how can you check if your phone is a fake or not?

thehamo · 30-09-2009 6:16pm #1

Hi,

Im just wondering is there anyway you can check if a phone is a fake or not? I brough my Sony Ericsson to a shop to be fixed and they said they had to send it off etc. anyway, over a month later I finally rang and they said come its ready for collection. Then they preceeded to tell me that S.E. in Clondalkin checked the imei number of the phone and it didnt come up with any matches on their records. Now, I have the box from this phone and all manuals accessories, all professionally packaged etc. Also, its a T-Mobile phone and it has al the T-mobile software on it and even starts up with the T-Mobile logo and screen saver. Surely this wouldnt be put onto a fake phone? Does anyone know any ways of checking if the phone is a fake or not?

Thanks!

Rsaeire · 30-09-2009 6:25pm

thehamo wrote: »

Hi,

Im just wondering is there anyway you can check if a phone is a fake or not? I brough my Sony Ericsson to a shop to be fixed and they said they had to send it off etc. anyway, over a month later I finally rang and they said come its ready for collection. Then they preceeded to tell me that S.E. in Clondalkin checked the imei number of the phone and it didnt come up with any matches on their records. Now, I have the box from this phone and all manuals accessories, all professionally packaged etc. Also, its a T-Mobile phone and it has al the T-mobile software on it and even starts up with the T-Mobile logo and screen saver. Surely this wouldnt be put onto a fake phone? Does anyone know any ways of checking if the phone is a fake or not?

Thanks!

You can confirm certain details on the back of the handset, underneath the battery. Normally, besides an IMEI number, there will be other numbers such as an S/N number, what country it was manufactured in, the FCC number etc. The handset may still have these, however, they may not match up in their placement like an official Sony Ericsson handset.

If you're able to post a shot taken of the back of your phone, underneath your battery, and let e know the model number, I could try help you further.

Dankoozy · 30-09-2009 6:36pm

Rsaeire wrote: »

If you're able to post a screenshot of the back of your phone, underneath your battery, and let e know the model number, I could try help you further.

a screenshot?

thehamo · 30-09-2009 6:38pm

Thanks Rsaeire

I tried taking a sanp shot but it just comes out very blury. I can give you any relevant information though? And how do I get the model number?

Im very warey about the shop I was in though. It looks fairly reputable but everytime i rang up i got a different answer from them, at one stage they told me they couldnt fix it here and it would be sent to Poland. Im not sure they even sent it off at all.

Is there any way I can get it fixed here? even if its a fake as the case may be??

Rsaeire · 30-09-2009 6:45pm

Dankoozy wrote: »

a screenshot?

Edited.

thehamo wrote: »

Thanks Rsaeire

I tried taking a sanp shot but it just comes out very blury. I can give you any relevant information though? And how do I get the model number?

Im very warey about the shop I was in though. It looks fairly reputable but everytime i rang up i got a different answer from them, at one stage they told me they couldnt fix it here and it would be sent to Poland. Im not sure they even sent it off at all.

Is there any way I can get it fixed here? even if its a fake as the case may be??

The model number should be clearly visible on the back of the handset underneath the battery, generally beside the words "Sony Ericsson".

thehamo · 30-09-2009 6:52pm

ok, well exactly what I have is

Sony Ericsson C905 SI 1212-4217
Type: AAD - 3352021-BV ABAC CB5
FCC ID: PY7A3352021 08W42
IC: 41708-A3352021

then imei and serial number under a load of barcodes.......

Rsaeire · 30-09-2009 6:57pm

thehamo wrote: »

ok, well exactly what I have is

Sony Ericsson C905 SI 1212-4217
Type: AAD - 3352021-BV ABAC CB5
FCC ID: PY7A3352021 08W42
IC: 41708-A3352021

then imei and serial number under a load of barcodes.......

Here is a website that contains images of the handset underneath the battery.

I recommend you compare the placement of the various numbers, as best you can as I know the images aren't that big, and see if they all match up in their placement.

thehamo · 30-09-2009 7:07pm

thanks, to be honest, everything seems to be in exactly the same place and nothing missing from it at all. Im very confused about this. I just cant see how its a fake

Rsaeire · 30-09-2009 7:13pm

thehamo wrote: »

thanks, to be honest, everything seems to be in exactly the same place and nothing missing from it at all. Im very confused about this. I just cant see how its a fake

Where did you originally buy the handset from? I assume it was from somewhere like eBay since it's a T-Mobile handset?

thehamo · 30-09-2009 7:16pm

yeh it was from Ebay. I actually bough one from somone who go theirs from Meteor and i left it into a shop to be unlocked but the shop was robbed and my phone taken so the guy in the shop got me that one from ebay.

Random · 30-09-2009 7:56pm

www.numberingplans.com allows you to check your IMEI. It doesn't check anything major or anything .. it just confirms that the IMEI matches the phone type. The IMEI could have course have been cloned or whatever.

EDIT: of course Random beat you to it

Rsaeire · 30-09-2009 7:59pm

thehamo wrote: »

yeh it was from Ebay. I actually bough one from somone who go theirs from Meteor and i left it into a shop to be unlocked but the shop was robbed and my phone taken so the guy in the shop got me that one from ebay.

I recommend going into a phone store tomorrow, or as soon as you can, and comparing your handset to one of their C905s, if they have any in stock. You could also check your IMEI here to confirm the handset is definitely a C905.

EDIT: Random beat me to it.

thehamo · 30-09-2009 8:07pm

Thanks guys, just did that and it came up a C905 alright. To be honest the more I look into it, the more i dont trust this shop for what they told me!

I even looked up the fault online and its a VERY common fault and actually acknowledged by SE themselves. Kinda makes me think if its fake, they wouldnt go through the hastle of copycatting a common fault with the phone!!!!:mad:

Rsaeire · 30-09-2009 8:27pm

thehamo wrote: »

Thanks guys, just did that and it came up a C905 alright. To be honest the more I look into it, the more i dont trust this shop for what they told me!

I even looked up the fault online and its a VERY common fault and actually acknowledged by SE themselves. Kinda makes me think if its fake, they wouldnt go through the hastle of copycatting a common fault with the phone!!!!:mad:

From this it seems as if your handset is genuine, however, it is hard for any of us here to say with any confidence whether it is, given that we haven't seen it ourselves.

Anyway, check it, if you want, with another C905 tomorrow, just to put your mind at rest.

how can you check if your phone is a fake or not?

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