Purchasing a used Gateway

Someone in another post said that if a person kept a gateway instead of returning it, and they paid T-Mobile the penalty (I think they mentioned $370, but don't quote me), then T-Mobile has sold it to them.  That is not true.  If you rent a piece of equipment and forfeit a deposit due to non-return, that does not constitute a sale, nor does it legally transfer title.  Even if someone on eBay says they've paid that penalty, the device still is not legally theirs, and several people have reported on forums that T-Mobile has, in fact, refused to activate such gateways. I'm like you--I'd like to have one on which to experiment attaching an external antenna or just have as a backup, in case my original one dies, so I won't have to wait for a replacement, but at this time, T-Mobile isn't allowing that.