AT&T denied unlock request?

[xTRIGGER092x]

So, I recently sent an unlock request to AT&T (see thread: https://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=18339425#post18339425) to unlock an iPhone 5 I sold over eBay a few weeks ago, and I just found out that AT&T denied my request for one of three following reasons:

• If you are under contract you must complete the contract period before your device can be unlocked.

• If you are a prepay customer, you must have 6 months of prepaid service.

• If you paid full price for your AT&T device and are a postpaid customer you must have at least 90 days of service with AT&T.

I'm not a prepay customer and I've had AT&T for 10+ years, so the only thing I can conclude is that I'm still under a contract period? When I swapped an upgrade with a family member to get a 5S, didn't that end my iPhone 5's contract? What can I do?

 

[Applejuiced]

Has it been 2 years since you got that iphone 5?
No.
When you use another lines upgrade to get a phone it doesn't end your contract obligation to your original line that you got the iphone 5 under.

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

When I swapped an upgrade with a family member to get a 5S, didn't that end my iPhone 5's contract? What can I do?

I did a device swap last year and had trouble with the online unlock request. I had to call a rep who unlocked it from their end. I suggest contacting a rep and they should in theory be able to unlock it as the contract is now tied to the 5S.

 

[Consultant]

iPhone 5 was introduced last year. Contract is usually 2 years.

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

iPhone 5 was introduced last year. Contract is usually 2 years.

at&t can still unlock it if you did a device swap with a dummy line or an existing family member's line. E.g., you upgrade to the 5S on the dummy line, move it to your existing line (which kicks the iPhone 5 off and renders it unlockable) and put a dumbphone back on the dummy line.

Depending on how it's performed, requesting the unlock online may not always work, in which case you can contact a rep to unlock it from their end.

 

[xTRIGGER092x]

Has it been 2 years since you got that iphone 5?
No.
When you use another lines upgrade to get a phone it doesn't end your contract obligation to your original line that you got the iphone 5 under.

Alright, thanks for clearing that up. Could that complicate the sale now? I sold the phone as locked to AT&T (and decided to request an unlock as a favor to the buyer), and "without contract." I wouldn't worry if I hadn't said that, but if the phone itself is actually under contract (or is it the line/SIM card?), couldn't that be a loophole that the buyer could use to return the phone?

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

Alright, thanks for clearing that up. Could that complicate the sale now? I sold the phone as locked to AT&T (and decided to request an unlock as a favor to the buyer), and "without contract." I wouldn't worry if I hadn't said that, but if the phone itself is actually under contract (or is it the line/SIM card?), couldn't that be a loophole that the buyer could use to return the phone?

The phone isn't under contract anymore as you replaced it with the 5S and used up a family member's upgrade. It's the line that's under contract, not the phone. Go ahead and call a rep, but I hope you have all the essential info (IMEI, etc.).

Next time, unlock it before you sell it and you'll get significantly more.

 

[Applejuiced]

Alright, thanks for clearing that up. Could that complicate the sale now? I sold the phone as locked to AT&T (and decided to request an unlock as a favor to the buyer), and "without contract." I wouldn't worry if I hadn't said that, but if the phone itself is actually under contract (or is it the line/SIM card?), couldn't that be a loophole that the buyer could use to return the phone?

If you sold it as a locked AT&T iPhone then you don't have to unlock it.
Tell him to read the auction again and if it didn't state factory unlocked iPhone then there's nothing further you need to do on your end.
It's his problem.

Also to some above posters I don't think you understand how the upgrade swap works and the unlock requirements by AT&T.
Just because you use a phone from another lines upgrade it doesn't mean now your old phone it's eligible for unlock.
The imei is still tied up under contract to the op's current line. The 5S he has now is still tied up under the other lines contract obligation and doesn't have anything to do with his iPhone 5 upgrade.

 

[Lammercy]

If you sold it as a locked AT&T iPhone then you don't have to unlock it.
Tell him to read the auction again and if it didn't state factory unlocked iPhone then there's nothing further you need to do on your end.
It's his problem.

Also to some above posters I don't think you understand how the upgrade swap works and the unlock requirements by AT&T.
Just because you use a phone from another lines upgrade it doesn't mean now your old phone it's eligible for unlock.
The imei is still tied up under contract to the op's current line. The 5S he has now is still tied up under the other lines contract obligation and doesn't have anything to do with his iPhone 5 upgrade.

Not sure how things have changed but I bought an iPhone 4 for AT&T on Ebay. And once it got here I called AT&T to have it unlocked and they did it within 2 days.

 

[Applejuiced]

Not sure how things have changed but I bought an iPhone 4 for AT&T on Ebay. And once it got here I called AT&T to have it unlocked and they did it within 2 days.

You just gotta get lucky and find a rep that's willing to do it and bend the rules.
If they follow their rules and protocol then they will not unlock it unless the conditions are met. They have been very strict lately with iPhone unlocks.

 

[DerekRod]

Also if you're military like my self just show them your orders they will unlock them even if you are in contract though none of them advertise it very loudly

 

[BIS2]

I am in a similar situation to the OP except I am the person who bought a locked iphone 5 on ebay, hoping to get it unlocked by at&t to use on tmobile. Unfortunately I got it just before at&t got strict with their rules and now am stuck with a locked phone and have been trying various methods to get it unlocked with no success.

I keep reading that people say to call at&t and if you get the right person they can help. My question is, what number do you call? Is it the main customer service number at 1800-331-0500, or something else? Should I call that number and ask to speak to a supervisor? Every time I call I just get told "you have to do that on the website" or "Oh, its not us that won't unlock, its apple" and then they transfer me to apple, who says no its at&t. Are there any magic words I can use to hopefully get to the right department/person?

thanks.

 

[617aircav]

You just gotta get lucky and find a rep that's willing to do it and bend the rules.
If they follow their rules and protocol then they will not unlock it unless the conditions are met. They have been very strict lately with iPhone unlocks.

In his case how do you know the conditions were not met? I bought one off Craigslist and called Att and they unlocked it. The previous owner might have met the conditions already.

----------

I am in a similar situation to the OP except I am the person who bought a locked iphone 5 on ebay, hoping to get it unlocked by at&t to use on tmobile. Unfortunately I got it just before at&t got strict with their rules and now am stuck with a locked phone and have been trying various methods to get it unlocked with no success.

I keep reading that people say to call at&t and if you get the right person they can help. My question is, what number do you call? Is it the main customer service number at 1800-331-0500, or something else? Should I call that number and ask to speak to a supervisor? Every time I call I just get told "you have to do that on the website" or "Oh, its not us that won't unlock, its apple" and then they transfer me to apple, who says no its at&t. Are there any magic words I can use to hopefully get to the right department/person?

thanks.

If the previous owner has not met the unlock conditions Att will not unlock it for you. The new strictness has ruined my side used phone business. I used to buy up used phones for cheap prices on craigslist, unlock them for $5 and resell on eBay for double.

 

[btv94]

I am in a similar situation to the OP except I am the person who bought a locked iphone 5 on ebay, hoping to get it unlocked by at&t to use on tmobile. Unfortunately I got it just before at&t got strict with their rules and now am stuck with a locked phone and have been trying various methods to get it unlocked with no success.

I keep reading that people say to call at&t and if you get the right person they can help. My question is, what number do you call? Is it the main customer service number at 1800-331-0500, or something else? Should I call that number and ask to speak to a supervisor? Every time I call I just get told "you have to do that on the website" or "Oh, its not us that won't unlock, its apple" and then they transfer me to apple, who says no its at&t. Are there any magic words I can use to hopefully get to the right department/person?

thanks.

I have been trying with this method and got no where. I called I chat more than ten times so far no luck. Maybe it works 3-4 weeks ago.

 

[617aircav]

I have been trying with this method and got no where. I called I chat more than ten times so far no luck. Maybe it works 3-4 weeks ago.

If the previous owner has not met his obligation to Att they won't do it for you.

 

[mattopotamus]

Do the unlock sites not work anymore? I remember paying $10 on ebay and they unlocked my phone within an hour. Granted, this was over a year ago.

 

[alent1234]

call a CSR
AT&T has a stupid system where they look at the time the IMEI has been on the network for the contract period. my wife had an iphone 4 denied an unlock because it was replaced at the genius bar and AT&T thought she only bought it a year before that

 

[ToothTooth]

So, I recently sent an unlock request to AT&T and I just found out that AT&T denied my request for one of three following reasons:

• If you are under contract you must complete the contract period before your device can be unlocked.

• If you are a prepay customer, you must have 6 months of prepaid service.

• If you paid full price for your AT&T device and are a postpaid customer you must have at least 90 days of service with AT&T.

How does this work in relation to MVNOs? I just bought an unsubsidized, contract-free, iPhone 5c that is locked to the AT&T network but I'm using H2O Wireless (a MVNO using AT&T's network) as my prepaid service provider. Once I've had prepaid service with H2O for 6 months does that satisfy AT&T's requirement? Or does the 6 months of prepaid service have to be directly from AT&T and not one of their MVNOs?

 

[Applejuiced]

call a CSR
AT&T has a stupid system where they look at the time the IMEI has been on the network for the contract period. my wife had an iphone 4 denied an unlock because it was replaced at the genius bar and AT&T thought she only bought it a year before that

I had the same issue before.
If you save the replacement receipt from apple that shows the old IMEI number and the new phone that is replacing it then they will unlock it. You just gotta send them proof.

How does this work in relation to MVNOs? I just bought an unsubsidized, contract-free, iPhone 5c that is locked to the AT&T network but I'm using H2O Wireless (a MVNO using AT&T's network) as my prepaid service provider. Once I've had prepaid service with H2O for 6 months does that satisfy AT&T's requirement? Or does the 6 months of prepaid service have to be directly from AT&T and not one of their MVNOs?

Has to be directly from them.

Do the unlock sites not work anymore? I remember paying $10 on ebay and they unlocked my phone within an hour. Granted, this was over a year ago.

They are hit and miss. And they are up to $100-130 per unlock now.
Those $2-3 AT&T iphone unlock days are over.

 

[leviathany2k]

I purchased a used iPhone 5 from Craiglist locket to AT&T and I use H2O too.

I submit my request to unlock it with my husband's AT&T current account information but the request came back denied saying that the info does not match with the information on the account.

The phone is working and the IMEI is not reported as stolen or anything but now I cannot get in touch to the seller to request the unlock from him (If he was the original owner)

What can I do ?

 

[Newtons Apple]

I purchased a used iPhone 5 from Craiglist locket to AT&T and I use H2O too.

I submit my request to unlock it with my husband's AT&T current account information but the request came back denied saying that the info does not match with the information on the account.

The phone is working and the IMEI is not reported as stolen or anything but now I cannot get in touch to the seller to request the unlock from him (If he was the original owner)

What can I do ?

You can call ATT but unless you are the original owner they might not give you any information. Not much you can do other than getting hold of the owner and you said that was not possible.

 

[maflynn]

What can I do ?

I believe the original owner has to unlock it.

 

[EDH667]

I would try a second unlock request. On two occasions, I have tried to unlock iPhones purchased off of CL and received responses that they were still under contract. After the second request the unlocks were granted.

 

[Applejuiced]

Or you can pay to have it unlocked.
Love how people just buy locked iphones and think they can unlock them easy themselves.
AT&T has become more strict with iphone unlock requests and unless the phone was purchased under or associated to your account good chances are they will deny you.

 

[Primejimbo]

I always had issues doing this. I send in a request, it get denied, the do a on-line chat, and then it gets unlocked.