Bought a phone on ebay... with a bad esn? :(

[gummyworm31]

Hi, I'm new here :)

I registered because i bought an HTC hero on ebay (as-is). Initially I was planning on using it as a dev device. After using it for a while, I've grown to like it.

Is there any way that I can activate it with an actual phone company, (Right now I'm using Sipdroid + google voice to make calls over wifi)

or is a bad ESN a death sentence for the phone?

[xxSLRxx]

I'm assuming that it's a bad ESN on Sprint's network. If that is the case, you could flash it to another carrier such as Cricket. Lastly, are you sure it's a bad ESN?

[gummyworm31]

yeah, I didn't know exactly what i was getting into when I bought it - i called sprint AFTER the fact, and they said the ESN is assigned to an account - but of course, they can't tell me anything about the account :P

I called cricket, and they told me they can't activate another company's phone on their network - I'm assuming that's a load of BS?

[whitey10tc]

Oh, it can be activated. But this also depends on where your located. AWS markets don't support flashed phones.

[rich hathaway]

here is a list of aws markets for cricket that is current as of early this year,there may be an addition or two since this. i did not compile this list.

however that phone is easy to flash if you dont need mms, and can be activated in any non-aws market for cricket. after being flashed of course.



■Beaumont, TX
■Brownsville, TX
■Corpus Christi, TX
■Laredo, TX
■Las Vegas, NV
■McAllen, TX
■Oklahoma City, OK
■St. Louis, MO.
■Chicago, ILL
■Philadelphia, PA
■Madison, WI
■Milwaukee, WI

[gummyworm31]

hmm,

Unfortunately, I live in Milwaukee - but I'm going to school in South Carolina. I'll be leaving for school next month. If I activate it in another state, It'll always be roaming in WI?

[rich hathaway]

if its milwaukee, it wont roam,because it wont get service at all. aws=cricket branded phone service only for that market.

[gummyworm31]

wow - ok. At least I don't spend a lot of time in WI.

So all I have to do is flash my phone, and take it to a cricket store outside WI?

[rich hathaway]

or call someone who can do it for you over the phone. there are a few people here that can get it done for you, i am one of them. good luck.