 
woody7
Premium
join:2000-10-13
Torrance, CA | God When will will this $hit end........
--
BlooMe | |
|  | 
packetscan
Premium
join:2004-10-19
Bridgeport, CT
clubs: | Re: God When we as consumers stop buying the "crap" these companies are selling. | |
| | 
guitarzan
Premium
join:2004-05-04
Skytop, PA
 ·epix
| said by woody7  :When will will this $hit end........ When WE the people decide enough is enough. | |
| | | | 
jjoshua
Premium
join:2001-06-01
Scotch Plains, NJ
 ·Verizon FIOS
 ·Comcast
1 edit | The phone is already paid for Presumably, the person who purchased the phone has also been locked in to a multi-year contract which is intended to recoup the cost of the phone.
If I own the phone, then it's mine to do with as I please.
BTW, if you have never unlocked a cell phone... The unlock functionality is built into the phone. The phone's copyrighted firmware is not being hacked or circumvented AFAIC. | |
| | jc100
join:2002-04-10 | Re: The phone is already paid for How do you unlock a cell phone then? | |
| | | 
LilYoda
Feline with squirel personality disorder
Premium
join:2004-09-02
Mountains
| Re: The phone is already paid for either with a software, or sometimes as easily as punching a code in...
When you have the contract for long enough, your Cell phone provider usually gives you the code to unlock it. Did that on 3 phones already, all legally.
I see the use of locking the phone for the ones that are not tied to a 2 year contract, like the "to-go" phones...
However, nowadays telco are locking the phones so that you can't claim that you lost it and sell it on Ebay, or get the contract with a fake ID and run with a $400 phone, etc... | |
| | | | 
roamer1
sticking it out at you
join:2001-03-24
Atlanta, GA
clubs:
| Re: The phone is already paid for said by LilYoda :I see the use of locking the phone for the ones that are not tied to a 2 year contract, like the "to-go" phones... The original point of the "subsidy lock" was to prevent people from buying discounted phones from one carrier and using them on another. The problem is that the idea breaks down when carriers refuse to release unlock codes even after the contract that covers the discount has been fulfilled (either via time or via paying an early termination fee), as was the case with AT&T Wireless, who until acquired by Cingular would not provide unlock codes for GSM phones under ANY circumstances (and Cingular STILL won't provide codes for "blue"/AT&T-branded equipment.)
Then there are the CDMA carriers, who for the most part (the only major exception these days is Alltel) refuse to activate phones not sold for use on their network, AND who tend to lock phones down much more than GSM carriers do and take away features in the interest of increasing revenue from content and messaging (e.g., Verizon/V710/Bluetooth).
-SC
--
"it seems like all you ever buy is Abercrombie and cell phones" --a friend | |
| | 
pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD
·Comcast
| said by jjoshua :If I own the phone, then it's mine to do with as I please. I don't care if I pay 1 cent for the phone or $300 for the phone, it is mine and I can hack it, unlock it, paint it, customize it, any way I damn well please. The fact that some phone company's business model relies on my phone being "locked" is not my problem.
--
Rove / Rumsfeld 2008! | |
| | | 
ropeguru
Premium
join:2001-01-25
Bridgeport, WV
clubs: | Re: The phone is already paid for Unless it is made by Microshaft. Then you only paid for the rights to use it, not own it. Just tlook at their EULA's for just about everything they sell. Including the XBox.
--
FWD#: 223611 | |
| JSRoman
Premium
join:2005-03-10
Callahan, FL
| Really a small number. How many folks(most likely biz customers) would actually go thru the trouble of doing this? Not many I think. I find it hard to believe that people go to a particular carrier just because of the style of the phone that a wireless carrier is offering. | |
| | navalpatel
join:2003-07-28
Lubbock, TX | Re: Really a small number. what if you accidently break your phone and you need a new one...
you buy a locked one on ebay...
unlock it and du du du! | |
|
roamer1
sticking it out at you
join:2001-03-24
Atlanta, GA
clubs:
| Sounds like Cingular... who's been all pissy about people wanting to take their RAZRs, Treos, and so on when they leave because of their network "integration" and UMTS buildout screwing up service. 
and I'm pretty sure that since THEY and not, say, Moto are the ones pushing the crap, they have no standing under the DMCA since the "secret handshake" (and what about comparing the MCC-MNC on the SIM to what's in the phone can be considered "secret"???) is theirs, not the phone manufacturer's.
Besides, most unlocking providers are based outside the US (a lot of them are in Canada and the UK), where the DMCA doesn't apply.
-SC
--
"it seems like all you ever buy is Abercrombie and cell phones" --a friend | |
| | nerdboy789
join:2004-06-07
Rigby, ID
| Sounds like Cingular... The only questions I have are is unlocking a phone only possible on GSM phones with a SIM card? And it's not true that if you use an unlocked phone on someone else's network that you *have* to not have access to say txt messaging etc right?
As far as I know, in Europe and Asia you can unlock your phone and your number, take both with you from Provider X and go to Provider Y while still having txt and MMS messaging functionality. From what I heard, the carriers just intentionally cripple the feature on unlocked phones. | |
| | | 
quetwo
That VoIP Guy
Premium
join:2004-09-04
East Lansing, MI
| Re: Sounds like Cingular... You can unlock a GSM based phone in the United States and bring the phone with you to any carrier, as long as they use GSM (and the same Mhz Frequency).
I took my Cingluar "Blue" (ATTWS), and brought it with me to T-Mobile because Cingular was forcing me to sign a new contract with Cingular "Orange". Text, MMS, and regular Cell works great. | |
| | |
roamer1
sticking it out at you
join:2001-03-24
Atlanta, GA
clubs:
| said by nerdboy789 :The only questions I have are is unlocking a phone only possible on GSM phones with a SIM card? iDEN works basically the same as GSM, but aside from a few regional providers there is only one iDEN carrier in the US -- Nextel -- so the unlocking issue doesn't come up often with iDEN
Most CDMA providers (other than Verizon and Alltel) do lock phones so they can't be used with another provider, but the value of unlocking CDMA phones is minimal since except for Alltel (Verizon used to but has largely quit doing so, citing E911/GPS requirements), CDMA carriers won't activate phones that weren't originally sold for use on their network -- you can't take a phone sold for use with Verizon and use it with Sprint, *not* because Verizon locked it but because Sprint won't activate it. The "our way or the highway" attitude is pervasive throughout the CDMA world and is one of the reasons I gave up on CDMA (except for an Alltel prepaid as a backup for places like southwestern NC where there is little or no GSM) last year.
-SC
--
"it seems like all you ever buy is Abercrombie and cell phones" --a friend | |
| | 
PGHammer
join:2003-06-09
Accokeek, MD
clubs:
·Comcast
| Re: Sounds like Cingular... It's not Motorola; however, why has Motorola failed to come out with a CDMA or EVDO variation of the hyperpopular RAZR? Has Cingular waved a lot of money in Motorola's face to keep that exclusivity? Motorola is *not* a small handset maker, and they make variants of some Nextel models that are usable on CDMA networks (such as Verizon Wireless). Moto did at one point last year talk up a CDMA variant of the RAZR; now, I hear nit. Nowadays, if you want the RAZR in the US, you are trapped with Cingular, the largest GSM provider in the US. | |
| | | 
BlitzenZeus
Burnt Out Cynic
Premium,MVM
join:2000-01-13
Beaverton, OR | Re: Sounds like Cingular... Cingular is not the only carrier selling the Razr....
I hope they hold off to work out the problems with the device, at T-Mobile we have had returns on new razr for not charging, and keypad issues from the start. | |
| | | 
WhyADuck
Premium
join:2003-03-05
| Re: IMHO you buy the phone; do what you want with I agree. My feeling is, if I paid for it I have the right to do with it whatever I doggone well please. If you paid for it, then you have the right to tell me what I can or cannot do with it. The tension is that consumers feel that when they buy something on a "free after rebate" deal, they still bought it - after all, they had to pay out of pocket and wait (and hope) for the rebate to come back, and also they had to pay sales tax on their purchase. So, sorry, but in the mind of the typical consumer, the fact that they got a "free after rebate" deal does not make it any less "theirs" to tinker with as they see fit.
But.... but... I hear some of you sputter... the law says, if there was some kind of shrink wrap agreement... well, yeah, the law says that you can't shoot of any kind of fireworks that explode on the fourth of July, but try telling that to some people and you're liable to get a lit firecracker shoved up your... well, you get the idea. People don't READ shrink wrap agreements, they just use what to them is common sense, and common sense says if you bought and paid for it, it's yours. If you try and fight common sense, you may have some lawyers on your side but it will always be an uphill battle, and you risk alienating your customers. So if you want to retain ownership and control over a device, don't "sell" it to me in a "store" - if I had to take it through the checkout line, it's MINE! | |
| | | ross
join:2000-08-16 | Re: IMHO you buy the phone; do what you want with If you paid sales tax on it, it should be yours. | |
| apsinkus
join:2002-06-25
Chicago, IL
| we can get pissed all we want... We can all get pissed... but when you apply business 101 principles...
Look, carrier subsidizes the phone $100-$400, that is why you are locked in for a long contract. By buying the phone at subsidized price you agree to pay company back with long term service. So put yourself in their shoes, how would you feel if you paid money out of your pocket to acquire customer and that customer took the subsidized product from you and bailed. Wouldn't you get pissed?
I know that there are some legit reasons, like if you have finished off your contract. But guess what, you can call your carrier early in the contract and ask it to be unlocked. I have done it 4 times after I have been with Cingular and Tmobile for over 6 months. I told them I need to go to EU and would like to use prepaid cards, customer service reps didn't spend even a second trying to give me runaround, they just sent me to the appropriate department. | |
| | 
Rob
In Deo speramus, God Bless the USA
Premium
join:2001-08-25
Kendall, FL
·Comcast
| Re: we can get pissed all we want... said by apsinkus :We can all get pissed... but when you apply business 101 principles... Look, carrier subsidizes the phone $100-$400, that is why you are locked in for a long contract. By buying the phone at subsidized price you agree to pay company back with long term service. So put yourself in their shoes, how would you feel if you paid money out of your pocket to acquire customer and that customer took the subsidized product from you and bailed. Wouldn't you get pissed? I know that there are some legit reasons, like if you have finished off your contract. But guess what, you can call your carrier early in the contract and ask it to be unlocked. I have done it 4 times after I have been with Cingular and Tmobile for over 6 months. I told them I need to go to EU and would like to use prepaid cards, customer service reps didn't spend even a second trying to give me runaround, they just sent me to the appropriate department. I bought my Razr full price ($285) off Amazon. Neer went to directly to Cingular.
--
YourIP.US - Quickly Locate Your IP!
LiveWhois.Net - It's Never Been So Easy!
RR.CX My Blog.. | |
| | | | | black_ops
join:2001-12-24
Baltimore, MD
| I don't buy that subsidized crap. Their money is earned by the bloated costs of calling plans, unknown taxes, late fees, TERMINATION fees, and others. They don't have to subsidize anything with the amount of money they take in.
It's concievable that they could give most phones away--and that is exactly what they do! | |
| | DeathWarrant
join:2002-06-12
Coram, NY
| However, as it hs already been pointed out, that is where the 1 or 2 year contract comes in. They make their money back by locking you in. And as far as bailing out you pay a penalty for that (so they make their money anyway still). Bottom line you paid for it. It's yours. | |
| | | black_ops
join:2001-12-24
Baltimore, MD | Re: we can get pissed all we want... That's all I'm sayin'. | |
| | 
PhoneBoy2
@shawcable.net
| NOPE! That has been the Telco party line but it's total BS. They just want to prevent people from having the option to leave. As others have stated, if their motivation was REALLY just to recoup the cost of the phone they could do that with term contracts.
At least you guys have the option if you can manage to unlock your phone. I don't have that option as CDMA providers in Canada do not allow ESN portability so unlocked or not I can't change providers. I suppose the phone could be used in the US on CDMA networks if they allow ESN portability. There is only 1 GSM provider in Canada so other than taking my unlocked phone to another country, I don't have an options there either.
Telco's are EVIL! Damn them all! | |
| | | averagedude
join:2002-01-30
Mesa, AZ
·Cox HSI
| Re: we can get pissed all we want... That is why I demand a "free" phone with every contract.
I have talked with friends who have had the same cell phone for 4 years. I try to explain to them that they just gave the cell phone company free money by not taking the free phone each year. But stupidly they pay for a battery each year when they could have got a new phone that they are paying for through bloated contracts. Oh well.... | |
| | | fiberguy
My views are my own.
Premium
join:2005-05-20
| said by PhoneBoy2 :
Telco's are EVIL! Damn them all!
NOt sure how old YOU are, however, I do agree with you. Many of the "younger" people that visit BBR here don't remember the phone company of just yesterday. Phone, just a few short years back, was a horrible god awful industry. They screwed people every which way they could. You were charged extreamly high rates, charged per outlet, forced to lease an actual phone set, service calls were horrid - late - and often missed. Installation rates were expensive as could all be. They sucked - peoriod!
Now, today's new generastion doens't know any better and think that the phone companies are the saviour of all can be. Some phone companies may be doing some appealing things on the surface, but once they have you hooked and regain some market share, they will revert back to their old, long, monoloistic ways of yester-year.
For the record, phone companiesinvented and enforced the word monopoly. There is a reason why cable companies have hurt phone companies. You younger guys will soon learn. | |
| | | | 
tcp1
Premium
join:2000-04-17
Herndon, VA
 ·Sprint Mobile Broa..
·Verizon FIOS
·Comcast
 ·ViaTalk
·T-Mobile US
 ·Bandwidth.com
| Re: we can get pissed all we want... Exactly. I don't think anyone today appreciates how difficult it used to be to get a cell phone..
I remember my first cell.. I had to get a credit check that rivaled that of a mortgage.. 8 pages of forms.. Calls to activation centers.
Once I was up, I had a huge brick that let me talk for about 30 minutes at about a buck a minute. God forbid I left my "home area" or hopped onto a "B carrier"; I'd be charged $2,3, even $4/minute.
I signed on with Sprint PCS in 1997 with their novel idea back then -- nationwide with no roaming, flat fees for overages, and at that time, NO credit check and no contract.. (Of course, that has changed).
Granted, the old Ma Bell of yesteryear could survive a nuclear attack - not so much today; but we've traded that for cheap (almost free) long distance and service costs.
Doesn't anyone remember the old days of AT&T per mile rates, when it'd cost 60 cents a minute to call Los Angeles?!?! Hell, I'm only 27, and I remember my dad telling me the intricacies of all this crap. | |
| | | |
roamer1
sticking it out at you
join:2001-03-24
Atlanta, GA
clubs:
| said by fiberguy :For the record, phone companiesinvented and enforced the word monopoly. There is a reason why cable companies have hurt phone companies. and cable companies haven't engaged in some of the same tactics?
- per-outlet charges (back before re-reg)/$DEITY help you if you split your line yourself
- late/missed service calls, crappy/lazy installers, etc.
- refusing to support customer-owned/third-party boxes and even *remote controls* (I saw at least one MSO disable remote capability on boxes when THEIR remotes weren't paid for...again, back before re-reg)
- etc.
-SC
--
"it seems like all you ever buy is Abercrombie and cell phones" --a friend | |
| | | | | fiberguy
My views are my own.
Premium
join:2005-05-20
| Re: we can get pissed all we want... said by roamer1 :said by fiberguy :For the record, phone companiesinvented and enforced the word monopoly. There is a reason why cable companies have hurt phone companies. and cable companies haven't engaged in some of the same tactics? - per-outlet charges (back before re-reg)/$DEITY help you if you split your line yourself - late/missed service calls, crappy/lazy installers, etc. - refusing to support customer-owned/third-party boxes and even *remote controls* (I saw at least one MSO disable remote capability on boxes when THEIR remotes weren't paid for...again, back before re-reg) - etc. -SC You made my point that much more strong. To rebut a few of your points. They charged per outlet for the video. They never charged you to install it or never used to charge for a single service call either. Also, Satellite requires a box and you MUST pay per TV no matter what. For this reason, cable is still ahead of the game.
There is a reason cable hasn't to this point supported customer owned boxes. That point has been drawn out here many times so I won't go into yet again. Besides, until recently it never made sense for a customer to own their own box. The cost factor was never there. I know it's not the ONLY reason, but this reason you post certainly dates you. (That's not a bad thing, but it does date you)
Late and missed service calls. Every business has that. However, with phone, it took an act of congress to even GET an appointment from Telco. Not to mention, they charged you just to show up, problem or no problem. For many many years, cable never charged for the service call.
The remote issues, I do agree with you. I think they raped that one WAY too far. Yes, pre-rereg, the remote wasn't rented, however, the remote access to the eye was sold like the caller ID featuer was. The remote itself was not a charge, the service was. If you ask me, WAY too much only becuse you HAD to have a box for basic OR you chose to purchase advanced services like HBO. For this, we agree.
So, though you bring up valid issues, they aren't quite as cut and dry as you stated them.
For the record, cable was not-regulated, then it was, then it was deregualted, then regulated again, then deregulated. But I am sure you are talking about the mid 90's, right? | |
| | |
roamer1
sticking it out at you
join:2001-03-24
Atlanta, GA
clubs:
| said by PhoneBoy2 :
CDMA providers in Canada do not allow ESN portability so unlocked or not I can't change providers. With a few exceptions (Alltel and some smaller regional carriers) the situation is the same in the US. 
-SC
--
"it seems like all you ever buy is Abercrombie and cell phones" --a friend | |
| | | |
PGHammer
join:2003-06-09
Accokeek, MD
clubs:
·Comcast
| Re: we can get pissed all we want... Verizon Wireless is a CDMA provider and has ESN portability (in fact, they are the largest CDMA provider to do so, and the *only* one to do so thoughout the US). The issue with ESN portability has been with smaller CDMA or EVDO providers (read: Sprint and Nextel, which have since merged with each other). Verizon is actually taking things further and is introducing number portability between hardline and CDMA within their common servicing areas (which even Alltel hasn't done where they provide hardline service). | |
| | fiberguy
My views are my own.
Premium
join:2005-05-20
| Let me give you another "example" to add to the exception. Nextel and I had a run around. I had an i58 that I pair full price for and had it activated for 2 years. I cancelled the services and joined in with another partner for service with Nextel. They made me sign a 1 year agreement even though I brought back to them the same phone that I not only paid for price for, but had it on their service for 2 years already.
Cell phone companies are one industry that I will NOT give a pass to. Their time has come to calm down on the per minute rate, their contracts, and their early termination fees. They have also stopped prorating the termination fee. Used to be that on month 11, you'd pay 1 month of the termination fee of a 1 year, not it's full boat even if you cancel 1 month before the contract.
They are also making you agree to contracts just for signing up (as my above example) for no reason. They make you "renew" your agreement if you change price plans.. etc.
The cellular industry is FAR worse than any of you think that cable company is. Here's the bottom line. Other than the fact they do need to recoup the cost of their phones which is fine, they need to give "options." Either give people the option to buy the phone at full price with no contract, or contract with a discounted price. Prorate the termination fees and stop the re-upping the contract when you change plans. Also, when a company has to "lock" you into a term for no reason, they only have fear to fear alone. You ever wonder why Satellite companies, celluarl, and some phone products make you sign agreements? EVEN WHEN you pay full price? | |
| | |
roamer1
sticking it out at you
join:2001-03-24
Atlanta, GA
clubs:
| Re: we can get pissed all we want... said by fiberguy :I cancelled the services and joined in with another partner for service with Nextel. They made me sign a 1 year agreement even though I brought back to them the same phone that I not only paid for price for, but had it on their service for 2 years already. The carrier's response to that will invariably be "the contract lets us give you a price break on the PLAN". Some carriers will allow no-contract signups if you forgo freebies like unlimited nights and/or weekends (T-Mobile and Sprint do this), but others (namely Verizon) won't provide ANY postpaid service without a contract.
-SC
--
"it seems like all you ever buy is Abercrombie and cell phones" --a friend | |
| | 
n2jtx
join:2001-01-13
Glen Head, NY
·Optimum Online
| said by apsinkus :So put yourself in their shoes, how would you feel if you paid money out of your pocket to acquire customer and that customer took the subsidized product from you and bailed. If I bail from TMO, one month or even eleven months into my twelve month contract, I owe them an early cancellation fee of $200. They are guaranteed not lose any money on the phone. In fact, it would be rather stupid of me to go with another domestic carrier during the contract period because I would wind up paying double. Of course, locking the phone does prevent you from avoiding outrageous roaming charges when you are in a foreign country. At least with an unlocked GSM phone, you can buy a prepaid card in a particular country, assuming you have a world phone, and get local rates.
--
I support the right to keep and arm bears. | |
| | |
roamer1
sticking it out at you
join:2001-03-24
Atlanta, GA
clubs:
| Re: we can get pissed all we want... said by n2jtx :Of course, locking the phone does prevent you from avoiding outrageous roaming charges when you are in a foreign country and if you don't meet the carrier's credit requirements for international roaming... (This is generally not an issue with T-Mobile, who's also been fairly loose when it comes to unlock codes, but Cingular is much more fussy.)
-SC
--
"it seems like all you ever buy is Abercrombie and cell phones" --a friend | |
| | WirelessMajr
Premium
join:2005-08-03
College Place, WA | That is why there is an ETF (Early Termination Fee). This fee allows the carrier to recoup the costs from you should you decide to bail. | |
|
BlitzenZeus
Burnt Out Cynic
Premium,MVM
join:2000-01-13
Beaverton, OR | *Cough* Cingular is bitching *Cough* Poor babies, people want the Black razr, and are taking it to other GSM carriers.
After the first 14 days the consumer OWNS the hardware, and they can do whatever the hell they want with it. | |
| | | 
Gwailo
join:2000-07-16
Richardson, TX
clubs:
| How another place does it ... I lived in Hong Kong for 18 years and continue to go there frequently. In 1999, the Government branch equivalent to our FCC issued a "decree" that effective January 1, 2001:
(1) It would be illegal to lock any cell phone, (2) That a consumer did not have to sign any contract with a provider that was over 30 days, and (3) your mobile phone number was yours as long as you maintained some type of minimum service with any povider.
The providers squealed like a pig bit it was a technical no brainer as virtually all of Hong Kong was / is GSM. It happened and provider prices dropped like a rock!
People there go to a phone shop like a Nokia shop or Motorola shop, etc., and go buy their phone. Next, they go pick a service provider. Don't like the provider or another one is cheaper ... simple, change!
I am currently using a Nokia phone I bought in Hong Kong from a Nokia shop. I use a USA provider for service here (T-Mobile) and when I go back, I chage the SIM card on the airplane and when I land, I have a Hong Kong phone number.
Maybe we could learn a thing or two from them! It's called an open market - competition. If I buy a car, am I locked into the brand of gasoline I use? | |
| 
johnt
join:2002-09-13
Richmond, VA
clubs:
| Same ole same ole The wireless industry has been fighting this battle for the last few years - and I feel that we all end up paying for it in higher fees to cover their legal expenses.
I personally have been in the wireless industry since 1992 starting with Bell Atlantic Mobile in DC. Those were the easy days, phones were analog and there were 2 companies. If I did not like Company A then I can take my SAME phone to Company B, have it reprogrammed and I was off and running.
Then along came digital. In the very early days, as long as your phone used a digital signaling protocol that your carrier used, you could use it. Not anymore.
GSM carriers use SIM locks to block SIM cards from other carriers on their phones
CDMA carriers(NOT ALL, BUT MANY) use SPL codes to prevent other CDMA carriers from reprogramming the phones.
In my opinion, someone hit the nail on the head in an above post when they brought up do the carriers sell or lease the phones. Right now - they sell the phone, and as the end consumer, then I should be able to do what I want with my LEGALLY purchased equipment (provided that I don't break any laws). There is NO COPYRIGHT violation when you unlock a phone. The carriers do not make the equipment, nor do they make the operating software of the equipment.
Back to my point. As mentioned above, the whole equipment subsidy issue is a joke. Why? Well, when you sign up for service and agree to get a phone at a discounted rate then you also agree to a contract. This contract also mentions an early termination fee - normally $150 - $200. That fee covers any money lost on the equipment subsidy.
I could keep going on about this, but I have rambled to much as is. One of the reasons the US is behind in the mobile world is because of things like this. The carriers should just worry about offering a service that is worht their customers staying - not by locking their equipment and forcing them.
Sorry - just my opinion on it. | |
| |
roamer1
sticking it out at you
join:2001-03-24
Atlanta, GA
clubs:
| Re: Same ole same ole said by johnt :If I did not like Company A then I can take my SAME phone to Company B, have it reprogrammed and I was off and running. I did better than that -- back in the mid-'90s, thanks to dual-NAM capability, I had service with both carriers in Chattanooga on the same phone at the same time, mostly because of a THIRD carrier (US Cellular) gouging customers of one of the carriers when traveling to the south of town and customers of the other when traveling to the northeast of town. (Naturally, I could place/receive calls on only one carrier at a time, but given I was using the other carrier mostly to get around USCC's roamer gouging, it wasn't a problem.)
-SC
--
"it seems like all you ever buy is Abercrombie and cell phones" --a friend | |
| 
ctceo
Premium
join:2001-04-26
South Bend, IN
clubs:
·magicjack.com
·AT&T U-Verse
·Comcast
·AT&T Midwest
 ·HughesNet Satellit..
| IMO - Monopoly IMO
When you buy a phone for home analog pots use, the rules and regulations that apply to that phone should be no different than a cell phone. I.E. The phone I used in Elkhart with GTE, Works just fine with SBC in Mishawaka.
It's a matter of monopolistic use if you ask me. I feel that if you buy a cell phone you should be able to unlock that phone when the initial contract is up, or circumstances warrant a change in provider, I.E. Moved out of coverage area.
I try to convert phones to a private provider for donation to the local Domestic Violence victims center, and the Homeless Shelter. These phones can still call 911, but it's terribly inefficient when you dial 911 from your cell phone, here in Indiana, and the 911 center you call has to forward you from whatever regions 911 call center the phone is LOCKED to, to your local 911 dispatch, and they might transfer you to the wrong one, or you might get stabbed or shot before you can finish the call. Then they have to rely on triangulation.
--
Current Custom Tronix Mini-Gamer PC:EVGA 133-K8-NF43, AMD XP 64 3200+, 2x512 PC5400 GeIL DDR2, 2x Diablotek nVidia GF 6600 w/512 MB DDR2, WD RAPTOR 10k RPM SATA-150, 16x DVD-ROM, 600W PSU, Mid-Tower Dragon Case ~$1235 + S&H | |
| |
Gwailo
join:2000-07-16
Richardson, TX
clubs:
| Re: IMO - Monopoly said by ctceo :When you buy a phone for home analog pots use, the rules and regulations that apply to that phone should be no different than a cell phone. I.E. The phone I used in Elkhart with GTE, Works just fine with SBC in Mishawaka. Good analogy! | |
| |
roamer1
sticking it out at you
join:2001-03-24
Atlanta, GA
clubs:
| said by ctceo :These phones can still call 911, but it's terribly inefficient when you dial 911 from your cell phone, here in Indiana, and the 911 center you call has to forward you from whatever regions 911 call center the phone is LOCKED to, to your local 911 dispatch Phone locking has nothing whatsoever to do with 911 -- all 911 calls are routed based on (worst case) the physical location of the cell site the phone hits or (best case) the approximate physical location of the phone based on triangulation and/or GPS.
-SC
--
"it seems like all you ever buy is Abercrombie and cell phones" --a friend | |
| | |
ctceo
Premium
join:2001-04-26
South Bend, IN
clubs:
·magicjack.com
·AT&T U-Verse
·Comcast
·AT&T Midwest
·HughesNet Satellit..
3 edits | Re: IMO - Monopoly That is not always the case. We refab phones to a local cell provider for use with domestic violence victims, we have had several people from all over the us donate cellphones, and in about 70% of the cases if a phone is locked to a carrier, and they do not allow you to unlock it. if 911 is dialed from that phone it will call 911 in the state it was serviced in.
We've had to dispose of several phones because they refused to release the unlock code. For this reason Sprint, and AT&T wireless are the vendors we can no longer accept phones from. We also have the same problem with Most pre-pay phones and contract phones that are disposed of before the contract is up.
You must call 611 for the service provider and do a "Home Cell Transfer" if you want to prevent that problem from occurring, and of course you risk not being able to do that without proper authority, i.e. you need to be the owner of the phone, the owner must have called in to discontinue service with the provider, and you must sometimes know a pass-code before they will even share ANY information with you, regardless the ultimate purpose it will be used for.
--
Current Custom Tronix Mini-Gamer PC:
EVGA 133-K8-NF43, AMD XP 64 3200+, 2x512 PC5400 GeIL DDR2, 2x Diablotek nVidia GF 6600 w/512 MB DDR2, WD RAPTOR 10k RPM SATA-150, 16x DVD-ROM, 600W PSU, Mid-Tower Dragon Case ~$1235 + S&H | |
| 
cableties
Premium
join:2005-01-27
·Verizon FIOS
| Isn't the net great? 
I mean, I found the info to unlock other 'features' that Verizon wanted clamped. Say, the Bluetooth feature.
I buy a phone that they list as "BlueTooth-enabled" but when I get the phone, its crippled.
I understand that VerizonWireless is already facing a class-action suit for crippling phone features for what--greed. You lock me in for 2yrs witha plan for a phone that is crippled? You expect me to pay $2 a ringtone when I could care less? Or that I want to use the camera phone feature to record a felon in act (or even wreckless driver) and can't transfer the image to email computer for police evidence without forking over bucks?
"not tampering with digital hardware; merely activating what was advertised"
(is it illegal to remove the tag from the pillow if you are the consumer?) | |
| rx7freak
join:2004-09-21
Tulsa, OK
| wow 1. Once you're out of contract, or if you've paid full price for your phone, Cingular will unlock it for you. I know. I work there. I do just that.
2. I wouldn't call it monopolistic. There are different cellular technologies out there, for those who werent aware. Complain about not being able to use your CDMA phone w/ a GSM carrier and vice versa, but a little research (and common sense) would tell you it cant be done. What evil corporations!
3. I've never seen a late fee charged to someone who wasnt paying late, and New York is the only state i'm aware of that it is law to prorate the ETF. You agree before you get service that a termination fee is fair. What makes you high and mighty to break your end of the contract? And these "unknown fees and taxes?" Write your local legislature: the cellular companies are required to tell you if you're being billed for network upkeep; most other fees are forced on the cell providers by the PPU laws and regulations. (PPU=primary place of use)
4. There is no such thing as a free phone. Ever. Someone is paying for it. Or you earn it after 2 years in a contract.
5. Contracts are bad? Go prepaid.
Anyone need a tissue? | |
| |
roamer1
sticking it out at you
join:2001-03-24
Atlanta, GA
clubs:
| Re: wow said by rx7freak :Complain about not being able to use your CDMA phone w/ a GSM carrier and vice versa, but a little research (and common sense) would tell you it cant be done. What evil corporations! That's valid, but why the heck won't Sprint activate a phone sold for use on Verizon? Both carriers are CDMA -- where is the problem? (They'll claim "SMS/MMS and data", and it is true that the implementations of messaging and data in CDMA networks -- where they were more or less tacked onto network protocols designed for AMPS -- aren't as uniform as in GSM networks, but if someone doesn't care about them, where is the problem?)
-SC
--
"it seems like all you ever buy is Abercrombie and cell phones" --a friend | |
| | TheGhost
Premium
join:2003-01-03
Lake Forest, IL
clubs:
·AT&T U-Verse
·Comcast
| said by rx7freak :1. Once you're out of contract, or if you've paid full price for your phone, Cingular will unlock it for you. I know. I work there. I do just that. .... I hate to correct you, but your statement is only half-right. I know from experience (actually multiple tries), that they will not unlock a phone that has come over from the AT&T Wireless purchase. I have tried each time to have mine unlocked before travelling overseas and was told "no, sorry, go away". No that my contract is up, I am going to.... | |
| 
linicx
Caveat Emptor
Premium
join:2002-12-03
United State
·CenturyLink
| Just say no The best way to tell a cell phone provider you are not happy is just "NO!".
I dropped Cingular after 3 years of lies and "mistakes, and a two year contract for an outdated phone. Yeh, they're real good at playing that game, too." Then I was dumb enough to buy into their pre-paid third party plan. After investing $50 in pre-paid time, I reached my vacation destination to find the phone didn't work in that area. The moron manager at the local Cingular office thought it was funny. I did too
I laughed all the way to T-Mobile where I got exactly everything I need, This free phone in up to date, it does everything the Cingular phone would not do, PLUS at the end of the one year contract I own it.
The moral to the story is this: If everyone stops listening to advertising gimmicks and buys only what they need, the "cream will rise to the top" and the best of the best will be left. This applies to Internet phones too.
. | |
| | | |
|
|
Phone Unlocking Faces DMCA Challenge
IMHO you buy the phone; do what you want with it
