Unlocking phones?

Hello.

Is there a new policy about unlocking world phones if purchased from
Cingular.

I've had a T28 and a S40 that was unlocked no problemo.

Today, I called my Cingular store and they said they don't do that
anymore and if I wanted an unlocked phone, I had to go aftermarket...

Is this true?

TIA

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› See More: Unlocking phones?

This is a recent decision. They are more paranoid about you going to
the competitors. As they have a few international contracts they want
you going through them rather than finding some-one cheaper.

Yazzan Gable <[email protected]> wrote in article
<[email protected]>:
> Hello.
>
> Is there a new policy about unlocking world phones if purchased from
> Cingular.
>
> I've had a T28 and a S40 that was unlocked no problemo.
>
> Today, I called my Cingular store and they said they don't do that
> anymore and if I wanted an unlocked phone, I had to go aftermarket...
>
> Is this true?
>
> TIA

[posted via phonescoop.com]

"Yazzan Gable" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hello.
>
> Is there a new policy about unlocking world phones if purchased from
> Cingular.
>
> I've had a T28 and a S40 that was unlocked no problemo.
>
> Today, I called my Cingular store and they said they don't do that
> anymore and if I wanted an unlocked phone, I had to go aftermarket...
>
> Is this true?

Apparently.

I got an e-mail from someone who tried using the e-mail address
for SIM unlocking by Cingular. He got a reply back that he had
to call customer service for unlocking, and customer service
refused to unlock it.

I suspect that the new policy has something to do with WLNP,
and the fact that enforcing the terms of a contract vis-a-vis
termination fees, cannot be used to stop a customer from taking
their number with them. With or without termination fees, Cingular
is worried about more subscribers taking their phone with them to
another carrier, and sees locking as a means to stop subscribers
from leaving.

AT&T already had a policy of not unlocking phones, not sure if
T-Mobile still will do it.

Of course you can still buy an unlocked GSM phone at full retail
price and use it with any GSM carrier that you desire.

Bugger! I use prepaid SIMs overseas. Much cheeper than Chingular.

Sheesh. Guess I'll buy a phone in HK then...

In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] (William Bray) wrote:

> This is a recent decision. They are more paranoid about you going to
> the competitors. As they have a few international contracts they want
> you going through them rather than finding some-one cheaper.
>
> Yazzan Gable <[email protected]> wrote in article
> <[email protected]>:
> > Hello.
> >
> > Is there a new policy about unlocking world phones if purchased from
> > Cingular.
> >
> > I've had a T28 and a S40 that was unlocked no problemo.
> >
> > Today, I called my Cingular store and they said they don't do that
> > anymore and if I wanted an unlocked phone, I had to go aftermarket...
> >
> > Is this true?
> >
> > TIA
>
> [posted via phonescoop.com]

On Tue, 23 Sep 2003 04:36:01 GMT, "Steven M. Scharf"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>With or without termination fees, Cingular is worried about more
>subscribers taking their phone with them to another carrier, and sees
>locking as a means to stop subscribers from leaving.

[SNiP]

>Of course you can still buy an unlocked GSM phone at full retail
>price and use it with any GSM carrier that you desire.

Ok, but if I buy a Sony Ericsson T616 for the "no contract"/full retail
price at a CINGULAR store for $299, will they unlock it/will it be sold
unlocked to me?

If I pay full retail price for the phone, what right does Cingular have to
sell it to me "locked"? It would seem if it is locked when I pay full
retail price for it, they should at least state that it is or sell it to me
discounted.

I mean, that's like buying a car where I have to use ARCO gas!

If I pay full price, how can they legally sell me a crippled phone!!??

Nomen Nescio wrote:
> On Tue, 23 Sep 2003 04:36:01 GMT, "Steven M. Scharf"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>>With or without termination fees, Cingular is worried about more
>>subscribers taking their phone with them to another carrier, and sees
>>locking as a means to stop subscribers from leaving.
>
>
> [SNiP]
>
>
>>Of course you can still buy an unlocked GSM phone at full retail
>>price and use it with any GSM carrier that you desire.
>
>
> Ok, but if I buy a Sony Ericsson T616 for the "no contract"/full retail
> price at a CINGULAR store for $299, will they unlock it/will it be sold
> unlocked to me?
>
> If I pay full retail price for the phone, what right does Cingular have to
> sell it to me "locked"? It would seem if it is locked when I pay full
> retail price for it, they should at least state that it is or sell it to me
> discounted.
>
> I mean, that's like buying a car where I have to use ARCO gas!
>
> If I pay full price, how can they legally sell me a crippled phone!!??
>

I actually just paid full retail price in the store for a T616. I'm
thinking it was locked, although I'm only guessing that as it rejected
the SIM from my Cingular Nokia 6340i. I will try to call in tomorrow
morning in see if they will unlock it for me. I'm half ready to take the
phone back anyway.

Nomen Nescio <Use-Author-Supplied-Address-Header@[127.1]> wrote in
article:

> Ok, but if I buy a Sony Ericsson T616 for the "no
> contract"/full retail price at a CINGULAR store for
> $299, will they unlock it/will it be sold unlocked to me?

No, no.

Here is the only source I saw for it unlocked:
"http://shop.store.yahoo.com/puremobileusa/sec-t610.html"

Personally, I'd get a subsidized phone for U.S. use,
then keep a cheap unlocked phone for travelling. In
fact that's exactly what I do, but my subsidized phone
is CDMA/AMPS, because of the present GSM coverage
issues in the U.S., and the Bay Area.


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[posted via phonescoop.com]