looking to buy a used blackberry - what to look for?

[kingrukus]

I am looking for a fast replacement for my current blackberry curve 8530 - the trackpad died again, and the tip to make it work isn't helping.

I am looking at getting a blackberry bold 9780, 9790 or 9900 to replace it for use on the Bell network, and have seen some decent deals on kijiji/craigslist.

Is there anything to look for to ensure I don't get scammed? I have been with Bell for years, so maybe i have some credit on my acct that I can apply on a new phone instead? I absolutely do not want to re-sign a contact with them however.

I just need a temporary stop gap until I change from Bell and get an android based phone later on.

[DennyCrane]

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry Bold 9900: Mozilla/5.0 (BlackBerry; U; BlackBerry 9900; en) AppleWebKit/534.11+ (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/7.1.0.391 Mobile Safari/534.11+)

You won't get any sort of hardware discount unless you're willing to sign a contract. As for those three devices, I'd definitely rule out the 9780 if I were you. It's too old and slow compared to the other two. I'd go with the 9900, but it really depends on what form factor you prefer.

You'll want to make sure it's got the 850/1900 MHz UMTS bands. Basically any Bell, Rogers, TELUS, Virgin, Fido, Koodo, or AT&T model would work. Don't get a Wind, Mobilicity, or T-Mobile version for example.

If it's not Bell branded you'll need to ensure it's unlocked. You can tell this by going into the SIM options and typing MEPD...everything should read 'Disabled' or 'Inactive' if it's unlocked. I always try my SIM card before I hand over the money, just to make sure.

Try to send a test BBM to see if the PIN is good. You could also try and run the email setup wizard if you wanted.

[ArjunG]

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry Bold 9900: Mozilla/5.0 (BlackBerry; U; BlackBerry 9900; en) AppleWebKit/534.11+ (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/7.1.0.391 Mobile Safari/534.11+)

You won't get any sort of hardware discount unless you're willing to sign a contract. As for those three devices, I'd definitely rule out the 9780 if I were you. It's too old and slow compared to the other two. I'd go with the 9900, but it really depends on what form factor you prefer.

You'll want to make sure it's got the 850/1900 MHz UMTS bands. Basically any Bell, Rogers, TELUS, Virgin, Fido, Koodo, or AT&T model would work. Don't get a Wind, Mobilicity, or T-Mobile version for example.

If it's not Bell branded you'll need to ensure it's unlocked. You can tell this by going into the SIM options and typing MEPD...everything should read 'Disabled' or 'Inactive' if it's unlocked. I always try my SIM card before I hand over the money, just to make sure.

Try to send a test BBM to see if the PIN is good. You could also try and run the email setup wizard if you wanted.

Don't worry about it being unlocked. You can easily do that yourself for free. Check freemyblackberry.com. You can request the IMEI 24 hours before you meet so you already have the unlock code.

Go into Options>Status and type BUYR. It will show you if the data has exceeded 1 GB and how many days/hours/minutes seconds have been used on the phone. This timer is more difficult or impossible to erase then the more commonly found timers. You can use this to see if the seller is being truthful about the age of the phone.

After that you can pop in a sim card and try completing a test call. If that works, you should be good to go. I have yet to come across a BlackBerry that was banned for BlackBerry services or BBM etc. Pin should be good but you can check that out as well to be extra sure.

Good luck

[DennyCrane]

Don't worry about it being unlocked. You can easily do that yourself for free. Check freemyblackberry.com. You can request the IMEI 24 hours before you meet so you already have the unlock code.

You definitely can do it this way, but it's much easier to have it already unlocked so all you need to do is pop in your sim. Most sellers won't provide the IMEI ahead of time, which means you'll have to wait for a code, which then means you can't test the phone (unless it's Bell branded) until you get the code. And that unlocking site is great by the way. I've used them a couple of times and they've been awesome.

I have yet to come across a BlackBerry that was banned for BlackBerry services or BBM etc. Pin should be good but you can check that out as well to be extra sure.

I've never had a problem either, but I'm paranoid so I always check it anyway. I have read a few horror stories.

[DubDub]

Before you buy a used BB, you need to read this, no matter where you get it from: http://www.blackberryfaq.com/index.p...Berry_off_eBay

[kingrukus]

Thanks for the tip guys.

the issue I am seeing with testing is that my current 8530 has no SIM (Bell network), so its not simple for me to easily transfer a sim. When did Bell start using SIMs? Does it depend on the phone or do all of their phones use it? I always thought they used an old-school CDMA network without SIM cards, but I am really just guessing here.

[DennyCrane]

Thanks for the tip guys.

the issue I am seeing with testing is that my current 8530 has no SIM (Bell network), so its not simple for me to easily transfer a sim. When did Bell start using SIMs? Does it depend on the phone or do all of their phones use it? I always thought they used an old-school CDMA network without SIM cards, but I am really just guessing here.

Bell & TELUS built a shared HSPA network that launched in November 2009. Your phone is on the legacy CDMA network which will probably be running for a few more years. All new devices Bell & TELUS sell are on their HSPA network, which do require SIM cards.

[kingrukus]

Thanks for the tips guys. Picked up a 9780 to hold me over for the next little while. Quite an upgrade to the 8530, but I do realise it is still a piece of junk compared to other phones out there.

[DennyCrane]

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry Bold 9900: Mozilla/5.0 (BlackBerry; U; BlackBerry 9900; en) AppleWebKit/534.11+ (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/7.1.0.391 Mobile Safari/534.11+)

^Not a piece of junk, but definitely outdated. Like you said though, it's light years ahead of the 8530. Enjoy your new BlackBerry!

[Griffin747]

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry Bold 9900: Mozilla/5.0 (BlackBerry; U; BlackBerry 9900; en) AppleWebKit/534.11+ (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/7.1.0.391 Mobile Safari/534.11+)

^Not a piece of junk, but definitely outdated. Like you said though, it's light years ahead of the 8530. Enjoy your new BlackBerry!

Exactly. 9780 is going to be boatloads better then a 8530, but obviously isn't the newest thing out there either. Especially since it has a simcard it would be much more useful in the long run too.

[Mann Incognito]

This may seem a little out of left field but I think it's worth thinking about.

Have you considered the new 9320 that was just launched on Virgin? It's a familiar form factor for you, runs on OS7.1 AND has hotspot capabilities! It's an absoilute steal @ $149 and has the further added advantages of being brand new with full manufacturers warranty. I got one for my dear old mom so she could Bridge to her PlayBook and it really is a decent phone. I got hers from Mobilicity and unlocked it at freemyblackberry.com

[o2qc418]

This may seem a little out of left field but I think it's worth thinking about.

Have you considered the new 9320 that was just launched on Virgin? It's a familiar form factor for you, runs on OS7.1 AND has hotspot capabilities! It's an absoilute steal @ $149 and has the further added advantages of being brand new with full manufacturers warranty. I got one for my dear old mom so she could Bridge to her PlayBook and it really is a decent phone. I got hers from Mobilicity and unlocked it at freemyblackberry.com

Yes buy two from virgin mobile ... No brand on the phone and work great to telus ... One for my mom and one for my sister ... The phone work great and is really fast

Sent from my BlackBerry 9900 using Tapatalk

[o2qc418]

Me too i have buy a 9900 ... I love the phone ... I travel a lot and i need a great rf phone ... Keyboard is great too ...bb compression... My galaxy nexus not miss me ... bug poor reception ...... I don t play to games ... Email chat listen webradio only... Bb is perfect for this

Sent from my BlackBerry 9900 using Tapatalk