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check if an imei is blacklisted on-line prior to purchasing

I just bought a used phone on eBay that turned out to have been reported lost or stolen. Interstingly enough, eBay is being less than helpful and, in order to get my money back, they actualy want me to return it to the person I bought it from (the one that stole it).

I would like to try to buy a used phone on0line again, but is there anyway to check the IMEI on-line, without having to call my carrier and staying on hold for a half hour to check is the IMEI is blacklisted?


There are sites, but they either give out incorrect informality or you have to pay for the service?

iPhone 4S

Posted on Jun 20, 2013 3:01 PM

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Jun 20, 2013 4:46 PM in response to fishprincess

There are no publicly available IMEI databases that I am aware of.

Even if there were, it would be easy for some one to sell you the phone

and report it stolen after your paid for it - the phone would show clean

when you checked, but you would not be able to use it for long.


If in doubt, do not make the purchase.


Buy from Apple or the local Apple authorized retailer to avoid this problem.


Otherwise, you pay your money and you take your chances.


PS: The seller did not necessarily steal the iPhone, but may have bought

it and ran into the same blacklist problem you did, and then decided to

pass the problem onto some one else by reselling the iPhone.

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check if an imei is blacklisted on-line prior to purchasing

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