When CeX buys a phone have you seen the staff type in *#06# ?

SnowTiger

Ugnaught wrote: »

I lost my phone then found it in their window. CeX grabbed the phone from the window display and we compared the sticker IMEI with my IMEI. That was Sunday.

Today it occurred to me the sticker could have been replaced so I went to CeX but they annoyingly wouldn't do anything :mad::sad:

So then later i wondered if anyone had seen them actually check the motherboard by typing *#06# .

Does that mean the IMEI on the sticker doesn't match the one of the phone you lost?

Ugnaught

Rusty! wrote: »

That's not good practise, there is no guarantee that the IMEI of the motherboard matches that sticker. Should check both.

Were CeX being awkward because they're embarrassed?

After various roundabout statements one salesman said if the sticker didn't match the IMEI then they'd not be able to give it back anyway. I was getting a bit confused by their convoluted argument so left so I could work out what they were saying before I got accused of harrassment.

d123 wrote: »

How would the sticker have been replaced? Do you think CEX have a machine in the back capable of printing these specialised stickers (unique to each manufacturer)?

Who know what goes on, maybe a fence does that before they sell to CeX. Perhaps they just swap one phone's sticker for another. Perhaps we'll see an undercover investigation about this sort of thing in the news.

When you Google
IMEI sticker
there are articles where people say the sticker didn't match the *#06#

Ugnaught

SnowTiger wrote: »

Does that mean the IMEI on the sticker doesn't match the one of the phone you lost?

Correct. I found that out on Sunday - when they also have different and less staff, perhaps cos quieter.

pb3

Rusty! wrote: »

That's not good practise, there is no guarantee that the IMEI of the motherboard matches that sticker. Should check both.

Good point - hadn't thought about that!

In fairness to CEX and Cashconverters, my orginal comments wrt to scanning the barcode applied only to my specific local store and to the last two occasions where I sold mobile phones. In both cases the attendant scanned the barcode then sent the phone to be tested. It is entirely possible that during the testing they also check the IMEI via the *#06# code. Only someone who works/has worked at the stores in question can confirm.

Obviously, as pointed out earlier, in the case of iPhones and similar phones with non-user replaceable batteries, scanning the barcode is not possible

Ugnaught

I rang the police yesterday but it seems they don't have the resources to intervene but was told i can ring the police again if CEX keep refused.

I've been down the shop twice on Monday with two short visits. On the first visit about 2pm I was told the label get ripped when you try tear it off.

So I went to the library internet to research that the label can indeed be taken off clean and told them on the 2nd visit and hour later at 3pm.

I spoke to a member staff i'd not spoke to before but then notice the original difficult staff so then foolishly spoke to them. I wish i had just not turned around. Would it be rude to ignore them staring?

Then as they spoke they said stuff which was kinda irrelevant I didn't want to stick around for too long because i got confused and didn't want any of them to get too annoyed - incase they i suppose they wanted to do me for harrassment.

Has anyone got into trouble for harrassing a shop keeper while demanding your consumer rights?

visidigi

If the imei is different how do you know the phone they have is yours?

Ugnaught

I typed *#06# last year into my phone and wrote the number down on paper which is 17digits 359828 03 431762 900

d123

Ugnaught wrote: »

I typed *#06# last year into my phone and wrote the number down on paper which is 17digits 359828 03 431762 900

So you had an LG Viewty? There were many of these made, why would you think the one at CEX was yours?

Frozen_up_north

Ugnaught wrote: »

I rang the police yesterday but it seems they don't have the resources to intervene but was told i can ring the police again if CEX keep refused

Look up "Theft by finding", if you can prove the phone you lost is really your property and the same phone is being sold in a second hand shop, then the police should be interested and may prosecute the person who sold it to the shop.

Ugnaught

There are lots of other models of phones too.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1357741/In-court-charged-theft-finding-woman-took-food-Tesco-bin.html

They said today I'm not allowed to see the IMEI number but I said I'd already seen it on Sunday when the guy took the back cover off and showed me the sticker.

The guy said i could even call the police - I said the police said i can do. I also said i could get them an article in the local paper about this - he said all publicity is good publicity.

...said i could contact customer service if i like.

We got talking in the shop for quarter of an hour and I said they could have done it by now.

I spoke mainly to two staff, guy said they were a franchise so no corporate pressure,

...and said i shouldn't believe what people say on the internet!