Despite the fact that mobile phones are available to almost everyone today, a significant part of them continues to be imported under “gray”, semi-legal schemes. Often this is due to the fact that the importing company seeks to earn as much as possible from them, while spending the minimum amount. As a result, a telephone set imported in this way costs less, but does not have any warranty from the manufacturer.
"Gray" phone and its disadvantages
Due to the fact that when importing a "gray" phone, the importing company does not pay customs duties, its cost turns out to be 30-40 percent or even more lower than that of a "white" phone. But the low cost is the only advantage of the "gray" pipe. When buying a "gray" phone, you completely lose the possibility of servicing in official service centers. Also, it is not covered by the manufacturer's proprietary warranty. Therefore, in the event of a phone breakdown or failure of any of its parts, you will simply have to throw your purchase away.
Can I check my phone for authenticity myself?
Most gray phones are sold handheld through online ads. Therefore, in order to avoid problems with the device in the future, simply do not purchase it from dubious sellers. Make purchases only in branded stores of well-known brands that give the phone an official guarantee. But if for some reason you mistrust even large salons, you can easily check the phone for authenticity yourself. It's not difficult at all and only takes a few minutes.
The easiest way to check your phone for authenticity yourself
To make sure that the phone you purchased is not gray, you need to do a series of simple steps. First, dial * # 06 # and press enter. A long digital number will appear on the monitor screen - the so-called IMEI code. This is the international number of this phone, which is included in the manufacturer. Moreover, its first six characters will indicate the number of a specific series; the next two digits are the country code of the manufacturer; the next six characters are the serial number of the phone. Closing the IMEI number is the so-called reserve - a reserve or control number set by the manufacturer to verify the authenticity of the device.
All you have to do to check the phone for authenticity yourself is to compare the received IMEI with the number on the back panel of the device you purchased, right behind the battery. But pay attention not to the first eight, but to the last six digits. For "white" phones, they always coincide with the IMEI that you saw earlier on the screen. That, in fact, is all - the verification of the legality of the device is completed!
