Any Freedom customer can request the unlock account through his/her online account. Note that sometimes, the Freedom self-serve site will sometimes erroneously declare "invalid IMEI". If it does that, it doesn't mean that there's anything wrong with the IMEI, but rather that the database that the self-serve accounts have access to don't have the unlock code available. When that happens, the customer needs to call into customer service at 611 to make the request, and it will take them longer. They'll tell you a disclaimer that it could take up to 30 days to get the code for you, but a few days is probably more likely.
But yes, the person making the request needs to be a current Freedom Mobile customer. If the code is immediately available, it will be displayed on-screen within the self-serve account after agreeing to pay the $30 fee. Pay After customers will have the $30 fee added to the next bill, while Pay Before cusomers will need to have it in the balance ahead of time and it will be charged instantly.
As above, third-party unlocking services are an option. Sometimes, even when one unlock code seller returns with a result of code not found, another seller might be able to get it for you. There are also times that the same seller has access to more than one unlock code database, but sometimes, there can be an additional charge.
There's the possibility that you could sell your Freedom Mobile device. You would then need to purchase either an unlocked phone or a Telus-locked phone from a source of your choosing.
