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Petition AT&T Unlock iPhones to people who are not current or former customers

I understand the frustrations of the black market resell market.

But AT&T policy is fair (finally now).

Because ATT cannot fully verify where these iPhone 4S where brought.

Did original customer default on account and fail to pay? And just resold these $650 iPhone for pure profit??

Think about it. There could be identity fraud. Someone opens up new account. Buys 5 iPhones at $200/each. Ships it to fraudulent addresses. Reselling them for $600 each. They made $2000 profit off identity fraud. No way AT&T will want these iPhone 4S unlocked.

There is sneaky thing tmobile USA people are doing also. They buy full price Phones on monthly payment. They pay maybe one month but than resell to Craigslist. Buyers than find out the phones cannot be activated on tmobile because seller defaulted on payment plans.

That's why AT&T policy is the way it is.

If you have a 3GS they should unlock it since its been 2 years. But 90% plus of iPhone 4 contract have not been terminated yet or the etf has not been paid for.
 
+1 aneftp

I was an AT&T customer when it was Cingular. My brother in law cancelled his iPHone 4 AT&T 7 months into his 2 year contract and went with Sprint. I bought his iPhone 4 and was one of the lucky ones to get it unlocked by AT&T on the second attempt (not being a current AT&T customer). The first AT&T Rep told me that it was not eligible because my brother in law did not pay the ETF. I called back that same night and a gal gave me a case number and got it unlocked two weeks later. I started having problems with the home button last month and Apple replaced it with an unlocked iPhone (since it was still under warranty and the unlock was TRUE).
 
I won't sign the petition. My iPhone 4S was stolen (and most likely sold on Craigslist). If someone buys or steals an AT&T locked phone where they were not the original owner should not have the ability for a sanctioned unlock through AT&T.

If that were the case, then thieves everywhere would be unlocking iPhones that they stole left and right and upping it's value therefore upping the price and incentive in stealing iPhones.
 
quietstormSD said:
I won't sign the petition. My iPhone 4S was stolen (and most likely sold on Craigslist). If someone buys or steals an AT&T locked phone where they were not the original owner should not have the ability for a sanctioned unlock through AT&T.

If that were the case, then thieves everywhere would be unlocking iPhones that they stole left and right and upping it's value therefore upping the price and incentive in stealing iPhones.
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A simple solution to that would be to block phones reported stolen. AT&T has the capability but refuses. No idea why.
 
Why should at&t unlock your phone if you were never even on their service? That's funny you even think they should.
 
Diode said:
A simple solution to that would be to block phones reported stolen. AT&T has the capability but refuses. No idea why.
Click to expand...

I remember somewhere in the article/news about major carrier are going to start implementing this new policy soon. So eventually, AT&T will start blocking imei. Not sure when but they will.
 
DroidRules said:
Why should at&t unlock your phone if you were never even on their service? That's funny you even think they should.
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Such a phone does not exist. If it was sold for a low price with subsidy it was on an AT&T plan. If it was sold at full price you deserve an unlock.

I think the US is looking at forming a law for stolen phone blocking, this would be great.
 
MaxBurn said:
Such a phone does not exist. If it was sold for a low price with subsidy it was on an AT&T plan. If it was sold at full price you deserve an unlock.

I think the US is looking at forming a law for stolen phone blocking, this would be great.
Click to expand...
Not sure I understand your argument. If the owner of the phone was never on the at&t network what would be the obligation to unlock it? I have an at&t phone. I sell the phone to person X that has never been on the at&t network. Why should at&t unlock that phone for that person? Now they should unlock it for me as I was using their service.
 
DroidRules said:
Not sure I understand your argument. If the owner of the phone was never on the at&t network what would be the obligation to unlock it? I have an at&t phone. I sell the phone to person X that has never been on the at&t network. Why should at&t unlock that phone for that person? Now they should unlock it for me as I was using their service.
Click to expand...

What does the person matter? Either the phone got off of the contract through ETF or based on time and should be unlocked or it didn't and shouldn't be unlocked.
 
MaxBurn said:
What does the person matter? Either the phone got off of the contract through ETF or based on time and should be unlocked or it didn't and shouldn't be unlocked.
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It's a service they provide THEIR customers, why should they provide it to just any one? YOU (a person that was never with at&t) didn't benefit at&t in any way so why should they let you benefit from them?

I'm not saying that's right or wrong, I'm just saying I think it's silly to expect an unlock from a company with which you never had a business relationship.
 
DroidRules said:
It's a service they provide THEIR customers, why should they provide it to just any one? YOU (a person that was never with at&t) didn't benefit at&t in any way so why should they let you benefit from them?

I'm not saying that's right or wrong, I'm just saying I think it's silly to expect an unlock from a company with which you never had a business relationship.
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Makes sense.
It's like walking in at a McDonalds having a bag of burger king food with you and asking them for napkins, ketchup, and other stuff for free:)
 
Applejuiced said:
Makes sense.
It's like walking in at a McDonalds having a bag of burger king food with you and asking them for napkins, ketchup, and other stuff for free:)
Click to expand...

No it isn't, it would be like walking into a burger king with a burger king burger asking for condiments to go but nothing to drink so you can go get your beverage of choice at a dunkin donuts which you prefer over their fountain drinks.

You aren't asking AT&T to unlock a T-Mobile phone here. It's an AT&T phone that may or may not have been on their network at some time but it is locked to their network. They can look up and see if the contract was completed OK or you can provide a receipt that it was purchased full price and they will unlock like the apple stores were (and still are??) doing.

I am pretty sure I flew in under the wire but when I did my unlock I did make sure they knew I was currently a Go Phone subscriber, they could tell by my number. Maybe someone stuck could try that angle? Or go on a monthly full AT&T service without contract term commitment? Should get you in the door past this technicality.

It is pretty nice that they are unlocking some phones but I really don't agree with that detail. I don't agree with the crap they just pulled over on the Go Phone side either so I am ditching them also. I honestly don't know why carriers need to be such dirtbags in the US.
 
I don't think I understand this at all. Why would AT&T unlock a phone that belongs to another carrier?
 
jessica. said:
I don't think I understand this at all. Why would AT&T unlock a phone that belongs to another carrier?
Click to expand...

They wouldn't and I don't believe they can. People are asking AT&T to unlock an AT&T phone and are getting refused. As if they forgot the whole reason to unlock is to go somewhere to someone else.
 
Well right, if I were an AT&T customer then I get it ... otherwise I don't get how anyone could ask them to unlock a phone that isn't even on their own carrier to begin with.
 
MaxBurn said:
No it isn't, it would be like walking into a burger king with a burger king burger asking for condiments to go but nothing to drink so you can go get your beverage of choice at a dunkin donuts which you prefer over their fountain drinks.

You aren't asking AT&T to unlock a T-Mobile phone here. It's an AT&T phone that may or may not have been on their network at some time but it is locked to their network. They can look up and see if the contract was completed OK or you can provide a receipt that it was purchased full price and they will unlock like the apple stores were (and still are??) doing.

I am pretty sure I flew in under the wire but when I did my unlock I did make sure they knew I was currently a Go Phone subscriber, they could tell by my number. Maybe someone stuck could try that angle? Or go on a monthly full AT&T service without contract term commitment? Should get you in the door past this technicality.

It is pretty nice that they are unlocking some phones but I really don't agree with that detail. I don't agree with the crap they just pulled over on the Go Phone side either so I am ditching them also. I honestly don't know why carriers need to be such dirtbags in the US.
Click to expand...

I got my iphone stolen a few months back. Lets say said person was an Tmobile customer and really wants to use the iphone on tmobile. Are you saying that they be able to call at&t and have them unlock it? The contract associated with that phone would be finished as I am paying for it even though I am not using that phone anymore.
 
Xgm541 said:
I got my iphone stolen a few months back. Lets say said person was an Tmobile customer and really wants to use the iphone on tmobile. Are you saying that they be able to call at&t and have them unlock it? The contract associated with that phone would be finished as I am paying for it even though I am not using that phone anymore.
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Wouldn't work, your contract isn't finished (assuming you did not pay ETF) so it wouldn't meet that term. Also they can't produce a receipt to say they paid full price so it wouldn't meet that term either. Lastly if AT&T is doing the right thing they are flagging that IMEI as stolen which sounds iffy at the moment for AT&T. That part would require you telling AT&T about the stolen/lost phone.
 
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