I live in Venezuela. I plan to go to the US with my SonyEricsson K790a
(850MHz), but is locked to my local cellular service provider. Will
AT&T unlock my phone? What do I need to do?
juantxon wrote:
> I live in Venezuela. I plan to go to the US with my SonyEricsson K790a
> (850MHz), but is locked to my local cellular service provider. Will
> AT&T unlock my phone? What do I need to do?
Having a provider unlock a phone is done purely at the pleasure of the
service provider the phone is locked to. So, no AT&T, err...at&t can't
unlock your phone.
On Mon, 27 Aug 2007 01:00:01 -0000, juantxon <juantxon@gmail.com> wrote
in <1188176401.111549.248870@50g2000hsm.googlegroups. com>:
>I live in Venezuela. I plan to go to the US with my SonyEricsson K790a
>(850MHz), but is locked to my local cellular service provider. Will
>AT&T unlock my phone?
No.
>What do I need to do?
Get your local carrier or a 3rd-party to unlock it.
--
Best regards, FAQ FOR CINGULAR WIRELESS:
John Navas <http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cingular_Wireless_FAQ>
On Mon, 27 Aug 2007 01:34:20 GMT, DTC <no_spam@move_along_folks.foob>
wrote in <wSpAi.30631$RX.13576@newssvr11.news.prodigy.net >:
>juantxon wrote:
>> I live in Venezuela. I plan to go to the US with my SonyEricsson K790a
>> (850MHz), but is locked to my local cellular service provider. Will
>> AT&T unlock my phone? What do I need to do?
>
>Having a provider unlock a phone is done purely at the pleasure of the
>service provider the phone is locked to. So, no AT&T, err...at&t can't
>unlock your phone.
It could, just as 3rd parties can, but chooses not to.
--
Best regards, FAQ FOR CINGULAR WIRELESS:
John Navas <http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cingular_Wireless_FAQ>
anonymous@example.org (Anon E. Muss) wrote in
news:v0o4d3hvlnvgphm9mn572crdsllk0rqn4q@4ax.com:
> On Mon, 27 Aug 2007 01:38:19 GMT, John Navas
><spamfilter1@navasgroup.com> wrote:
>
>>On Mon, 27 Aug 2007 01:00:01 -0000, juantxon <juantxon@gmail.com>
>>wrote in <1188176401.111549.248870@50g2000hsm.googlegroups. com>:
>
>>>Will AT&T unlock my phone?
>>
>>No.
>
> But they used to when they were Cingular (simunlock@cingular.com)
> right?
They might unlock their own phones for existing customers who need to
travel, but they likely can't unlock a phone locked to another
carrier.
In article <v0o4d3hvlnvgphm9mn572crdsllk0rqn4q@4ax.com>,
Anon E. Muss <anonymous@example.org> wrote:
> On Mon, 27 Aug 2007 01:38:19 GMT, John Navas
> <spamfilter1@navasgroup.com> wrote:
>
> >On Mon, 27 Aug 2007 01:00:01 -0000, juantxon <juantxon@gmail.com> wrote
> >in <1188176401.111549.248870@50g2000hsm.googlegroups. com>:
>
> >>Will AT&T unlock my phone?
> >
> >No.
>
> But they used to when they were Cingular (simunlock@cingular.com)
> right?
If you are a good ATT customer, they usually will unlock your phone.
In fact, even before I sold it on eBay to buy an iPhone, they offered me
the unlock code for my Treo.
> But they used to when they were Cingular (simunlock@cingular.com)
> right?
AT&T will unlock AT&T phones (after the contract is fulfilled.) The
OP John responded to was asking if AT&T would unlock his South
American phone, locked to a South American carrier, so he could use
it in the US. AT&T won't unlock another carrier's phones to be used
on AT&T.
--
"I don't need my cell phone to play video games or take pictures
or double as a Walkie-Talkie; I just need it to work. Thanks for
all the bells and whistles, but I could communicate better with
ACTUAL bells and whistles." -Bill Maher 9/25/2003
Anon E. Muss <anonymous@example.org> wrote:
> On Mon, 27 Aug 2007 01:38:19 GMT, John Navas
> >>Will AT&T unlock my phone?
> >No.
> But they used to when they were Cingular (simunlock@cingular.com)
> right?
I had someone give me a couple of old AT&T phones.
They won't work with the new at&t sims, they are locked. The account for
these phones is long gone, and I can't seem to convince the new AT&T that
they should give me an unlock code for the old AT&T phones.
Maybe I'll try email to simunlock@cingular.com. I had tried the same
cingular web site email that I have used to unlock phones that are locked
to Cingular.
--
Clarence A Dold - Hidden Valley Lake, CA, USA GPS: 38.8,-122.5
contact at&t, if you are a customer for more than 6 months and you tell them
you will be traveling international they very likely will unlock your phone.
I have seen it done for many customers. It does take a few days to get the
unlock code and instructions in email.
"juantxon" <juantxon@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1188176401.111549.248870@50g2000hsm.googlegro ups.com...
>I live in Venezuela. I plan to go to the US with my SonyEricsson K790a
> (850MHz), but is locked to my local cellular service provider. Will
> AT&T unlock my phone? What do I need to do?
>
> All your answers will be highly appreciated.
>
> Regards
>
This question makes about as much sense as asking if you can go to McDonalds
and demanding they sell you a Whopper!
--
Copper Emeritus
Golf is not a matter of Life or Death,
it is MUCH more important than that!
"juantxon" <juantxon@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1188176401.111549.248870@50g2000hsm.googlegro ups.com...
>I live in Venezuela. I plan to go to the US with my SonyEricsson K790a
> (850MHz), but is locked to my local cellular service provider. Will
> AT&T unlock my phone? What do I need to do?
>
> All your answers will be highly appreciated.
>
> Regards
>
No NO NO
at&t phones use a SIM chip. If you get our phone and at the end of the
contract you decide our service did not meet your needs you may wnat to take
that phone elsewhere. You already paid for the equipment so why by another
at the next provider? An unlocked phone can be used on different services.
Places like t-mobile, vodaphone or Rogers. It actually makes alot of sense!
"Copper Emeritus" <maccop@kc.rr.com> wrote in message
news:46d32c35$0$11072$4c368faf@roadrunner.com...
> This question makes about as much sense as asking if you can go to
> McDonalds and demanding they sell you a Whopper!
>
> --
> Copper Emeritus
>
> Golf is not a matter of Life or Death,
> it is MUCH more important than that!
> "juantxon" <juantxon@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1188176401.111549.248870@50g2000hsm.googlegro ups.com...
>>I live in Venezuela. I plan to go to the US with my SonyEricsson K790a
>> (850MHz), but is locked to my local cellular service provider. Will
>> AT&T unlock my phone? What do I need to do?
>>
>> All your answers will be highly appreciated.
>>
>> Regards
>>
>
>
prc2u@wi.rr.com (prc2u) wrote in
news:46d6dfd4$0$31875$4c368faf@roadrunner.com:
> No NO NO
Yes yes yes.
The original poster is asking if AT&T will unlock a phone he got from
another vendor.
> at&t phones use a SIM chip. If you get our phone and at the end of
> the contract you decide our service did not meet your needs you may
> wnat to take that phone elsewhere. You already paid for the
> equipment so why by another at the next provider? An unlocked
> phone can be used on different services. Places like t-mobile,
> vodaphone or Rogers. It actually makes alot of sense!
>
>
> "Copper Emeritus" <maccop@kc.rr.com> wrote in message
> news:46d32c35$0$11072$4c368faf@roadrunner.com...
>> This question makes about as much sense as asking if you can go to
>> McDonalds and demanding they sell you a Whopper!
>>
>> --
>> Copper Emeritus
>>
>> Golf is not a matter of Life or Death,
>> it is MUCH more important than that!
>> "juantxon" <juantxon@gmail.com> wrote in message
>> news:1188176401.111549.248870@50g2000hsm.googlegro ups.com...
>>>I live in Venezuela. I plan to go to the US with my SonyEricsson
>>>K790a
>>> (850MHz), but is locked to my local cellular service provider.
>>> Will AT&T unlock my phone? What do I need to do?
>>>
>>> All your answers will be highly appreciated.
> > This question makes about as much sense as asking if you can go
to
> > McDonalds and demanding they sell you a Whopper!
> >
> > --
> > Copper Emeritus
> >
>
> No NO NO
> at&t phones use a SIM chip...
>...It actually makes alot of sense!
We all know at&t uses SIMs. You missed his point. (For some reason
a lot of the responders in this thread missed a significant piece of
info in the original post the OP is coming here from Venezuela and
wants to know if AT&T will unlock his VENEZUELAN phone for him. It
is NOT an AT&T phone, and he is not an at&t customer. I assume he
wants to use an at&t prepaid SIM while here's.
Generally, one carrier will NOT unlock another carrier's phones. If
he wants his phone unlocked he needs his local Venezuelan carrier (or
a 3rd party unlocker) to do it.
So, to modify Copper's answer- it's like asking McDonald's to put the
Big Mac secret sauce on the Whopper you bought at Burger King! ;-)
--
"I don't need my cell phone to play video games or take pictures
or double as a Walkie-Talkie; I just need it to work. Thanks for
all the bells and whistles, but I could communicate better with
ACTUAL bells and whistles." -Bill Maher 9/25/2003
dold@45.usenet.us.com wrote:
> Anon E. Muss <anonymous@example.org> wrote:
> > On Mon, 27 Aug 2007 01:38:19 GMT, John Navas
> > >>Will AT&T unlock my phone?
> > >No.
> > But they used to when they were Cingular (simunlock@cingular.com)
> > right?
> I had someone give me a couple of old AT&T phones.
> They won't work with the new at&t sims, they are locked. The account for
> these phones is long gone, and I can't seem to convince the new AT&T that
> they should give me an unlock code for the old AT&T phones.
> Maybe I'll try email to simunlock@cingular.com. I had tried the same
> cingular web site email that I have used to unlock phones that are locked
> to Cingular.
Call the office of the president and complain. I had to do this
to finally get a phone unlocked that they "didn't have the code for" but
somehow they managed to find it there within a matter of a couple hours or
less! Basically, this should have been part of the class action going on
against Cingular if it wasn't already, to get these phones unlocked. They
made countless numbers of perfectly functional devices into electronic
waste (not good for the environment (lead in PCBs, batteries, etc..) or
customer relations) by refusing to unlock them & refusing to provide SIM
cards to make them work, even on their own network.
That is just one of the many reasons I don't and won't do
business with this company again. Vote with your money and let people
know how you were treated by their "customer service".
B. Wright <bmwright@xmission.com> wrote:
> dold@45.usenet.us.com wrote:
> > Anon E. Muss <anonymous@example.org> wrote:
> > > On Mon, 27 Aug 2007 01:38:19 GMT, John Navas
> > > >>Will AT&T unlock my phone?
> > > >No.
> > > But they used to when they were Cingular (simunlock@cingular.com)
> > > right?
> > I had someone give me a couple of old AT&T phones.
> > They won't work with the new at&t sims, they are locked. The account for
> > these phones is long gone, and I can't seem to convince the new AT&T that
> > they should give me an unlock code for the old AT&T phones.
> > Maybe I'll try email to simunlock@cingular.com. I had tried the same
> > cingular web site email that I have used to unlock phones that are locked
> > to Cingular.
> Call the office of the president and complain. I had to do this
> to finally get a phone unlocked that they "didn't have the code for" but
> somehow they managed to find it there within a matter of a couple hours or
> less! Basically, this should have been part of the class action going on
> against Cingular if it wasn't already, to get these phones unlocked. They
> made countless numbers of perfectly functional devices into electronic
> waste (not good for the environment (lead in PCBs, batteries, etc..) or
> customer relations) by refusing to unlock them & refusing to provide SIM
> cards to make them work, even on their own network.
> That is just one of the many reasons I don't and won't do
> business with this company again. Vote with your money and let people
> know how you were treated by their "customer service".
Just a followup to my own post here, I should have made this clear
that the phone in question I spoke about was a former AT&T phone. Cingular
DO have the codes for these but they're complete assholes and refuse to
give them out unless you go to the extreme of calling the office of the
president. Instead they want to force you into a new 2 year contract for
a phone that works with the only SIM cards they provide now.
I do agree with the others here that the OP in this thread does
not have a chance to get it unlocked because only the original carriers
have the subsidy codes. If he got his phone from somewhere else, forget it
and go pay someone to unlock it. In the case I mentioned Cingluar bought
AT&T so they do have the codes, they just like to lie through their teeth.
In article <fbf75u$blq$1@news.xmission.com>,
"B. Wright" <bmwright@xmission.com> wrote:
> dold@45.usenet.us.com wrote:
> > Anon E. Muss <anonymous@example.org> wrote:
> > > On Mon, 27 Aug 2007 01:38:19 GMT, John Navas
> > > >>Will AT&T unlock my phone?
> > > >No.
>
> > > But they used to when they were Cingular (simunlock@cingular.com)
> > > right?
>
> > I had someone give me a couple of old AT&T phones.
> > They won't work with the new at&t sims, they are locked. The account for
> > these phones is long gone, and I can't seem to convince the new AT&T that
> > they should give me an unlock code for the old AT&T phones.
>
> > Maybe I'll try email to simunlock@cingular.com. I had tried the same
> > cingular web site email that I have used to unlock phones that are locked
> > to Cingular.
>
> Call the office of the president and complain. I had to do this
> to finally get a phone unlocked that they "didn't have the code for" but
> somehow they managed to find it there within a matter of a couple hours or
> less! Basically, this should have been part of the class action going on
> against Cingular if it wasn't already, to get these phones unlocked. They
> made countless numbers of perfectly functional devices into electronic
> waste (not good for the environment (lead in PCBs, batteries, etc..) or
> customer relations) by refusing to unlock them & refusing to provide SIM
> cards to make them work, even on their own network.
>
> That is just one of the many reasons I don't and won't do
> business with this company again. Vote with your money and let people
> know how you were treated by their "customer service".
Were you a brand new customer? How much did you piss off the CS person?
It was no problem to get an unlock code for my Treo. I was also nice
about it.
Meanwhile, there are a million sellers on eBay who will be glad to help
to out.
In article <fbf7f5$blq$2@news.xmission.com>,
"B. Wright" <bmwright@xmission.com> wrote:
> B. Wright <bmwright@xmission.com> wrote:
> > dold@45.usenet.us.com wrote:
> > > Anon E. Muss <anonymous@example.org> wrote:
> > > > On Mon, 27 Aug 2007 01:38:19 GMT, John Navas
> > > > >>Will AT&T unlock my phone?
> > > > >No.
>
> > > > But they used to when they were Cingular (simunlock@cingular.com)
> > > > right?
>
> > > I had someone give me a couple of old AT&T phones.
> > > They won't work with the new at&t sims, they are locked. The account for
> > > these phones is long gone, and I can't seem to convince the new AT&T that
> > > they should give me an unlock code for the old AT&T phones.
>
> > > Maybe I'll try email to simunlock@cingular.com. I had tried the same
> > > cingular web site email that I have used to unlock phones that are locked
> > > to Cingular.
>
> > Call the office of the president and complain. I had to do this
> > to finally get a phone unlocked that they "didn't have the code for" but
> > somehow they managed to find it there within a matter of a couple hours or
> > less! Basically, this should have been part of the class action going on
> > against Cingular if it wasn't already, to get these phones unlocked. They
> > made countless numbers of perfectly functional devices into electronic
> > waste (not good for the environment (lead in PCBs, batteries, etc..) or
> > customer relations) by refusing to unlock them & refusing to provide SIM
> > cards to make them work, even on their own network.
>
> > That is just one of the many reasons I don't and won't do
> > business with this company again. Vote with your money and let people
> > know how you were treated by their "customer service".
>
> Just a followup to my own post here, I should have made this clear
> that the phone in question I spoke about was a former AT&T phone. Cingular
> DO have the codes for these but they're complete assholes and refuse to
> give them out unless you go to the extreme of calling the office of the
> president. Instead they want to force you into a new 2 year contract for
> a phone that works with the only SIM cards they provide now.
>
> I do agree with the others here that the OP in this thread does
> not have a chance to get it unlocked because only the original carriers
> have the subsidy codes. If he got his phone from somewhere else, forget it
> and go pay someone to unlock it. In the case I mentioned Cingluar bought
> AT&T so they do have the codes, they just like to lie through their teeth.
Yes, and I'm sure you gave that CSA a piece of your mind, too.
That always works to bring out the best in people.
> Were you a brand new customer? How much did you piss off the CS person?
> It was no problem to get an unlock code for my Treo. I was also nice
> about it.
B. Wright had a former AT&T phone that won't accept the new at&T SIMs. I
have a pair of AT&T phones that also won't work on the new at&t.
This is different from getting phones that are working on the current
carrier unlocked by that carrier. I have done that a few times.
There is no old AT&T customer service to call for an unlock code, and the
new at&t customer service says they can't do it.
--
Clarence A Dold - Hidden Valley Lake, CA, USA GPS: 38.8,-122.5
> > > That is just one of the many reasons I don't and won't do
> > > business with this company again. Vote with your money and let people
> > > know how you were treated by their "customer service".
> Yes, and I'm sure you gave that CSA a piece of your mind, too.
> That always works to bring out the best in people.
Yes, and I'm SURE you are a complete arsehole that likes to make
generalized assumptions without knowing the facts. I was polite to them
but politeness can not overcome ignorance or the bad policies of a
company that does not care about their customers. For the record, I did
not have any of the ignorance or lies from the "Office of the President"
that I got from the telephone representatives, but my point is this:
Why the hell should I have to take it to that level just to get a simple
problem like that taken care of? If they had any real notion of customer
service to begin with it should have been resolved sooner. It wasn't for
lack of trying either, I tried the phone "cusomer (dis)service" multiple
times and also asked about it in a store.
What is the benefit of unlocking a phone? I currently have a 8525 Not
unlocked. What will I notice different with the phone or signal if I get my
8525 unlocked? I live in the Cincinnati Ohio/ Northern Kentucky area. South
of Florence KY. If that makes a difference.
<dold@45.usenet.us.com> wrote in message news:fbfmnt$p10$1@blue.rahul.net...
> Kurt <labolide@spacegmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Were you a brand new customer? How much did you piss off the CS person?
>> It was no problem to get an unlock code for my Treo. I was also nice
>> about it.
>
> B. Wright had a former AT&T phone that won't accept the new at&T SIMs. I
> have a pair of AT&T phones that also won't work on the new at&t.
>
> This is different from getting phones that are working on the current
> carrier unlocked by that carrier. I have done that a few times.
>
> There is no old AT&T customer service to call for an unlock code, and the
> new at&t customer service says they can't do it.
>
> --
> Clarence A Dold - Hidden Valley Lake, CA, USA GPS: 38.8,-122.5
Viper <user@user.net> wrote:
> What is the benefit of unlocking a phone? I currently have a 8525 Not
> unlocked. What will I notice different with the phone or signal if I get my
> 8525 unlocked? I live in the Cincinnati Ohio/ Northern Kentucky area. South
> of Florence KY. If that makes a difference.
There is no benefit as long as you continue to use the same carrier you
have now; the one for which your phone has a subsidy lock. The subsidy
lock only prevents you from using a SIM from another carrier.
The only downside to unlocking is that customer service might warn you that
the warranty is voided if you unlock the phone. I doubt that is true, but
I have been told that on more than one occasion.
There are some potential benefits.
You might want to travel to some foreign country and use a SIM from a local
provider. That is sometimes cheaper than "international roaming".
You might move to an area not served by your current carrier, and want to
use the SIM of a local carrier.
You might want to switch carriers, and continue to use the same phone.
You might want to use a pre-paid SIM for various reasons, like anonymity,
or appearing to have a local phone number while visiting a new area, or ...
Later, when using a different phone on a different carrier, the new phone
might stop working. The old phone, still locked to the old carrier, can't
be used with the new carrier, and if you are no longer their customer, they
won't provide the unlock code.
You might want to give your phone to someone to use on a different carrier.
--
Clarence A Dold - Hidden Valley Lake, CA, USA GPS: 38.8,-122.5
In article <fbfpdr$sn2$1@news.xmission.com>,
"B. Wright" <bmwright@xmission.com> wrote:
> Kurt <labolide@spacegmail.com> wrote:
>
> > > > That is just one of the many reasons I don't and won't do
> > > > business with this company again. Vote with your money and let people
> > > > know how you were treated by their "customer service".
>
> > Yes, and I'm sure you gave that CSA a piece of your mind, too.
> > That always works to bring out the best in people.
>
> Yes, and I'm SURE you are a complete arsehole that likes to make
> generalized assumptions without knowing the facts. I was polite to them
> but politeness can not overcome ignorance or the bad policies of a
> company that does not care about their customers. For the record, I did
> not have any of the ignorance or lies from the "Office of the President"
> that I got from the telephone representatives, but my point is this:
> Why the hell should I have to take it to that level just to get a simple
> problem like that taken care of? If they had any real notion of customer
> service to begin with it should have been resolved sooner. It wasn't for
> lack of trying either, I tried the phone "cusomer (dis)service" multiple
> times and also asked about it in a store.
I have found their service to be excellent for simple problems, but have
needed to ask for the next tier support level to find the ones who have
the experience. You know they hired a slew just to handle the new
iPhone, so I'm sure there's a lot of green staff these days.
I was faced with a similar situation a couple years ago when Cingular
bought ATT. I bought a Treo, but couldn't bring our old phones into the
plan because of the network change. The Treo had to be on the new
network, our Motorolas could only remain in the old (which they were
phasing out) There was so much confusion (Old network customer support
now went to poorly-trained India staff) and new support did not have
access with my old ATT billing files. The two couldn't communicate. I
was doubled billed for couple months. Took a lot of effort to get fixed.
You can imagine my joy when Cingular got gobbled up by The New ATT.
"Viper" <user@user.net> wrote in message
news:d7a46$46dc026d$944e0832$8124@STARBAND.NET...
> What is the benefit of unlocking a phone? I currently have a 8525 Not
> unlocked. What will I notice different with the phone or signal if I get
> my 8525 unlocked? I live in the Cincinnati Ohio/ Northern Kentucky area.
> South of Florence KY. If that makes a difference.
If you were traveling, want to use it on tmobile or wish to sell it,
otherwise, nothing. BTW there is a free TYTN/Hermes/8525 program available,
I used it, works fne, tried it with a TM sim afterwards and it worked. It
also unlocked the CID if you want to MOD the interface, or use one of the
WM6 mods currently available.
> Just a followup to my own post here, I should have made this clear
> that the phone in question I spoke about was a former AT&T phone.
Cingular
> DO have the codes for these but they're complete assholes and
refuse to
> give them out unless you go to the extreme of calling the office of
the
> president.
Maybe they're respecting the wishes of the former AT&T Wireless, who,
if you'll recall, would not give unlock codes under any
circumstances, unlike T-Mo or Cingular.
I'm not suggesting that's "right" or "fair," but it might explain why
it's difficult getting "old AT&T" codes when they are pretty good
about giving Cingular/"new at&t" codes.
Or, arguably, while you old AT&T customers became Cingular customers
now, that's only by virtue of the buyout. You were, at one time,
customers of the competition. Maybe they hold a grudge! ;-)
--
"I don't need my cell phone to play video games or take pictures
or double as a Walkie-Talkie; I just need it to work. Thanks for
all the bells and whistles, but I could communicate better with
ACTUAL bells and whistles." -Bill Maher 9/25/2003
Will AT&T unlock my phone? 
the OP is coming here from Venezuela and
Linear Mode
