Building a proof-of-ownership case that actually succeeds
The exact records that make a carrier, a manufacturer, or a platform treat you as the owner.
7 min read · Advanced
Before you start: For a device you lawfully own.
Every hard case — a secondhand phone, an estate device, a business handset — comes down to one question the company is really asking: can you prove you own this? A tidy dossier answers it before they ask, and it is the difference between "we can’t help" and a resolution.
What belongs in the dossier
- The IMEI (dial *#06# or read it from the box/tray) and the exact model and storage.
- Proof of purchase: the original receipt or invoice showing the device, date, and seller — or, for a secondhand phone, the sale/transfer record and the seller’s details.
- The account context: which carrier, and the account holder name and number if you have it.
- For an estate or business device: a letter of authority, death certificate and executor paperwork, or a company letter naming you as authorized.
How to use it
Lead with it. Open the request by stating you own the device and have documentation, and attach it when the channel allows. It reframes the conversation from suspicion to processing.
Keep the IMEI consistent across every document and message. A mismatch is the fastest way to get a request rejected.
The line no dossier crosses
Documentation proves ownership; it does not remove a previous owner’s Activation Lock or Google account. If a phone is still tied to someone else’s account, they must remove it — see "You bought a phone and it’s locked to someone else".
Official escalation: Verify the IMEI is clean at stolenphonechecker.org before building a case; a flagged IMEI cannot be resolved with paperwork.
Phones this covers
Stuck on your specific phone?
Ask on the community board — real people, owner-to-owner.