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AT&T To Unlock Out-of-Contract iPhones
NicknamesAreStupid writes "Many outlets are reporting that AT&T will allow owners of iPhones whose contracts have expired to unlock their devices. One might think that a call or a quick trip to their local AT&T store would do the trick, and they do provide this service to people who are currently under contract with a newer phone and want to use their older one. However, AT&T has never made anything free to be easy, and this may not bode well for former customers who offer no profitable revenue. For example, when AT&T bought Bell South, they were ordered by the court as part of the acquisition to offer $10/month 'DSL lite' service. The maze in their website which led to this opportunity is now a story of legend. Will the key to this unlocking the iPhone be as byzantine for former customers?"
I've just called customer service, gave them the IMEI, they submitted a request to the manufacturer, and I got an unlock code about 3 days later. There wasn't anything painful other than taking the time to just call. Mind you - I did this as a former customer and this was maybe a couple months ago.
Some of us are current customers, just we have had our phone for more than 2 years.
Anyway, I find this ridiculous. Why does AT&T have to wait until the contract is up before unlocking? I already am under contract with an ETF penalty if I try to stop using their service.
So unlock it earlier, like Verizon does.
Hell, stop locking the dang things.
http://lkml.org/lkml/2005/8/20/95
I wish Telus in Canada would do the same thing. This whole unlocking thing should be mandated as soon as the contract paying for the phone is done.
I have a 3GS sitting in a shelf from 2010. Am I eligible for unlocking on this phone?
I'm going to guess no. :(
Non impediti ratione cogitationus.
They will only do as much as they are forced to.
Now that their obligation to the FCC is up, that $10/mo DSL doesn't exist any more. It's now $25/mo. Thanks for the help FCC.
T-Mobile will unlock a phone 40 days after it was bought, no need to wait 2 years for the end of the contract.
The real "Libtards" are the Libertarians!
What would the telcos have to gain by not letting out-of-contract customers unlock their phones?
It would seem pointless to needlessly piss off your customers, especially when the phone in question is hopelessly obsolete in any case.
But then expecting big business (and the dickish, mediocre MBA types who run them) to see beyond the end of their noses -- and actually do something to not antagonise their paying customers -- is probably also a big ask.
I have a contract on a new phone, but id still like to unlock my old phone, 'just because its mine' ( and the subsidy has long since been paid off ). Wonder if they will do it. ( 3GS )
---- Booth was a patriot ----
Tsk. I was expecting something at least as maddening as spending an hour trying to cancel an AOL account, or involving disused lavatories filled with leopards.
Or did you just hear that at work?
Sorry, what you say just doesn't make sense. Apple wants to sell as many iPhones as possible. It's AT&T who wants to hold onto some form of exclusivity. They are under attack from the cheaper companies like MetroPCS, and so they wanted to make sure you had to go to AT&T to get an iPhone.
And now that iPhones are available with select regional carriers (http://www.engadget.com/2012/04/05/iphone-4s-to-launch-with-select-regional-carriers-april-20th/) they're starting to unlock devices because with their exclusivity lost, they might as well pretend they care about customers in hopes of keeping them.
http://lkml.org/lkml/2005/8/20/95
My uncle felt that way too until I explained to how how AT&T was screwing him over compared to the competition.
From the AT&T announcement:
The only requirements are that a customer's account must be in good standing, their device cannot be associated with a current and active term commitment on an AT&T customer account, and they need to have fulfilled their contract term, upgraded under one of our upgrade policies or paid an early termination fee.
I have an ancient 3G recently superseded by a 4S - I want it unlocked on general principles, and will ask them to do it sometime soon.
To a Lisp hacker, XML is S-expressions in drag.
You are a SEVERE minority. I envy you.
Maybe you are very young. Or have been lucky enough NOT to need to deal with at&t often.
Or you might be one of the lucky few who got what they paid for and never had a problem where you needed to talk to at&t.
The rest of us however... Despise at&t for how confusing, incompetent and evil they can be.
It's an old hate tho. And after this many decades the fury has changed to depressed resignation when we have to deal with them.
But just because we're all not still frothing with red hot rage at at&t... Don't believe they've gotten any better.
We've just gotten tired and worn out with their special brand of incompetent clueless.
The maze in their website which led to this opportunity is now a story of legend. Will the key to this unlocking the iPhone be as byzantine for former customers?
Is it just me being a burnout, or do these two sentences, when viewed without context, sound like they could have been written by a computer rather than a person?
This is a hacked account, for which the owner can not be held responsible.
I just called, figuring that it was worth a shot since I was up late anyhow.
AT&T only kind of knew what was up - the rep I spoke with stated that they had sent out a communication that it was coming to the reps but had not given any additional details or a date. I referenced the press release, and he checked with his supervisor. His supervisor stated that it will be available later today, but wasn't available yet and to call back.
Presumably that means that it will be like other carriers, where you call, they send the authorization, and you sync with iTunes and it's unlocked.
In some countries there are laws prohibiting the provider from maintaining a perpetual lock.
The idea in Denmark for instance is that they can at most maintain a sim lock for the initial minimum contract period, which can not exceed 6 months for regular cell phones, and I think 1 year for the more expensive smart phones, and then only if you buy them at the providers' discount, after this they have to provide the unlock codes and assist the user in performing the unlock, free of charge.
Some providers here don't even lock the phones any longer, you are after all still legally obligated to maintain and pay for your initial contract period.
So can I get somebody's old unlocked iPhone and put my SIM card in it, without being forced to buy a data plan yet? Wifi-only would be just fine, and I see no reason to pay exorbitant fees for tiny amounts of bandwidth on 3G or 4G data.
Morphing Software
Funny, I've been an AT&T customer (wireless the whole time, intermittently DSL when cable wasn't available and currently U-verse because Comcast blows hard) since 2000 and, while service and device issues arise, AT&T has always been willing to work with me and resolve the issues. Maybe it's because I'm not a dick to the CSRs who are just trying to do their jobs? I treat them with some compassion, explain my expertise and how it relates to the problem at hand, what troubleshooting I've done, provide my suggestion for what the issue is and/or how to resolve it, then ask their opinion. If they ask me for information related to the problem, I provide it. I try to be generally pleasant towards them and, as a result, they spend more time with me, rather than trying to get me off the phone or out of their store. Try it sometime, it works.
APK quotes people (including myself) without context and should not be trusted. Just thought you should know.
It's exactly right.
The incompetence runs deep. From cellular to commercial T1 and data lines. They only hire techs that are color blind or morons. I have had to troubleshoot a smartjack for a tech before because the idiot did not understand how a T1 worked.
The incompetent runs deep in this one they call AT&T.
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
AT&T = All Trash & Turmoil
Anorexic Theater & Thumbscrews
A Tin-can & Tin-can
Awful Telephone & Typhoid
Angry Trump & Toupee
Ass Tube & Trajectory
More...?
*Repent!Quit Your Job!Slack Off!The World Ends Tomorrow and You May Die!
Not only did those crooks *NOT* receive my non-working router with *THEIR* address sticker and Bar Code, but they charged me for the replacement and when I sent that back they did NOT correct the account and they DID put it on my credit report. If I could hurl feces at any human beings, it would be right in the middle of an AT&T board meeting right before I kick the living shit out of each an every one of them!
*Repent!Quit Your Job!Slack Off!The World Ends Tomorrow and You May Die!
I doubt it'll be a bit difficult to unlock an iPhone. I went through their process about three years ago for a non-iPhone and it couldn't have been easier. I gave someone in customer service the hardware ID and in about a minute later he gave me the unlock code.
Keep in mind two things:
1. Given that the unlock will happen, this is an excellent time for AT&T to demonstrate good customer service.
2. Delays and hassles will cost AT&T employee time and money. When it is cheaper, you might as well be nice.
That said, I expect there'll be a few bumps at the start as customer service reps get up to speed. This move has a hurry-up flavor to it. A better thought out plan wouldn't begin so soon or on a Sunday, much less an Easter Sunday. A few guidelines would also help. Having a special number would avoid swamping customer service. Call and leave your number for a call back would also eliminate long waits at the phone Geographic or hardware restrictions, i.e. the east coast calls on Monday, the southeast on Tuesday etc. would also reduce delays. Any hassles are likely to be the result of that rush-up.
I've got a 3G and a 3GS to unlock, but I'll probably be waiting a week or two before calling. I just hope there's no hassle because I'm not a current AT&T customer. There wasn't before.
AT&T Unlocked my iPhone the day I bought it, because they are required by law to do so upon request.
.. when what you do isn't anonymous.
So it's their fault the shipper lost or misdelivered the package? I have misdelivered packages all the time and I don't blame the sender; 90% of the time, the shipping company realizes their error, attempts to recover the package, and if that fails, contacts me and the shipper to obtain some proof of the value of the items in the package, then cuts the sender a check for the amount, which is then either refunded to me or used to ship another box of whatever I ordered. The other 10%, I have to contact the sender and they have to file a claim, but the rest of the process is the same with the shipper cutting a check and me getting a refund or another shipment.
It sucks that you chose not to suppliment the prepaid UPS label with insurance (yes, UPS will let you add insurance to a 3rd party prepaid label, I have done so), as that would have covered the replacement cost. It also sucks that you didn't request the return label, with the correct address, when returning your replacement; returns is a different physical facility and things can take some time to transfer between facilities, if they do at all. It probably ended up on a "we don't know what to do with this or why it came back to us" shelf, where it sat for 6 months until nobody claimed it and it was either discarded or added back into their inventory. If you never called for a return label for it, there would be no record stating that it was coming back and why, and if you sent it back to the address that shipped it, they would have no clue why they were receiving it, nor would they know to forward it to the proper location; what would you do with it, in that case?
So, what you're saying is you want AT&T to eat the cost of equipment you returned to them uninsured (that insurance is to protect you, the sender, not them), then magically know why their shipping facility (NOT their returns facility in a physically different location) received a piece of equipment from you (hell, even if they assumed it was a return and contacted that facility, they'd have heard back "nope, no record of it here, not for us"), and just remove those items fro myour bill? And you didn't pay the bill in the interim (this isn't a credit card where they legally have to temporarily reverst the charges during a dispute), so they couldn't send it to collections after 90 days of being uncollectable, after which they're legally required to charge off the debt. Were you screaming at the CSRs thw whole time you dealt with them, as well? The tone of your post indicates that as a strong possibility. Had you been cordial, at the very least, and non-argumentative with the people you're asking to help you, this may have gotten resolved within that 90 days; had you paid the bill, just in case, it definitely would have been resolved eventually. Yes, they have some arcane equipment tracking practices that their shareholders don't want to pay to improve upon, and yes that does cause problems like the one you describe, and yes, the CSRs are human and will instinctively do less to help you and more to get you off the phone quickly if you treat them like shit.
What's funny is I have 3 DSL modems and 2 routers sitting here that AT&T didn't want back (from previous installations at various addresses), so maybe my experience doesn't jive with yours simply because, as far as I've ever known, AT&T doesn't want these things back, or charge for them when not returned, so maybe I'm simply questioning the veracity of your story?
APK quotes people (including myself) without context and should not be trusted. Just thought you should know.
My situation: Old iPhone 3S, I switched carriers months ago, so no active AT&T contract.
I used the AT&T Wireless Support Chat, Tech Support. Told them I wanted an unlock. Initially got told they couldn't do it, I quoted the press release article. After a couple minutes, the tech opened a ticket for unlocking and said I'll hear by April 16th, 2012. So we'll wait and see.
Short version: Chat works, but be ready with that copy and paste. Also reading asking for a supervisor is helping some folks.
Prepaid POSTAL service.
and as a matter of fact it's the doinky little 2701ng-b with a range of 10 feet and a price tag according to them of $175. The same 2wire garbage I can get at Best Buy for a couple saw-bucks.
I tried to talk to the bastards over and over with the promise they'd look for it. I told them about the other one too in it's prepaid fucking box.
I want AT&T to eat SHIT and the cost of the system.
Yes now we are on the same page.
*Repent!Quit Your Job!Slack Off!The World Ends Tomorrow and You May Die!
Well, I moved out of country, and converted my old 4S into a Go-Phone for when I was back in the States. I just called and while the customer service routed initially to the pre-paid side, I was transferred over to the contract side and 15 minutes later, as the person had to keep referring to procedure and bring up screens, I was given a case number and told that the code should be updated and I can unlock by April 16. Currently things are taking 24-48 hours, but hey, I am out of the country and not in a hurry.
All in all, a very positive experience. This time.
Sig? What's a Sig?
Huh, that's funny, when my MicroCell stopped working, I was advised to head to the nearest device support center, which was just down the street from me, with my defective unit, and pick up a new one. They did not take the defective unit, but they did take a deposit on it and provide a UPS shipping label, with pick-up service, after asking me if I wanted to opt for the insurance (which I declined at that time, but later added when scheduling the pick-up time with UPS).
Both phones I ordered from att.com came UPS, as well, and an RMA on a Blackberry device, handled through AT&T, was done via UPS, as well. All of this was spread out over the last 10 years or so, as recent as 6 months ago.
When did they start using USPS, the more expensive, slower option and when did USPS start offering third-party prepaid shipping labels? Yes, I know you can print your own labels online, but those are first-party only.
APK quotes people (including myself) without context and should not be trusted. Just thought you should know.
At least Telus (AFAIK) can unlock phones at all. Virgin (Bell) states they will unlock phones after 3 months. What the don't tell you is that they don't have the system in place to unlock the iphone at all. They *will* unlock other phones, but iphone users are out of luck... which of course we didn't find out about until asking to unlock the phone before going overseas...
I've never had a problem with AT&T either. I've been a wireless customer since the first iPhone. I do hate their policies, such as not unlocking iPhones until now, what they've done with people who have unlimited data plans, and the price increases / removal of lower-priced options, etc. But I've never had a problems with my service or customer service.
I worked for AT&T for 7 years. All you have to do is call customer service and asks for your unlock code. Why is something so simple blown out of proportion? This isn't a new policy either. It's been in effect for over 10 years that I am aware of.
Let's make like a bird... and get the flock outta here.
Just curious, am I being modded Informative for saying "Comcast blows"?
APK quotes people (including myself) without context and should not be trusted. Just thought you should know.
Wooo Hoooo!!!
I called on the 8th, told them that I got the iPhone as a present from a friend after up upgraded to a newer phone. Also that I hadn't an AT&T account in over 10 years, but I it was all paid off and in good standing.
The wanted my name, valid email, and IMEI number. They gave me a case number. Today on the 10th, I got the email saying I was good to go, do a backup/restore.
I'm FREE!!!! to go where I can.