AT&T to begin unlocking off-contract iPhones

**tmodlou** · 05-01-2012, 04:13 PM

I just got a rejection for my iPhone3GS unlock request. I'm not and never have been an AT&T customer, but i bought the 3GS from a friend of mine who is.

After getting the rejection, I called customer support and the story she gave me was that initially they were unlocking for anyone including people who have never been an AT&T customer. She further went on to say that a week or two ago they changed their policy and now they require unlock requests to come from either current or former AT&T customers. I asked if GoPhone (prepaid) qualifies. After a brief hold, she researched it further and then said it does not.

Fortunately, the 3gs came from a friend of mine and not some stranger on Craigslist. According to the CS rep, having him call in and associate a new request with his account number is good enough, so I'm going to be asking him to do so.

**spdickey** · 05-02-2012, 10:52 PM

Originally Posted by tmodlou

I just got a rejection for my iPhone3GS unlock request. I'm not and never have been an AT&T customer, but i bought the 3GS from a friend of mine who is.

So I guess my earlier statement where AT&T said they would unlock phones only for customers is indeed valid, and now their customer no-service department is now enforcing that policy. Kind of puts non-AT&T customers in a lurch unless they get the phone unlocked by the original owner/customer first.

**veriztd** · 05-02-2012, 11:17 PM

.....and now their customer no-service department is now enforcing that policy.

OMG, a CS rep adhering to company policy and not breaking it? Perish the thought, how dare they do so.

**spdickey** · 05-03-2012, 12:02 AM

Originally Posted by veriztd

OMG, a CS rep adhering to company policy and not breaking it? Perish the thought, how dare they do so.

Sarcasm? That's why I continue to play CSR Roulette. When I get an answer I don't like the first time, I spin the wheel again, and sometimes I hit a winner! Of course AT&T will call the problem a "training issue."

**tmodlou** · 05-03-2012, 12:00 PM

Originally Posted by spdickey

Sarcasm? That's why I continue to play CSR Roulette. When I get an answer I don't like the first time, I spin the wheel again, and sometimes I hit a winner! Of course AT&T will call the problem a "training issue."

CSR Roulette would not have worked for me without the intervention of my friend who is a current AT&T customer and former owner of my iPhone.

The first CSR happily opened the case for me and forwarded it to their unlock dept. Then I got the rejection from them a few days later. I called another CSR asking what happened and she couldn't figure it out so she opened a second case this time with escalated priority. I called a couple days later to ask about the status of the second case and also if there was more clarification on the first case. That's when they told me that they changed their policy regarding non-customers on or around April 15th. I had my friend call and update the second case with his current AT&T account info (since I'm not an AT&T customer and he is). The next day the second case got rejected by the unlock department. I called again and the CSR claimed that once the IMEI has been rejected by the unlock department, it will always be rejected by the unlock department. After I hung up, I called my friend to open a third case. After 30minutes on the phone with them (I don't know what went on in that conversation), he got the unlock approval. A few minutes after he hung up, he forwarded the email with the unlock instructions to me and then I did the iTunes restore as fast as I could before they changed their minds.

I'm taking my 3GS and running, not walking, away from AT&T as fast as I can. This unlock fiasco is as bad or worse than the GoPhone data plan fiasco. They cut off my GoPhone data with zero warning whatsoever, and according to HoFo it would seem many others as well. T-Mobile's 1900Mhz HSPA re-farming in 2Q2013 can't come soon enough.

**gotanmp3** · 05-03-2012, 02:14 PM

I had to give the rep that finally agreed to unlock my iPhone 4 my account information from a long-since-closed AT&T account I used to have. Seems like if you've never been an AT&T customer, you may be up the creek trying to get an unlock.

**jlh1960** · 05-07-2012, 10:48 AM

I just got shot down for my request of April 13 for a hand-me-down iPhone 3G because I didn't have an existing account.

**Squid7085** · 05-07-2012, 07:25 PM

I have an original iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, and an iPhone 4, I would assume the 4 "technically" is not out of contract until we hit two years from it's launch date, but how is the process? Has anybody called up with multiple phones like that and had it be easy, quick and successful. I know, knock on wood. I'd like to get these all unlocked, however, Id also like not to spend the next 3 hours on the phone.

**Telekom** · 05-08-2012, 11:54 AM

Originally Posted by Squid7085

I have an original iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, and an iPhone 4, I would assume the 4 "technically" is not out of contract until we hit two years from it's launch date, but how is the process? Has anybody called up with multiple phones like that and had it be easy, quick and successful. I know, knock on wood. I'd like to get these all unlocked, however, Id also like not to spend the next 3 hours on the phone.

Evidently, launch date doesn't have the whole thing to do with it. I got my iPhone 4 unlocked by the guy who sold it to me who didn't have two years with it and in fact got the 4S when it came out. If the original person who owned the phone just extended their original commitment by getting the next phone that came out you should be good to go. They're going to have to make the request though instead of you and have dates for the original purchase as well as the IMEI.

**bigsnake49** · 05-08-2012, 12:57 PM

Originally Posted by Squid7085

I have an original iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, and an iPhone 4, I would assume the 4 "technically" is not out of contract until we hit two years from it's launch date, but how is the process? Has anybody called up with multiple phones like that and had it be easy, quick and successful. I know, knock on wood. I'd like to get these all unlocked, however, Id also like not to spend the next 3 hours on the phone.

I had 4 of mine unlocked at once. 1 2G, 2 3G, 1 3GS. You have to be patient, but it is pretty straightfoward. You might not get email confirmation for all 4 phones invdividually, but once you get the first one, you have to connect your phone(s) to itunes and iTunes will let you know that the phone is unlocked.

**dumpav** · 05-08-2012, 05:11 PM

i want to confirm when i unlock my iphone using the itune

"3. Backup and restore your iPhone using iTunes ."

when i restore, it just restore to the present states (firmware) my my iphone firmware, right?

since my iphone still on iOS 4.3.5, when i do my back, it will just restore back the the present state of OS, it will not upgrade my iphone to the iOS 5?

thanks for all info

**spdickey** · 05-08-2012, 06:08 PM

Originally Posted by dumpav

i want to confirm when i unlock my iphone using the itune

"3. Backup and restore your iPhone using iTunes ."

when i restore, it just restore to the present states (firmware) my my iphone firmware, right?

since my iphone still on iOS 4.3.5, when i do my back, it will just restore back the the present state of OS, it will not upgrade my iphone to the iOS 5?

thanks for all info

It will unlock your phone, restore your apps and settings and offer to upgrade you to the latest available iOS.