Does T-Mobile Release Network Control Key for Phone Sold on Ebay?

[hbiz]

I am a Sprint user in the US who is purchasing a replacement for a broken GSM phone to use only overseas w/ local SIM cards. I am buying it on eBay, but several of the GSM phones from T-Mobile & AT&T are locked.

Does T-Mobile willingly give out the Network Control Key for free when a phone is sold to a non-T-Mobile customer for use outside its network?

I read the info at HowardForums T-Mobile Wiki, but it did not cover those of us who are not & will not be T-Mobile customers, but are obtaining a formerly T-Mobile phone. Thanks.

[tgillespie]

As far as I am aware, they will not unlock a phone for a non T-Mobile customer. Streamline states that you have to be a customer for 90 days before they will give you an unlock code.

[TeeJay3800]

T-Mobile won't unlock a phone for you unless you are a customer of their's.

I would suggest buying a quad band GSM phone that has not been branded or locked by any carrier. Potentially, you could ask someone you know who is a T-Mobile customer...they could probably get it unlocked for you.

[hbiz]

I would suggest buying a quad band GSM phone that has not been branded or locked by any carrier.

Thanks. There are a lot of T-Mobiles that are unlocked. I just wanted to improve the number of bidding targets to improve the odds of winning.

The current or recently former T-Mobile customers who have not bothered to unlock their phones are usually not doing it because they do not meet one of the critieria. The ciriteria are very specific.
http://wiki.howardforums.com/index.p...obile_Handsets