UNBLOCKING

[hoopz1971]

1. My daughter bought a phone from a seller on gumtree who told her it was on O2 PAYG but it was on contract & had been blocked for non payment of account. Is it possible to get it unblocked & changed to PAYG??? Thanks in advance

[MI5 · Accepted solution]

No it’s not possible by yourself.
Only the original contract owner can get it unblocked after paying what the owe.

[Cleoriff]

@hoopz1971

The phone is useless to your daughter I'm afraid.

Some bargains are not all they seem, particularly with mobile phones which get sold on unscruplously knowing they are blocked

It should be returned and you ask for a refund.

However, you may find the seller no longer available. Often happens with Gumtree

[Bambino]

I would imagine that the Gumtree seller has disappeared into the wind. @hoopz1971 sorry to say, I think your daughter has been scammed good and proper.:smileysad:

[hoopz1971]

Yeah the seller used dodgy contact information etc, my daughter used her birthday & christmas money. What kind of person scams a 13 year old??? THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO REPLIED 

[MI5]

Sorry to hear that.
You should still report it to the police but I don't expect any good to come of it.

[Cleoriff]

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@hoopz1971wrote:

Yeah the seller used dodgy contact information etc, my daughter used her birthday & christmas money. What kind of person scams a 13 year old??? THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO REPLIED 

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These people have no morals and no conscience @hoopz1971. They don't care who they scam sadly.

A lesson learnt the hard way. For what it's worth I would never buy a phone from Gumtree or Ebay.

People see them on as insurance scams when they are blocked. Yours was sold by someone who didnt pay his bill and the network blocked the phone. Disgusting practice which is getting worse.

[MI5]

What phone is it she bought?

[hoopz1971]

It's a Samsung A3 2017 

[MI5]

I've got a dual sim android phone that I don't use anymore.
Would she like that instead?