[Sue1288]

Hi,

My company has just bought an unlocked Blackberry 8320 on Ebay. We have been unable to register it, as the phone carrier tells us that the PIN is not valid and therefore the device must be counterfeit. Has anyone heard this before?

[tsac]

I doubt many "fake" blackberry's are around but it may be that the BB is registered to another carrier. Rim is the only one who can validate if the PIN number is real.
The cost to build a fake one must not be cost effective unless their using junk parts and even then the old numbers would be real.

go to http://www.blackberry.com and see if yours looks like one on their site

Welcome to the Forums

[tsac]

Originally Posted by thomasz

I've just heard it... make sure you buy it in the authorized BB store...

Heard what? fakes are being made.

[NJBlackBerry]

An authorized BB store?

[stufried]

I've seen Chinese fakes, but they don't even run the real Blackberry OS. They all tend to run the generic Chinese phone OS and are skinned to look like an iPhone, Blackberry, etc. Almost all of them have two SIM card slots as well.

It is possible to fake a Blackberry PIN. There is bootleg software that will let you alter the PINs to activate a stolen Blackberry online. If that is the case, however, ESN probably won't match the sticker either.

My guess is that the PIN is still locked to someone else's account or has been blacklisted.

[illuminator]

It may be that it was stolen and the owner called it in which would prompt the carrier to disable the PIN which would prevent activation of the device.

Interesting thing is I'm not sure what a carrier would see if say the phone was reported on Sprint as stolen and now you are trying to activate it on Verizon. Not sure if carriers share information like that since the world of wireless phone service providers lock phones and it's assumed that phones will not be unlocked.

Try calling BlackBerry technical support at 877.255.2377. They will ask you for the PIN and maybe they can tell you what the deal is with that specific phone. They may have history on that phone that the service provider your trying establish an account with does not.

[dankarlinski]

Wirelessly posted (White and Nerdy)

Originally Posted by stufried

I've seen Chinese fakes, but they don't even run the real Blackberry OS. They all tend to run the generic Chinese phone OS and are skinned to look like an iPhone, Blackberry, etc. Almost all of them have two SIM card slots as well.

It is possible to fake a Blackberry PIN. There is bootleg software that will let you alter the PINs to activate a stolen Blackberry online. If that is the case, however, ESN probably won't match the sticker either.

My guess is that the PIN is still locked to someone else's account or has been blacklisted.

This is entirely true, although I've never seen a phone close enough to resemble a berry. You could try to return it to the seller. You can file a paypal claim for "not as described".

However, calling the above number is the best place to start

[dearbee]

Originally Posted by stufried

I've seen Chinese fakes, but they don't even run the real Blackberry OS. They all tend to run the generic Chinese phone OS and are skinned to look like an iPhone, Blackberry, etc. Almost all of them have two SIM card slots as well.

It is possible to fake a Blackberry PIN. There is bootleg software that will let you alter the PINs to activate a stolen Blackberry online. If that is the case, however, ESN probably won't match the sticker either.

My guess is that the PIN is still locked to someone else's account or has been blacklisted.

on ebay, if you type blueberry bold, 9630, etc. you'll get a bunch of these Chinese made POS junk listings. it's rather comical.

[stufried]

Here is a review of the BlueBerry Bold:

The New BlueBerry Bold YEEEESSS! | Berry Reporter


Take a look at the China Grabber.com to see a BlueBerry Storm equipped with an an analog TV and a stylus.

[tsac]

What do these cost?

[Noodle22]

Haha, I see fake iphones like these for sale all the time in my area, I live in the lower mainland of B.C. and it's largley Asian here.

The fake iphones also come equipped with analog tv, haha.

[marrydavidson101]

china is manufacturing some sub standard phones those are cheap but very poor in quality so just for the sake of some little discount don't buy replica cell phones