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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Very upsetting situation, honestly. If they didn't mess my order I made on 24th March, I would have received the phone in three days. But they failed creating account, port-in number and cancelled first order and I had to reorder and got the phone on 4th April. So not sure FCC helps, as I reordered on 28 March.
Not sure whether to keep it, wait for 60 days and try again or just return it. Or try eBay unlocking. But most of those I've seen say that you have to have 60 days of active service, so looks like those eBay guys just use standard ATT unlocking portal, nothing else.
And looks like, according to many finds I did they will not unlock it even after 60 days...
As "We can't unlock your device. Service for this device was canceled within the 14-day return policy period."
Only use as expensive a bit outdated small tablet or as trade-in, however I didn't find any good values for Fold right now, not sure if they appear in the future.
Hope you don't mind.
We can't unlock your device. Service for this device was canceled within the 14-day return policy period.
Wondering if they ever unlock it 60 days after purchase.
Have anyone had success with unlocking Fold with eBay sellers?
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Hope you don't mind.
Check Post no 1249 by Quincy P. I copied his complain , and made necessary modification. That worked for me
Ran into a few issues but was able to fix all of them. Here is my experience. Hope it help.
Upgrade Android OTA:
The update in Setting quickly said "You're on the latest version" (or similar) even I'm on ATT 5G for the whole night + a few restarts. I decided to factory reset the phone and realized there was a setup wizard which I didn't complete when I powered the device on at the first time. Therefore after this reset, I completed the wizard (skipped steps where a "skip" button was offered, such as login google account, login samsung account, att cloud service with monthly charges, but I completed all other steps to the end). I especially remembered where was a step saying to setting att related software. I guess that was the key.
Then I went to the Update and updates just pop-up. It takes ~8 updates to be latest (Android 13 with March 2023 security patch). The SIM manager & 2nd IMEI (for Esim) showed up after 5~6 updates.
I update by factory reset followed this OTA
Make sure you check at ATT software upgrade
Ran into a few issues but was able to fix all of them. Here is my experience. Hope it help.
Upgrade Android OTA:
The update in Setting quickly said "You're on the latest version" (or similar) even I'm on ATT 5G for the whole night + a few restarts. I decided to factory reset the phone and realized there was a setup wizard which I didn't complete when I powered the device on at the first time. Therefore after this reset, I completed the wizard (skipped steps where a "skip" button was offered, such as login google account, login samsung account, att cloud service with monthly charges, but I completed all other steps to the end). I especially remembered where was a step saying to setting att related software. I guess that was the key.
Then I went to the Update and updates just pop-up. It takes ~8 updates to be latest (Android 13 with March 2023 security patch). The SIM manager & 2nd IMEI (for Esim) showed up after 5~6 updates.
I update by factory reset followed this OTA
Make sure you check at ATT software upgrade
My fold3'is unlocked but I'm on Verizon and can't get rid of the ATT files and startup, even with the assistance of gadgetguru and then sbihue.
Maybe I don't comprehend their instructions, or, it's not working out for me.
Anyway, I have rebooted, restored, swapped SIM's, etc., and nothing seems to work...
I just wish there was a detailed summary, steb-by-step for accomplishing deleting the ATT crap on the unlocked by hhfold3 and changing the cell from ATT to Verizon and using it in the future on VERIZON BUT UPDATED to OS13, etc.
My fold3'is unlocked but I'm on Verizon and can't get rid of the ATT files and startup, even with the assistance of gadgetguru and then sbihue.
Maybe I don't comprehend their instructions, or, it's not working out for me.
Anyway, I have rebooted, restored, swapped SIM's, etc., and nothing seems to work...
I just wish there was a detailed summary, steb-by-step for accomplishing deleting the ATT crap on the unlocked by hhfold3 and changing the cell from ATT to Verizon and using it in the future on VERIZON BUT UPDATED to OS13, etc.
Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.
My fold3'is unlocked but I'm on Verizon and can't get rid of the ATT files and startup, even with the assistance of gadgetguru and then sbihue.
Maybe I don't comprehend their instructions, or, it's not working out for me.
Anyway, I have rebooted, restored, swapped SIM's, etc., and nothing seems to work...
I just wish there was a detailed summary, steb-by-step for accomplishing deleting the ATT crap on the unlocked by hhfold3 and changing the cell from ATT to Verizon and using it in the future on VERIZON BUT UPDATED to OS13, etc.
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Share your experience with the Slickdeals community
Share information with the community. Please follow our Community Guidelines and be kind!