For the mom who gives us everything - Mother's Day gifts that connects us.
The Samsung Galaxy S24
C

New Member

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5 Messages

Monday, April 6th, 2020 2:38 AM

Device unlock code error

I am about fed up with ATT and I want to take legal action if anyone can help me. I have asked for a device unlock code several times and have let them know the code doesn’t work, yet they keep sending me the same code. I’m pretty sure a law was passed by Obama that stated it was against the law for a company to keep a carrier lock on your phone if it’s paid off. Before anyone asks, no there is no balance owed on the phone and yes I went into an ATT store and they can’t get the code to work as well. This is not fair as ATT customer service is unhelpful. I have chat logs and emails for evidence.

Former Employee

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32.9K Messages

4 years ago

do some research unlocking is not a law 🤦

New Member

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5 Messages

@Constructive “According to the Federal Communications Commission, however, the carrier must unlock your phone after the applicable service contract has expired and you’ve fully paid off the device (or forked over an early termination fee).”

https://www.consumerreports.org/smartphones/how-to-unlock-phone-verizon-att-tmobile-sprint/

Former Employee

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32.9K Messages

-------------------INCLUDED IN EACH POST FOR CLARIFICATION______
While AT&T employees do look at forum posts from time to time, we are here to represent the forum with our experiences as customers and do not represent AT&T in any official capacity with our responses and do so on our own time unpaid and off the clock. As employees we are not rewarded nor compensated to participate in these forums This forum is comprised of regular customers to communicate with other customers to offer advice and share experiences same as any other user Although there is a small team of customer care specialists that monitor the forums the sheer volume of posts are simply too many posts for these agents to respond to each one of them.

Former Employee

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32.9K Messages

@Cyncity it’s voluntary not a law

-------------------INCLUDED IN EACH POST FOR CLARIFICATION______
While AT&T employees do look at forum posts from time to time, we are here to represent the forum with our experiences as customers and do not represent AT&T in any official capacity with our responses and do so on our own time unpaid and off the clock. As employees we are not rewarded nor compensated to participate in these forums This forum is comprised of regular customers to communicate with other customers to offer advice and share experiences same as any other user Although there is a small team of customer care specialists that monitor the forums the sheer volume of posts are simply too many posts for these agents to respond to each one of them.

ACE - Sage

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117.1K Messages

4 years ago

Consumer report misquoted the CTIA and FCC VOLUNTARY agreement with carriers. And you have missed quoted Obamas law. The law you are referring to allowed consumers to unlock their phones by another means, essentially removing the previous rule which made it illegal for consumers to unlock the phone without help or permission from their carrier. So all it did was decriminalize unlocking services.

The unlock code for android phones is provided by the manufacturer. There’s only one lock code for each IMEI. If the manufacturer has provided the incorrect code to a carrier there’s absolutely nothing can be done. The manufacturer is not allowed to give the code directly, and won’t. And AT&T only has one number to give you.

You can try a paid unlock service, but will most likely get the same wrong code that was assigned to your phone.

Your phone can work on AT&T postpaid, prepaid, cricket, and any of AT&T’s MVNO’s.

FCC info

CTIA voluntary agreement

CTIA and the carriers that are signatories to the Consumer Code for Wireless Service (“Consumer Code”) have voluntarily adopted the principles, disclosures, and practices here for wireless service provided to individual consumers, including voice, messaging, and data services sold either on a postpaid or prepaid basis.

ACE - Sage

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117.1K Messages

4 years ago

This is not taking AT&T s side. I explain to you how it works. And then you turned around and chose to either not read what I wrote or ignore its validity.

AT&T agrees that your phone is unlockable and they approved it and they sent you the code that was given to them by the manufacturer.

The code is wrong.

There is no way to correct the code.

It sucks, very sorry. You can try a paid unlock service, but it's very unlikely that they're going to come back with a different code because the manufacturer is the one who assigned this code to that phone. And it's wrong.

FYI, we would not be going in circles if you had just read and understood my first post.
And, I do know how it feels. I purchased a phone and was unable to unlock it through AT&T. I tried paid unlock. I wound up having to sell the phone as locked to AT&T. I purchased an identical replacement for Verizon. I then tried to switch that phone back to AT&T at a later date. And while on the locked it still would not work properly on AT&T. So ended my Samsung relationship for good.

(edited)

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