topic Re: Police Auctions in Apple

Police Auctions

Anonymous — Thu, 05 Sep 2013 17:14:50 GMT

Hello everybody.

I've bought an iPhone 4s on a Police Auction. I've got the invoice and so on. The phone seems to be locked to O2 but that's not my main concern. My problem is that the IMEI is blacklisted, an insurance has been claimed on it, and I'm unable to use the phone.

What are my options when it comes to "unblocking" the IMEI? Can the Auction House sell a phone that cannot be used without specifying that the phone is blocked? Am I right in assuming that if the IMEI is blocked in the UK it will be working in other EU countries?

I hope someone will have the answers, maybe has gone through the same I'm going now...

Re: Police Auctions

jonsie — Thu, 05 Sep 2013 17:18:31 GMT

Technically the phone belongs to the insurance company so O2 will not unblock the IMEI. Is returning the phone an option?

Many phones are sent overseas and really I don't want to comment about it on here.

Re: Police Auctions

Anonymous — Thu, 05 Sep 2013 17:24:03 GMT

Basically the Police have sold me a phone that has been (reported?) as stolen, and left me without any LEGAL measures of making it usable?

Re: Police Auctions

Bambino — Thu, 05 Sep 2013 17:31:30 GMT

You'll need to look at the Terms and Conditions of the auction. I'm surprised that if it was a bona fide police auction that they would knowingly sell a blacklisted phone, but I suppose stranger things have happened.

Re: Police Auctions

adamtemp64 — Thu, 05 Sep 2013 17:32:49 GMT

Then take it up with the police auction site.

It is strange that they did not know it was imei bared as they have access to that sort of database

Re: Police Auctions

Anonymous — Thu, 05 Sep 2013 17:34:55 GMT

Hi,

Why on earth would the police sell a handset that has been recovered which normally always is imei blocked because of an insurance claim.

Mind boggling !

You would have to ask the police to get the insurance company to contact 02 to raise the imei block.

The chance of that happening = slim.

Return it mate and get one from somewhere like CEX.

Re: Police Auctions

Anonymous — Thu, 05 Sep 2013 17:35:34 GMT

http://www.greasbys.co.uk/index.php?Terms-Conditions-3

(b) Neither the seller nor the Auctioneers are responsible for the correctness of any statement as to the authorship, origin, date, age, attribution, genuineness or provenance of any lot, or any other areas of description.

do any of these two points suggest that the goods sold may be stolen/lost and that nobody can be held accountable for it?

Re: Police Auctions

Anonymous — Thu, 05 Sep 2013 17:38:09 GMT

Get back in touch with them asap to clarify where you stand.

Try all avenues to return it for refund.

Re: Police Auctions

Bambino — Thu, 05 Sep 2013 17:38:40 GMT

Those two points suggest that you're up the creek.

Re: Police Auctions

Anonymous — Thu, 05 Sep 2013 18:26:44 GMT

Let me draw a comparison.

The same auction house sells cars (taken from the owner for not paying road tax, by the bailiff etc.). Some of the cars are sold without keys and/or any documents. I suppose that there are legal ways of making the cars roadworthy and obtain (issue) a new set of documents, although the cost of these would have to be paid by the buyer. Similarly the same has to be true for phones surely?

Re: Police Auctions

jonsie — Thu, 05 Sep 2013 18:38:22 GMT

No because you are not the legal owner irrespective of how you came to have it in your possession.

Re: Police Auctions

adamtemp64 — Thu, 05 Sep 2013 18:31:37 GMT

no as those will not be subject to insurance claims for loss.

Sorry it is now just an ipod

Re: Police Auctions

Bambino — Thu, 05 Sep 2013 18:40:17 GMT

If you bought the phone 'as is', I'm not sure what options you have. The only thing I can suggest is that you contact the auction site and see if you're entitled to a refund. Personally, I don't think you will have much joy, which I'm certain isn't what you want to hear. If you paid for it by credit card, you may possibly be covered by that, but you'd have to check with your credit card company.

Re: Police Auctions

Anonymous — Thu, 05 Sep 2013 18:43:54 GMT

We talking 'Buyer beware' here ?

Re: Police Auctions

Anonymous — Thu, 05 Sep 2013 18:52:35 GMT

I have been contemplating to go to a police station tomorrow and ask them where I stand and what my options are. When I read all your opinions I actually take into account that I may be arrested for possesing a stolen phone... Two weeks from now that same phone will be sold on another auction waiting for another moron like myself... Franz Kafka himself would s*%t his pants in today's world

Re: Police Auctions

Anonymous — Thu, 05 Sep 2013 19:53:52 GMT

Seeking official advice is the best course of action.

Let us know how you get on please.

Good luck.

Re: Police Auctions

perksie — Thu, 05 Sep 2013 21:40:42 GMT

You didn't buy this item from the police, you bought it from a company they use to dispose of lost and stolen articles.

Your only chance of getting anything done lies with them.

It all depends on how it was described in the sale, if it was sold as being in working order you're ok and the seller will refund you, despite what you have quoted from their terms.

If it was sold "as is" or "sold as seen", "un-inspected" or "untested" or any other way that implies it may not be in working order, then you have a new ipod.

You haven't told us how it was listed!

You will not be arrested and the police can do nothing (they might snigger), this is a civil matter.

Re: Police Auctions

Anonymous — Mon, 09 Sep 2013 05:57:26 GMT

Hoping the OP returns on this to update their thread.

Would be interesting to know what the end result was.

Looking forward to your update secroy

Re: Police Auctions

perksie — Mon, 09 Sep 2013 12:22:05 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Hoping the OP returns on this to update their thread.

Would be interesting to know what the end result was.

I doubt they will as they said they would pull this nasty little trick:

"Two weeks from now that same phone will be sold on another auction waiting for another moron like myself..."

I admire their self description though!

Re: Police Auctions

Anonymous — Mon, 09 Sep 2013 12:24:12 GMT

@perksie wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
Hoping the OP returns on this to update their thread.

Would be interesting to know what the end result was.
I doubt they will as they said they would pull this nasty little trick:

"Two weeks from now that same phone will be sold on another auction waiting for another moron like myself..."

I admire their self description though!

Integrity counts for nothing for some in the world we now live in !