bought a device that has been blocked by T-Mobile

Hey guys
My country(Pakistan) does not have 4g yet so samsung did not officially release the 4g model. However, as I read a lot about how much the 4g version is better than the regular version, I decided to get one even if it meant no warranty.

I looked around the local markets and found only the t-mobile version available. I asked the retailer about it and he insisted that it is factory unlocked. I bought it and had to leave the country for 2 weeks.

So here I am in a foreign country with my new phone. I buy an internet sim card and use the 4g network. It works fine. I find out my phone has supersu installed. This makes me suspicious. Out of curiosity, I check t-mobiles imei check service. Turns out my device has been blocked by t-mobile. I can only guess it has been unlocked through software.

Other than this, the phone seems to be working great. It looks brand new with box/original accessories et al. In my one and a half week of usage, it seems to be working fine too. Only problem I found was that upon trying to update, I got the message that it was unable to do that because my software has been modified.

Once I return to my country, I will definitely have a word with the retailer, however the chances of him accepting and returning the phone are slim. Chances are, I'm stuck with the device.

My question, how bad of a position am I in? Will I be unable to flash future updates even manually? Is there risk that I could lose the software unlock?

I ask this because even if the retailer returns the device(1% chance), I will still need to go through the trouble of looking for another device. And as I said, this one seems to have no other defect. The silverlining though, is that this device came rooted...which saves me the trouble to do it myself.

Please guide me as to what my best course of action would be.

Thank you in advance =)

Ok. But the phone's IMEI appears as 'blocked' on t-mobiles imei verification website. Doesnt that mean this is a phone that has not been factory unlocked but software unlocked? Why else would someone root a brand new phone?

Also, given I do not want to lose my root, how should I update to new versions of android without losing my unlock?

Well I doubt it was stolen. It was brand new with box and all accessories. He had dozens more in stock. More likely someone is buying contract phones from tmobile and selling them witbkut paying the full contract.

How hard will it be to upgrade new roms for me? Could I lose my unlock in the process?

Edit: also, im reading a lot about how all versions of the n9005 come region locked. Since it isnt officially available in pakistan, does that mean I will need to unlock my phone regardless of where I buy it from?

And are all note 3 region locked? If I get a refund, will I need to unlock any new phone I buy as well?