Many Universities have GPA cut-offs where they don't look at applications below a particular GPA threshold. The cut-off is generally much lower than the average admitted applicant, but can still be quite high. Universities vary on this, some don't do it at all, some have strict transparent GPA requirements, and some do this in practice but don't say so in writing. Most programs that use these sorts of GPA cut-offs would probably have a cut-off of 3.0 (or even higher for elite institutions). So your application may have not even been read if your official GPA conversion translated to 2.8 - 2.9!

If you want to avoid getting your application thrown away before it is even looked at, one strategy is to contact a professor in the department that you want to work with. If you convince them that you would be a great student under their supervision they can often contact the admissions committee and ask them to look out for your application. In this scenario, you still might not get admitted, as the committee does usually have the final say, but your letters of reference will at least be looked at, and the professor at the university you are applying to can send the committee a note about how tough your university is and how well respected your letter writers are in your field.

Your friend's explanation about your research masters is almost certainly wrong. No program would reject you just because you already had a research masters.

Many Universities have GPA cut-offs where they don't look at applications below a particular GPA threshold. The cut-off is generally much lower than the average admitted applicant, but can still be quite high. Universities vary on this, some don't do it at all, some have strict transparent GPA requirements, and some do this in practice but don't say so in writing. Most programs that use these sorts of GPA cut-offs would probably have a cut-off of 3.0 (or even higher for elite institutions). So your application may have not even been read if your official GPA conversion translated to 2.8 - 2.9!

If you want to avoid getting your application thrown away before it is even looked at, one strategy is to contact a professor in the department that you want to work with. If you convince them that you would be a great student under their supervision they can often contact the admissions committee and ask them to look out for your application. In this scenario, you still might not get admitted, as the committee does usually have the final say, but your letters of reference will at least be looked at, and the professor at the university you are applying to can send the committee a note about how tough your university is and how well respected your letter writers are in your field.

Your friend's explanation about your research masters is almost certainly wrong. I doubt many programs would reject you just because you already had a research masters.