HERE'S a PPCGeeks thought to ponder...?

[tenthirty2]

I've been thinking... Yeah, yeah, I know, that can be dangerous, but stay with me. Let's just say, HYPOTHETICALLY, that a guy was to follow the instructions found here:

http://www.ppcgeeks.com/i-changed-my...light,esn.html

Let's say it worked, that he got a good ESN (electronic serial number for the noobs) from, oh I don't know, a Razr or something, and for all appearances, the 6700 appeared to be a Razr, at least as far as the phone's ESN goes. Big deal, right?

I mean, the reason phones' ESN numbers aren't to be tampered with is because of fraud, right? Each device is given a unique ESN and phone companies don't want you to have two phones with the same number, because they'd starve and wouldn't be able to pay their light bills, so they call it "cloning", and say it's illegal. BUT, if you aren't cloning someone else's phone to illegally steal phone service, but instead tampered with your own phone's ESN without stealing or defrauding cellular phone service, then the intent of the law has been satisfied, and no harm no foul, right?

I know it sounds like I'm rambling, but stay with me, here's what I'm getting at. Verizon (and I'm sure Sprint) has unfair, INFLATED charges on us high end PPC Phone users for data charges, right? And the SAME DATA services can be accessed by other phones for a fraction of the cost, because the company doesn't think they'll use the service as much as a ppc phone user may, so instead of paying $40 a month for unlimited broadband data, a Razr can pay $10 or $15 a month. See where I'm heading with this now? If a guy could (hypothetically) use this aformentioned method to change a 6700's ESN to reflect in the network that it is in fact a Razr or other data capable "regular" cell phone, you could subscribe to the much cheaper data plan, instead of being forced to pay the more expensive data plan for PDA's. In Verizon's case, they charge you $40 a month for the unlimited PDA data plan.

Anyway, you geniuses mull this one over and let me know your thoughts. I'm kicking the idea around very seriously, call it an "experiment" if you will. A sacrifice I'm willing to make for my ppcgeeks homeys, if I "do" decide to give it a try and it works as planned, I'll give a report. But I'd like to hear some educated and thought out feedback on the idea first.

~kc

[schettj]

sprint charges $15/mo or even less w/SERO plans for unlimited data on the 6700.

Sounds like trouble to me.

[tenthirty2]

Well Sprint has ZERO (not sero) coverage where I live, in the boondocks, so I use the Can You Hear Me Now network, and I can tell you they won't let our fancy little PDA Phones (as they like to call them) access unlimited data services for less than $40 a month, unless you buy their bundled promotion right now, which ever-so-graciously knocks 5 bucks off the cost ($35/month). Versus $10 or $15 a month data for a freakin clamshell LG. But if the network THOUGHT my 6700 was a freakin clamshell LG....? I'd save some cash every month. But then again, I'm not independently wealthy like some people... j/k

[schettj]

Uh - you buy a $300 phone but you're not wealthy... ok.

I get that verizon has icky data plans - I also understand they used to have usage caps even at the $40/mo price point.

Anyway, my point was doing an ESN change to avoid paying the rate your carrier charges based on device is pretty much the kind of fraud the carriers were trying to stop by having ESNs.

Hm... just checking vz's site, and they seem to have a bundled voice/data plan with 'unlimited data' for $80 total. Also, oddly enough, they consider all PDAs 'business' devices - which would also explain the higher charges.

I'd try to go with sprint - with the free roaming, you'd end up using verizon's towers at sprint prices without doing anything illegal.

[Wideawake]

thats what I suggested

[tenthirty2]

The 11th Commandment: Thou Shall Not Clone. Or was it Thou Shall Not Tamper With Thy ESN?

Alright naysayers, I'll look into alternate means of saving a buck, you talked me out of it. At least, you talked me out of bragging about it if I do it Oh, and I'm not wealthy, despite having an expensive phone. I have caviar taste while unfortunately living within sardine means.

Thanks for the solicited advice.

~kc

[xmind2006]

Originally Posted by schettj

Uh - you buy a $300 phone but you're not wealthy... ok.

I don't know how some one can think that just because the 6700 is seen as an "expensive" device, that it means the owners are "wealthy"; matter-of-fact if it's an expensive phone, then why would a lot of people have money left over for other things? It'd seem more logical that someone who has a cheap phone could afford the "extras".

Myself for example couldn't justify spending that kind of money for the past couple of years for this type of device; I had to save a little just to get it, let alone any programs, memory cards, and other accessories. There are a handful of programs that I would like to have, but can't afford to drop another couple hundred for all those programs I'd like. I'd also really, really like to have an unlimited data plan, but again, can't squeeze another $40 a month payment over my already $80/month family share plan.

Owning a nice piece of electronics doesn't mean owning a Farrari as well. They do not have a direct correlation.

Now, I wouldn't ever do this ESN changing because if I can't justify a $40/month feature, then I sure the h*ll can't justify paying for the possible consequences of being caught for this.

Sorry to sound a little hostile, but I have read many posts with someone providing the same type of comment (not necessarily here) when some asks for an alternative to a commercial item. Thought I'd finally say something in regards to those comments.

<End Rant>

[tenthirty2]

By the way, there's no way a guy could get caught for this unless you were dumb enough to actually "clone" an existing activated cell phone. AND, there's even LESS of a chance that if you WERE caught that you'd actually get in trouble for that. There's no way to prove that you're the one that changed the ESN. Cloning is only illegal when done to steal another person's ESN to rack up charges on their bill. In this instance, while still technically a no no as far as the communications company is concerned, I used to be a police officer, and can't think of any law you're actually breaking by tampering with your own cell phone's ESN. It's not like you're getting free phone service, you're still paying a bill, and a hefty one at that. All you're doing is saving a few bucks a month on data, and even at that you're still paying for it. It's not a criminal act guys, more of a civil infraction, and at any rate, it's not one you're likely to get caught at, and as I said, if you did, it's not one that it could be proven you committed. Ramifications, consequences, blah blah blah...

[schettj]

Originally Posted by xmind2006

Sorry to sound a little hostile, but I have read many posts with someone providing the same type of comment (not necessarily here) when some asks for an alternative to a commercial item. Thought I'd finally say something in regards to those comments.

<End Rant>

Yep, I'd give the same answer for someone asking for a crack or reg code for commercial software. Buy it or don't buy it, but stealing should be reserved for items much more basic to survival - like food. That's what I mean by "wealthy" - you can afford to buy a phone.

But we digress.

[bunnytrigger]

im with tenthirty2 on this one