Question about unlocking a phone

V

Video-Gamer

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Hi, here is a quick question.
I have an aunt who is with AT&T and she is eligible to upgrade for an iPhone 5 by paying the $150-$200 or whatever the upgrade price is. She called me and asked me if I want an iPhone 5 and only thing I gotta pay for is the upgrade fee which I dont mind.
I would like to know if its Legal for me to unlock this iPhone by purchasing a factory unlock code on ebay and make sure this doesnt conflict with any laws.

Any info on this would be appreciated.
 
Before you do anything, what service provider are you using? If it's ATT, you don't need to unlock anything, but if you're on Tmobile, I wouldn't bother with the phone at all.

If you're on ATT, you should also be aware that data is mandatory on your account.
 
Yes, it is.illegal to unlock any phone sold in the USA 1/2013 or later. As of now anyway.

Up to 5 years in prison

http://m.ign.com/articles/2013/03/01/fcc-willing-to-investigate-the-mobile-phone-unlocking-ban

Elections have consequences
 
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AT&T won't unlock a phone unless it is 30 days (I think) out of contract. The phone isn't free either. If she is paying the early upgrade fee you will also have the price of the phone. When I got my iPhone 5 I paid $250 early upgrade and $200 for the phone.
 
[quote name='Malik112099']AT&T won't unlock a phone unless it is 30 days (I think) out of contract. The phone isn't free either. If she is paying the early upgrade fee you will also have the price of the phone. When I got my iPhone 5 I paid $250 early upgrade and $200 for the phone.[/QUOTE]

Easy way around that is to tell them that you're going out of the country and still want to use the phone even while you're still on-contract. This is what people have been doing for years.
 
[quote name='dohdough']Easy way around that is to tell them that you're going out of the country and still want to use the phone even while you're still on-contract. This is what people have been doing for years.[/QUOTE]


That doesn't always work anymore
 
[quote name='Malik112099']That doesn't always work anymore [/QUOTE]
Not being able to unlock a carrier subsidized phone because of not being the original purchaser of a carrier subsidized phone as well as not being a customer of that carrier is nothing new. The OP can easily have his relative unlock it straight from ATT as long as they meet those requirements listed in the article. This has been the way it's been even before the TDMA carriers went with GSM back in the Omnipoint days.

I'm as against this ruling as anyone, but most of the rules to unlocking a phone through official channels have been in place for at least a decade. Either way, the OP might not even need to unlock the phone.
 
[quote name='dohdough']Before you do anything, what service provider are you using? If it's ATT, you don't need to unlock anything, but if you're on Tmobile, I wouldn't bother with the phone at all.

If you're on ATT, you should also be aware that data is mandatory on your account.[/QUOTE]

Im not going to be using it in the U.S - Im going to be using it overseas which is where I am right now - im gonna ask my mom to bring me to phone from the U.S
I looked on ebay and i see sellers selling factory unlock codes for less than $2.
 
[quote name='Malik112099']AT&T won't unlock a phone unless it is 30 days (I think) out of contract. The phone isn't free either. If she is paying the early upgrade fee you will also have the price of the phone. When I got my iPhone 5 I paid $250 early upgrade and $200 for the phone.[/QUOTE]


I know the phone isnt free - who said any thing about it being free.
 
[quote name='Video-Gamer']Im not going to be using it in the U.S - Im going to be using it overseas which is where I am right now - im gonna ask my mom to bring me to phone from the U.S
I looked on ebay and i see sellers selling factory unlock codes for less than $2.[/QUOTE]

If you're going to use it overseas, there are any number of outlets that can unlock the phone for you and you wouldn't be bound by the laws of the US. The cheapest way to do it would be to wait for your aunt to unlock it, but if you can't, there are a few reputable places in Canada that would be able to furnish you with an unlock code even when you're overseas, I assume Europe. Personally, I would rather go that route than ebay or you can do it locally.

Good luck OP!
 
[quote name='dohdough']If you're going to use it overseas, there are any number of outlets that can unlock the phone for you and you wouldn't be bound by the laws of the US. The cheapest way to do it would be to wait for your aunt to unlock it, but if you can't, there are a few reputable places in Canada that would be able to furnish you with an unlock code even when you're overseas, I assume Europe. Personally, I would rather go that route than ebay or you can do it locally.

Good luck OP![/QUOTE]

When you say the cheapest way would be for my aunt to unlock it - why do you mean by that? U mean have her buy the unlock code on ebay or u mean for her to try to ask at&t to unlock it?
As far as me - Im actually in the middle east.
i dont mind paying some one from canada to do it however how would I do it besides ebay since i noticed there are sellers who are offering the unlock codes for a couple of bucks which are located in canada.
 
[quote name='dohdough']Cheapest meaning costs the least money.

Go over to the howardforums forum marketplace to get a list of reputable vendors and get a code or match their names to their ebay accounts to get a code.

http://www.howardforums.com/forumdisplay.php/63-Marketplace[/QUOTE]

Thank you I dont think unlocking the iPhone 5 will be a problem, I guess my real and ultimate question is this - would my aunt get into any kind of a trouble later down the road{back firing on to her because of me unlocking "her" iPhone 5 which she obviously gave to me?}
Im asking this because she is the one with the AT&T contract so the iPhone 5 is going to be under her name obviously and I dont want to be the reason that may cause her any problems later on by getting fined or even worst going to jail because of this.
 
No one can tell you if she'll get in trouble or not because no one to my knowledge, has been charged for violating this ruling yet. I can't see the future and it's a bit ridiculous to ask me if she'll get in trouble sometime in the future for this. If you're afraid of getting her into trouble, then don't have her use her upgrade and buy the phone unlocked on your own. If she's fine with keeping the phone, then have her ask ATT to unlock it because if they don't, she'll be stuck with it.

And please, stop sending me a PM every time you post on this thread. It's annoying as hell especially when I can clearly see that there's a new post.
 
[quote name='dohdough']No one can tell you if she'll get in trouble or not because no one to my knowledge, has been charged for violating this ruling yet. I can't see the future and it's a bit ridiculous to ask me if she'll get in trouble sometime in the future for this. If you're afraid of getting her into trouble, then don't have her use her upgrade and buy the phone unlocked on your own. If she's fine with keeping the phone, then have her ask ATT to unlock it because if they don't, she'll be stuck with it.

And please, stop sending me a PM every time you post on this thread. It's annoying as hell especially when I can clearly see that there's a new post.[/QUOTE]

Umm relax - I just sent u 2 or 3 pms.
Thanks any how...
 
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