Buyer asking for serial number of phone (?)

amcluesent

For a mobi on Ebay, I'd put the IMEI in the advert with the last four digits as 'xxxx' and state that the winner bidder will have the IMEI confirmed in an e-mail. Puts off all the scammer who will buy and then return their broken model for a refund.

sequence

Well probably get a thread in a few days about a dodgy seller who refuses to give out the serial of a phone he is selling lol

BeckiG2009

Im intrigued now as I have just also put a mobile phone on ebay and this was the message I have received from a "potential" buyer -

Hello I’m interested in purchasing your phone. However it needs to work with a bluetooth car kit fitted direct by Audi (certain software on the G600 is not compatible) could you please email the serial number (Not the imei) its a 11 digit number on the white label when you take the battery out starting with the letter R. once I get the serial number I will check if its compatible with Audi. . .and I will be able to place a bid thanks in advance. Wai
Do you think I should also just say No?

Becki
x

Guinness_is_good_for_you

Ask him to give you the model of his bluetooth car kit, that you can check it for him. You probably won't hear from him again if he's somehow trying to scam you.

ashily318

Becki, I got the EXACT same message from 'wai' :eek:

I googled it and found this, the same message!

I replied to him saying 'i am not willing to give my serial number out, sorry.'

Foxymel

Wow surprise surprise I got this little gem yesterday and I too am currently listing a g600 samsung!

Hello
I?m interested in purchasing your phone.
However it needs to work with a bluetooth car kit fitted direct by Audi (certain software on the G600 is not compatible)
could you please email the serial number (Not the imei) its a 11 digit number on the white label when you take the battery out starting with the letter R.
once I get the serial number I will!check if its compatible with Audi. . .and I will be able to place a bid
thanks in advance.
Wai

think I'll try asking for his Bluetooth details and keep u posted.

Mel

Emsylou

Hello
I’m interested in purchasing your phone.
However it needs to work with a bluetooth car kit fitted direct by Audi (certain software on the G600 is not compatible)
could you please email the serial number (Not the imei) its a 11 digit number on the white label when you take the battery out starting with the letter R.
once I get the serial number I will check if its compatible with Audi. . .and I will be able to place a bid
thanks in advance.
Wai

I rang a friend and he said no way...so I have responded saying he should research the compatibility himself as I am unable to help with his request

cyberbob

Thats actually IMEI number

straighthate

I would be extremely wary about even replying to these messages. Having just received word for word exactly the same message myself for exactly the same phone, I too got suspicious!

Most people would think that the serial number is a harmless thing to give out - after all it is just a unique identifier for the phone itself - different to the IMEI No. normally which would be extremely dodgy to give out to anyone.

I got suspicious becuse if it was simply an issue over software version being outdated, this can be easily updated using the supplied data cable and CD Rom with the phone. Also, I'm pretty sure that the serial number gives absolutely no info whatsoever regarding the software version. The S/W version incidentally can be found on the phone when it is switched on.

Also, Bluetooth is also a universal thing, so in theory anything claiming to be bluetooth compatible should work no bother with the phone if it operates bluetooth - Hence one of the reasons why Parrot car kits are so successfull.

My theory is that the guy is trying to sell a stolen G600 or number of stolen G600's and therefore a genuine "unstolen" serial number would be of real benefit to him/her - especially if they are able to make up some counterfeit stickers to go over the top of the one they have just scratched or peeled off their dodgy phone.

Beware...