Just fell into a trap and thought I'd share to help the next human.
It is common for P2c72 (Chinese variant) to be re-flashed with international firmware (I hear even alibaba did this itself?). When this is done, the phone reports itself as the P2a42 in the Android "About this phone" page. So, when one of these phones comes up for sale somewhere (ebay phone reseller in my case), the seller may take the phone's word for it and list it as a P2a42, but instead it's a P2c72 which may not work with your carrier (different bands).
tl;dr - If you're buying a used P2, have the seller prove it's the correct model number. This can be done in at least two ways:
1. Look at the phone body. The true model number is printed next to the headphone jack.
2. Enter the bootloader (with phone off, volume down + power), select "barcodes" using the volume buttons and then press power to accept. You can see the model in there.
To get the seller to accept a return I had to flash the Chinese firmware back on there using fastboot to "prove" it was the Chinese version... was a whole adventure. Avoid it. Though I did have a funny exchange with the seller, paraphrasing:
Me: Hey this isn't the phone listed in the auction. See here's a picture of the model number on the body. I can't use it on t-mobile.
Them: Nah.
Me: No really here's the bootloader showing c72.
Them: mmmmmmmhhhhh
Me: And here's a screenshot of the Chinese firmware on it.
Them: k send it back.
...3 days later...
Them: (Opens an ebay case against me) Yo! You sent us a chinese phone, we can't refund you it's not what was in the auction!
Me: :facepalm:
It is common for P2c72 (Chinese variant) to be re-flashed with international firmware (I hear even alibaba did this itself?). When this is done, the phone reports itself as the P2a42 in the Android "About this phone" page. So, when one of these phones comes up for sale somewhere (ebay phone reseller in my case), the seller may take the phone's word for it and list it as a P2a42, but instead it's a P2c72 which may not work with your carrier (different bands).
tl;dr - If you're buying a used P2, have the seller prove it's the correct model number. This can be done in at least two ways:
1. Look at the phone body. The true model number is printed next to the headphone jack.
2. Enter the bootloader (with phone off, volume down + power), select "barcodes" using the volume buttons and then press power to accept. You can see the model in there.
To get the seller to accept a return I had to flash the Chinese firmware back on there using fastboot to "prove" it was the Chinese version... was a whole adventure. Avoid it. Though I did have a funny exchange with the seller, paraphrasing:
Me: Hey this isn't the phone listed in the auction. See here's a picture of the model number on the body. I can't use it on t-mobile.
Them: Nah.
Me: No really here's the bootloader showing c72.
Them: mmmmmmmhhhhh
Me: And here's a screenshot of the Chinese firmware on it.
Them: k send it back.
...3 days later...
Them: (Opens an ebay case against me) Yo! You sent us a chinese phone, we can't refund you it's not what was in the auction!
Me: :facepalm:
