New phone arrived unsealed. Should I return?

stockshares

I bought a new phone online and it arrived unsealed. Should I return it.

Thanks

colm_mcm

You should at least flag it with the seller

banie01

It very much depends on the phone, the origin and the price.

Grey market dealers for example will provide Chinese sourced handsets directly from China at discount for resale.
However for the handset to be compatible with the vast majority of users technical knowledge.
The phone will usually be flashed with a new ROM, that includes google play services and play store as those are banned in China market handsets.

Similar story with grey market Samsung handsets from Asia.
They have a region lock that requires a SIM from the original market area to be active in the phone for 5 or 10 minutes before the handset is actually region free.
Grey sellers power up and insert the sim to allow the buyer have the sim free device.

Now if you bought an EU/Irish handset via a direct channel, at least raise a query.
If you bought a Chinese or grey market handset?
That's how these things work.

Fann Linn

For peace of mind and 5/6 days delay I'd return it.

sentient_6

stockshares wrote: »

I bought a new phone online and it arrived unsealed. Should I return it.

Thanks

Online from who would help for a start.

stockshares

sentient_6 wrote: »

Online from who would help for a start.

Rea Communications
https://www.reacommunications.com/

stockshares

banie01 wrote: »

It very much depends on the phone, the origin and the price.

Grey market dealers for example will provide Chinese sourced handsets directly from China at discount for resale.
However for the handset to be compatible with the vast majority of users technical knowledge.
The phone will usually be flashed with a new ROM, that includes google play services and play store as those are banned in China market handsets.

Similar story with grey market Samsung handsets from Asia.
They have a region lock that requires a SIM from the original market area to be active in the phone for 5 or 10 minutes before the handset is actually region free.
Grey sellers power up and insert the sim to allow the buyer have the sim free device.

Now if you bought an EU/Irish handset via a direct channel, at least raise a query.
If you bought a Chinese or grey market handset?
That's how these things work.

I bought it from Rea Communications but I'm not sure if they bought it from a Grey seller and sold it on.

banie01

stockshares wrote: »

Rea Communications
https://www.reacommunications.com/

Is it a Chinese handset?
Did it come with play store already installed?

If so, likelihood is that the seller or their supplier flashed it with a global ROM prior to ship.
That's normal for this channel, but ideally the seller would let you know before purchase.

As I said earlier, flag it with the seller and get their input in it.
But if it's a Chinese handset, it's par for the course unless you have the means of unlocking the bootloader and flashing the unit yourself.

drunkmonkey

If it's a euro handset could have just put in a 3 pin plug, wouldn't worry about it if the plastic on the screen hasn't been removed. Your warranty starts from the invoice date.

un5byh7sqpd2x0

stockshares wrote: »

I bought it from Rea Communications but I'm not sure if they bought it from a Grey seller and sold it on.

Give Eoin a ring and ask him first.

stockshares

banie01 wrote: »

Is it a Chinese handset?
Did it come with play store already installed?

If so, likelihood is that the seller or their supplier flashed it with a global ROM prior to ship.
That's normal for this channel, but ideally the seller would let you know before purchase.

As I said earlier, flag it with the seller and get their input in it.
But if it's a Chinese handset, it's par for the course unless you have the means of unlocking the bootloader and flashing the unit yourself.

It's a Ulefone but I don't know if Play Store is installed because I haven't used it. If it has been flashed the seller didn't let me know that it would be.

When I ordered on the website it said the phone was in stock and was a global edition.

I've sent Rea an email and am awaiting reply.

drunkmonkey wrote: »

If it's a euro handset could have just put in a 3 pin plug, wouldn't worry about it if the plastic on the screen hasn't been removed. Your warranty starts from the invoice date.

An adapter was Included separately. It was not added to the box that the Phonr came in.

Salvatore Breezy Log wrote: »

Give Eoin a ring and ask him first.

I wanted to see what the normal procedure is when a phone arrives unsealed before I contacted him. I've sent him an email and am awaiting reply.

stockshares

drunkmonkey wrote: »

If it's a euro handset could have just put in a 3 pin plug, wouldn't worry about it if the plastic on the screen hasn't been removed. Your warranty starts from the invoice date.

Why would the plastic matter. Can it not be removed and re applied.

It did come with a plastic sheet on the screen showing the Phones Specs plus another heavier plastic sheet with two stickers on it saying
1 Please peel off this mark before application
2 Please peel off this mask after application completed.

stockshares

banie01 wrote: »

It very much depends on the phone, the origin and the price.

Grey market dealers for example will provide Chinese sourced handsets directly from China at discount for resale.
However for the handset to be compatible with the vast majority of users technical knowledge.
The phone will usually be flashed with a new ROM, that includes google play services and play store as those are banned in China market handsets.

Similar story with grey market Samsung handsets from Asia.
They have a region lock that requires a SIM from the original market area to be active in the phone for 5 or 10 minutes before the handset is actually region free.
Grey sellers power up and insert the sim to allow the buyer have the sim free device.

Now if you bought an EU/Irish handset via a direct channel, at least raise a query.
If you bought a Chinese or grey market handset?
That's how these things work.

I received emails back from Rea Communications.
In Summary they said

"All our stock comes from European Wholesalers..
we did not open the unit on arrival here, as we ordered it in directly from wholesaler and then shipped it to you, Its not stock we would have had on display.

I wouldn't be in a position to tell you our suppliers names as that is confidential between me and who I buy from.. All you would need to know is that its one of the biggest wholesalers in Europe for Mobile Phones.

If you are speaking about Plastics on outside of phones for instance? Most phones nowadays don't come with any Cellophane wrap on outside..

The Ulefone phones never come in to us with Cellophane wrap on them.. We don't buy from outside the EU.
Phones are brand new and would not be opened by anyone to put custom rom on them.
I've never heard of it being done before either to be honest or ever asked about it in 15 Years trading."

Can anyone confirm if phones today are shipped unsealed?
Ive looked at Ulephone X7 Pro Unboxing videos on YouTube and they were wrapped in plastic before being opened.

Is it possible that Rea's suppliers opened this phone before selling to Rea?

I've asked Ulefone do they ship their phones unsealed and am awaiting reply.

The phone is a present for someone else so I want to be sure it's ok before giving it to them.

Can anyone advise on whether I should return it?
Thanks

ED E

Very common to just get the box with no film.

eg:

stockshares

I received a reply from Ulefone. They said

"Hi,

The Ulefone phones sold in official channels will come with plastic packaging (sealed box).

I am sorry that we here can not check the phone is brand new or not."

I presume that somebody opened the phone at some stage.

Does anyyone know if I have a right to know from Rea Communications where they sourced the phone?

un5byh7sqpd2x0

stockshares wrote: »

Does anyyone know if I have a right to know from Rea Communications where they sourced the phone?

I don’t see why you would. They’re a reputable company, as an aside.

Trojan

If they say it should have arrived sealed, then personally I'd return it.

Under the Consumer Rights Directive 2011/83/EU (section 48) you have 14 days cooling off period for purchases within the EU.

stockshares

Salvatore Breezy Log wrote: »

I don’t see why you would. They’re a reputable company, as an aside.

I know they are. Im presuming that either their supplier opens the phones or another supplier in the chain does given that Ulefone seals their phones.

I've no way if knowing if it was returned at some stage or if it was altered by a supplier

Trojan wrote: »

If they say it should have arrived sealed, then personally I'd return it.

Under the Consumer Rights Directive 2011/83/EU (section 48) you have 14 days cooling off period for purchases within the EU.

Thanks very much for the Consumer rights info above.