said by Juggernaut:said by LazMan:The lock is to prevent consumers from ripping off cell phone carriers...
If you pay the device off, who cares? You have a right to have it unlocked, and the normal contract termination fee will apply anyway.
But, telco's don't even want to play by those rules.
I agree with you, but I'm not aware of any carrier that won't unlock a device after it's paid off... Rogers does it for free; TELUS charges $25 - dunno about Bell or any of the new entrants...
If a carrier won't unlock it (and this is a US law, and I'm not up on US cell carrier policy) - after it's paid off, that's a whole different deal, and completely wrong, IMO...