Taking a cell phone from one carrier to another (long).

[Lanshark]

DH has a Motorola V551 that he purchased in July. At the time he was using AT&T because his work required it. Work as since bought him another phone and he asked if I'd like the Motorola instead of my Nokia. Since I'm having trouble with the Nokia I said yes. Our family service has been with Cingular since its inception.

Here's where it gets confusing. The young woman at Cingular informs me that I cannot use the Motorola because it was on an AT&T network. The phone was deactivated in August. AT&T is owned by Cingular. She informs me I need to buy a new phone because the Motorola cannot be unlocked.

I spoke with her manager that confirmed each carrier has a code that is entered into the phone. Even though AT&T and Cingular is one company Cingular does not have access to those codes. She told me to search the net, find the code, unlock the phone, put my Nokia sim card in the phone and I'm good to go.

Problem I'm having is finding a reputable place on the net to get the code. Some charge as high as $60 dollars. When I go to the Motorola site they confirm that all carriers lock the phone to their service and they can't release the code.

Has anyone else run into this problem? I have a perfectly usable phone that is almost brand new.

Sorry for the rant but I found this to be incredible.

 

[scoutsmom99]

The whole cingular AT&T thing is wierd. I had AT&T here in MN (cingular wasn't around) and when I went to look at new phones/plans I had to change over to Cingular, which I already thought I was on because of the merger. It was all very confusing. I guess AT&T people are considered Cingular Blue and Cingaluar folk are considered Cingular orange. Well anyways I ended up getting a new phone (the V551) and I'm now cingular orange.

 

[WatchinCaptKangaroo]

You are being fed a line. "Cingular" reps have been instructued to get AT&T clients on a Cingular contract at any cost.

If you have had your phone for less than a year contact Warrenty Exchange. If your Motorola has a SIM card you just need to buy a Cingular SIM card. No code required. You can find them on ebay for about $5. You can aslo buy an unlocking code on Ebay. Once you have the correct SIM card you don't need to call them to "activate" your phone either. It works off the bat. Or it should.

My AT&T Motorola died just short of my year. Warrenty Exchange sent me a new Motorola (with no Cingular or AT&T markings on it).

 

[Dan Murphy]

Also check here.............

www.howardforums.com


PS: Nice to see you, Marcie.

 

[Lanshark]

Thanks guys!

Nice to see you too Dan.

 

[MICKEY88]

what a crock....they just want to sell you a new phone,,,I have activated 2 ATT phones with cingular in the past year and it took 5 minutes by phone....

 

[Lanshark]

Just took the SIM out of my Nokia and put in into the Motorola and it asked for a Subsidy Code? This is the code Cingular is telling me they don't have access to.