[celerystalks]

I know, not the best idea to buy these products on ebay, but I'm afraid I've done it and now looking for any advice anybody can give!

First of all the seller told me it was unlocked and had his location down as Ireland, which is where I'm based.  I therefore presumed it had been checked on Irish networks.

However when the phone arrived it had come from Poland and was made in China.

When I insert my sim and switch it on it just says "insert sim".  I'm wondering if this is because it's locked or a fault in the phone.  The seller insists he had tried it and it was unlocked.  Of course, I now realise he would have tried it in Poland, not a whole lot of use to me.

Is there a way of finding out which network it is locked to?  Or even if the phone is a genuine nokia product.

Any advice appreciated!  

[metalfan]

What's your product code mate?

Anyway, if the handset is locked it would recognise the sim card but say "sim not valid" or something along those longs (usually anyway). So it looks like it's a faulty unit.

Regardless, start the handset up without a SIM card and type *#0000#, does it come up with the software version etc?

If that does work, try *#7370#, does it come up asking to reset your handset or something similar? If so, then you can be fairly sure it's a genuine Nokia device.

[hbund188]

you're definitely correct, not the best idea to stay away from ebay...too many fake/counterfeit stuffs especially phone. i.e. majority of the 8800 are fake on ebay...

[celerystalks]

When I type in *#0000#,  It does come up with the software version etc.  Also the seriel number coming up on the handset matches the one printed under the battery cover.  Phone at home and I'm at work so haven't managed to check *#7370#,

Some new information though... When I put in my 3 Ireland sim it just says "Insert Sim" but when I tried somebody's O2 Sim it looked for a Pin number and then said "Invalid Sim".  I'm just wondering now maybe it's that it doesn't recognise the 3 Ireland sims... would they be different?

Also the phone looks in every way to be a genuine nokia, However it was made in China and the games etc on it are all in chinese script (!).  i'm afraid to reset it to factory settings in case the whole phone reverts to chinese script and I can't change it back!  Also the time zone city was set to Beijing.

[rash]

There is a simple test for this: type *#92702689#, this should bring up details about the phone. Most chinese fakes use a dodgy OS on the phone. If you could provide some pictures of the actual screen then I'm sure I could easily spot if its a fake.

[matt_t]

Don't assume it's a fake just because the handset was made in China.  Nokia don't assemble all their phones in Finland. 

How did you pay for the transaction on eBay?  I am hoping through PayPay.  If it turns out to be a fake, you could always try and instigate a refund request through PayPal.  I've always found them superb on the extremely rare occasion I've had a purchase problem on eBay.  That said, I've got my fingers crossed for you that it works out OK. 

[mccbleue]

The "Insert SIM" message is nothing to do with locking on Nokia phones, if it was locked and you put in a different network's SIM it would ask you for a restriction code.

If you plug the phone into a PC and it gives options like: PC Suite, mass sotrage, image transfer and media transfer then you should have a real S60 Nokia. If it gives options like Camera and COM port, you've got a fake.

If you still have doubts, call Nokia's customer support and ask them to check the IMEI number - that way you can be 100% sure either way.

[celerystalks]

Oh that would be great rash.  Have gone away for the weekend now (and left stupid phone at home! ) but I'll post some photos of the screen sunday eve and if you didn't mind having a look it'd be fantastic.

[celerystalks]

Thanks Mccbleue.

When I plug it into the PC it gives 3 options, one is mass storage and another is pictbridge and can't remember the 3rd.  However I downloaded Ovi suite (no CD rom came with it) and Ovi doesn't recognise the phone at all.  I thought it might have been to do with the fact that it's a chinese model, or currently has no sim in it so wasn't sure if this was an indication if it was fake.

However spent some time on the phone to my network tech support and they were trying to talk me through the menus.  The menu on this phone seems very different to what they expected, and also what's in the manual.  For example under settings there's no option for connectivity.  Again I wasn't sure if this was because it was made in china.  Should the made in china phones be exactly the same as the european models? 

[phatdumi]

Hi there

The N97 wheather made in China or Finland should be exactly the same. One possibility is that the phone has been reported stolen therefore has been blocked.

You could try and check the IMEI if you can access it on this web site http://www.checkmend.com/uk/ 

[grschinon]

If the games come up in Chinese script then I'm fairly confident you have a fake N97.

[metalfan]

---

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celerystalks wrote:

Thanks Mccbleue.

When I plug it into the PC it gives 3 options, one is mass storage and another is pictbridge and can't remember the 3rd.  However I downloaded Ovi suite (no CD rom came with it) and Ovi doesn't recognise the phone at all.  I thought it might have been to do with the fact that it's a chinese model, or currently has no sim in it so wasn't sure if this was an indication if it was fake.

---

I'm pretty sure you have a fake, mate. Does anyone know what pictbridge is? N97's in Australia do not have this option when connecting USB (The ones I've played with anyway).

[synth_fg]

Sorry to say this but you have bought a fake

hope you used pay pal or a credit card so that you have some chance of reimbursement 

[Jargon]

Pictbridge is just the proprietry name for a usb connection from a camera/phone to a printer that allows printing via a USB cable, not something that features on the N97 as its simply called "Image Transfer mode"

My experience with paypal resolving this kind of issue was also positive, I would be looking for a refund.

[celerystalks]

Thanks everyone for all the responses.

It's certainly a fake.  I got an email from Nokia over the weekend confirming that the IMEI number was invalid.

I did pay through paypal, and have escalated my dispute to a claim.  The seller hasn't responded yet, but has another week or so before Paypal makes a decision on it.  I also reported the item to Ebay, along with a blackberry he recently put up for sale that is quite clearly a fake also ("Made in China"!  Nothing wrong with that but he seems to think by having told me it was made in China that I have no right to return the item, and that made in china obviously translated to "fake handset"). 

So again, many thanks for the advice that helped me figure it out to be a fake.  I'm just relieved to know for definite now and have learned my lesson... thought I was fairly ebay-savvy but there you go!! 

[Jargon]

It's best to keep one thing in mind when shopping on Ebay, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

One procedure I had to follow when I sold my phone was to post the IMEI no. on the auction page, so if anyone else is considering buying a phone on Ebay it would be wise to request this information from the seller before buying.

[georgeup]

If the games come up in Chinese script then I'm SURE you have bought a Fake. I bought a Fake phone on ebay from a seller in Ireland about a year ago.

I didnt bother with paypal to start, I sent him an email :-

"I have recieved the phone and suspected it was a fake copy. I have taken it to my local Nokia Store and a branch of Phones4you. Both shops confirmed it is a fake, they went to the trouble of comparing to the real thing in the shop.

I have done my research:

My local Trading Standards Office

address

telephone

website

email

Your local Trading Standards Office

address

telephone

website

email

I am sorry if you too have been conned but I will pursue you through Trading Standards, the Police & Paypal.

Please send me money back within 2 days or I will contact all 3 agencies without delay. Give me a refund and that will be the end of it"

That worked, I got my money back, He did ask me to return the phone, I sent it to trading standards.

[celerystalks]

Wow georgeup  I'm impressed.  

The guy I bought it off was actually in Poland (he had his location set as Ireland, which is where I am; that's why I thought it had been checked on irish networks and I also feel happier dealing with sellers in UK/IRL because it's easier to deal with problems, through police etc if necessary).

I've looked up the Trading Standards Ireland website and it just seems to be a forum for nominating businesses that have delivered high standards of excellence.

Am I obliged to return the phone to him?  I don't want it, but I'd be happier sending it to some consumer agency or something rather than returning it to have him try and sell it on again. 

[metalfan]

I think you pretty much have to. Even though he conned you, I'd say it's stealing if you keep it? Fake or not, stealing is stealing.

[georgeup]

Sending the phone to the authorities is not stealing.

Defination of theft - to take something with the intention of permanently depriving the rightful owner

If you give it to Trading Standards, he has the right to present his criminal dihonest face and reclaim it, hence no intention to permanantly deprive.

He is the thief, he had the intention to take your money and permanantly deprive you of an original, Nokia manufactured Nokia phone  - What a See You N T

Message Edited by georgeup on 26-Oct-2009 11:38 PM