As you may be aware, there is a BlackBerry email outage this morning affecting all of North America.
SMS Text, Voice, BlackBerry Internet, BlackBerry Messenger and 3rd Party Applications are NOT affected. Only email.
More information as it becomes available.
Are you looking to purchase a BlackBerry in Cincinnati and are using Craigslist?
Craigslist has become the newest way for scammers and thieves to take advantage of unsuspecting buyers on the internet, so here are 8 things you need to know in order to make purchasing a BlackBerry off of Craigslist a safe transaction.
1. Know your carriers.
Phones from AT&T and TMobile can be “SIM Unlocked” and used on a different GSM network.
For example, if you purchase an AT&T BlackBerry 8300, you can SIM Unlock it and use it on the TMobile network and vice-versa.
One major thing to keep in mind is the new devices with 3G capability. Devices which work on the AT&T 3G network will NOT work on the TMobile 3G network. And TMobile 3G devices will not work on the AT&T 3G network, as the carriers use 2 different mhz frequencies. This is not to say that your data service will not work…it will. But you will only be able to utilize the EDGE network and not 3G.
When it comes to CDMA devices (Sprint and Verizon), they cannot be used cross-network (TECHNICALLY they could, but the carriers won’t allow you to activate a piece of equipment on their network that isn’t theirs). However, CDMA devices can be “flashed” to be used on Cricket, Virgin and other pre-paid CDMA carrier services. Keep in mind though…once a CDMA phone has been flashed, it cannot be flashed “back” to the original carrier.
2. Is it stolen? Locked to an account with a past-due balance?
If you are purchasing a GSM device, this really won’t be much of an issue. Simply putting a SIM Card into the device and turning it on will allow the device to work. Even if the device has been reported as lost or stolen, the device will still be able to be used without any issues (although obviously we don’t recommend purchasing “hot” devices if you are aware one is stolen).
However, this will always be a factor with CDMA carriers that you will need to address before purchasing the device. Since CDMA services and networks do not use SIM Cards, the devices are “hard-programmed” with the information. When attempting to activate a device that has either been flagged as “Lost / Stolen” OR is still attached to an account which has a past-due balance, the carrier will not be able to activate the device. The only option that you will have at that time is to flash the device to a pre-paid carrier or re-sell it (and inform the buyer of the situation). To ensure that the device is not lost or stolen, ask the seller to provide (or get it off the phone yourself) the MEID DEC or ESN number off of the phone. (Go to Options>Status and the information is there). Call the carrier with whom the phone is with and inform them that you are purchasing this device, and wanted to make sure that it has a clear ESN. If the seller refuses to provide it or let you call the carrier, then walk away from the deal.
3. Phones without a battery/battery cover.
You see these pop up every once and a while on Craigslist. These devices are refurbished “warranty” devices. This means that the owner called their carrier for a device which was under warranty and is now selling the device that they received in return. These are typically “safe buys”, however, refer back to #2 for any CDMA devices for re-assurance.
4. Check the USB Charging Port
ALWAYS check the USB Charging port to ensure that it is not broken. Just because a device turns on and has a battery charge, does NOT mean that the USB port is working correctly. Just power the device on and plug it into any computer, wall charger or car charger. If you see a “lightning bolt” through the battery icon at the top of the device, the USB port is working correctly. Other signs that it is working correctly on newer devices, is that the clock screen may show up. Also, if you are using a computer and the computer at least recognizes that the device was plugged in, the USB port is in working order (it may not charge due to the BlackBerry drivers not being installed on the computer).
5. Ensure ALL of the buttons work
Just because a device powers up and the trackball works, don’t immediately assume that it’s a perfect device. Go into messages and compose a message and verify that every key on the keypad works. If a key or group of keys do not work when pressed, or if they are bringing up a different letter than what was pressed, the device has moisture/water damage and should not be purchased.
6. Ensure BOTH speakers and the microphone work
Make a test call. Make sure that the other person can hear you. Make sure that you can hear the other person. While on the call, press the speakerphone button (same button that has the $ sign on it) and ensure the speakerphone works (audio notifications are sent through the speaker which the speakerphone uses, so if it’s not working, you will never receive audio alerts).
7. “Limited Edition Devices”
This isn’t something that comes up regularly, however, we have started seeing more of it. Devices which people claim are “rare” or “in small production”. They usually have to do with a device which isn’t the standard color which that model of BlackBerry should be. The easiest way to spot this is the lack of a carrier logo. No carrier sells any of their BlackBerry devices without the carrier logo somewhere on the device. If the carrier logo is not present, then the device “housing” has been swapped. Not that this is a bad thing (a white 9000 Bold is a nice looking phone), however, it is NOT a “limited edition” phone nor is it worth an astronomical amount more than what a standard model is worth. I use the white 9000 Bold as an example as I saw a posting the other day where the seller claimed it was a “Limited Edition” device and was asking $700.00 for it.
8. Always deal in person and with cash
Pretty obvious, but don’t send money to someone for them to ship it to you. This is Craigslist, not eBay. Craigslist has become the #1 location for scammers on the internet now. ALWAYS meet the person in a public place.
Note: We will soon be offering a classifieds section on CincinattiBlackBerry for you to buy/sell/trade BlackBerry devices and accessories!
Today, the BlackBerry 9700 Bold (The first 3G BlackBerry available for TMobile) is stocked and ready to be purchased at local retail outlet centers!
The 9700 Bold will allow Cincinnati BlackBerry users to experience faster downloading and browsing speeds on their devices, as well as the ability to simultaneously use voice and data features!
The investment for the 9700 Bold is $199.99 on a two-year service agreement.
However, if you head on over to Walmart, you will receive an instant $100.00 Gift Card, bringing the cost to $99.99!
UPDATE: AT&T users in Cincy, don’t feel left out! The 9700 Bold is currently available to “Business Customers” and will be arriving for personal customers at your Cincinnati AT&T stores on November 22nd!
Yeah, yeah, yeah…We all know the BlackBerry 9700 is heading to TMobile.
We all know what the specs are on it.
But just in case you have been asleep for the last few months or just want to see as much 9700 information as possible, here is some information we have obtained from TMobile:
_____________________________________________________________
Exciting news today – we’ve announced the new BlackBerry Bold 9700 for T-Mobile!
What’s cool about it?
· 3G and Wi-Fi calling – the ONLY device on T-Mobile to do both!
· Did I mention it’s the first 3G BlackBerry for T-Mobile?
· New optical trackpad navigation
· Lightning fast 624mhz processor!
· Visual Voicemail!
· 3.2 megapixel camera with auto-focus
· GPS
· Support for myFaves 2.0 & Mobile Backup
It also features the new BlackBerry device software 5.0 which adds:
· The ability to sync your Gmail contacts wirelessly
· Threaded SMS/text messages!
· New web browser – 53% faster than the original Bold!
· E-mail follow-up/flag support
The new Bold will be available in stores starting mid-November. In the meantime, more information can be found at www.t-mobile.com/bold and www.blackberry.com/bold9700.
If you have any questions, please let me know! Press release is included below. I’ve also attached a spec sheet of the device.
| The world’s first touch-screen BlackBerry® is coming. Join us for food, beverages and an exclusive, hands-on preview at The BlackBerry® Storm™ First-Look, First-Touch Event. | |
| Date & Time |  |
| 11/17/2008 | |
| 08:30 AM – 11:00 AM | |
| Location | |
| Great Wolf Lodge | |
| 2501 Great Wolf Drive | |
| Mason, OH 45040 | |
| Contact | |
| (513) 459-8885 | |
| Details | |
| Complimentary parking. | |
| The world’s first touch-screen BlackBerry® is coming. Join us for food, beverages and an exclusive, hands-on preview at The BlackBerry® Storm™ First-Look, First-Touch Event. | |
| Date & Time | |
| 11/10/2008 | |
| 08:30 AM – 11:00 AM | |
| Location | |
| Embassy Suites | |
| 5100 Upper Metro Place | |
| Dublin, OH 43017 | |
| Contact | |
| (614) 602-0120 | |
| Details | |
| Complimentary parking. | |
Do you wish you knew your BlackBerry better? Prepare to meet your BlackBerry on a more personal level. Sign up for this unique training class.
Learn secret tips and tricks to make your BlackBerry usage easier, more productive and, most importantly, work for YOU.
Then see how to make your BlackBerry an extension of yourself. You rely on your BlackBerry day in and day out…so why have it setup to factory specs? It should be setup to YOUR specs. From wallpapers to themes, ringtones and more, you are guaranteed to have a completely unique device fitted perfectly for yourself.
Please pre-register now as seats will fill fast.
Event:
“Meet Your BlackBerry”
Date:
October 2nd, 2008
Time:
6:00pm-8:00pm EDT
Location:
University Of Phoenix;
9050 Center Point Drive
Ste 101
West Chester OH 45069
Price: 49.00
Notes: Sponsored By Capital Concepts
To register: email: info@cincinnatiblackberry.com
Have FaceBook? Join the CBOA Group!
Click Here For The Cincinnati BlackBerry Owners Association Facebook Group
We would like to thank Capital Concepts for sponsoring our first BlackBerry Training Event in the Cincinnati area.
Come join us on October 2, 2008 for a 2-hour class that is guaranteed to make you faster, more knowledgeable and more productive on your BlackBerry device. The address of the event will be:
University of Phoenix
9050 Center Point Drive, Ste 101
West Chester OH 45069
LocalBlackBerry Association News
