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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AT&T
I tried from ATT Website to unlock my phone, and today got this reply. Why is that happen? My account status is now suspended and I am billed $177. Any suggestions what to do now??
if you have exhausted your options with AT&T, file a FCC complaint explaining the steps above. AT&T has to respond to that and it will be interesting how they deemed it to be a fraud
TLDR: If anyone has an issue getting it unlocked, try theunlockingcompany. Its only $25. I used them in the past with good luck. So, $25 instead of dealing hours on the phone with AT&T was worth it to me.
Call AT&T's Port in dept and have your Acct# & PIN from your previous vendor handy. If its Tello, you should be able to get those details from the Port out link under your Tello account.
https://imgur.com/a/XVLEYsk
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heres what i did
Got phone today . activated the phone /ported from Tello
swapped the sim with a different old ATT account.
used the old ATT phone number and Fold 3 IMEI
selected existing customer
got unlocked code in email almost instantly
- Order a Tello SIM and ported out to ATT
- When I receive the Fold from BestBuy, put the ATT sim in and activate. Make sure the number is successfully ported in and working (can make / receive calls). Remove ATT sim and put into different unlocked phone. Mine takes 24 hours for the unlocked phone showing in ATT account instead of the Fold
- Go to ATT Unlock portal, choose "Not ATT customer", enter the Fold IMEI (ATT website may shows device model is F771U which is the Flip but don't worry, as long as you enter the correct IMEI1 in the box), and input my information (for me, I entered different email address and phone number used with my ATT account)
- My request went through, received a Confirm your device unlock request email instantly. Confirmed at around 5pm yesterday, and received Approved email with unlock code around 9am this morning.
- Plug in Tmobile SIM card to the Fold, enter unlock code and voila!
- Now I need to cancel the service and hopefully the 114$ reflection on my bill will be reverse.
- received the device after a day's delay today
- set the fold3 up w/ included at&t sim card
- made a call, saw the fold3 on the online account pages
- put the sim into my unlocked fold4, made another call
- couple of minutes later, fold4 shows up on att online account
- opened an incognito tab after logging out of the att portal
- used the unlock portal with a different email address + my tmo phone number
- recd an email asking me to confirm the unlock code
- followed instructions
- received another email pretty much instantaneously with the unlock code
- put my tmo sim in the fold3, typed in the unlock code and made sure it works
- yep, all good. fold3 unlocked as designed
- next up, cancel att service because it truly is horrendous in my basement
all the best to y'all that are attempting this. it's truly a simple process and has been hyped up beyond understanding. at&t has also been screwing most of their "new" customers over and aren't making it easy.
someone here wanted a pattern. here you go, the beginnings of a template, unless you've already got one.
Unfortunately, to unlock this device we have to use a premium service, the cost for this service is 45.00USD additional and can take 1 to 10 days to get a successful result. You have my word this is still the cheapest and fastest you'll get the unlock anywhere in the world, as we are top of the supply chain. In-fact, if you go anywhere else you find via Google, Bing, Youtube, Local - you'd probably end up paying around at least +250.00USD.
I decided to go for an refund instead. Which they refunded me ASAP. I have used them in the past with luck. So I just didn't feel like another $40 on top was worth it.
I'll just wait the 24 hours and try on the AT&T site again.
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Unfortunately, to unlock this device we have to use a premium service, the cost for this service is 45.00USD additional and can take 1 to 10 days to get a successful result. You have my word this is still the cheapest and fastest you'll get the unlock anywhere in the world, as we are top of the supply chain. In-fact, if you go anywhere else you find via Google, Bing, Youtube, Local - you'd probably end up paying around at least +250.00USD.
I decided to go for an refund instead. Which they refunded me ASAP. I have used them in the past with luck. So I just didn't feel like another $40 on top was worth it.
I'll just wait the 24 hours and try on the AT&T site again.
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