vB Easy Archive - Cingular: Import Phones Unbranded Are Illegal ???

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Cingular: Import Phones Unbranded Are Illegal ???
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Posted by: paypalbid

I have been going to China town in Los Angeles in the area of Monterey Park and Alhambra to get my cell phone for the last 8 years. In recent months all of the stores with the cool import unbranded phones no longer carry Cingular Wireless Service, they just have T-Mobile or Verizon. I called a few stores around and they don't have Cingular. Some stores saids that Cingular commission is way down recently so they dont sell it which does not suprise me cause Cingular always try to cut cost and shiat like that. Another store told me that they have Cingular but they only have Cingular branded phone and no import phones because they are ILLEGAL. I was like WHAT ????????
Anyway, if someone outhere know of a place in China Town that carry Cingular and have import phones please let me know. I have been to all the Cyber Wireless stores, called Broadway Wireless, and a few other places....
If you have the same experience please share because I can't stand dumb Cingular branded phones.

Posted by: Rcadden

It's not illegal in terms of the real law, but according to Cingular's agent agreements, it's illegal to sell non-Cingular handsets. Like just Cingular doesn't want them to do it. As far as the US Government is concerned, it's not illegal. Hope that clarifies.

Posted by: spartacus13b

These phone are not aproved by FCC most of the time so that does make them illegal but there is no enforcment agency and Cingular does not accept these phone because they could be fined for having someone use them on their network

Posted by: Mark Larson

Quote:

Originally Posted by spartacus13b

These phone are not aproved by FCC most of the time so that does make them illegal but there is no enforcment agency and Cingular does not accept these phone because they could be fined for having someone use them on their network

Umm, all the phones you can buy there are FCC-approved. Otherwise the FCC would be clamping down something fierce on those people.

Posted by: spartacus13b

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark Larson

Umm, all the phones you can buy there are FCC-approved. Otherwise the FCC would be clamping down something fierce on those people.

yo would think so but right now I personally own 3 models that are NOT aproved by FCC and I use them with my Cingular sercvice....

Posted by: CeluGeek

The problem is that the vast majority of those imported phones do not have support for 850 Mhz, which is required for all Cingular plans right now. While they are not illegal in terms of federal and state laws, by using them you are actually violating your contract with Cingular so they can terminate your service and charge you the ETF penalty if they choose to do so. Not that it has actually happen, but they can do so and they'll be in their right to enforce their policy.

Posted by: randomtask77

On another note, cingular reps just don't have the appropriate training to troubleshoot these phones. If a customer was to get an imported phone and calls with problems/concerns/questions about the phone, a rep isn't trained to handle a non-cingular phone.

Posted by: ASimpleFarmer

Quote:

Originally Posted by spartacus13b

yo would think so but right now I personally own 3 models that are NOT aproved by FCC and I use them with my Cingular sercvice....

so are you saying my k700, s700, 6630, 6680, k750 are all not approved by the FCC? I think not.

there may be phones that are not approved, but those are protos. most asiand dealers dont sell those

Posted by: Slowpoke SS

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows 95; PalmSource; Blazer 3.0) 16;160x160)

cingular has been cracking down on 3rd party dealers that activate non-cingular devices or hold fraudulent practices over device rebate frauds, etc. a lot of dealers used to give out rebates of diff models to entice customers.

Posted by: Mark Larson

Quote:

Originally Posted by spartacus13b

yo would think so but right now I personally own 3 models that are NOT aproved by FCC and I use them with my Cingular sercvice....

What phones are those? And what's your name and address?

Posted by: spartacus13b

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark Larson

What phones are those? And what's your name and address?

Neverland Ranch
Santa Monica CA

Posted by: ASimpleFarmer

Quote:

Originally Posted by spartacus13b

Neverland Ranch
Santa Monica CA

haha