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Reliable way to unlock Tmobile 5S

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macrumors 6502
Original poster
Feb 12, 2012
320
47
Heres the skinny,

My stepdaughters retarded/cheap father got her a 5S, but on the wrong carrier.
Brand new in the box. Found out it was for Tmobile from Apple.
Called Tmobile and got the run around and after they promised to unlock later said it needed to be on their network for 40 days first which is not an option.

I look at it as I have 3 options now:
1. I can spend a few bucks to unlock it if I can find a reliable service (it is gold like she really wanted so I would prefer this)
2. Sell it on CL and deal with the rifraff and try to make enough to get her one on my carrier (ATT) with a partial upgrade
3. Sell to Gazelle and be $100 short of getting what I need for a partial from ATT for a new one.

Any suggestions on how to preferably unlock or a place to get better than Gazelle pricing for a brand new never activated phone?
 
option 4..

go to apple and bring the phone and ask for a swap. If its brand new and in box they will do it. No questions asked as long as you have a receipt.
 
Well not that simple that would be a great option.

Here is more of the scenario.
His GF works at a pawn shop so he got it from there. I am thinking someone got it under their full upgrade for cheap/free and then sold it immediately to the pawnshop for a profit while still in the original wrapping.

She unwrapped it sat night to activate it and ran into this problem. We did not know this until he informed us of this. I thought he was really generous and bought her a non contract phone.
I was sadly dissapointed to say the least and now trying to fix the problem without putting out too much money to fix the problem.

I checked with apple and is deff a legit unit and still has quite a bit of warranty left and is locked on Tmobile network as per Apple directly.
Tmobile probably wont unlock it because they essentially didnt make any money off it and the person probably didnt pay their bill?
I can only assume this from the area it came from.
 
If it is sold directly from apple it is unlocked, I am using my tmobile model on cincinnati bell now. If it was purchased from tmobile originally it is unlocked and you have to go through the procedures mentioned above
 
It is deff locked.
Apple confirmed it is locked as well as ATT sims stating not valid on it.
I dont mind trying an unlock service as long as they work.
 
get the t-mobile plan for $30 a month and unlock it after the 40 days is up. Thats what I would do..
 
If the Tmobile phone was bought from Apple it should have been unlocked. Considering it wasn't unlocked means it was bought from a store not called the Apple store...likely a Tmobile retail store.

Tmobile won't unlock it unless you have 40 days of postpaid service.

Why pay $135 for an unlock?

Just do 2 months of regular service for $50 a pop at least you can use the phone.
 
I dunno, a phone from a pawn shop probably means someone got it on EIP and pawned it as soon as they got it.

.....

I'd be really nervous about that phone randomly getting blocked for non-payment :(
 
Col Ronson said:
If the Tmobile phone was bought from Apple it should have been unlocked. Considering it wasn't unlocked means it was bought from a store not called the Apple store...likely a Tmobile retail store.

Tmobile won't unlock it unless you have 40 days of postpaid service.

Why pay $135 for an unlock?

Just do 2 months of regular service for $50 a pop at least you can use the phone.
Click to expand...

Paying $35 for not having to wait 40 days. Time is money.
 
Col Ronson said:
If the Tmobile phone was bought from Apple it should have been unlocked. Considering it wasn't unlocked means it was bought from a store not called the Apple store...likely a Tmobile retail store.

Tmobile won't unlock it unless you have 40 days of postpaid service.

Why pay $135 for an unlock?

Just do 2 months of regular service for $50 a pop at least you can use the phone.
Click to expand...

40 days prepaid works as well...I did it with the iPhone 5 I bought on the day T-mobile launched. But yea, I agree with those who say to just ride out 40 days with T-mobile, then move to ATT later if you really want to. You can port the number if you are worried about keeping the same phone number.
 
Very strange that someone would sell a brand new 5s to a pawn shop, which don't offer good prices. I would be concerned with the phone being blocked by the carrier due to the customers non payment.
 
YMark said:
Waiting 40 days will cost him $100 ($50 / month with TMO). Not waiting will cost $135 = $35 difference.
Click to expand...

Sorry. Didn't realize you were doing that math. Personally, i'd do the $30 for 100 minutes/unlimited text/unlimited data plan instead. Then it's only $60 for the two months. Savings of $75.
 
It's clean.
I checked the eimei as well as talked to apple.
Someone probably got it on full discount and then immediately sold it to get more cash.
I don't care how it worked but I'm sure both apple and tmobile would have told me it was stolen by now as well as Att when I went to trade it in

Nonetheless, I may just gazelle it and spend the extra $100 to get her a 5s on Att with partial.
It will be cheaper that way . Just need to wait a week or two until they pay me



.
I'm not trying to create service with a bad quality carrier just to use the phone. I want to unlock to use on my network or sell and get the art equivelant
I do t trust tmobile to reqlly unlock it.
They already gave me 4 diff stories as well as went back on their promise of crediting etf's in the past.
I refuse to do business with them as well as sprint
 
Find another pawn shop with one on the correct network, then pay a small amount extra for the correct one. Or tell your stepdaughters dad to sort the problem, why should you have the stress?!
 
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