said by thegeek:said by 8744675:On the down side, what is to stop the cell providers from listing someone's old phone once they upgrade to a new one, even if the old one hasn't been stolen? By turning the old phone into a brick, they could force people to buy new phones to get service.
That was my thought as well. I could definitely see Verizon doing this.
No, no, and no.
There is, and has been, a blacklist for stolen and lost phones with VZW. Once an ESN/MEID is on the list, the phone cannot be activated. This is a core part of VZW's anti-fraud efforts, and it amazes me that AT&T is only getting to it now.
And stop talking out your ass - only phones lost or stolen are on the list. When you upgrade your phone, you own it legally. Sheesh.