Tmobile customers?

[GprophetB]

So i got myself a 6315 HP IPaq from work and i was looking at getting it unlocked, So i call T-MOBILE and tell them i have an AT+T sim card and i want to put it into my new Ipaq i got from work etc.. etc..

So the first person i talked to ( i called twice cause i couldn't believe it)

First rep said "Yeah i can't give you an unlock code for your device because you're not a customer."

Well no kidding I'm not a customer! If i was i wouldn't have needed a code!

So i call back again and ask the same thing same details, and she said

"Your best bet would be to go on the internet and search on ebay or google and buy one"


.......... wtf

I don't want to carry 2 phones around, this is rediculous (call me a newb but i haven't had to deal with locked phones before)

what the heck do i do? Am i just plain screwed and will have to carry 2 devices?

 

[pm]

Phones are locked by a combination of the manufacturer and the cell phone provider. So the T-Mobile rep has a point, they can't get you the unlock code. The only people who can do that are AT&T, HP and a whole bunch of random people on Google and Ebay who have figured out how to do it and now want to charge you to do it for you.

Can you call AT&T? Are you an AT&T customer? They have a policy of giving out unlock codes for free to customers who are travelling abroad (with a bunch of caveats and conditions).

If the AT&T idea isn't going to work, then you can buy an unlock from someone. Based on some Google searches, the running rate for an HP unlock is about $30. Google "HP 6315 unlock" or something similar. Ebay also sells unlocks.


And, yes, this is pretty standard for the industry. It's an annoying practice.

 

[intogamer]

Only the owner can request an unlock code after 90 days. Why do you think there are unlock services

 

[BabaBooey]

:laugh:

 

[GprophetB]

Cant believe i cant use my own device with my own carrier. sigh

 

[GprophetB]

the IMEI number is specific to the phone correct? or is it specific to the SIM card?

If its specific to the phone wouldn't i need an unlock code from TMOBILE

but if it was SIM specific i would need an AT+T unlock code... which AT+T should give me because i am a customer... hmmm

 

[Raduque]

ATT can't unlock that phone unless they carry it.

T-Mobile won't do it because you're not a customer.

You're going to have to use an unlocking service, or, you can try buying a prepaid SIM card, toss it in there and see if Tmo would unlock for you then.

 

[RedBeard]

BTW -- Just so you know, you would get the EXACT same response from EVERY carrier. It isn't in their best insterests to simply remove their simlocks to non customers.

 

[GprophetB]

I get the point but its a damned double edged sword, i buy a device (and im sure Tmobile made plenty off this device / contracts with HP etc..) and now i cant use it... great (without paying some mystery fly by night company)

 

[onlyCOpunk]

I've gone through ebay to unlock phones before. At least in my experience with motorola phones the process was pretty painless. I can't imagine a smartphone would be that difficult there might even be free programs for you to do it yourself.

And yeah the whole locking thing does suck as it seems North America is the only place that locks their phones. But so far I think T-Mobile is the only company that actually will unlock your phone after 90 days of service. But the whole locked phone thing is a big grey area as far as legality goes.

 

[RedBeard]

There are plenty of great unlocking companies out there. Do google searches for your device, I am sure you will find information quickly.

If you don't want to bother with unlocking, make sure:
A. You buy a phone locked to the service provider you are using
B. Buy an unlocked phone to begin with.

 

[AnyMal]

Are you serious? Did you really expect T-Mobile to unlock your phone just because you called and said "please"? LOL

This thread is rated "H" for hillarity.

 

[GprophetB]

The only thing i expected was for the company to allow me to use my product

and for that company to not send me to frickin EBAY

 

[pm]

When I posted above, I thought it was an AT&T phone that you wanted to use on T-Mobile, not the other way around.

T-Mobile has happily given me unlock codes for my phones - I tell them I'm going overseas and the customer service rep looks up the code while cheerfully giving me advice on places to stay and things to do while I'm there. I've done this three times and all three times they were awesome about it. I've never called and had them say "no, we don't do unlocks". I've been a T-Mobile customer for at least 4 years now.

So if you don't want to buy it from Ebay, find a friend on T-Mobile, have them put their SIM in the phone and have them call T-Mobile.

But I don't see this as T-Mobile's problem - you aren't a T-Mobile customer... why should they do something for you for free? Lots of people with lots of phones would like to have them unlocked and work with other company's plans. For example, everyone with an iPhone.