Used Note 4 (Sprint) can't be identified at all by Sprint? Really weird..

[falconpunch3D]

I just bought a used Samsung Galaxy Note 4 on eBay. Model SM-N910P. The previous carrier was Sprint and it was advertised as "clean ESN" meaning no outstanding balance, etc.

When I received the phone, I tried activating service with a Sprint-based MVNO (TPO). The MEID comes up as "outstanding balance" or something saying I can't activate it on that network. So I think OK, hopefully I haven't been scammed and sold a phone with an outstanding balance on it...

So then I contact the seller, he agrees to call Sprint to check it out with his account information. He replies back and says everything is fine, Sprint has even initiated an unlock on the phone and he gives me the master unlock number (a 6-digit number).

SO now I try switching SIM cards to enter the unlock code as shown lots of places online. But it never pops up the option to do this, despite trying a couple times. Now I figure I should just call Sprint and see what they say about the phone. So I call them, give them the MEID number (this is a 14-digit number, same on both the original Sprint packaging and inside the phone itself). Then the Sprint person says it isn't finding ANY phone at all by that number!!! How can that be? It clearly was sold by Sprint sometime in the last 2.5 years.

What's going on here? Is it some kind of scam? I need to know whether to file a claim with PayPal/eBay if I've been sold a totally unusable phone...

Thanks so much for any help!
Sam

 

[hang-the-9]

No way to find out what is going on by anyone except Sprint and the seller. Find a Sprint store and bring the device there for them to check.