<p>I just bought a used phone for my S, and it is not unlocked. I can buy a code, or whatever it is, to unlock it on ebay, but wondered whether it is available for free, whether the ebay things are some kind of scam, what I should look for, etc.</p>
<p>I want him to be able to buy a sim card to use it in Europe. His tmobile sim card vanished with the theft/loss of his old phone.</p>
<p>I’ve unlocked four or five of them, but they were all phones that we had previously used. I just had to call the carrier with the iem? number and my account information and they gave me the codes. </p>
<p>Do you know what carrier the phone you purchased is tied to? If so, you can try to call that carrier and see if they can unlock it. They are much more willing to do so for phones that will be used overseas than for those in the US.</p>
<p>The answer is a big It Depends. There are plenty of phones that can be unlocked easily off the net (google Samsung Foobar unlock) and also plenty that require Divine intervention (wife’s old Nokia flip phone). Many can be unlocked if you call the carrier and ask politely enough. Give a sobbing story that you’re going to a funeral in Eastern Elbonia or some such and the telco’s usually don’t have any objection, especially if it’s an old phone. You can also try to walk in to a company store (not an authorized retailer)</p>
<p>Gosh…consolation started this thread in October. Methinks he probably has it figured out by now.</p>
<p>Luckily, the person I bought it from unlocked it before shipping it. AFAIK, he is using it in Europe.</p>
<p>It is now illegal for a consumer to unlock a cell phone in the US: [It’s</a> Now Illegal to Unlock Your Cellphone - ABC News](<a href=“Starting Today, It's Illegal to Unlock Your Cellphone - ABC News”>Starting Today, It's Illegal to Unlock Your Cellphone - ABC News)</p>
<p>I know this is an old thread, but we did have luck unlocking ATT cell phones that were over a year old. We called in with the info of three phones, so three calls. One came through in an hour by email (iphone), one was given over the phone, and one was initially denied after 24 hours, then protested and granted. Of course it was the one that was denied that was with the person on a flight to Europe, but once we got the ok, it worked. Luckily she had a laptop and wifi so could get the code via email. If you are doing this for a vacation, don’t want until the night before you leave, like some people I know.</p>