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expired Posted by treo • Mar 23, 2023
expired Posted by treo • Mar 23, 2023

256GB Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G 2-in-1 Smartphone (Various Carriers)

(Activation Required) + Free Shipping

from $300

$1,800

Best Buy
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Deal Details
Best Buy has 256GB Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G 2-in-1 Foldable Smartphone Tablet (AT&T or Verizon) on sale from $299.99. Shipping is free or select free store pickup where available.

Thanks to Community Member treo for finding this deal.

Note: Activation on cellular carrier is required. Be sure to select your carrier and select 'Activate Today' to see pricing. Availability for store pickup may vary by location.

Available Carriers:Available Colors:
  • Phantom Black
  • Phantom Green
  • Phantom Silver
Specs:
  • Screens:
    • Main: 7.6" Infinity Flex display - Cover: 6.2" Dynamic AMOLED
    • 120Hz AMOLED 2X Screen
  • Memory: 12GB
  • Storage: 256GB
  • Main Camera: 12MP Wide, 12MP UW, 12MP Tele + 2x optical zoom, 10x digital zoom, 10MP Front
  • Battery: 4,400mAh / 25W Super Fast Charge
  • S Pen Support
  • IPX8 rating

Editor's Notes

Written by powerfuldoppler | Staff
  • About this deal:
    • Activation on a cellular carrier is required for from $299.99 pricing. Activation fees may apply and vary by carrier.
  • About this product:
    • Rating of 4.4 from over 140 Best Buy customer reviews.
  • Additional Note:

Original Post

Written by treo
Product Info
Community Notes
About the Poster
Deal Details
Product Info
Community Notes
About the Poster
Best Buy has 256GB Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G 2-in-1 Foldable Smartphone Tablet (AT&T or Verizon) on sale from $299.99. Shipping is free or select free store pickup where available.

Thanks to Community Member treo for finding this deal.

Note: Activation on cellular carrier is required. Be sure to select your carrier and select 'Activate Today' to see pricing. Availability for store pickup may vary by location.

Available Carriers:Available Colors:
  • Phantom Black
  • Phantom Green
  • Phantom Silver
Specs:
  • Screens:
    • Main: 7.6" Infinity Flex display - Cover: 6.2" Dynamic AMOLED
    • 120Hz AMOLED 2X Screen
  • Memory: 12GB
  • Storage: 256GB
  • Main Camera: 12MP Wide, 12MP UW, 12MP Tele + 2x optical zoom, 10x digital zoom, 10MP Front
  • Battery: 4,400mAh / 25W Super Fast Charge
  • S Pen Support
  • IPX8 rating

Editor's Notes

Written by powerfuldoppler | Staff
  • About this deal:
    • Activation on a cellular carrier is required for from $299.99 pricing. Activation fees may apply and vary by carrier.
  • About this product:
    • Rating of 4.4 from over 140 Best Buy customer reviews.
  • Additional Note:

Original Post

Written by treo

Community Voting

Deal Score
+132
Good Deal
Visit Best Buy

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Top Comments

stealth805
136 Posts
95 Reputation
Want this phone for $299 and not have to pay the monthly fee and be able to use another carrier??
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.
quantecipher
2786 Posts
1616 Reputation
As soon as yo have the phone in hand.

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.
snoopykul
26 Posts
18 Reputation
Option 1 worked for me

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.

1,738 Comments

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Mar 27, 2023
21 Posts
Joined Nov 2012
Mar 27, 2023
arrycomm
Mar 27, 2023
21 Posts
Quote from zettler :
THANK YOU so very much!

PS I just hope it works!!!

I did read somewhere, maybe here, to use A Google Voice number for "porting" and I just happen to have one.

My next concern is making sure ATT doesn't try and force me into a plan after the BB clerk had me do all she did.... Wink
Let us know if that works 👍
Pro
Mar 27, 2023
4,474 Posts
Joined Aug 2014
Mar 27, 2023
iNICK20
Pro
Mar 27, 2023
4,474 Posts
Quote from arrycomm :
Let us know if that works 👍
Did that work for you? I'll try it once my device comes Tuesday.
Mar 27, 2023
3,550 Posts
Joined Jan 2005
Mar 27, 2023
zettler
Mar 27, 2023
3,550 Posts
Quote from arrycomm :
Let us know if that works 👍
Will do. Mine also arrives Tuesday.
Pro
Mar 27, 2023
3,123 Posts
Joined Nov 2012
Mar 27, 2023
gadgetNerd
Pro
Mar 27, 2023
3,123 Posts
Quote from iNICK20 :
Did that work for you? I'll try it once my device comes Tuesday.
I think normally when you buy an ATT locked device from a third party this method works. However, there is a new account associated with it in this case and there's a clause in the unlock portal that the phone should not be active on another ATT account so I'm not sure if this is going to work. But then again BB might not be activating the device before sending it out so there's that...
Pro
Mar 27, 2023
4,474 Posts
Joined Aug 2014
Mar 27, 2023
iNICK20
Pro
Mar 27, 2023
4,474 Posts
Quote from gadgetNerd :
I think normally when you buy an ATT locked device from a third party this method works. However, there is a new account associated with it in this case and there's a clause in the unlock portal that the phone should not be active on another ATT account so I'm not sure if this is going to work. But then again BB might not be activating the device before sending it out so there's that...
See.... I keep seeing different answers. I think according to AT&T, its not activated before hand. So am I good to try this method? Or should I try something else?
Mar 27, 2023
1,431 Posts
Joined Apr 2016
Mar 27, 2023
ctr11
Mar 27, 2023
1,431 Posts
Quote from arrycomm :
Let me try...

Once you get the device, do not activate it with the ATT sim. Instead pop in the Verizon sim and device will ask for the unlock code. Go to ATT unlock link, make sure to use the no ATT account option and simply put the device's IMEI1 # from the box (do not use IMEI2). Next page put all your details and submit the unlock request.

In 1 minute you'll get the unlock confirmation email, accept it. Then you'll receive the unlock code within a min in your mailbox.
I tried this and got a rejection via the unlock portal for not being active for 60 days
Pro
Mar 27, 2023
3,123 Posts
Joined Nov 2012
Mar 27, 2023
gadgetNerd
Pro
Mar 27, 2023
3,123 Posts
Quote from iNICK20 :
See.... I keep seeing different answers. I think according to AT&T, its not activated before hand. So am I good to try this method? Or should I try something else?
I don't think trying this method does any harm. The unlock portal would just look up the device status in the system and send you the code if it has satisfied all conditions of being "unlockable", it does not change you account/device status so go ahead and try it.

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Pro
Mar 27, 2023
4,474 Posts
Joined Aug 2014
Mar 27, 2023
iNICK20
Pro
Mar 27, 2023
4,474 Posts
Quote from gadgetNerd :
I don't think trying this method does any harm. The unlock portal would just look up the device status in the system and send you the code if it has satisfied all conditions of being "unlockable", it does not change you account/device status so go ahead and try it.
I agree. I just don't wanna waste hours on the phone trying to get something I legally purchased. lol
Pro
Mar 27, 2023
3,123 Posts
Joined Nov 2012
Mar 27, 2023
gadgetNerd
Pro
Mar 27, 2023
3,123 Posts
Quote from ctr11 :
I tried this and got a rejection via the unlock portal for not being active for 60 days
So did you activate the device on ATT before unlocking or used another sim from the first boot?
Last edited by gadgetNerd March 26, 2023 at 11:53 PM.
Mar 27, 2023
1,431 Posts
Joined Apr 2016
Mar 27, 2023
ctr11
Mar 27, 2023
1,431 Posts
Quote from gadgetNerd :
So did you activate the device on ATT before unlocking or used another sim from the first boot?
I did exactly what that original post says, I popped the ATT sim out before even turning the device on and booted with a different carrier's SIM.
Mar 27, 2023
21 Posts
Joined Nov 2012
Mar 27, 2023
arrycomm
Mar 27, 2023
21 Posts
Quote from ctr11 :
I did exactly what that original post says, I popped the ATT sim out before even turning the device on and booted with a different carrier's SIM.
Do you see the fold3 under your ATT account? If yes, then you have to put it in any other unlocked phone, wait for the new phone to show up under your ATT account and then try the above unlock method.
Mar 27, 2023
21 Posts
Joined Nov 2012
Mar 27, 2023
arrycomm
Mar 27, 2023
21 Posts
When I picked the fold3 from BB, they stuck an activated sim to the box. I opened the box and popped in my Lycamobile sim and it asked for the unlock code. However, that is when I tried the first pinned post and activated the ATT sim and wasn't able to get the device unlocked by ATT reps. Only putting the ATT sim in another unlocked old LG phone worked for me.
Mar 27, 2023
8 Posts
Joined Mar 2023
Mar 27, 2023
HappyMountain148
Mar 27, 2023
8 Posts
Quote from arrycomm :
When I picked the fold3 from BB, they stuck an activated sim to the box. I opened the box and popped in my Lycamobile sim and it asked for the unlock code. However, that is when I tried the first pinned post and activated the ATT sim and wasn't able to get the device unlocked by ATT reps. Only putting the ATT sim in another unlocked old LG phone worked for me.
I put the att sim to my old device for 5 mins then tried the unlock request online it got denied again,I didn't wait for my old device show on my account,do you remember how long you wait for it showing on you account?
Mar 27, 2023
623 Posts
Joined Jul 2014
Mar 27, 2023
Nitrohamster
Mar 27, 2023
623 Posts
Quote from arrycomm :
When I picked the fold3 from BB, they stuck an activated sim to the box. I opened the box and popped in my Lycamobile sim and it asked for the unlock code. However, that is when I tried the first pinned post and activated the ATT sim and wasn't able to get the device unlocked by ATT reps. Only putting the ATT sim in another unlocked old LG phone worked for me.
Took me another 2 phone calls after finally get unlock to first get account "suspended," then officially "canceled."

I see now the deal is dead. NIce when it lasted but a ton of work.

Software update stuck on Android 11 and no esim. anyone know how to flash to android 12 and get esim active?

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Mar 27, 2023
8 Posts
Joined Mar 2023
Mar 27, 2023
HappyMountain148
Mar 27, 2023
8 Posts
Quote from Nitrohamster :
Took me another 2 phone calls after finally get unlock to first get account "suspended," then officially "canceled."

I see now the deal is dead. NIce when it lasted but a ton of work.

Software update stuck on Android 11 and no esim. anyone know how to flash to android 12 and get esim active?
Once it's unlocked,you can insert T-Mobile sim to get software update with T-Mobile ota update

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