Korean Job Discussion Forums

[camaroclow]

Hello.

I recently purchased a used Korean IPhone 3gs from craigslist. When I picked it up from the individual, he was using it. I called him from my phone and he answered and talked. He took out his sim and handed it over. I do not take this person as a crook as he has been trying to help me set up the phone since Thursday. If he was, I don't think he would return all my calls and texts. I took the phone to the olleh store in Itaewon yesterday and they said they couldn't set up the phone for me because it had been reported lost.

The store called the seller and he said he had bought it in the last month online used as well.

What I am wondering, is if this seller flakes and won't offer me a refund, did I basically buy a 32 gig iPod touch?

The phone worked with his sim card, but when I put in my sim card (its not for a smartphone so that could be why) it says no service. Im not familiar with simcards so I don't know...

Any insight would be appreciated.

[r122925]

This is one of the oldest cell phone scams around. It works like this.

1. Buy new phone with insurance plan.
2. Use until a new better model comes out.
3. Sell the phone used to a clueless foreigner.
4. Wait a bit and then report the phone lost and claim insurance, get new phone.

You end up with a brand new phone plus the cash you sold it for.

Of course the other possibility is that someone else lost the phone, and the guy you bought it from simply "found it somewhere" (stole it).

Whenever you buy a used cell phone go together with the seller to a phone shop before giving him any money. Have them check that the seller is actually the legal owner of the phone and have them transfer it to your name. Only then should you hand over any cash.

It sounds like you trust the guy who sold it to you. So it may very well be someone else who pulled the scam on him. But why buy a phone and then sell it a month later? Certainly sounds sketchy either way.

You have to be very careful buying a used phone in this country. If you don't get it properly transfered to your name when you buy it, the original owner can report it lost/stolen at any time in the future, even years later. And a lost/stolen phone can't be used on any Korean network. (not sure if you could take it abroad and get it to work. Might be worth a try if all else fails.)

[hanguker]

Wow. Good info. Thanks for the post.

[DaHu]

Actually, yeah, I was wondering if it could be used in another country. A taxi driver once offered me an iPhone and I turned him down.

But then later I thought that I could have used an iPhone and there's no way it would ever have gotten returned to its owner anyway.