I am looking to buy a cell phone on ebay and I just want to clarify that i want one with a clear ESN, right?

helpI am looking to buy a cell phone on ebay and I just want to clarify that i want one with a clear ESN, right?
Depends on your carrier. If you have a CDMA based carrier (Verizon, Sprint, US Celluar, Alltel) then you need to make sure that the phone is programmed to work on your carriers network.





If you have a GSM carrier (AT%26amp;T, T-Mobile), then make sure the phone is unlocked so that it can work on your network.





And of course, if it is a CDMA carrier, then it's important that you have a clear ESN. I am looking to buy a cell phone on ebay and I just want to clarify that i want one with a clear ESN, right?
Most carriers require phones programmed to their system. Some carriers feature the GSM protocol, others use CDMA.


You must have a free ESN, yes, but also know if the phone requires a SIM card or has exclusive programming . All phones do not work on all systems.


If your old phone has ';U S Cellular'; on the screen for instance, then go to an agent and ask for a list of acceptable model numbers that will be allowed on the system. Shop for those allowed units.
Yes, a clear ESN means it doesn't have problems connecting to the specific network, ie Verizon, Sprint, AT%26amp;T