Bought a used cell phone from eBay from a 100% feedback, 61 rating user. Appeared to be the original owner but it turns out they bought it from another eBayer. (I usually check IMEI before purchase so my mistake; gotten all my previous phones this way).
The phone is blacklisted by Verizon.
Since I've had my phone stolen before, I want to make sure the owner gets their phone back.
Called Verizon support; they didn't take the IMEI and sent me to fraud dept.
That person refused to take the IMEI and told me to take the phone to a corporate office for ecycling.
All the geek websites (one is updated May 2023) say to give the IMEI to the network, with your contact info, then wait for the owner to contact you.
I followed standard protocol.
Verizon wants to destroy the phone and refuses to help me return it to the owner.
The local police don't have the time to deal with this.
The thief that took my phone told the police where he fenced it and they did nothing to that business.
Our police department didn't even have a blacklist account nor did they know how to blacklist phones. The police report had the wrong phone color and T-Mobile wouldn't blacklist the phone for me without the report being accurate.
I have this person's phone and it should be returned.
Not forced into recyling because Verizon wants to make another sale.
