https://archive.is/ucvkn
https://web.archive.org/web/20230.../KM1262649
Code:
https://archive.is/ucvkn https://web.archive.org/web/20230223144317/https://www.att.com/support/article/wireless/KM1262649
Loved the fold3 but build quality is terrible. Never dropped the phone and after 15 months, there's a black stripe down the middle and the right screen becomes unresponsive to touch. The black stripe became larger and larger. It costs $550 to repair. Many other people reported same issues. Beware.
T-Mobile more expensive and oos already Frown missed it
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Let me save y'all about 4 hours, which is how long it took me to finally get to the right people to make this happen. Here is how I got this handled
I ordered a $5 Tello number, selected e-sim, received number within a few minutes. Make sure to register the pin they give you in the email, it gives you all the port out info access. Theres a code there that is needed to enter in Best Buy portal when you port it over to ATT.
Ported that number in to ATT via Best Buy portal
Picked up phone
Powered on Phone with ATT sim
Finished ALL account creation, including pin number creation etc via ATT email
Spent 3 hours getting tossed around 10 different reps and departments and supervisors via online chat, disconnected multiple times, told no multiple times, etc etc etc.
Don't bother submitting request online for unlock, it will be denied.
Just call technical support, JUST CALL!!! 1800-288-2020. Call from a phone other that the Z Fold 3. Reason you call from other phone is you will want to pop your sim in from other provider to get to the sim unlock prompt while you are on the phone with them. Tell them you need technical support, you may get tossed around one more time, but you WILL get someone that can help you.
Have your link ready that states phones paid in full at purchase can be unlocked without waiting 60 days. I had to legit provide not just the wording, but the exact link. The rep will literally navigate to it and will be super surprised and state that this is the first they've ever heard of this policy and that they always get hassled by the unlock team and ultimately never get the unlock code for the customer.
Have your receipt from Best Buy ready ready to go (I had to legit take pics with my phone and text them to a number they gave me).
After about 10 minutes with the rep, they provided the unlock code.
Make sure to input the unlock code prior to getting transferred over to cancellation department.
Get sent over to cancellation department and submit for cancellation under buyer's remorse policy.
Done and done. Save yourself a lot of time and just call them. I paid $299 plus tax and have a fully unlocked phone on T-mobile with no issues at all. ATT service is shut down, I didn't care about the Tello number, much easier to pay the $5 for a Tello than mess with a number you actually care about keeping. Just cancel the service and it is over and done with.
I obviously can't promise this is gonna work for every single person. I suppose a non-cooperative rep might not wanna go the extra mile for you, but my telephone rep was super helpful and patient. She admitted I had done my diligence with researching the terms and pushed the "unlock team" to help her with the code. YMMV of course, but this worked for me. Just be patient and courteous to the rep. I was frustrated with how long it was taking but you need to acknowledge that each new person you talk to, it is their first interaction with you, they have no idea how long you've been dealing with people. You can avoid a lot of frustration by just calling to start out instead of trying to manage the situation via online chat.
Questions, feel free to ask, perhaps I wasn't completely thorough, but that was basically what I went through. Good luck all.
Port out the line to cancel. Line automatically cancels as soon as the number it ported out (5-10 mins). You can port to Tello for $2.50.
https://slickdeals.net/f/16531969-tello-50-off-selected-plans
These phones are subsidized by the carriers and hoping people would switch or add more lines and stay with them, etc; therefore different carrier may offer different prices.
You can request unlock right away because it's paid in full with no money owed; i.e., no monthly installment,
Yes.
Port out the number to cancel right away (5-10 min, as soon as the number is ported) so that you don't have to deal with rep that doesn't allow you to cancel. You can port to Tello for $2.50.
https://slickdeals.net/f/16531969-tello-50-off-selected-plans
Yes, but you can cancel right away.
I picked up my Fold 3 this morning from bestbuy. ATT variant.
Ordered online with the porting in option as it wouldn't let me order otherwise. Used a random boost mobile number I had and have no intention of porting in a number.
BB didn't ask for anything in store, just gave me the phone and i walked out.
Received att emails after pickup, created account, created ATT PIN, jotted down account number, and saw $60 plan but $0 due.
unboxed and booted with t-mobile sim card, asked for unlock code.
tried to unlock from my att portal, but denied.
tried to unlock using the request unlock website for non att members, but denied via email
Started a chat with att to cancel service and request unlock.
I mentioned having bad service reception in my area and wanted to cancel and wanted to unlock phone to use it for work which was a different provider.
They wanted me to reset the network, but i said not interested just want to cancel.
They also mentioned that i lose my port in number if i cancelled. which was wierd since i never actually ported in the number yet.
Eventually, they said, "Since the total due balance if $0.00 there will be no charges now. Your services with AT&T will be completely shut off."
Then i asked about the network unlock, which they said they sent directly to my phone. Didn't work even though she said it was unlocked on their system. Eventually they provided the unlock code which worked.
Now my fold 3 is cancelled with att service with 0 payments or fees and unlocked so i can use my Tmobile sim.
hope that helps some of ya.
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Here is an update on my story:
I had gone the AT&T new line route with a boost port-in and pick up in BestBuy. They just scanned the box IMEI and handed me the phone. I asked for activation etc, they said it should already be activated, otherwise go to an AT&T store.
I turned it on and put in the sim from the box, and it could already call out with my boost number and use text and internet, but it couldn't receive calls.
I also got an email form AT&T to make an account, which I did but I wasn't asked to make a passcode. I could log into my account online and it showed me the value+ plan but said there is no bill yet.
When I went on chat to request cancellation, they asked for my passcode, which I didn't have. They tried resetting it several times, which resulted in temp locking my account for 48H. After a few hours, I tried calling someone from my new phone, and it directly forwarded the call to AT&T transfer center. My account also showed up as suspended online.
With the suspended account, I thought to try the "other provider" unlock online, giving it my IMEI instead of phone number. It progressed to next page, but finally said the phone is active on an account so can't unlock.
The AT&T system engineers clearly have made a big gaffe, and the process flow is broken, Maybe b/c it wasn't originally designed for non-contract postpaid plans and on-the-fly online port-ins/activations through a retailer(i.e., BestBuy). Apparently, the system just does a half-baked line transfer when you put your port-in number on BestBuy website. If they don't call the transfer line in store (you could also do it), the line transfer is suspended until you call and give them the transfer pin.
After I called the automated transfer system and gave it the PIN, it said transfer approved, and then asked if i wanted to activate my account! (and I just hung up). I also immediately got an email asking me to set a passcode for my account, which I did now.
My account suspension is cleared now. I am pausing at this point, trying to think it through and figure out if I should go ahead and set the passcode (probably, officially activating my account).
Any suggestions?
Here is an update on my story:
I had gone the AT&T new line route with a boost port-in and pick up in BestBuy. They just scanned the box IMEI and handed me the phone. I asked for activation etc, they said it should be activated otherwise go to an AT&T store.
I turned it on and put in the sim from the box, and it could already call out with my boost number and use text and internet, but it couldn't receive calls.
I also got an email form AT&T to make an account, which i did but I wasn't asked to make a passcode. I could log into my account online and it showe me the value+ plan but said there is no bill yet.
When I went on chat to request cancellation, they asked for my passcode, which I didn't have. They tried resetting it several times, which resulted in temp locking my account for 48H. after a few hours, I tried calling from my new phone, and it directly forwarded the call to AT&T transfer center. My account also showed up as suspended online.
Wit the suspended account, I thought to try the out of network unlock online, giving them my IMEI instead of phone number. It progressed to next page, but finally said the phone is active on an account so can't unlock.
The AT&T system clearly has a big gaffe, and the process flow is broken, Maybe b/c it wasn't originally designed for non-contract postpaid plans and on the fly online port-ins/activations through a retailer (i.e., BestBuy). Apparently, the system just does a half-baked line transfer when you put your port-in number on BestBuy website. If they don't call the transfer line in store (you could also do it), the line transfer is suspended until you call and give them the transfer pin.
After I called the automated transfer system and gave it the PIN, it said transfer approved, and then asked if i wanted to activate my account! I also immediately got an email asking me to set a passcode for my account.
I am stopping at this point, trying to think it through and figure out if I should go ahead and set the passcode (probably, officially activating my account)
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Now they are doing the passcode thing.
Maybe there was something different between what you and I did.
He was unable to unlock my phone right away due to some screw-up with the porting (long story short my account was created and then closed). That is causing the error on the unlock portal. However, he WAS familiar with the policy of a paid-in-full device being immediately eligible for unlocking. I didn't have to point it out to him.
Unfortunately, due to the way my account was set up and then closed by BB it complicated the issue. He assured me that would get an unlock but the issue had to go to the "back office". They generate and issue the case number (24-48 hours). Then they flag the unlock as permissible. Then it can take another 24-72 hours for the unlock code to come through.
Maybe I'm being naive but I'm optimistic. Total time invested, 1 hour at BB on Friday. 3.5 hours at BB on Saturday. 1 hour over the phone with ATT. I was talking to my wife and she confirmed that our last home purchase took less time than trying to get a phone through AT&T. Absolute worst experience possible.
Will there be a screen protector pre-installed for both the inner and outer screens for this mobile?
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He was unable to unlock my phone right away due to some screw-up with the porting (long story short my account was created and then closed). That is causing the error on the unlock portal. However, he WAS familiar with the policy of a paid-in-full device being immediately eligible for unlocking. I didn't have to point it out to him.
Unfortunately, due to the way my account was set up and then closed by BB it complicated the issue. He assured me that would get an unlock but the issue had to go to the "back office". They generate and issue the case number (24-48 hours). Then they flag the unlock as permissible. Then it can take another 24-72 hours for the unlock code to come through.
Maybe I'm being naive but I'm optimistic. Total time invested, 1 hour at BB on Friday. 3.5 hours at BB on Saturday. 1 hour over the phone with ATT. I was talking to my wife and she confirmed that our last home purchase took less time than trying to get a phone through AT&T. Absolute worst experience possible.
Good luck! I hope you hear the good news soon.
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