What happens to a financed iPhone when seller stops making payments?

Hello~ Return it and get your money back. I would also report this “seller” to eBay. They can’t sell you the iPhone as it doesn’t belong to them…it belongs to T-Mobile. If it’s not black listed by the carrier already it will be and you will be out of luck.

~Katana-San~

• It will be blacklisted and not able to get cellular service.
• IMEI checkers are useless and should never be relied on as you have found out and can be locked at a later date. Hopefully you did not pay anything for the check.

Return the phone if you can or contact eBay since it was purchased on their platform. It is not likely eBay will resolve the problem, but they did allow the sale and you are a victim of using their service.

In the future, only buy from Apple or Authorized Apple Seller, otherwise you are just taking a gamble. What you discovered is just one of the many issues that you may find purchasing a used device as seen here:

The All Too Common SAD Reality of Buying … - Apple Community

Shpeer wrote:

Hello! What can I do? I bought financed iPhone on eBay. Help me.

Before paying, I checked imei on SickW:

I would not use any IMEI-checking service other than that provided by the CTIA.

https://stolenphonechecker.org/spc/

IMEI and serial number checks are less than useful for detecting purchase issues.

But, when I checked imei on T-mobile list, I saw this:

…

When seller stop making payments on it what happens next to this phone?

At best, the carrier allows the plan to be transferred and you to pay the remainder of the subsidy and subscription.

Equally possible, it bricks.

Request a refund if the seller is still available, but you may well have purchased a brick.

When buying online, ponder this: The All Too Common SAD Reality of Buying … - Apple Community

Scammer are apparently quite profitable: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/11/bombshell-report-exposes-how-meta-relied-on-scam-ad-profits-to-fund-ai/

Hello~ Did the seller tell you that the iPhone was still not paid for? If not then state to eBay that the item “Was not as described.” That will get eBay involved and that’s your best recourse at this point. The excellent advice given by *MacJim ID* about purchasing directly from Apple or their resellers should be heeded.

~Katana-San~

Shpeer wrote:

What does it mean?

It means you are still willing to risk an eBay purchase where the device can be locked at anytime. If you are looking for some report that will guarantee you will be able to use the device after receiving it, there is nothing that would be able to do that. In all cases, if the device becomes Activation Locked, the only acceptable proof of ownership seen on these forums is the original purchase receipt from Apple or Authorized Apple Seller.

If the device has been stolen, the original owner can blacklist the phone through their carrier at any time. There is no requirement that the owner must notify Apple that a device has been stolen. It's a gamble, but yours to make. You are just not going to get any sort of guarantee from an IMEI check.

The All Too Common SAD Reality of Buying … - Apple Community

Shpeer wrote:

What does it mean?

It means you are seeking to buy an iPhone from somebody that’s allegedly already stiffing somebody else, and that somebody else they’re allegedly stiffing (a carrier) is one of the very few entities that can brick an iPhone.

You will want an immense discount for your purchase, given the risk burden you are assuming here. Oh, and also that the seller isn’t also going to still you.

JSberg wrote:

It's hardcore in the US. In Denmark (Throughout the EU I think?), when a phone leaves the store, the buyer owns it - regardless of whether it was bought with cash or a loan. The buyer can then sell it on. If the first owner doesn't pay, he's the one who gets into trouble. The new owner of the phone won't experience any problems with the phone, not even with a guarantee later on, and there's no blacklisting.

I’d suggest not mapping knowledge of EU norms and practices with US norms and practices. There are definitely differences.

Separate from carrier lock and carrier subsidies, both EU and US buyers can unfortunately also buy a bricked device if Activation Lock is active, and it is active by default.

Which line don't you understand?

Have you claimed not as advertised with eBay as advised?

Re: “What can I do?”

Don’t buy your next phone on eBay. Buy it from Apple or an Apple Authorized Reseller, instead.

"What does it mean?"

It means you bought a useless brick, likely stolen to begin with. You got what you paid for, now live with it.

It's hardcore in the US. In Denmark (Throughout the EU I think?), when a phone leaves the store, the buyer owns it - regardless of whether it was bought with cash or a loan. The buyer can then sell it on. If the first owner doesn't pay, he's the one who gets into trouble. The new owner of the phone won't experience any problems with the phone, not even with a guarantee later on, and there's no blacklisting.

Something else that seems odd. Given that the iPhone 17 Pro is so new and top of the line, why would any of them be popping up on eBay?

If that phone is carrier-financed, that suggests that the seller did not even try to make more than a couple of payments (as that model hasn’t been out long enough for more to be due).

Buying an iPhone from a user who is still making payments on it is beyond ridiculous. Why would you even think to do this?

Shpeer wrote:

Yesterday I checked GSX:

Model Description: IPHONE 17 PRO,NAUS,256GB,ORN

Product Description: iPhone 17 Pro

IMEI: 

IMEI2: 

Serial: 

Config Code: 006FPJ

Model Number: A3256

Part Number: MG7L4LL/A

Part Type: Retail Unit

Part Country: USA/Canada

Product Line: 301245

Product Version: 26.0.1

Last Unbrick Os Build: 23A355

Wireless Mac Address: 

IccId: 

CSN/CSN2/EID: 

Purchase Date: 2025-10-07T00:00:00Z

First Activation Date: 2025-10-08T03:47:21Z

Last Restore Date: 2025-10-08T04:10:41Z

Unlock Date: 2025-10-10T19:47:14Z

Coverage Start Date: 2025-10-07T00:00:00Z

Coverage End Date: 2026-10-06T23:59:59Z

Warranty Status Description: Apple Limited Warranty

Warranty Days Remaining: 314

Loaner: false

Unlocked: true

Personalized: false

Part Covered: true

Labor Covered: true

Onsite Coverage: false

Limited Warranty: true

CTO Configuration: T-MOBILE EIP-24

Initial Activation Policy: 10 - Unlock.

Applied Activation Policy: 10 - Unlock.

Next Tether Policy: 10 - Unlock.

Carrier Name: T-Mobile

Sold To Name: APPLE

Purchase Country: United States

MDM Lock: OFF

iCloud Lock: OFF

SIM Lock: Unlocked

Dep Enrolled: false

What does it mean?

It means you're willing to throw your hard earned money away and in return you may receive a phone you can never use EVER. Is that what you want to do? If no, don't buy an iPhone on eBay, OfferUp, Facebook Marketplace or from ANYONE you don't know personally, nor if you can't see the phone in person. Only spend your money with Apple Authorized Sellers. Otherwise, you may as well drive down the street and throw money out of your car window.