gambit00x
23-02-2008 11:41:31
Why are carriers still allowed to keep their subscribers or previous subscribers' phones locked?
I'd like to ditch cingular and move to T-Mobile, but I want my phone. It's my bloody phone but cingular won't give me the code, and my only recourse is to buy it from a company online? Just great!!
Anyone know about this? I have a Samsung a707.
TFOAF
23-02-2008 12:09:17
[quoteca1239b2d0="gambit00x"]Why are carriers still allowed to keep their subscribers or previous subscribers' phones locked?
I'd like to ditch cingular and move to T-Mobile, but I want my phone. It's my bloody phone but cingular won't give me the code, and my only recourse is to buy it from a company online? Just great!!
Anyone know about this? I have a Samsung a707.[/quoteca1239b2d0]
If you call AT&T and act nicely I believe they'll help you unlock it for free. It can be done over the phone I believe. Just tell them you're going to need it for out of the country.
gambit00x
23-02-2008 12:13:13
I did say that, the rep said it's their policy to have an account for six months before they could do that. I have a prepaid account now, but I previously had a post-paid plan with them for about 3 years. They're claiming they need proof of my previous plan.
TFOAF
23-02-2008 12:15:12
So give 'em proof of your previous plan.
dmorris68
23-02-2008 14:22:32
How long have you had the phone itself, and did you pay full price for it, or a promotional price?
If you buy a phone at a promotional price, then you don't "own" the phone until end of contract or until you buy out the contract. They make nothing on the phone sale -- in fact, they almost always take a loss on the hardware -- in order to make it back up during the contract.
Now if you paid full price for the phone, with no contract, then they will have to give you the unlock.
If you've been a paying customer for some time and just tell them you need a SIM unlock to travel overseas, they'll usually give you the code with no problem. If you just got the phone under contract, or as a pre-paid promotion, they going to want to make some more money off you before they let you bolt that easily.
tucker1003
26-02-2008 20:09:28
That is 100% true I am an ex Sprint employee. At least you are talking GSM network. Contracts are killers, but make phones affordable.
gambit00x
27-02-2008 22:22:01
Ok guys thanks for your support. I called back to speak to someone else and got the code with no problem at all.