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AT&T Will Unlock Off-Contract iPhones Starting Sunday, April 8

Now if only Softbank would get off their high-horse and unlock phones as well, it'd be a much better world.

FYI: Had to buy un-subsidized locked iPhone b/c SoftBank in Japan won't allow non-softbank phones on their network, and unless your VISA is 2 years you cannot subsidize the phone.
 
AT&T iphone unlock

I am going to buy a $25 gophone prepaid :wait 90 days and will be able to unlock 5 eBay iphones : will this work:D
 
Blorzoga said:
A no contract phone should already be unlocked. If it wasn't, you were ripped off.
Click to expand...

Not with AT&T. Before Apple started selling unlocked GSM iPhones (in 2011), even no contract (full priced) iPhones were locked to AT&T in the US. The only difference compared to the subsidized phones was that you could choose a "pay as you go" or any other non-contractual plan with AT&T.
 
Got service via chat last night, and got 3 case numbers: 2 for my iPhone 4s and one for an old 3G I had lying around. 12 hours later, zip. Though the rep did tell me it could take 24-48 hours I seem to see a lot of unlocks going through pretty fast here. Am I doing something wrong?
 
June 7 2012

How can anybody get an unlock if NO iPhone 4 is older that June 7 2010
cos it aint 2 years yet !
Just because you have a case number doesnt mean an automatic unlock
 
Iamkeithtait said:
How can anybody get an unlock if NO iPhone 4 is older that June 7 2010
cos it aint 2 years yet !
Just because you have a case number doesnt mean an automatic unlock
Click to expand...

I moved overseas and paid my bill and the early termination fee. I'm eligible.
 
Ferlokee said:
GreemMonster: can you send me their telephone NUmber??
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PaulDoFish said:
I used Skype to call 1-800-3310500, then pressed 1, then pressed 0 to get to an AT&T service representative.

If others are in the same situation as me (iPhone from craigslist, no AT&T account, etc), you should try to give them a call!!! It could work ;)
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Ferlokee, I called the 1-800-331-0500 like PaulDoFish did...

I know having a case opened doesn't guarantee an unlock, but it did sound promising...

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Iamkeithtait said:
How can anybody get an unlock if NO iPhone 4 is older that June 7 2010
cos it aint 2 years yet !
Click to expand...

The phone just has to be "off contract"... and there's a lot of different ways to do that and still have your account in "good standing".

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Iamkeithtait said:
I am going to buy a $25 gophone prepaid :wait 90 days and will be able to unlock 5 eBay iphones : will this work:D
Click to expand...

You don't need an account to request an unlock... I am running my iPhone as a goPhone, but didn't want to tell ATT that :) So I just told them I didn't have a current account...

Hmmm... since I only gave them my name, imei, state, and email, how are they going to track my request to see if I've hit the limit of unlock requests per year... hmmm... interesting...
 
Iamkeithtait said:
I am going to buy a $25 gophone prepaid :wait 90 days and will be able to unlock 5 eBay iphones : will this work:D
Click to expand...

This will actually make things worse. For some reason they are intentionally denying GoPhone customers. I had to give them my old postpaid account number from an old bill for them to be able to help me.
 
Hi All,

Called AT&T today from Beirut, or rather, called them and then got them to call me back so I didn't bleed cash while on hold.

When I finally got out of a cycle of re-routing to the wrong department, I spoke to a very friendly lady who took my IMEI number and said my unlock would be processed and emailed to me in 48-72 hours.

I should say I paid extra for my iPhone 4S since I lost my old one in Hurricane Irene, so I did not pay the super-subsidized rate. I think I was charged $549. But my IMEI number was from the new phone, which was replaced because it wasn't working, so I think because it didn't show up in the system they just went ahead and processed it. They did not ask for any proof or receipts for anything I told them, but everything I told them was true, so I guess that's good karma?

If the email comes and the unlock works, I will post and let everyone know. I will also stay with AT&T when I return to the US... finally they do the right thing!
 
Just did a chat with AT&T. I bought my iPhone 4S in October '11 while under an enterprise account. Since then, I left that company, kept my account under AT&T and was moved to month to month. I show I am out of contract however the rep on the chat did ask how much I paid for the phone.

He put through the request and I will see if it will process through. Again since I am out of contract and on a month to month, I am thinking positive.
 
Troubles..

Called ATT about my iPhone 4 which I received as a gift. It was purchased off-contract and never activated on an ATT line. After some trouble, I got a case submitted based on an old terminated account.

Now, I've received an email asking to fax proof of purchase. Unfortunately, that was never given to me and the gifter has told me it's long gone since they gave me the phone about a year and a half ago.

I called ATT again and they told me without proof of purchase, they cannot give me the unlock. I've called again and submitted a new case, but if the result is the same, does anyone have any tips? Or would anyone with an active account be willing to help me get this phone unlocked for a fee? It'd be very much appreciated.
 
Did the online chat this morning for my old 3GS. I was told that I'll get an email confirming but that it might take until April 18 to complete.

I guess they're rather swamped with requests to give us our hardware back.
 
ummmwoah said:
Called ATT about my iPhone 4 which I received as a gift. It was purchased off-contract and never activated on an ATT line. After some trouble, I got a case submitted based on an old terminated account.

Now, I've received an email asking to fax proof of purchase. Unfortunately, that was never given to me and the gifter has told me it's long gone since they gave me the phone about a year and a half ago.

I called ATT again and they told me without proof of purchase, they cannot give me the unlock. I've called again and submitted a new case, but if the result is the same, does anyone have any tips? Or would anyone with an active account be willing to help me get this phone unlocked for a fee? It'd be very much appreciated.
Click to expand...

It might be worth trying to get in touch with one of the chat representatives. Phone representatives asked me for proof of purchase; chat reps didn't.
 
terraphantm said:
It might be worth trying to get in touch with one of the chat representatives. Phone representatives asked me for proof of purchase; chat reps didn't.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply. The problem is that I don't currently have an ATT line of service so I can't access the live chat option. It just keeps taking me to a sign-in page.

Also, it's strange because they didn't actually mention needing proof of purchase during the call. It was only after the case was already submitted that I received an email asking for a fax with this information.
 
Anyone actuallly know if the proof of purchase is required? because a proof of purchase could be just a reciept from the store but it wouldn't have the IMEI number.. You think At&t is that organized to cross check every iphone requesting an unlock?
 
wonlilaznboi said:
Anyone actuallly know if the proof of purchase is required? because a proof of purchase could be just a reciept from the store but it wouldn't have the IMEI number.. You think At&t is that organized to cross check every iphone requesting an unlock?
Click to expand...

I think they're just asking for proof to eliminate the number of false requests. From AT&T's end, a contract-free phone and an Apple-replaced phone will look the same. By asking for some proof of purchases, they greatly reduce the number of people with warranty-replaced phones still under contract getting unlocks.

Apple store receipts do show the IMEI btw. Best buy and the rest probably don't though.
 
yeah i understand that.. So their just doing this to hopefully root out the fakes? But do you think they'll check them all? or what? because anything could be a proof of purchase....

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terraphantm said:
I think they're just asking for proof to eliminate the number of false requests. From AT&T's end, a contract-free phone and an Apple-replaced phone will look the same. By asking for some proof of purchases, they greatly reduce the number of people with warranty-replaced phones still under contract getting unlocks.

Apple store receipts do show the IMEI btw. Best buy and the rest probably don't though.
Click to expand...

yeah i understand that.. So their just doing this to hopefully root out the fakes? But do you think they'll check them all? or what? because anything could be a proof of purchase.... and any ideas on how i could fake a proof of purchase? and btw how would they link up who faxed them a proof of purchase with who's phone corresponds to the proof of purchase...
 
wonlilaznboi said:
yeah i understand that.. So their just doing this to hopefully root out the fakes? But do you think they'll check them all? or what? because anything could be a proof of purchase.... and any ideas on how i could fake a proof of purchase? and btw how would they link up who faxed them a proof of purchase with who's phone corresponds to the proof of purchase...
Click to expand...

I don't think they'll verify it beyond just looking at the paper. That in itself should weed out a significant majority of the fakes.
 
wonlilaznboi said:
so we basically just fax it to them? and how will they know that the proof of purchase i sent is from me? and which phones' imei they correspond to?
Click to expand...

That's what I was thinking. Also I was wondering if I have to pay the full retail price in order for it to be unlocked. I only paid 325 for it
 
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