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[xXCrazyCostaXX]

First thread I've posted and I'm really needing some help here as this is crazy as hell to me.

I bought a new iPhone from Best Buy on January 7th to replace my old one. Up until today the phone worked fine when I suddenly wasn't able to browse the internet anymore. I tried making a call and got a "this phone has been blocked from making calls, please contact your service provider". I drove to AT&T and they had to get customer service on the phone to which I was told that Sprint had filed my device as stolen. They told me to go to Best Buy since that's where I bought it. I had to go to the one near my house and not the one I bought the phone at because that's 45min away near where I work. They told me after 15 days they can't do anything and to go to Sprint because there is no possible way in hell they sold me a used/stolen phone. Sprint made me sit around for a hour before telling me that their fraud department would not release the hold and that the phone was stolen about 5 miles from the Best Buy I bought the phone at. Now it's late and I can't go back to the original Best Buy until tomorrow and I have no phone service. I have no clue if Best Buy is wrong or if Sprint is wrong but this whole thing is pissing me off and I'm wondering how to proceed tomorrow. What say you Gaf?

TLDR: phone I bought from Best Buy new was reported stolen from a Sprint store so AT&T can't continue my service. They all say it's each other's fault


****UPDATES****

Update #1
I have to sit here till their at&t specialist gets here. Only 1 person working Best Buy mobile right now and they don't know how to help. If the person that comes in at 11 can't help I have to come back at 330

Update #2
So I spent 3 hours at Best Buy while they played phone tag with at&t and sprint. So far it's looking like it could be either one of there faults but Best Buy faxed my reciept for the purchase of the phone to sprint. Sprint said it could take up to 24hrs before the blacklist ends unless there are any problems on there side. Best Buy is swearing up and down that they got the phone straight from Apple and that there is no way it could have been swapped into their store because their computer system would kick it back

Update #3
Spent the last hour at a sprint store near my last account. They couldn't get a hold of their own customer service and kept getting dropped calls so they are sending me to their corporate store....back in front of the Best Buy I bought the phone at. Kill me lol

Update #4
Long update but here it goes.

I worked today while spending 3 hours at Best Buy, went to two sprint stores, then ended back up at Best Buy. They could not get sprint to release the blacklist so after a lot of arguing they finally decided to set me up with another phone. I have a 256gb jet black 7+. The only thing they had in store and within 100 miles was a rose gold 256gb 7+. I finally said screw it give me the phone I'll just have my case on it anyways. We swap the phones and still no service. We call at&t and they have suspended my account because of the "stolen" device. I explain the situation all over again and they get the sim running on the new phone and say that they have a sprint rep on the other line and he has taken my phone off of the blacklist and I can use the old phone. We switch the sim back and it works!!
On the way home I call some people to let them know it's fixed. When I'm about 30min away from the house it goes out again....blacklisted.....again. Tomorrow I raise hell. This is making it very hard to do my damn job and I don't have time for this garbage

Update #5
I'll put the updates in the op in a bit. I have service for the next hour and a half before at&t flips the switch again. After spending 2hrs on the phone with them this morning the final word from at&t is that Best Buy themselves reported the phone missing from inventory or their vendor did. I've spoken with the Best Buy manager of Best Buy mobile that helped me last night and I will be heading over there after a couple of accounts. So far at&t is crediting me a whole month of service for the issue but now that I know this is fully Best Buy or their vendors fault I will be more aggressive there today.

Update #6

Final Update (at least I hope)!!!!!!

The Best Buy Mobile manager tried to contact me but it was past the hour and a half and my phone was shut down again. After hitting a bunch of accounts I finally got over to the Best Buy I purchased the phone from again. The rep told me that the Best Buy by my house (1 hour away) had finally agreed to switch my phone (they had originally said no twice) for a 7 plus 256gb silver they had in stock after a high up at&t manager called them with the problem and proof of the error. The only problem was I had to get back over there by 6 as the manager that agreed to it was taking a vacation and it was already 330. I hit another account and had to drive all the way back towards my house but the phone is working perfect and I am currently in the process of doing a restore from my back up. I just got home from work as I had to go back out there to do what I was doing to make sure I had the weekend off (birthday celebrations!!!!).

Side note: the store manager of the the original Best Buy did compensate me for all of the trouble before I left for the other store. I won't say how much but I will say that my birthday gift to myself (Nintendo Switch) is now fully paid off and then some so I'm happy with that. Couple that with at&t covering my service and I feel pretty good about how it ended up. Thanks for following Gaf!!

TLDR2:
Best Buy made a huge fuck up (but they fixed it real good)

 

[krae_man]

Was your device open box?

Maybe someone stole a phone, bought the same phone from best buy then returned the stolen phone.

Unfortunately, these usually result in a stalemate until you give up or the retailer decides, okay we believe you now(sometimes after media attention).

 

[The Teachinator]

Get on Twitter and start blasting the horn so best buy hears you.

 

[Makki]

Nothing but bad experiences with Sprint. Hope Best Buy helps you get it sorted, specially if you have a receipt, just force them to call Sprint on your behalf at the store.

 

[BeforeU]

Was your device open box?

Maybe someone stole a phone, bought the same phone from best buy then returned the stolen phone.

Unfortunately, these usually result in a stalemate until you give up or the retailer decides, okay we believe you now(sometimes after media attention).

They turn it on and match the IMEI number on the box when you return. Unless some idiot just did the return without checking if it was the same phone.

 

[xXCrazyCostaXX]

No it was brand new. I watched him open it and put the at&t SIM card in it. Everything on the phone matches with the box but Sprint says it was stolen out of their store.

 

[Septimus Prime]

They probably made a typo when inputting the UDID or IMEI, which flagged your phone instead of the one that was actually stolen.

 

[kirblar]

Simplest answer might be that another phone was stolen and they reported the wrong IMEI.

 

[xXCrazyCostaXX]

They probably made a typo when inputting the UDID or IMEI, which flagged your phone instead of the one that was actually stolen.

That's what I'm thinking but how do I prove that is the question

 

[riotous]

No it was brand new. I watched him open it and put the at&t SIM card in it. Everything on the phone matches with the box but Sprint says it was stolen out of their store.

Employee could have stolen it, then returned it to Best Buy for store credit w/o a receipt right?

 

[BeforeU]

That's what I'm thinking but how do I prove that is the question

what you mean how do you prove it?

You have a brand new iPhone with the box that you got it from BB with the receipt.

Box IMEI, Phone IMEI and receipt and box they all should match.

This is not on you. And you don't have to prove anything, just go to BB and tell them what happened.

 

[riotous]

Simplest answer might be that another phone was stolen and they reported the wrong IMEI.

Mis-typed IMEI just happens to be for a phone sold 5 miles away?

Aren't those things randomized?

 

[xXCrazyCostaXX]

what you mean how do you prove it?

You have a brand new iPhone with the box that you got it from BB with the receipt.

Box IMEI, Phone IMEI and receipt and box they all should match.

This is not on you. And you don't have to prove anything, just go to BB and tell them what happened.

I'm going to that location in the morning but the store over here said they aren't liable after 15 days and it falls on the carrier

 

[poppabk]

Maybe someone at best buy is laundering stolen phones. The other option would be sprint being incompetent, but that seems highly unlikely.

 

[xXCrazyCostaXX]

Mis-typed IMEI just happens to be for a phone sold 5 miles away?

Aren't those things randomized?

Which makes me think Best Buy screwed up. You would think it would flag in their system that it wasn't sold from a Best Buy though given all of the numbers involved with a phone

 

[TheCochese]

First thread I've posted and I'm really needing some help here as this is crazy as hell to me.

I bought a new iPhone from Best Buy on January 7th to replace my old one. Up until today the phone worked fine when I suddenly wasn't able to browse the internet anymore. I tried making a call and got a "this phone has been blocked from making calls, please contact your service provider". I drove to AT&T and they had to get customer service on the phone to which I was told that Sprint had filed my device as stolen. They told me to go to Best Buy since that's where I bought it. I had to go to the one near my house and not the one I bought the phone at because that's 45min away near where I work. They told me after 15 days they can't do anything and to go to Sprint because there is no possible way in hell they sold me a used/stolen phone. Sprint made me sit around for a hour before telling me that their fraud department would not release the hold and that the phone was stolen about 5 miles from the Best Buy I bought the phone at. Now it's late and I can't go back to the original Best Buy until tomorrow and I have no phone service. I have no clue if Best Buy is wrong or if Sprint is wrong but this whole thing is pissing me off and I'm wondering how to proceed tomorrow. What say you Gaf?

TLDR: phone I bought from Best Buy new was reported stolen from a Sprint store so AT&T can't continue my service. They all say it's each other's fault

If they scanned the IMEI or set it up for you in-store, they should easily be able to see it's the same one that is giving you issues now. If you've never had Sprint service, this should be a pretty easy call for someone that has the brainpower and authority to get it fixed. Talk to the store manager, then the district manager if that fails. Document all your calls.

If the IMEIs don't match, then you might be SOL.

I'm going to that location in the morning but the store over here said they aren't liable after 15 days and it falls on the carrier

They sold stolen property if all your facts are true. This isn't a simple return that can be hand-waived over 15 days.

 

[Redd]

I'm going to that location in the morning but the store over here said they aren't liable after 15 days and it falls on the carrier

If you got a receipt and it matches up then Best Buy messed up selling you a stolen phone or Sprint got the numbers wrong. Get your receipt and handle the situation. That's what it's for.

 

[riotous]

Which makes me think Best Buy screwed up. You would think it would flag in their system that it wasn't sold from a Best Buy though given all of the numbers involved with a phone

Doesn't Best Buy take unopened merchandise without a receipt in exchange for store credit?

 

[ShockingAlberto]

If the IMEI has been used, it wouldn't proceed with BEAST activation.

Also inventory red flags would be going up left and right. Even if it somehow got past a computer activation, and through Sprint's servers, RSS would be freaking out and the assistant manager would be calling you every five minutes since the day of the activation.

You're within the fourteen day return window, right? At minimum, if something is wrong, they can return the phone (waiving the restocking fee), reverse the upgrade, and set you up with a new phone. But my gut instinct here is Sprint fucked up.

Doesn't Best Buy take unopened merchandise without a receipt in exchange for store credit?

As returns, for phones? No. There is a trade-in process but it also runs the IMEI to make sure it's on the up and up. It then gets sent to a warehouse.

 

[Stinkles]

Which makes me think Best Buy screwed up. You would think it would flag in their system that it wasn't sold from a Best Buy though given all of the numbers involved with a phone

Not if it was their screw up.

 

[xXCrazyCostaXX]

If they scanned the IMEI or set it up for you in-store, they should easily be able to see it's the same one that is giving you issues now. If you've never had Sprint service, this should be a pretty easy call for someone that has the brainpower and authority to get it fixed. Talk to the store manager, then the district manager if that fails. Document all your calls.

If the IMEIs don't match, then you might be SOL.



They sold stolen property if all your facts are true. This isn't a simple return that can be hand-waived over 15 days.

I just checked the phone, receipt, and box and they all have the correct IMEI's

 

[riotous]

As returns, for phones? No. There is a trade-in process but it also runs the IMEI to make sure it's on the up and up. It then gets sent to a warehouse.

What if the IMEI wasn't reported stolen yet?

And are phones different from other products? I thought Big Box stores would take unopened items they carry for store credit.

 

[Experien]

Aren't iPhones different for each provider? Like don't they have internal chips so if you switch carriers, you have to get a new device?

 

[ShockingAlberto]

Wait, just saw the dates in the OP. That makes it more complicated.

Still take it to Best Buy, see what they can do. Elevate it to the AM if you can. I don't think it's a matter of whether they will do anything for you, but whether or not they can. That fourteen day limit is set by the carriers.

You might have to get them to negotiate with Sprint for you on this one, though.

 

[Faddy]

Ask Sprint for the police report number?

 

[xXCrazyCostaXX]

If the IMEI has been used, it wouldn't proceed with BEAST activation.

Also inventory red flags would be going up left and right. Even if it somehow got past a computer activation, and through Sprint's servers, RSS would be freaking out and the assistant manager would be calling you every five minutes since the day of the activation.

You're within the fourteen day return window, right? At minimum, if something is wrong, they can return the phone (waiving the restocking fee), reverse the upgrade, and set you up with a new phone. But my gut instinct here is Sprint fucked up.



As returns, for phones? No. There is a trade-in process but it also runs the IMEI to make sure it's on the up and up. It then gets sent to a warehouse.

Bought on Jan 7 sadly

 

[kirblar]

I just checked the phone, receipt, and box and they all have the correct IMEI's

You're good then. Head to Best Buy and explain the situation, something went wildly wrong here. It's after the return date, but this is not a normal circumstance.

 

[CrudeDiatribe]

I heard recently that various 'unlocking' services will generate legitimate IMEI numbers and flash them onto a phone— which is great until the vendor actually sells a phone with that number. Look up 'new iPhone activation locked'. Could this be a variation on that?

Worth calling Apple, maybe?

 

[ShockingAlberto]

What if the IMEI wasn't reported stolen yet?

And are phones different from other products? I thought Big Box stores would take unopened items they carry for store credit.

Unactivated universal phones and unactivated/unlocked phones have different UPCs. If Best Buy got in an unlocked phone as part of a return, the UPC wouldn't ring up as something that store carries.

If it's a universal phone, then that IMEI has already been scanned somewhere, and can be traced. Upon doing a return, the POS will ask if the phone has been deactivated in BEAST, at which point Customer Service will bring in someone from Best Buy Mobile to deactivate it. The IMEI then gets run and it either says "Yeah this somehow left the store without ever being scanned into the system" or "This is in the carrier database, call them and figure out what the problem is."

There would have to be a series of coincidental events for it to play out as a return that got resold but was originally stolen.

Phones are indeed different. Best Buy does not sell activated or open box phones anymore. They are sent back to the manufacturer or are sent to a third party seller. This is why they're the only product with a restocking fee.

 

[Septimus Prime]

Mis-typed IMEI just happens to be for a phone sold 5 miles away?

Aren't those things randomized?

I'm assuming there's probably a list of the devices in Sprint's inventory with their associated IMEI numbers, and the employee probably copy and pasted from the wrong line or something.

 

[xXCrazyCostaXX]

Unactivated universal phones and unactivated/unlocked phones have different UPCs. If Best Buy got in an unlocked phone as part of a return, the UPC wouldn't ring up as something that store carries.

If it's a universal phone, then that IMEI has already been scanned somewhere, and can be traced. Upon doing a return, the POS will ask if the phone has been deactivated in BEAST, at which point Customer Service will bring in someone from Best Buy Mobile to deactivate it. The IMEI then gets run and it either says "Yeah this somehow left the store without ever being scanned into the system" or "This is in the carrier database, call them and figure out what the problem is."

There would have to be a series of coincidental events for it to play out as a return that got resold but was originally stolen.

Phones are indeed different. Best Buy does not sell activated or open box phones anymore. They are sent back to the manufacturer or are sent to a third party seller. This is why they're the only product with a restocking fee.

So Sprint did this? How do I make them realize they filed the wrong IMEI number then

 

[riotous]

Phones are indeed different. Best Buy does not sell activated or open box phones anymore.

Thanks for the explanation; I'm not asking about an open boxed phone though

But it makes sense that since phones are tracked by IMEI they wouldn't just have the same SKU and all that.

Seems really bizarre that Sprint somehow entered that IMEI into their system, 5 miles away.

I'm assuming there's probably a list of the devices in Sprint's inventory with their associated IMEI numbers, and the employee probably copy and pasted from the wrong line or something.

But why would it be in their system? Why would Sprint end up entering an IMEI for a phone sold 5 miles away?

It doesn't really make sense; considering the randomness of IMEI's and the physical distance between the 2 stores.. it seems to make the most sense that this phone somehow went from Sprint to BB physically.

 

[kirblar]

So Sprint did this? How do I make them realize they filed the wrong IMEI number then

Get Best Buy to yell at them because Best Buy doesn't want to have to exchange your phone.

 

[Gallbaro]

Fat finger, just exchange it and move on with life.

 

[gcubed]

Can you try Apple? I'd be curious to see how this plays out tomorrow because I can see it being a huge pain in the ass.

 

[xXCrazyCostaXX]

Can you try Apple? I'd be curious to see how this plays out tomorrow because I can see it being a huge pain in the ass.

That's my next go to if this stays like this tomorrow. I already spent 4 hours driving back and forth with them all pointing fingers

 

[TheCochese]

Fat finger, just exchange it and move on with life.

That's the entire issue here. You might want to read the OP again. Or for the first time.

 

[ShockingAlberto]

So Sprint did this? How do I make them realize they filed the wrong IMEI number then

Talk to Best Buy first. Any store worth its salt is not going to just brush you off. They might tell you that they can't do anything about it, but you want to to talk the AM asking if there is anything they can do. They probably can't just take the phone back, but they should have a Sprint rep they work with that they can talk to.

Thanks for the explanation; I'm not asking about an open boxed phone though

Right, I just mean that they wouldn't do the "yeah we can just take a return back" thing. Phones are different. If you have no proof you got the phone with them - no BEAST activation, no receipt, not even a Reward Zone history for it - it's not getting returned.

Additionally, store credit is trackable and can be remotely deactivated, so if you did steal a phone and this was your payout, you're going to have a bad time.

 

[ShockingAlberto]

Get Best Buy to yell at them because Best Buy doesn't want to have to exchange your phone.

After fourteen days, they straight up cannot exchange the phone.

 

[Gallbaro]

That's the entire issue here. You might want to read the OP again. Or for the first time.

Touche...

Fat finger and you are boned!

Hail our corporate overloads! Your only hope is to put one against the other and put a hold on the credit card. I hope you did not use cash.

 

[xXCrazyCostaXX]

After fourteen days, they straight up cannot exchange the phone.

If they can't take it back then this falls all on Sprint to lift the hold right? Either way I'm going to back my phone up tonight just in case

 

[Dishwalla]

I don't even see how this is possible since Sprint is a CDMA network and AT&T is a GSM network, an iPhone on either carrier wouldn't work on the other one. You should just be able to take the phone into a Sprint store and show them the phone is running on the AT&T network and that should be the end of it.

 

[ShockingAlberto]

If they can't take it back then this falls all on Sprint to lift the hold right? Either way I'm going to back my phone up tonight just in case

Yup.

Sprint is also empowered to give you a phone, but this is a honey-better-than-vinegar scenario here. Best Buy is limited in what they can do as employees, but good employees will go the extra mile for a good customer. Be calm, explain the problem, and ask what they can do. Ask if they have a Sprint representative they can contact or whose number they can give you.

I don't even see how this is possible since Sprint is a CDMA network and AT&T is a GSM network, an iPhone on either carrier wouldn't work on the other one. You should just be able to take the phone into a Sprint store and show them the phone is running on the AT&T network and that should be the end of it.

iPhone 7s sold at Best Buy are universal and run on Sprint, Verizon, and AT&T.

 

[greepoman]

Touche...

Fat finger and you are boned!

Hail our corporate overloads! Your only hope is to put one against the other and put a hold on the credit card. I hope you did not use cash.

Actually the calling credit card company as a last resort might be an option. They might have some sort of protection that covers you and they might reverse the charge given the evidence.

 

[xXCrazyCostaXX]

Actually the calling credit card company as a last resort might be an option. They might have some sort of protection that covers you and they might reverse the charge given the evidence.

True but I would get $80. im on at&t next so I pay the phone off over time so that doesn't really help me sadly

 

[TheCochese]

I don't even see how this is possible since Sprint is a CDMA network and AT&T is a GSM network, an iPhone on either carrier wouldn't work on the other one. You should just be able to take the phone into a Sprint store and show them the phone is running on the AT&T network and that should be the end of it.

The iPhone 7 works one way, but not the other. All carry GSM radios, but only the ones sold by/for CDMA carriers will have those radios. BB probably sells the CDMA-OK versions as a catch-all.

 

[greepoman]

True but I would get $80. im on at&t next so I pay the phone off over time so that doesn't really help me sadly

Ah yeah in that case it doesn't work. Well this is one of those times where you need to be a type A personality and get angry at some people. Don't let them pass the buck like today. If tomorrow you still can't resolve it start tweeting like Trump and post your story or reddit, Facebook, and wherever you can think of.

Go scorched earth ...Maybe even make a sign saying "don't buy here they sold me a stolen phone" and harass people at the store entrance.

 

[xXCrazyCostaXX]

Ah yeah in that case it doesn't work. Well this is one of those times where you need to be a type A personality and get angry at some people. Don't let them pass the buck like today. If tomorrow you still can't resolve it start tweeting like Trump and post your story or reddit, Facebook, and wherever you can think of.

Go scorched earth ...Maybe even make a sign saying "don't buy here they sold me a stolen phone" and harass people at the store entrance.

I'll definitely update with what happens but man this is a shitty situation considering my job. The fact the sprint store and the Best Buy are so close makes me think that an employee pulled some shenanigans on Best Buy or they took a return they shouldn't have

 

[this_guy]

As of right now Best Buy sold you a stolen phone. Get them to fix the situation.

 

[xJavonta]

After fourteen days, they straight up cannot exchange the phone.

Yes they can. It's like pulling teeth but it can be done. Not through Best Buy, but through the carrier. If you go through Best Buy they'll literally just call the carrier (if you get someone who gives a damn enough to attempt it for you).

Source: Worked at Best Buy in the Mobile department for a year and a half, have had to do this before.