Database Users

Sim card unlock?

Hey..have ne1 found a way to sim unlock the atrix 4g? Its locked for at&t..
Sent from my MB860 using xda premium

Contact at&t for a sim unlock code or you could just buy one on the internet.
Sent from my MB860 running Jokersax's CM9

giqbal said:
Contact at&t for a sim unlock code or you could just buy one on the internet.
Sent from my MB860 running Jokersax's CM9
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Yea I actually just unlocked an Atrix today. Called ATT customer support line and hit 0 a lot, got a guy on the phone and said I bought this phone, not in contract, out of exclusivity period and dont have an ATT account, can I get the code to unlock it so that I can use it where I want to...he took about 5 minutes and got me the code.
Phone is on a Tmobile network in my friend's hands right now.
I wouldn't pay some site online and give them your IMEI number. Just seems sketchy to me.

Yeah as people said just call AT&T why pay when they will do it for free, when my friend sent me my Atrix i had to call them from the UK To get it unlocked and it was pretty simple and painless

I did, i called at&t but he said he cant give the code and that i must let the person who bought the mobile ask the for the code..i bought this mobile from someone in Lebanon ..any hacking way to unlock it? I tried the unlocking sites they sent me code but none of them worked..can any call at&t for me plz and try to get me the code? I will be verry thankfull..thank u
Sent from my MB860 using xda premium

You got lucky that AT&T gave you the code without you being their customer.
I tried it in the past with Verizon and they basically told me to bug off.
The general rule is that they give out unlock codes only to their customers after a couple of months since phone release date.
No contract phones at full price already come unlocked, so that excuse rarely works.
Anyway, some people still get lucky and get the code, but the majority isn't. It all depends on generosity of the customer rep.
I unlocked all my phones through online services, and there is nothing shady in your imei being requested, since the unlock codes get generated based on imei. AT&T will ask for you're imei as well in order to get the phone unlocked.
Sent from my MB860 using xda premium

xploited said:
You got lucky that AT&T gave you the code without you being their customer. ...
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Agreed.
As to the OP's question of "is there a hack?", I assume that there is not. Those providing codes are likely paying insiders for some private key.
To the OP, why did the person you buy the phone from not get it unlocked? If he was an ATT customer who was in Lebanon it would have been a no-brainer to do such. And it would be free. I have had no issue at all unlocking my last 3 ATT phones (via ATT) so that I could travel internationally.
Think perhaps he might not be the rightfull owner?
I really do not like the entire "locked phone" concept, but given that it exists one should know how to avoid pitfalls. Do not buy locked phones from 3rd parties unless you know what you are doing.

Yea its th first time that i buy a locked fone..i loved the atrix thats why i bought it..neway thank i guyss..
Sent from my MB860 using xda premium

SIM Unlock

Does anybody now if the ATT S4 is unlockable already? Amazon.com is selling it for 700$ and im thinking about buying, since the international is hard to find.

if you buy the phone full price, you can get the code from AT&T but they wont budge easy. prepare for a fight but it can be done, ive done it several times my self.

XsMagical said:
if you buy the phone full price, you can get the code from AT&T but they wont budge easy. prepare for a fight but it can be done, ive done it several times my self.
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The problem is I dont have ATT service..

edgarzin said:
The problem is I dont have ATT service..
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I wouldnt worry about that, just give them a call and tell them you bought the phone full price and have the receipt in hand. They will play dumb, i always ask for a manager when on the phone with them.

I bought mine full price and att said the unlock codes were not available yet and not confirmed when they will be.
Sent from my Galaxy S4

tony1208 said:
I bought mine full price and att said the unlock codes were not available yet and not confirmed when they will be.
Sent from my Galaxy S4
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That's terrible!

tony1208 said:
I bought mine full price and att said the unlock codes were not available yet and not confirmed when they will be.
Sent from my Galaxy S4
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That my friend is a bold-faced lie. No locking is done without a key available to unlock it. They just don't want to share.

Att can definitely unlock it they just choose not to. Regardless I got mine unlocked today with cellunlocker.net took about 15 minutes and cost $24.99. Got my GS4 on T-Mobile for now.

androidoholic said:
Att can definitely unlock it they just choose not to. Regardless I got mine unlocked today with cellunlocker.net took about 15 minutes and cost $24.99. Got my GS4 on T-Mobile for now.
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Further proof that the unlock code is available!

I was at AT&T. We looked up the information while in the store. If you sign the 2 year contract they will give you the unlock code after 3 months. If you pay full price and go prepaid service you have to wait 6 months before they will give you the code. I read it right from the AT&T's sales reps. tablet.

buyslake said:
I was at AT&T. We looked up the information while in the store. If you sign the 2 year contract they will give you the unlock code after 3 months. If you pay full price and go prepaid service you have to wait 6 months before they will give you the code. I read it right from the AT&T's sales reps. tablet.
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I've read several accounts of people who recently bought an Att phone at full price and with no contract who where able to unlock their phone through Att. You really have to be vigilant. I just ordered an s4 from amazon and will try to unlock it tomorrow to use with my T-Mobile sim.

I unlocked mine through a code purchased from a website. Not helpful if you're trying to get ATT to do it, but proof it can be done!
Sent from my HTC One using xda premium

C0mbe said:
I unlocked mine through a code purchased from a website. Not helpful if you're trying to get ATT to do it, but proof it can be done!
Sent from my HTC One using xda premium
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I don't know if it's against policy to list the website but if not please let me know. Also, how much did it cost you?

C0mbe said:
I unlocked mine through a code purchased from a website. Not helpful if you're trying to get ATT to do it, but proof it can be done!
Sent from my HTC One using xda premium
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Which website? I am looking to buy an unlock code as well.

androidoholic said:
Att can definitely unlock it they just choose not to. Regardless I got mine unlocked today with cellunlocker.net took about 15 minutes and cost $24.99. Got my GS4 on T-Mobile for now.
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Great to know.
Stroked from my Dirty Nocturnal'd Galaxy S4

buyslake said:
I was at AT&T. We looked up the information while in the store. If you sign the 2 year contract they will give you the unlock code after 3 months. If you pay full price and go prepaid service you have to wait 6 months before they will give you the code. I read it right from the AT&T's sales reps. tablet.
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What if we're buying this full price as a gift? Sighs, would they give unlock code?

If you unlock using a code bought from one of this website offering this kind of service would it be a permanent unlock? You won't have any problem updating firmwares, OS, or anything?

buyslake said:
I was at AT&T. We looked up the information while in the store. If you sign the 2 year contract they will give you the unlock code after 3 months. If you pay full price and go prepaid service you have to wait 6 months before they will give you the code. I read it right from the AT&T's sales reps. tablet.
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DropZite said:
If you unlock using a code bought from one of this website offering this kind of service would it be a permanent unlock? You won't have any problem updating firmwares, OS, or anything?
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This is SIM unlock (to be used on multiple carriers), will have nothing whatsoever on the firmwares or OS.

Has anyone tried using the unlock method that wlrked on the note 2 and s3?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

ktetreault14 said:
Has anyone tried using the unlock method that wlrked on the note 2 and s3?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
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Since it requires 4.1.1, there will be no luck on 4.2.2.

Called AT&T Store in NYC for the Note 3; full price at @ $725 and they will unlock

Called AT&T Store in NYC for the Note 3; full price at @ $725 and they will unlock
I just called an AT&T store in Manhattan, NY and asked about the Note 3. They said they will be able to sell the phone on Oct. 4th, but will have the units for display beginning tomorrow. They also said they will sell the phone at the full price of $725 and that they will unlock it, but they will need to order the full-priced phone online, as the in-store units are all meant for the monthly plans. They will also need me to fill out a form to get some approval from AT&T for unlocking the phone.

My question is how do they unlock them? We should do whatever they do and that way it looks legit all the way through. No tripping that e-fuse from KNOX.

SgtGoldy said:
My question is how do they unlock them? We should do whatever they do and that way it looks legit all the way through. No tripping that e-fuse from KNOX.
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Of course, I don't have the answer to how they unlock it. That may be a question for some of our XDA members who work for AT&T. Any takers?

incisivekeith said:
I just called an AT&T store in Manhattan, NY and asked about the Note 3. They said they will be able to sell the phone on Oct. 4th, but will have the units for display beginning tomorrow. They also said they will sell the phone at the full price of $725 and that they will unlock it, but they will need to order the full-priced phone online, as the in-store units are all meant for the monthly plans. They will also need me to fill out a form to get some approval from AT&T for unlocking the phone.
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SgtGoldy said:
My question is how do they unlock them? We should do whatever they do and that way it looks legit all the way through. No tripping that e-fuse from KNOX.
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Click to collapse
incisivekeith said:
Of course, I don't have the answer to how they unlock it. That may be a question for some of our XDA members who work for AT&T. Any takers?
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I don't think they mean they will unlock the bootloader, only that they will sim-unlock the phone.

http://www.att.com/esupport/article.jsp?sid=KB414532#

Zach Alt said:
I don't think they mean they will unlock the bootloader, only that they will sim-unlock the phone.
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Mind explaining a bit more of the difference? Also, is it possible for any of these awesome devs on here to replicate?

SgtGoldy said:
Mind explaining a bit more of the difference? Also, is it possible for any of these awesome devs on here to replicate?
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Unlocked bootloader means custom roms and root and whatnot. SIM unlocked means you can use an ATT phone on T-Mobile or vice versa.

Zach Alt said:
Unlocked bootloader means custom roms and root and whatnot. SIM unlocked means you can use an ATT phone on T-Mobile or vice versa.
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Quick, simple, and clear. Thanks Zach :highfive:

SgtGoldy said:
Mind explaining a bit more of the difference? Also, is it possible for any of these awesome devs on here to replicate?
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No AT&T Corporate store is going to do anything that AT&T doesn't instruct and allow them to. At least not more than once.
Here's AT&T's SIM unlock policy (from the above link).

BarryH_GEG said:
No AT&T Corporate store is going to do anything that AT&T doesn't instruct and allow them to. At least not more than once.
Here's AT&T's SIM unlock policy (from the above link).
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If you pay full price for a phone off contract they will always sim unlock it for you.

Why would you have to order the full priced one online?

drmacrofish said:
Why would you have to order the full priced one online?
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That's what I asked too, but the AT&T rep didn't have an answer. I wonder if other AT&T stores may do everything in the store.

incisivekeith said:
That's what I asked too, but the AT&T rep didn't have an answer. I wonder if other AT&T stores may do everything in the store.
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I would hope so. I went into my local one today and told them I wanted to buy one full price and he said sounds good like it wouldn't be an issue. Gave me his card and told me to call next week. I really hope I don't go in on the 4th and them have them tell me they got to order one for me and then have to wait even more. I will be sure to clarify that again next week.
This was at a corporate store by the way that I was at.

drmacrofish said:
I would hope so. I went into my local one today and told them I wanted to buy one full price and he said sounds good like it wouldn't be an issue. Gave me his card and told me to call next week. I really hope I don't go in on the 4th and them have them tell me they got to order one for me and then have to wait even more. I will be sure to clarify that again next week.
This was at a corporate store by the way that I was at.
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Or you could order one on Monday.

So this is very interesting. I had been reading on XDA that the AT&T store in Jamaica, Queens, NY, had Note 3 phones for sale, so I called them this morning and asked if they had the black Note 3 in stock. The rep said they did, after consulting his manager.
I was a little shocked to hear they had phones in stock for sale, so I asked again if he meant Note 3. He said he meant Note 3, too. Then I asked him how much it would cost me to purchase the phone at the full price and he said it would be $725, after consulting again with the manager. I said I would drop by to buy the phone and hung up.
I had a couple of other questions, so i called again a few moments later, and confirmed again that they had Note 3 in stock for sale.
So, having confirmed so many times they had the phone in stock, I made a 50-min trip to their store, and ask for the rep I spoke with. The rep met me and then asked me to wait while he would get the phone. I heard him talking to a couple of colleagues of his and I kinda knew what was coming. They were saying something from which I concluded the phone was not in stock.
The rep came to me and said they didn't have the phone. I was PISSED! I told him that i asked and confirmed so many times if they had the phone and he said they did. The rep said he had asked his manager and the manager had said they did have the phone, so he told me they had the phone.
I spoke with the manager, and he said he was sorry as there was a misunderstanding. This pissed me off more. They specifically told me the price of the full-price Note 3 was $725 on the phone, so where the freak was the chance of mixing that phone with the Note 2 or any misunderstanding? I am normally very tolerant, but this just made me mad.
The dummy manager screwed it all up, and even when apologizing, he was very dismissive, saying they don't have the phone and will let me know when it arrives. I wanted to say, " You moron, I came to this store because you were selling it today. If I wanted to wait, I could have bought from where I live instead of making a long trip to this store." But, I didn't say that, completely. I said it without the "moron" part. It took them additional five minutes to look in their system to tell me it was going to be available for sale on Oct. 4th.
The funny part was another rep was telling two women they had the Note 3 for sale while I was standing there, after being told they didn't have the Note 3. So that rep went and asked someone and came back and told the women they didn't have the phone for sale. How incompetent these reps are at that store!
Other XDA members, who work at AT&T, this post is not directed toward you. I am just sharing my experience and frustration at the misinformation from and incompetence of the store reps of the Jamaica corporate AT&T store and the dummy manager.
I checked out the display unit of Note 3 at that store, and I have to say, I wasn't very impressed, in comparison to the Note 1. The display unit's baseband version wasn't N9005, but N900auc something.

I've dealt with a lot of dummy employees and managers at the At&t stores and t-mobile in the past so I know your pain. They most likely have the phone in stock but aren't allowed to sell it till the 4th of Oct.
Sent from my GT-N7105 using xda app-developers app

Zach Alt said:
If you pay full price for a phone off contract they will always sim unlock it for you.
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If you get a T-Mobile phone and have them unlock it it will be bootloader AND sim unlocked. This locked bootloader garbage makes me want to drop AT&T.

so this is only sim unlocked ? bootloader will still be locked ?

markysd said:
so this is only sim unlocked ? bootloader will still be locked ?
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That is correct.

pretty sure u can get it unlocked on Ebay for cheaper.. Just like u can with iphones.. for a few bucks

Full retail price AT&T Note 3 Sim Unlock

My Note 3 was paid in full. I called AT&T yesterday and talked with 3 representatives.
The 1st one told me to wait a year till the end of my contract and hung me up.
The 2nd one told me to wait at least 60 days and hung me up.
The 3rd one told me to contact with Samsung to unlock. I gave him an earful and he setup a "high priority case" for getting me the unlock code.
This morning, I got the code and successfully unlock my Note 3......

reddream1893 said:
My Note 3 was paid in full. I called AT&T yesterday and talked with 3 representatives.
The 1st one told me to wait a year till the end of my contract and hung me up.
The 2nd one told me to wait at least 60 days and hung me up.
The 3rd one told me to contact with Samsung to unlock. I gave him an earful and he setup a "high priority case" for getting me the unlock code.
This morning, I got the code and successfully unlock my Note 3......
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i am not having great luck getting mine unlocked. did you go through a certain phone number or anything like that?

so the purpose of the code is to unlock the phone and be able to use with other carriers. My belief was that if you buy a phone full price, it would be automatically unlocked? Isn't that so?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using xda app-developers app

I bought mine "unlocked" at full price. I dont trust att. How does one know for sure it is unlocked? I am using a Straight Talk SIM but that runs on att system.
kraz
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

tristanstewart said:
i am not having great luck getting mine unlocked. did you go through a certain phone number or anything like that?
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i just called 611

privatewarrior1 said:
so the purpose of the code is to unlock the phone and be able to use with other carriers. My belief was that if you buy a phone full price, it would be automatically unlocked? Isn't that so?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using xda app-developers app
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No. Even with full price, the phone is locked. AT&T style.

krazman325 said:
I bought mine "unlocked" at full price. I dont trust att. How does one know for sure it is unlocked? I am using a Straight Talk SIM but that runs on att system.
kraz
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
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Actually it doesn't say "unlocked". It just says "no contract". It's still locked.

reddream1893 said:
Actually it doesn't say "unlocked". It just says "no contract". It's still locked.
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Where on the N3 does it say "no contract"? If you are referring to the purchase ad, I bought it from amazon and it said "unlocked".
kraz
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

Buying a phone from At&t at full price DOES NOT mean its unlocked. I bought two Note 3's, one full priced (from At&t Next) and one on contract.
Called the next day for unlock codes, the woman told me to call in 15 days and only the one that was paid in full could be unlocked. They just didnt have the codes in the system. I've been with At&t a few years now and my account is in good standing. Usually after a month or so I call and they give me the unlock, contract or not. But I just went ahead and ran chanfire's unlock app and it worked. Both phones unlocked. Much easier than having to hassle with At&t. I'm on At&t so I really dont care/need the unlock. But its nice to have I guess.

tyiphius said:
Buying a phone from At&t at full price DOES NOT mean its unlocked. I bought two Note 3's, one full priced (from At&t Next) and one on contract.
Called the next day for unlock codes, the woman told me to call in 15 days and only the one that was paid in full could be unlocked. They just didnt have the codes in the system. I've been with At&t a few years now and my account is in good standing. Usually after a month or so I call and they give me the unlock, contract or not. But I just went ahead and ran chanfire's unlock app and it worked. Both phones unlocked. Much easier than having to hassle with At&t. I'm on At&t so I really dont care/need the unlock. But its nice to have I guess.
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thats kind of how things went for me. in the past ive called in for an unlock and got it though those other times were after id had the phone for awhile.
this time the first person said to go to the unlock site and request it and if it was denied to call back and try another route. theyd look over my account history and all that stuff in that case. anyways, on the unlock site as soon as i put in my imei number it said it couldnt be done. i called in and the person i talked to this time said something about the unlock codes not being in the system. he sounded sincere about it and it made sense, but to be honest i really didnt believe it. i just didnt see why they wouldnt have them. in the end i ran the unlock app and its been going fine since saturday.

I have a question, If I have an Note 3 from AT&T and unlock the Note 3 and has been reported lost, I can use it with Straight Talk?

DaNnY549 said:
I have a question, If I have an Note 3 from AT&T and unlock the Note 3 and has been reported lost, I can use it with Straight Talk?
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If its "reported lost" why do YOU have it? And why are you trying to use it?
kraz
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

DaNnY549 said:
I have a question, If I have an Note 3 from AT&T and unlock the Note 3 and has been reported lost, I can use it with Straight Talk?
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The phone will be back listed with At&t. Pretty much it won't be able to be activated on At&t again. If it's unlocked it should work. However, I have seen some stores check the phone's IMEI status and they only take phone's with clean a IMEI/ESN.
But you've already given the impression that you are guilty of some suspicious activity with that post. Just be careful, and always stay legit!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk

I just asking because I have a bussiness with my Phone! I have Insurance and you know.... I have a person interested in My phone... THanks anyway

Any at&t phone with a sim card will work with straight talk. Ive had straight talk for over a year now. Couldnt b happier!! Anyways, im buying the N3 at full retail on wednesday, from AT&T, and i know for a fact it will work on straight talk. AT&T is offering white and black correct? Im going with the white. ?
Sent from my HTC Butterfly s using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

zounduser said:
Any at&t phone with a sim card will work with straight talk. Ive had straight talk for over a year now. Couldnt b happier!! Anyways, im buying the N3 at full retail on wednesday, from AT&T, and i know for a fact it will work on straight talk. AT&T is offering white and black correct? Im going with the white. ?
Sent from my HTC Butterfly s using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
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Works just fine on Straight Talk. I've been using it for a week or two...
What the previous poster said about it working on AT&T if the phone has been reported lost. If its an AT&T based MVNO such as Straight Talk, Net10, AIO, or Go Phone running on the AT&T network a lost and blacklisted phone WILL NOT work even if it's unlocked. You shouldn't have any problems using it on T-Mobile or using a T-Mobile based Straight Talk card since AT&T and T-Mobile aren't sharing blacklisted IMEI's.
And about those "lost" phones... Nothing sketchy there at all.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk

reddream1893 said:
My Note 3 was paid in full. I called AT&T yesterday and talked with 3 representatives.
The 1st one told me to wait a year till the end of my contract and hung me up.
The 2nd one told me to wait at least 60 days and hung me up.
The 3rd one told me to contact with Samsung to unlock. I gave him an earful and he setup a "high priority case" for getting me the unlock code.
This morning, I got the code and successfully unlock my Note 3......
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Will it work if you upgraded to SM-900A for Sim Unlock to any carrier??? Will they do it you think vs you paid full price??

Sim Unlock
There's SIM unlock instructions from other post in General section, just root the phone and use Chainfire's Region Lock Away. And its free.
Please keep in mind, once you root your phone ISIS mobile wallet will not work... Which is fine, I don't use it enough to care about it.
---------- Post added at 05:32 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:09 PM ----------
Here are the links to SIM unlock from this XDA developers, please thanks them for their hard work.
ROOT instructions:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2475552
Region Lock Away - will also unlock carrier - Confirmed on 2 Note 3s on AT&T.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2470551
Please thanks if I've helped in any ways.
If your phone is reported "lost or stolen" it will be blacklist from the original carrier and eventually to all US carriers.

Note 3 blocked by T-Mobile, need advice

Hey guys, i've got a problem and I need some advice/options.
Long story short, as some of you may know, I bought my T-Mobile branded Note 3 on Swappa in November. Of course, Swappa says that they check IMEIs and the seller assured me that the phone was fully paid for, but a few days ago my Note 3 was blocked/blacklisted (whatever you call it) by T-Mobile for non-payment of EIP.
I have tried to resolve the issue through communicating with the seller and Swappa, but there's really nothing to be done. The seller won't refund my money, Swappa is powerless, and Paypal says the transaction is past their 45 day dispute period. The phone isn't even unlocked, so I can't even try and use it on another carrier right now.
So at this point i'm trying to minimize my losses. I am open to any suggestions as to how I can either:
1. find a way to get the phone unlocked and use it on another carrier (I know that when a T-Mobile phone is blocked or blacklisted, they share that info now with AT&T, but i'm hoping I can use it on Simple Mobile or Straight Talk or Walmart's service)
or
2. sell the phone internationally (with full disclosure of the fact that the phone is blocked on T-Mobile/AT&T of course, but it shouldn't matter if someone wants to use it outside of the US, right?)
or
3. sell the phone as a 'dev' device (at a substantial loss i'm sure), but I have no idea how to do this or even whether a dev would want a phone that is blocked (don't they need to test network stuff?).
I'm trying to find a way to make the best of a bad situation. Any one who reads this post and wants to give me some decent advice is welcome. But if you just want to start trolling PLEASE JUST GO AWAY. I have enough problems as it is right now.
In any case, i've learned my lesson. No more Craigslist, no more Negri, no more Swappa. I'm just gonna pony up the money and get my phones directly from T-Mobile. The money I thought I was saving doesn't look like such a deal anymore.

Ah damn, yeah seems a lot of people have fallen into the same trap you have unfortunately.
Well you could try another network. . However the chances are high that it'll be blocked all over the US. - yes you could sell it internationally and disclose the issue but the frequency has a different range(?) - this would probably be your best option.
If not then you'd just have to take the hit on it, toss it away or use as a media device. And put it down to a very bad lesson learnt the hard way :-/
Sent from my SM-N9005 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

radicalisto said:
Ah damn, yeah seems a lot of people have fallen into the same trap you have unfortunately.
Well you could try another network. . However the chances are high that it'll be blocked all over the US. - yes you could sell it internationally and disclose the issue but the frequency has a different range(?) - this would probably be your best option.
If not then you'd just have to take the hit on it, toss it away or use as a media device. And put it down to a very bad lesson learnt the hard way :-/
Sent from my SM-N9005 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
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Click to collapse
Appreciate the response, but now way I could toss $650 away. It took me a few months to save that up. That's why i'm trying to salvage whatever I can of this situation.
Perhaps there's a Canadian carrier uses the same frequencies as T-Mobile? Anyone know a site that would help me compare GSM bands/frequencies to see which countries would be the best option for reselling?

You could have a scan on gsmarena they detail frequencies on the different models.
Yeah it's definitely an expensive error for sure, assume T - Mobile aren't too keen to help at all then?
Sent from my SM-N9005 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

radicalisto said:
You could have a scan on gsmarena they detail frequencies on the different models.
Yeah it's definitely an expensive error for sure, assume T - Mobile aren't too keen to help at all then?
Sent from my SM-N9005 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
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No, T-Mobile won't give me any info because i'm not the original account holder for the phone. T-Mobile will probably go after that person, but it's probably just a tax write off for them.

Try RegionLock away on Play store or buy an unlock code then try with a pre-paid service. GL

RMXO said:
Try RegionLock away on Play store or buy an unlock code then try with a pre-paid service. GL
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Won't help.... Phone has been blacklisted...
Unless you can get the carrier to take it off the blacklist it won't be allowed to connect to any network in that country (theoretically)...
Just a thought though - if the phone hasn't been paid for to the carrier, it's on the blacklist and you are caught trying to use it, you may find yourself charged with possession of stolen goods... Unless you have a receipt that states it was sold to you. Either way though you will loose the phone...

Techngro said:
Hey guys, i've got a problem and I need some advice/options.
Long story short, as some of you may know, I bought my T-Mobile branded Note 3 on Swappa in November. Of course, Swappa says that they check IMEIs and the seller assured me that the phone was fully paid for, but a few days ago my Note 3 was blocked/blacklisted (whatever you call it) by T-Mobile for non-payment of EIP.
I have tried to resolve the issue through communicating with the seller and Swappa, but there's really nothing to be done. The seller won't refund my money, Swappa is powerless, and Paypal says the transaction is past their 45 day dispute period. The phone isn't even unlocked, so I can't even try and use it on another carrier right now.
So at this point i'm trying to minimize my losses. I am open to any suggestions as to how I can either:
1. find a way to get the phone unlocked and use it on another carrier (I know that when a T-Mobile phone is blocked or blacklisted, they share that info now with AT&T, but i'm hoping I can use it on Simple Mobile or Straight Talk or Walmart's service)
or
2. sell the phone internationally (with full disclosure of the fact that the phone is blocked on T-Mobile/AT&T of course, but it shouldn't matter if someone wants to use it outside of the US, right?)
or
3. sell the phone as a 'dev' device (at a substantial loss i'm sure), but I have no idea how to do this or even whether a dev would want a phone that is blocked (don't they need to test network stuff?).
I'm trying to find a way to make the best of a bad situation. Any one who reads this post and wants to give me some decent advice is welcome. But if you just want to start trolling PLEASE JUST GO AWAY. I have enough problems as it is right now.
In any case, i've learned my lesson. No more Craigslist, no more Negri, no more Swappa. I'm just gonna pony up the money and get my phones directly from T-Mobile. The money I thought I was saving doesn't look like such a deal anymore.
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bad luck for you.
But i can tell you a thing or 2 about selling phone internationally.
your t-mobile fone can be used here in SEA region and for the N3 its probably multi band.so selling it internationally shouldn't be an issue for you.but you'll probably want to sell it at a huge discount.
from past experience,t-mobile's GSM frequency is the same as those in my country and i have no issues using T-mo fone here.my signature should tell you what t-mo fones i had.but i cannot say if the 4g band is the same though.so dun worry about the GSM band being compatible or not,that's the buyer's responsibility.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GSM_frequency_bands)
i am not sure if there is a way to sim unlock your fone without having to buy a unlock code(i noe the sensation 4g had a way to remove sim lock altogether),if you do find a way,there is no harm testing to see if you can still use the fone on other networks.
take it as a hard lesson learned bro but dun give up trying other ways to use your fone,i am pretty sure the journey is educational.like how i tried to make t-mo fones work in my country.

I might be wrong but its only blacklisted IMEI NUMBER? in UK its illegal to change it. But I think you end up selling it OK on ebay
with NO RETURNS OR REFUND!
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium

ultramag69 said:
Won't help.... Phone has been blacklisted...
Unless you can get the carrier to take it off the blacklist it won't be allowed to connect to any network in that country (theoretically)...
Just a thought though - if the phone hasn't been paid for to the carrier, it's on the blacklist and you are caught trying to use it, you may find yourself charged with possession of stolen goods... Unless you have a receipt that states it was sold to you. Either way though you will loose the phone...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I do have a receipt from both Paypal and Swappa. But I think would only work if it has been reported lost or stolen by the original owner. I don't think that's the case. T-Mobile said it was blocked for non-payment of EIP. Guess the guy just flipped the phone as soon as he signed the contract. People suck.
frostmore said:
bad luck for you.
But i can tell you a thing or 2 about selling phone internationally.
your t-mobile fone can be used here in SEA region and for the N3 its probably multi band.so selling it internationally shouldn't be an issue for you.but you'll probably want to sell it at a huge discount.
from past experience,t-mobile's GSM frequency is the same as those in my country and i have no issues using T-mo fone here.my signature should tell you what t-mo fones i had.but i cannot say if the 4g band is the same though.so dun worry about the GSM band being compatible or not,that's the buyer's responsibility.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GSM_frequency_bands)
i am not sure if there is a way to sim unlock your fone without having to buy a unlock code(i noe the sensation 4g had a way to remove sim lock altogether),if you do find a way,there is no harm testing to see if you can still use the fone on other networks.
take it as a hard lesson learned bro but dun give up trying other ways to use your fone,i am pretty sure the journey is educational.like how i tried to make t-mo fones work in my country.
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Click to collapse
Yes, very educational. I used to buy my phone on Craigslist. I never once got scammed. But then Craigslist turned into Scam Central Station. So I went to Swappa because they use Paypal and I thought that would give me some protection. Turns out, the only way to ensure that you won't get a phone that will be blocked or blacklisted later is to get it directly from the source. It's turning out to be an expensive lesson. :crying:
How much of a discount do you normally get when you purchase a T-Mobile phone? I don't want to lose $200. It would make more sense to just get a cheap 4G phone and tether it to my Note 3 and use it as a little tablet.
jowett69 said:
I might be wrong but its only blacklisted IMEI NUMBER? in UK its illegal to change it. But I think you end up selling it OK on ebay
with NO RETURNS OR REFUND!
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium
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Click to collapse
Yes, I would have to do it that way, but i'm worried now about losing too much money trying to sell it. If I sell it internationally, I don't see why I should lose that much, since the T-Mobile block only applies to the US.

Another option?
I really don't want to lose my $30 5GB plan. I've been looking on Amazon and saw that they have some cheap T-Mobile 4G phones like this Nokia Lumia 521: http://goo.gl/KgvOgR
My thought is, I can purchase that, tether my Note 3 to it and keep using it. 90% of what I do on my Note 3 is data/browsing, gaming, etc. So if I can tether to the Lumia, I guess it would work.
Any thoughts?

Was the Paypal transaction a credit card one? If so, I would contact them directly (you may have recourse for up to 3 months?). I use Paypal but always use my credit card to pay for items and never my bank account because Paypal will not stand behind the purchase if they have a way out.

FedUpx2 said:
Was the Paypal transaction a credit card one? If so, I would contact them directly (you may have recourse for up to 3 months?). I use Paypal but always use my credit card to pay for items and never my bank account because Paypal will not stand behind the purchase if they have a way out.
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No, unfortunately, it was a bank account. Sigh...

UPDATE
So here's an update on my situation.
After considering my options, I ordered a Straight Talk AT&T sim card a few days ago. It was only $7 with free shipping, so I figured I might as well give it a try. It got here today, so I got Chainfire's RegionLock Away app and followed the instructions here (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2471742) to unlock my Note 3 using the Straight Talk sim card. Didn't have a single problem getting it unlocked. Total cost to unlock ~ $10.
Once it was unlocked, I signed up for the $45 Straight Talk plan (which ends up around $50 with taxes/fees), and after a couple of reboots, I have service. The service seems pretty fast, but I don't want to do a speedtest because it's just a waste of my limited data allotment. It shows as being 4G LTE, but I don't know if that's the case.
So, I pay $20 more for half the data, and I have a Note 3 that is worth considerably less than what I paid for it only a couple of months ago on Swappa. I've definitely learned a valuable lesson here. But at least I have a working phone, so there's that.
Thanks for all of the suggestions guys.

That's awesome and glad you are able to use the phone normally.

Techngro said:
So here's an update on my situation.
After considering my options, I ordered a Straight Talk AT&T sim card a few days ago. It was only $7 with free shipping, so I figured I might as well give it a try. It got here today, so I got Chainfire's RegionLock Away app and followed the instructions here (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2471742) to unlock my Note 3 using the Straight Talk sim card. Didn't have a single problem getting it unlocked. Total cost to unlock ~ $10.
Once it was unlocked, I signed up for the $45 Straight Talk plan (which ends up around $50 with taxes/fees), and after a couple of reboots, I have service. The service seems pretty fast, but I don't want to do a speedtest because it's just a waste of my limited data allotment. It shows as being 4G LTE, but I don't know if that's the case.
So, I pay $20 more for half the data, and I have a Note 3 that is worth considerably less than what I paid for it only a couple of months ago on Swappa. I've definitely learned a valuable lesson here. But at least I have a working phone, so there's that.
Thanks for all of the suggestions guys.
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Click to collapse
Sorry to hear about your problems. Even though a couple people had the same issue with phones from Negri Electronics, mine purchased from Negri still says that the IMEI is not recognized when checked and it works fine on T-Mobile or AT&T (tested with sister's T-Mobile SIM and daily use with AT&T grandfathered Unlimited) with LTE. I am very happy. T-Mobile was going to make me spend $791 + at least 45 days of unwanted service before I could even request an unlock and they have 7 days to respond (52 days of unwanted service?). That's not a deal.
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk

CZroe said:
Sorry to hear about your problems. Even though a couple people had the same issue with phones from Negri Electronics, mine purchased from Negri still says that the IMEI is not recognized when checked and it works fine on T-Mobile or AT&T (tested with sister's T-Mobile SIM and daily use with AT&T grandfathered Unlimited) with LTE. I am very happy. T-Mobile was going to make me spend $791 + at least 45 days of unwanted service before I could even request an unlock and they have 7 days to respond (52 days of unwanted service?). That's not a deal.
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk
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Well, i'm glad that Negri made someone happy. There were plenty of people on this forum who felt they were getting scammed by them and had to cancel preorders after waiting 3 weeks for a shipment that never happened.
You might feel you're getting a deal, and maybe you are, and i'm glad for you. But for me, as I said, I learned a very expensive lesson from my experiences with both Negri and Swappa. It's only a deal when it works out the way you want it to. When you get screwed like I did, it stops being a deal. Not only did my phone get blocked, I now pay more money for less service. The extra $100 in savings isn't worth the risk for me anymore.