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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Now, how I m supposed to upgrade the firmware? Can I loan an active sim card from a friend to upgrade the firmware?
Now, how I m supposed to upgrade the firmware? Can I loan an active sim card from a friend to upgrade the firmware?
Now, how I m supposed to upgrade the firmware? Can I loan an active sim card from a friend to upgrade the firmware?
BTW I was able to upgrade the FW using WiFi. All you have to do it is go into setting and manually start the update process. I was able to do that on my locked phone for which I am still waiting for unlock code.
Thanks
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Code was delivered via email. I was kind of worried they might sent code on text
BTW I was able to upgrade the FW using WiFi. All you have to do it is go into setting and manually start the update process. I was able to do that on my locked phone for which I am still waiting for unlock code.
Thanks
Which case that has kickstand is good?
I created a brand new Google Voice number for this on 3/24 and placed an order on 3/25.
Best Buy sent me an email 3/27 asking to contact them. I did same day, they spoke to ATT, finalized the order and shipped it.
I got the phone on 3/28 but was busy with work so I let it sit till the end of the week,
When I found the time to deal with it, I realized there were two SIM cards - one was attached to the outside of the box and the other was in the box. It was pretty clear that the one outside of the box was the one I need to use, except it was too big to fit into Fold. I tried the other one out of curiosity but it did not work.
Went to the ATT store next day, they cut the SIM for me. Test right away and outgoing call from Fold worked.
Went back home and for the next few hours I was updating the phone. I installed probably close to 20 updates on it. I force-checked update availability and it just kept coming back with more and more.
Finally when that was done, I swapped the SIM into my old Galaxy S9, made a couple of calls and requested unlock. It came back saying the Fold's IMEI doesn't match ATT device. WTH?
Well, I returned SIM back into Fold, started figuring it out and realized that I can't call that device. The calls were still going to Google Voice. Outbound calls worked, 5G worked but inbound did not.
Today was day 13 since my order so I could not procrastinate on this. Called customer support and after some dancing we figured port did not complete successfully. They gave me a number for port department which I called, had to dance around a bit more and they fixed the port.
From there I repeated SIM swap process and had unlock code within couple of minutes.
I then called main line again and canceled the service under buyer's remorse. Very smooth process.
I shall see what my bill will be. I might be on the hook for activation which is ok.
Huge thanks to everyone who discovered and described the SIM swap method. I'm glad I waited on it as I'd rather pay the activation fee than spend hours arguing with ATT reps.
It's my third day I'm trying to do swap with unlocked iphone xr and nothing helps. ATT portal continue showing error, that this device is active on another account. After two or three times it says wait 24 hours.
I had, as many of you had, issues with porting in my Google Voice number and had to talk to support so they manually finished the process. Besides (just for blind luck) I put Sim into the Fold and tried unlock with phone number and of course was declined as there's no 60 days of active service with ATT.
I didn't try to find someone with ATT account to use his sim and then try to unlock as a customer.
I didn't try FCC route, because I'm not sure how to properly write a complaint and my order was made in morning of 28 March, that day ATT changed their policy - so how to prove that on the time I ordered three was old policy, and afternoon they changed it?!
Fold is laying somewhere on the table, I'm more and more having intention to return it. And need to fight with those bastards to cancel service and all charges they put on me.
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