What does bad ESN mean when you are trying to buy a cell phone?

Answer by  butterflyblonde (250)

The phone cannot be activated because it is locked or for some other reason. Get the ESN number and call the carrier to find out why exactly the ESN is bad.

Answer by  zombieguy (986)

The ESN is the electronic serial number, a code unique to each and every cell phone manufactured. If you're getting a bad ESN message, it most likely means that the phone has been reported stolen and is now unusable.

Answer by  Lisa50 (493)

If it has a bad ESN, it doesn't mean that you bought a bad phone. It just somply means that the phone is locked for some reason.

Answer by  sali (5)

I think if a phone has bad ESN, it cannot be activated because it was reported by someone as lost/stolen. So I won't be buying it.