ESN irrelevant?

[myk on CDMA]

Hello all,

First I want to thank everyone on this forum for providing a wealth of information that helped me decide on which classic phones to use and how to go about activating them; I do have some questions though.

I've read quite a bit about ESN's and how they can make or break a phone and their user. I came across an older Motorola phone from Airtouch/Verizon that I liked and checked the ESN on the checkfreeesn site, where I was told that the ESN wasn't clean. Color me stubborn, but I tried to activate it on a pre-paid provider and it actually worked. I want to know why or how a phone with a bad ESN can operate? Is this a fluke? Does it happen often? Can I or the wireless provider get in trouble for using a phone with a bad ESN? Could the wireless provider eventually drop this phone from service?

In any case, thanks again. With this mint little piece of cellular history I may finally break free from my expensive Verizon addiction...

[Heavy Fluid]

It really depends on who you activate the phone with. Some of the smaller carriers really don't care that the ESN is not clear, so they will activate regardless. If you were to try to activate that phone on Page Plus, you would not be successful. What pre-paid provider did you activate with?

[myk on CDMA]

I'm almost ashamed to say that I activated the phone with Page Plus. Is there a chance that the ESN site was wrong?

[Heavy Fluid]

I am quite surprised to see this. Page Plus runs on the Verizon network, so I am surprised to see that they would allow a bad ESN phone on their network. The fact that it is an Airtouch phone might be the work around in this case. I really don't know to be honest. If you got the phone activated, and you have service, you should be OK I would think.

[myk on CDMA]

I would "hope" so. Again, I figure the site that I used to check the ESN must be wrong. I also figured that a phone that was declared "bad" over 10 years ago may be forgotten as far as Airtouch/Verizon is concerned? In any case, I'm glad it's working...

[Heavy Fluid]

It is possible that the site is incorrect. If Page Plus activated it, you should have no worries I wouldn't think.

[myk on CDMA]

Thanks for your replies. I just wanted to make sure I was doing good by Page Plus and any other parties involved. I sure wouldn't want my trip down nostalgia lane to cause any heartache, lol...