called fraud. 

[Lochenz]

I absolutely plan to tbh as it’s just not on!

[wardi]

@Lochenz .. there was someone on here recently that bought a phone off FB marketplace, price too good to be true.  He tried blaming EE for blacklisting his phone, turned out to be a scam.   I tend to buy refurbs from respectable dealers who always check the phone's history before putting it on sale and ensuring it is unlocked.  Caveat Emptor.

[Lochenz]

The price was in line with prices of an iPhone 11 at the time tbf, seemingly a decent eBay seller, PayPal paid etc - followed all things to assume security. EE also confirmed it was non-payment of contract - this took 18 months and I’d had a perfectly working phone in that time! That’s what’s left me stuck! 

[Chris_B]

@Lochenz  Just because it took 18 it doesn’t mean the person who sold it didn’t stop paying the contract straight the way they continued paying it as they obviously had the sim for that contract in a different device.