vB Easy Archive - How to get used phone unlocked?

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How to get used phone unlocked?
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Posted by: renata77

I recently left Cingular because I was a Blue (read: ripped off by Cingular) "customer." They ravaged my plan, my reception, and my trust. I was only too happy to unload them at the end of my contract.

Subsequently, I sold my AT&T phone through eBay to another Cingular customer. The buyer says there is a lock code on the phone. (I didn't lock it.) I told her this was probably Cingular's doing. Cingular told her to get the unlock code from me. As if I had it! They did state the phone might be locked because of an unfulfilled contract. My last payment is due the 31st, so I went ahead and sent it in early. When they credit the payment, will they unlock the phone? (I know - daydream believer.

)

What are the chances this phone can be unlocked without having to pay for an unlocking service?

Posted by: cjmedina

Wirelessly posted (whatever the next lines says: Mozilla/5.0 (SymbianOS/9.1; U; en-us) AppleWebKit/413 (KHTML, like Gecko) Safari/413 UP.Link/6.3.0.0.0)

They probably wont unlock it, you will most likley need to pay for an unlocking service.

Posted by: elmo01

Quote:

Originally Posted by renata77

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What are the chances this phone can be unlocked without having to pay for an unlocking service?

a recent policy change now allows former blue customers to have their GSM devices unlocked...if your former blue account is in good standing (not past due) and you purchased the device from ATT (not a third party vendor) and you were the original owner ...call former ATT customer care and request a sim unlock for the device... it takes about a week... the code will be emailed to you... the number to call is 866-293-4634

Posted by: PeterDragon

Quote:

Originally Posted by elmo01

I just switched to orange from blue. while doing the migration negotiations they (cingular orange migration) said i must get new phones. I asked about using the Blue (AT&T) phones. They said i couldnt unless unlocked- and that they couldnt/wouldnt unlock it for me, even though ive had these phones for more than 2 yrs and my account was in fine standing.

Posted by: CaptShadow

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeterDragon

I would call the number elmo01 posted and ask again. It's possible the rep you talked to wasn't aware of the policy change.

Posted by: bodeh6

Should have done it before you left. I always unlock my phones with Cingular when I have them just so that when I sell them, there will be no problems. Cingular's phones are locked to Cingular SIMS. If you put an ATT SIM, T-Mobile SIM, or any other SIM it won't work. That is what you get when you buy a subsidized phone.

Posted by: renata77

Thanks for the help, but what madness. I bought the phone, paid all my bills on time and fulfilled my contract. A person has the right to use the phone he has paid for when the contract is over, sell it, turn it into a coffee grinder or whatever else he wishes to do with it just like anything else he purchases.

I just can't believe people just sit back and say, "well, that's the way the cookie crumbles" while cell phone companies rapaciously do business in this manner.

Cingular did not honor the contract I had with AT&T. They took away hundreds of my minutes, they took away my free mobile to mobile and my free roaming. I only left because they had no respect for the "Blue" customers whatsoever and treated us like dirt. I will never go back to them. At the end of the day I am left without a useful phone because it did not occur to me they would lock me out of it? Charming.

Thanks for all your experienced advice; I really appreciate it. I've just had it with Cingular.

Posted by: renata77

Quote:

Originally Posted by bodeh6

Should have done it before you left. I always unlock my phones with Cingular when I have them just so that when I sell them, there will be no problems. Cingular's phones are locked to Cingular SIMS. If you put an ATT SIM, T-Mobile SIM, or any other SIM it won't work. That is what you get when you buy a subsidized phone.

Thanks for your answer.

Subsidized by whom?

Posted by: gdart

About subsidies, locking, etc. When you first sign up for service, they give you a phone for either free or at substantial discount. (they subsidize the cost of the phone) It is "locked" to the carrier. All cell companies do this. Some phones can be unlocked easily. Others with difficulty and in some cases not at all. Cingular will send you an unlock code if you have an account that is good standing & is a certian number of months in. The way to get the code is to tell them you are going to europe and need to use a prepaid sim in it. I got one for my daughter 6620 within 24 hours in an email. There are sponsors of this site who sell unlocking services. Free unlocking discussions are prohibited. A web search with the make and model (that you have left out of all communications here) may get you some other, less restrictive, sources.

Posted by: PeterDragon

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaptShadow

I would call the number elmo01 posted and ask again. It's possible the rep you talked to wasn't aware of the policy change.

followup.
It seems that if you ask cingular orange tech support, THEY can't do it, but blue can. I called today, explained how i was a migrated blue user, and after being transferred several times, I got to the right person.
I then had mixed results.
I had 4 AT&T nokia phones. a 6200 (that I really wanted unlocked), a 3100b, an old 8390, and a 3595. They had no problem processing the unlock for the 3100b and 3595; however it seems that the imei numbers they have listed for hte 6200 and 8390 dont match the imei number I have; I know that the 8390 was swapped out during warrantee - and think the 6200 was also, but they never recorded the new imei.

I am a pack rat; I'm hoping i have the 3 yr old paperwork for those phones (esp the 6200).

another lesson re-inforced; always make sure they record all changes (even if you dont think it matters at the time).

Posted by: bodeh6

You know for a lot of older Nokia phones, those unlock calculators on the internet work like a charm. I got my 6010 unlocked that way.

Posted by: CaptShadow

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeterDragon

At least there is some good news here. Former Blue customers can get unlock codes now. I wonder if this is true for current Blue customers?
Thanks to elmo01 for letting us know about this policy change.

Posted by: revengineer

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeterDragon

Use the free unlock code calculator at nokiafree.org.

Posted by: PeterDragon

Quote:

Originally Posted by revengineer

Use the free unlock code calculator at nokiafree.org.

Thanks.

I actually found the box with the receipt for that phone from Dec 2003
(I said I was a packrat), and it shows the swap out; it seems however they reversed the two phones (said I returned the one I actually have).
I faxed the receipt to them, and am waiting. If I have to use the unlock code I will, but I will give a week or two to see if I can get them to send it to me.

Posted by: mottomobile

Quote:

Originally Posted by elmo01

I have recently migrated to Cingular Orange from ATT Blue !

I followed your advice and talked to the number you have provided. The Rep has agreed to provide me the unlock codes, only thing that I had to rush back home to give them the IMIE numbers to process the unlock codes and send to my email !!

Hurray....

Posted by: SpaZMonKeY

Orange Tech Support SHOULD be able to retrieve unlock codes for newer GSM phones... I work for Orange Business Center Support, and thats where I send people who need unlocks. We actually have policies for ways to get unlock codes.

The easiest way is either going overseas temporarily, or you paid full price for the phone (Proof of purchase required) and they can get you the code. If you got a free or discounted phone, they can still get the code if your account is in good standing (No suspensions/cancels) and more than half way through your contract.

Hope this helps some people out

Posted by: 1G-Drew

Quote:

Originally Posted by mottomobile

Oddly they just told me they no longer provide the codes. What's the story? Try another rep?

Posted by: bodeh6

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1G-Drew

Oddly they just told me they no longer provide the codes. What's the story? Try another rep?

Try again, but it is going to be tougher and tougher to get the ATT unlock codes now.

Posted by: 1G-Drew

Quote:

Originally Posted by bodeh6

Try again, but it is going to be tougher and tougher to get the ATT unlock codes now.

why do you say tougher and tougher? Because fewer reps know the policy or because they're just not going to be as willing to do it?

Strikes me that they should either do it or not do it according to some policy.

Posted by: SpaZMonKeY

Its pretty simple guys. Both Blue(ATT) and Orange(Cingular) can give the unlock codes... You just have to get a hold of someone who knows the policies. And you can see some of the policies in my previous post.

Posted by: renata77

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeterDragon
I just switched to orange from blue. while doing the migration negotiations they (cingular orange migration) said i must get new phones. I asked about using the Blue (AT&T) phones. They said i couldnt unless unlocked- and that they couldnt/wouldnt unlock it for me, even though ive had these phones for more than 2 yrs and my account was in fine standing.

Quote:

The easiest way is either going overseas temporarily, or you paid full price for the phone (Proof of purchase required) and they can get you the code. If you got a free or discounted phone, they can still get the code if your account is in good standing (No suspensions/cancels) and more than half way through your contract.

No offense to you, SpazMonkey, but -typical.

If a person is still in contract and in good standing, only halfway through their contract, etc. why would there even be a question about getting their phone unlocked, if that is necessary for them to be able to use their phones on Cingular? Also, even if the phone was discounted by AT&T, that is no skin off Cingular's nose. They have a customer who has a phone that AT&T subsidized to which their only responsibility is to provide service.

I find this "subsidy" argument laughable as the providers are no dummies, they obviously get a far discounted price themselves, and know it reaps them far more than they have sown and is only savvy business practice - or they wouldn't do it in the first place.

In light of the fact that Blue customers are losing perks and having their contracts violated right and left, and Cingular seems bent upon treating them in a punitive manner just for being AT&T customers originally, even during the migration process, this would all be laughable if it wasn't such a major injustice to the customers.

Thanks to you, SpazMonkey, for being a light in the darkness that is Cingular. Every time I think of them, the term "Evil Empire" comes to mind.

Posted by: mottomobile

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1G-Drew

Oddly they just told me they no longer provide the codes. What's the story? Try another rep?

Tell them that you are aware of the recent policy change that allows OLD ATT users to get the unlock codes made available. They may talk to their supervisor to intimate them that someone who knows the policy change is asking the unlock codes and you will get it...only thing is that they might put you on elongated hold...to verify the IMEI codes with their tech support teams...try it ....you will be alright

Posted by: 1G-Drew

Quote:

Originally Posted by mottomobile

Thanks. I will try again. This rep said that she had gotten an email in the last three months saying no unlock codes. When I tried last month, they went to tech support (or she said she called them), and came back the next day that they were legacy ATTWS phones and therefore they could not be unlocked.

BTW, I am still on an ATT contract. Is there a different rule than for a cingular customer (although anyone active cingular can't use a locked att phone, so I don't see how the policy would matter to such folks).

Posted by: SpaZMonKeY

Just trying to help

I actually just got my unlock code back the other day for my w600i. I called it in about 4-5 days ago, told them I was going out of the country, and needed it unlocked for an international sim. Since m account has never been suspended, and there was no past due balance, they accepted it! Now I can finally use Sony Ericssons Remote Update Feature :P

Anywho, youd be surprised what you can get from Cingular these days. They are trying to boost their Customer Service so badly, they are doing anything.

Did you know you can credit yourself for something you downloaded once a month? As long as its $9.99 or less, you can go to www.cingular.com/db register your MediaNet, and you can actually cancel subscriptions you have there, and credit yourself once a month.

AND, did you know, if you go over your minutes one month BIG time, and decide to bump your plan up, you can get that overage credited in full? My mother just recently had a 900 Minute Plan, went over $410 worth! I told her to call them up, bump her plan to the 2000 Min plan, and requesta credit. They credited her $410 effective immediately.

I personally am a Trainer for Cingular Service Reps, and one of the big things we teach now (In a 5 week course) is 'The Customer Rules'.

So youd be surprised what you may be able to get!