Blacklist is a waste for the most part anyway
Different when they're stolen pre-sale like these were, but over all it's a waste.
Having worked for a few cell companies over the years, here's how it works:
- Customer calls in to report the shiny new gadget they bought their teenager got stolen from the change room during gym class a week after purchase.
- Service suspended under category lost/stolen and phone added to blacklist
- Customer advised they're still on the hook for 3 years at $80/month
- Customer rages.
- Customer told they can put another phone on the contract.
- Customer pulls out their own previous phone collecting dust in a drawer to give to teenager.
- Customer calls back to activate old phone on teen's service.
- Suspension is lifted, thus removing it from blacklist because the process assumes it was lost and then found, not stolen and replaced.
- Thief sees teen w/ replacement phone next gym class and knows the stolen one is no longer hot and can now be sold/used.