AT&T Community Forums

Refusal to Unlock Paid of Phone???

I got a phone under a 2 year contract. I paid off the phone and the ETF and closed the account. I was told at the store I could get my phone unlocked at a later date. I was moving my handset to a GoPhone account. I figured AT&T contract to AT&T gophone wouldnt be a problem, plus again I was told I could unlock my phone at a later date with no problem. The sales accociate said there would be no problem!

Im going overseas in three weeks (unexpectedly) and need my phone unlocked before I go. One call center agent says that my phone can be unlocked by her supervisor under "special consideration" but another supervisor is refusing to unlock my phone! I was told its impossible to unlock a GoPhone until 6 months is past, and though that is fine, I bought this phone and paid it off from a previous contract.

So why cant I get my phone unlocked?? Why is it that one person says it can be done, but the other person is not willing to budge. Im not leaving AT&T forever (though at this point in time Im getting sick of this mess), but I will be gone for a few month to over a year.

What about the CTIA Consumer code that states:

Postpaid Unlocking Policy. Carriers, upon request, will unlock mobile wireless devices or provide the necessary information to unlock their devices, for customers and former customers in good standing and individual owners of eligible devices after the fulfillment of the applicable postpaid service contract, device financing plan or payment of an applicable early termination fee.

As posted on the FCC page!! Im just looking to get the phone I paid for unlocked. Can anyone help me with this? This is a last resort before I contact the FCC...

Heres a clip from my conversation with the call center agent:

	Me: Ok. Then to sum it up. I bought the phone, and paid off the original contract. I wasnt informed that I had to unlock it prior to switching to a Go Phone plan. This was done after being told by the store I could get it unlock. Unfortunately ATT is unable to assist me with this, despite the mention of a special consideration program which would expedite my request. And the only option is to wait until April, buy another phone, or get the ATT overseas plan. Is this correct?
	Agent: Yes, that is correct.

Responses

formerlyknownas

ACE - Sage

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117K Messages

8 years ago

Port your number to Cricket. It will work with an ATT locked phone, but is not ATT. Then you can unlock as a non customer.

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Jackfrost

Tutor

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6 Messages

8 years ago

Thanks for the advice. I would do something like that, I was going to port with Google Fi, but It would be much better if AT&T could do something on their end. I feel that its part of the stipulation from the contract having been fufilled. Plus I dont want to spend any money at all if I dont have to. My phone would still be locked for the remaining 3 months, to my understanding.

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formerlyknownas

ACE - Sage

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117K Messages

8 years ago

I have to agree that once you complete a contract or Next agreement, and a phone is qualified to be unlocked, it should not lose its qualification again by being moved to prepaid and falling under the 6 month rule. This rule was designed to lock the cheap go phones to ATT for at least 6 months to break even on the cheap sale price.

It wont help you now, but it's an issue that hasn't been addressed and I will being it up in the Ace forums with our go-between with ATT.

~~~~~~

Meanwhie, let's talk Google Fi and Nexus phones. I bought a Nexus 6. Then I bought a 6p for myself and my son.

Both run marshmallow and are awesome, fast, responsive. Love the front facing speakers.

The os is taking a bit of getting used to, I have used Samsung phones for 4 years. Pure android is very different. Good, but no hand holding involved.

The Nexus 6 is selling (new) on eBay for $200-300 and Amazon for $350-400

The 5x and 6p are priced best from Google, you can look those up, they start at $350.

These are unlocked phones, so ATT can't lock them to their network.

I priced Fi and would cost about the same as every other prepaid carrier based on my current use. The only bargains out there are if you use almost no data. Consumer cellular, Ting, Fi, all are pay per use, and not cheap enough to compete when the coverage is less than Verizon and ATT.

Good luck. I will book mark this discussion and will be linking the discussion so I can talk with support about the locked phone issue.

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Jackfrost

Tutor

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6 Messages

8 years ago

Thank you so much for all of your advice. I would hate to go to Fi to be honest and would rather keep my phone. I bought a new Note 5 a few months ago (hence my frustration haha) and would love to keep it. It has been the best phone Ive ever had.

Personally this has been the only problem Ive had with AT&T. Going to Fi would require me to buy a new phone and that wouldnt be the best option or choice.

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David606

Employee

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3.5K Messages

8 years ago

On the FCC Cell Phone Unlocking FAQs, it states the following about prepaid...

"Q: Will my prepaid phone be unlocked on request?
Yes, participating providers have agreed to unlock prepaid devices within one year of initial activation, consistent with reasonable time, payment, or usage requirements."

And this is the thing. The clock starts once you put a device onto prepaid service, regardless of it's agreement status with a previous postpaid plan. It is just an automated system thing. It sees the device is on a prepaid plan and checks whether or not the 6 month requirement has been fulfilled. When you put a device on prepaid, it then becomes a prepaid device per the unlocking stipulations.

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GLIMMERMAN76

ACE - Expert

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23.9K Messages

8 years ago

The problem with this is a phone paid in full like a iPhone or note 5 should never ever have this happen. I think this customer should file a FCC complaint as this phone was payed in full. It's not like the op is using a cheap Microsoft 640 or desire 626.

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David606

Employee

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3.5K Messages

8 years ago

Yes and I totally understand why it's frustrating but the unlocking process and portal are completely automated. It cannot see this phone was previously postpaid and paid off. It only see that it's current used as a GoPhone and the 6-month requirement has not been met. Doesn't matter what type of phone it is, the system just looks for the required criteria.

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formerlyknownas

ACE - Sage

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117K Messages

8 years ago

So the question comes down to:

Can, Or will, ATT look at the situation and agree to push the unlock through. ( The portal isn't working worth a fig anyway. I unlocked my Note 4 and the portal was a fail)

We may agree it should, morally, do they have to legally, probably not.

I would like to see what happens.

If you would be a guinea pig for us @Jackfrost and since the computer portal and calls failed, let's try going through our forum CSRs and ask for the unlock that way. We can't do any worse.

Would you send a request through to @ATTMobilityCare for unlocking stating the problem and you can link this thread. Fingers crossed that they might make an exception. They will need the IMEI from your phone and possibly the phone number.

let us know what happens - either way.

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Jackfrost

Tutor

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6 Messages

8 years ago

Yep! I would be willing to give it a try!

I know that the computer automatically lists the phone as a GoPhone in the system, however I was getting conflicting comments as to how to solve this. The tech call center first said it could be done, then they wouldnt do it, then I was told that the guys in the "Back Office" could take care of the problem, but I was told there was no way to contact them. The unlocking website never seems to work for me. I tried to use it on another phone in the past without results. I had to get help through the chat portal.

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