Need some opinions here. I traded my 2012 Hyundai Accent, which had its fair share of bumps and scratches side swiped and window busted for a friend's s24 Ultra phone. We checked to make sure the phone wasn’t reported stolen or anything, and it seemed fine. However, it turns out the phone is locked to Verizon, and I use T-Mobile. To make matters more complicated, on the very night we made the trade, the car was stolen from my friend. Thankfully, he got it back, but the steering wheel was damaged in the process.

Here’s where I’m stuck: I really don’t want to take the car back. Before we made the trade, I went through the trouble of removing my subs and amp for him, and now, after all this, I’m not even sure what condition the car is in. My friend seems to be waiting for me to decide what to do next. He’s interested in finalizing the trade by getting the car title, but honestly, I’ve grown attached to this phone. The problem is, I don’t feel like paying an additional $500 to unlock it for T-Mobile.

We’re kind of in a deadlock. I’m hesitant to reverse the trade, considering all the effort I put into preparing the car and the uncertainty of its current state. But at the same time, paying extra to use the phone doesn’t seem right either. Would I be the bad guy if I decide to keep the phone without dealing with the unlocking fee or giving the phone back, considering everything that’s happened?