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Free sim unlock

I'm amazed by the number of people who don't know this...
All US carriers to sell LOCKED handsets are REQUIRED by LAW to provide unlock codes upon request.
All you need to do is call the carrier the handset is locked to hand request the unlock code. They will ask you for the IMEI and provied you with the code. If they give you any heat or static about it, just tell them that you KNOW they are required by law to give you the code.
The only way they can refuse is if the IMEI for the handset is tied to an account that still owes money, but if you purchased at retail pricing and never had an account, or currently have an account in good standing, they cannot refuse.
STOP PAYING FOR SIM UNLOCKING AND CALL THE CARRIER!
I have NEVER paid for a SIM unlocking service and am currently using the latest NRG energy rom on my unlocked AT&T FUZE.

SIM Unlock
I don't think what you're saying is true. I have searched for any trace of a US law requiring SIM unlocks an haven't found one. I did find this on wikipedia:
Singapore is the only country that forbid outright SIM locking and contract/phone bundling.
The US and UK don't have any SIM locking laws, but American and British carriers usually offer unlocking codes voluntarily.
Many countries listed below have some form of simlocking laws specifying the period of simlocking and the cost of obtaining unlocking codes. However their effectiveness may be questioned when we look at the iPhone's worldwide distribution practices. The worldwide launch of the iPhone has definitively shattered numerous myths about whether some country has laws against SIM locking.
(from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SIM_lock )
~cp

risc193 said:
I'm amazed by the number of people who don't know this...
All US carriers to sell LOCKED handsets are REQUIRED by LAW to provide unlock codes upon request.
All you need to do is call the carrier the handset is locked to hand request the unlock code. They will ask you for the IMEI and provied you with the code. If they give you any heat or static about it, just tell them that you KNOW they are required by law to give you the code.
The only way they can refuse is if the IMEI for the handset is tied to an account that still owes money, but if you purchased at retail pricing and never had an account, or currently have an account in good standing, they cannot refuse.
STOP PAYING FOR SIM UNLOCKING AND CALL THE CARRIER!
I have NEVER paid for a SIM unlocking service and am currently using the latest NRG energy rom on my unlocked AT&T FUZE.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah but I don't mind paying for a security unlocker

seeps said:
I don't think what you're saying is true.
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Click to collapse
I second the OP here. It's true but you can only ask your cell phone provider to unlock a phone you bought from them (and not from a friend or fleebay), you have an active contract in good standing, you are atleast 2-3 months into the contract and so on. Basically if they sold u a locked phone, you can demand an unlock.
It sucks to run the whole nine yards, and then pay the same amount of money for the security unlocker. I really wish Olipro could have a security unlock only service.

If you get your carrier to unlock your phone is that when you can flash a Radio from a different device?

X2D said:
If you get your carrier to unlock your phone is that when you can flash a Radio from a different device?
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Click to collapse
Nope...subsidy unlocking is NOT the same as security unlocking.

actually US carriers are required to give you the subsidary unlock code for your device (excluding iPhone and cdma/gsm hybrids although technically, not offerring it for the iPhone is illegal) but only if you are going out of the country and don't to want to use their service or pay their fees since it does not directly interfere with their service.
ATT will give you the code in a couple days if you lie and say your going away for a week or two.
Also that wikipedia article is wrong because phones in Belguim cannot be opertor locked either. Caused a fiasco with the iPhone.

leaving the country
tmobile has unlocked a few phones for me that i didnt even buy from them
i'm on att but my sister has tmobile so i use her account to request unlocked codes for phones i've purchased on ebay or craigslist
i just always tell them that i'm going over seas and would like to be able to use a pre paid sim over there

hello guys,
I have bought i blocked touch pro here in the Czech republic... Pleeease, wouldn´t you be so great and call AT&T and provide the code for me?
You would be soooo nice! please, please, please
my IMEI is: 353142027737330

Please, anybody...

It must be PPC from AT&T...

Maybe you are rigth but.
maybe you are right about it but let me tell you , I got a locket at&t phone , i buy a code with a internet compay the code never works they send my information to htc and verify the unlock code , any way it never works , i needed buy the olipro services , everything was fine his program unlock my phone forever i did not type a code or something like that , now my htc fuze is unlocked and i am happy , conclusions be carefull unlock codes not always works , choose olipro software its 100% safe
risc193 said:
I'm amazed by the number of people who don't know this...
All US carriers to sell LOCKED handsets are REQUIRED by LAW to provide unlock codes upon request.
All you need to do is call the carrier the handset is locked to hand request the unlock code. They will ask you for the IMEI and provied you with the code. If they give you any heat or static about it, just tell them that you KNOW they are required by law to give you the code.
The only way they can refuse is if the IMEI for the handset is tied to an account that still owes money, but if you purchased at retail pricing and never had an account, or currently have an account in good standing, they cannot refuse.
STOP PAYING FOR SIM UNLOCKING AND CALL THE CARRIER!
I have NEVER paid for a SIM unlocking service and am currently using the latest NRG energy rom on my unlocked AT&T FUZE.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

I got the UNLOCK CODE
I called the carrier and asked for my phone sim-unlock code and they took my IMEI number and gave me unlockcode. simple
thanks OP

unlock sim
how to unlock sim card free without calling carrier

Buying used GSM phone, anything I should check for?

I'm buying a used GSM phone to use on tmobile.
Is their anything I should check for?
I know that non t-mobile phones need to be unlocked. I figure that I check here if it has been rooted then unlock it myself.
But the other things I'm worried that is that I wont be able to activate it, or that it might have network incompatibilities.
So what should I check? ESN? What antennas does it need to have?

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Thread moved to Q&A due to it being a question. Would advise you to read forum rules and post in correct section.
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freshjr said:
I'm buying a used GSM phone to use on tmobile.
Is their anything I should check for?
I know that non t-mobile phones need to be unlocked. I figure that I check here if it has been rooted then unlock it myself.
But the other things I'm worried that is that I wont be able to activate it, or that it might have network incompatibilities.
So what should I check? ESN? What antennas does it need to have?
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Click to collapse
ESN refers to CDMA phones, not GSM. If you're purchasing a T-Mobile phone, I'd check the IMEI number since T-Mobile is starting to block stolen/lost/etc phones like Sprint and Verizon. If you're purchasing a phone from another country or something, make sure the frequency is the same as T-Mobile as they are AWS. Any GSM phone thats not AWS will work with T-Mobile once unlocked but your data speeds will be slower.

PakAttack1994 said:
ESN refers to CDMA phones, not GSM. If you're purchasing a T-Mobile phone, I'd check the IMEI number since T-Mobile is starting to block stolen/lost/etc phones like Sprint and Verizon. If you're purchasing a phone from another country or something, make sure the frequency is the same as T-Mobile as they are AWS. Any GSM phone thats not AWS will work with T-Mobile once unlocked but your data speeds will be slower.
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Click to collapse
If a phone has a bad IMEI on ATT, would you know if it would still be good on T-mobile?
I might be able to save some money if this loophole exists.

I don't think AT&T blocks IMEI's but even if they do, once unlocked it will be good on T-Mobile. Just how if there was a bad IMEI on a T-Mobile phone, you can unlock it and use it with another GSM carrier.

Figure out how to check for water damage for that specific model you're buying. And absolutely check for it.
I've been hosed once because I didn't properly check. Ended up having to replace the motherboard of the phone I bought.

PakAttack1994 said:
I don't think AT&T blocks IMEI's but even if they do, once unlocked it will be good on T-Mobile. Just how if there was a bad IMEI on a T-Mobile phone, you can unlock it and use it with another GSM carrier.
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Click to collapse
I think they (and all cariers) do as part of the insurance agreement.
I think when I person reports a phone stolen and goes through insurance, I thought the IMEI gets blacklisted for life. That and not paying the bill / early termination fee.
Thanks for telling me everything. I just hope I dont buy a phone, and the guy reports it stolen AFTER I buy it.

Yeah I agree with you in regards to T-Mobile since someone can just report it stolen after they've sold it but I'm pretty sure AT&T doesn't do that as of yet. Also, AT&T and T-Mobile don't share IMEI databases so even if its stolen on T-Mobile, AT&T wont know and it will be useable. Like Azure1203 said, check for water damage, any discoloration on a white screen, see if the digitzier works, check for the red water damage indicator on the battery and underneath, etc.

[Q] fake g3

Looking to buy used unlocked att or factory unlocked g3 on swappa to activate on straight talk ( I've also heard Verizon might work too?). I do not want to buy a fake! (A good camera and IR blaster are a must for me) I feel if I had the phone in hand I could tell but what can I ask from the seller to confirm its real? What if I ask for pic of page with sn,software version ,kernel etc What would I even be looking for ? Or can that page be spoofed as well?
Please help this newbie

wildmansgirl said:
Looking to buy used unlocked att or factory unlocked g3 on swappa to activate on straight talk ( I've also heard Verizon might work too?). I do not want to buy a fake! (A good camera and IR blaster are a must for me) I feel if I had the phone in hand I could tell but what can I ask from the seller to confirm its real? What if I ask for pic of page with sn,software version ,kernel etc What would I even be looking for ? Or can that page be spoofed as well?
Please help this newbie
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Click to collapse
You cannot buy them for use on Verizon. Straight talk is several different resellers. But verizon no. Verizon is a cdma carrier. AT&T and factory unlocked phones are GSM. For Verizon you'd need a Verizon phone or sprint phone.
People DONT sell fakes on Swappa as its not allowed.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

hyelton said:
You cannot buy them for use on Verizon. Straight talk is several different resellers. But verizon no. Verizon is a cdma carrier. AT&T and factory unlocked phones are GSM. For Verizon you'd need a Verizon phone or sprint phone.
People DONT sell fakes on Swappa as its not allowed.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes ill stick with att I know they work with st. As far as fakes not allowed we know people lie and cheat and not follow rules so is there some type of guarantee swappa makes that every phone is genuine? They wouldnt even answer my question about what happens when some one sells me thier in contract phone (wich at that point would have a clean imei) and then stops paying thier bill 3 months later and they block the phone? Wich is why I'm only looking at phones saying unlocked there again Noway to prove I guess. there's gotta be one thing to check or get pic of that proves its real

wildmansgirl said:
Yes ill stick with att I know they work with st. As far as fakes not allowed we know people lie and cheat and not follow rules so is there some type of guarantee swappa makes that every phone is genuine? They wouldnt even answer my question about what happens when some one sells me thier in contract phone (wich at that point would have a clean imei) and then stops paying thier bill 3 months later and they block the phone? Wich is why I'm only looking at phones saying unlocked there again Noway to prove I guess. there's gotta be one thing to check or get pic of that proves its real
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Click to collapse
First off as I said above AT&T phones WONT work on Verizon, which is what you asked. Yes they will work on ST AT&T, ST T-Mobile, but will not work on ST Verizon. If you buy it expecting to be on Verizon's network you'll be disappointed. Straight talk is sold across several different networks.
Well if you'd read about Swappa when someone sells there phones they HAVE to enter an IMEI for one and in which will tell Swappa if it's on a paid account EDGE, NEXT, etc. and which is not allowed there.
The only thing that could possibly happen is if someone reports it stolen after selling and In which there's no way to find that out.
I have sold a ton of things on Swappa as well as buying on Swappa.
Also if you would look at a phone listing you would see they have Feedback, which I'm sure someone that has sold a few + phones with no issues I'm sure Your not going to buy a fake or junk phone.
There's no real thing or pic to prove anything. I could sell you a note 1 and make it say it's a note 4 in the software but just a screenshot you might not ever know lol.
Also a bit of a hint unlocked phones cannot save you from that unless your in another country. If you have a dead IMEI on say a T-Mobile phone even if it's unlocked you still cannot use it on AT&T
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks
Thanks for the info! I may not be explaining well I'm not going to verizon I'm wanting to use straight talk who advertises you can bring any GSM phone when I called was told att brand works best. I thought the other was verizon but like u said that's CDMA maybe t-mobile was the other compatible? Idk anyway I'm happy to hear about the contract phone not being issue I had read that could happen maybe it wasn't a payment issue after all. Maybe it had been reported stolen after he bought.

hyelton said:
.. Well if you'd read about Swappa when someone sells there phones they HAVE to enter an IMEI for one and in which will tell Swappa if it's on a paid account EDGE, NEXT, etc. and which is not allowed there. ..
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Click to collapse
I'm pretty sure IMEI checks for ATT phones tell you nothing about the contract status of a phone, only if it's been blacklisted (lost or stolen)--
TMO phones OTOH will receive the additional information on EIP status, in-contract status, etc.
ATT should be forced to provide the same AFAIC.

You can use CDMA phones on Straight Talk. The kit you buy gives you the network info for CDMA phones and the SIM card for GSM.

Canadian idol 3 sim locked

Hi just purchased my idol 3 from koodo in Canada it was locked and was wondering if anyone has a good place for unlocking? Thanks

If it's showing sim locked you should return it. Alcatel would have no reason to lock it since they are not selling the phone via a carrier....if you ended up getting one someone fiddled with previously it's possible they managed to lock it....you won't find any place setup to unlock the idol 3 since it's intended to be sold unlocked.

In Canada they only sell with carriers. Telus koodo and bell. I put my wife's rogers sim in my koodo phone and asked for a unlock code. Even when you go to purchase a phone on alcatel website you can only purchase from the cell companies in Canada that offer the phone. We cannot purchase from Alcatel.

There might be an unlocking company online that will charge to unlock it. Or a company that will ship a US version to CA.

Romman0 said:
There might be an unlocking company online that will charge to unlock it. Or a company that will ship a US version to CA.
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Click to collapse
Other canadians here have identified their phones as the 6045i (when everyone was uploading their stock firmware) so it's the same model as USA.

If the Canadian is locked, then it would still be beneficial to get a US version or paying for an unlock code or service.

Thanks for the help guys. Sucks that the Canadian model is locked. But not surprised. Lol

Def locked when bought from a Canadian carrier. They lock everything except the nexus phones...even when bought at full price.
I'd try cell unlocker or some other 3rd party unlock service. Telus/Koodo charges $50 for an unlock code.

scatoclysm said:
Def locked when bought from a Canadian carrier. They lock everything except the nexus phones...even when bought at full price.
I'd try cell unlocker or some other 3rd party unlock service. Telus/Koodo charges $50 for an unlock code.
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Click to collapse
For that much would be cheaper to purchase in usa...have shipped to friend in usa then reshipped to canada....can then flash the stock canadian firmware we have online.

Yeah, Canada's wireless is borked... The CRTC did change all the rules and did force the carriers to provide a way to unlock in a contract and immediately unlock when you purchase the device in full, the only problem is, the morons forgot to add the part where the carriers should have to do it for free, when you own the device. So, now they can still charge... looks a lot like it did before, with just more pointless words in the act.

The free part was unlikely to be an oversight. It was probably the most requested part of the code of conduct. They stopped short of free and price controls when it came to unlocks.
Bit of a shame, I think if a contract has been fulfilled, they should do it for free.
At least there's a trend lately of affordable high performance phones... Hopefully that leads to fewer phones bought on contract up here. Many normal customers just aren't aware if the "device balance" mark up, and plan mark ups. Better off paying outright.

bought a galaxy s7 from craigslist... blacklisted!!!

so I bought a galaxy s7 edge from craigslist. I should of researched the fact that phones can be blacklisted and what not (i had no idea). Anyways I'm now stuck with it. I cant use it on ATT or tmobile. Is there any way i could root it with maybe a rom made for the sprint/boost version to use on boost network? Do i have ANY options? any help would be appreciated thanks!

Try getting a refund, if the IMEI is blacklisted it likely won't work on any networks in your country

*Detection* said:
Try getting a refund, if the IMEI is blacklisted it likely won't work on any networks in your country
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first thing i did but now the guys phone is off. so i got totally ripped off I know ATT only shares their blacklist with tmobile so I cant use any att or tmobile but I can use boost (sprint) or verizon.

Look on Ebay, there are people who can unblacklist it, i done it before. $10 bucks or so
But it can be blacklisted on both networks can it?

Changing the IMEI is illegal in most countries so therefore the discussion thereof is strictly prohibited on XDA.
Thread closed.