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How do I get PM to carrier unlock my phone.

iamsoups
Great Neighbour / Super Voisin

Hi I just moved to another carrier but when I instert their SIM card, it says my phone is carrier locked. How to I proceed to unlock it. I have an iPhone 6. 

 

Thanks

20 REPLIES 20

jimbobs
Model Citizen / Citoyen Modèle

@caitknight77 wrote:

I've sold a few used phones to people that were locked to service providers. 

And they had no problem going in and unlocking the phone. 

They can't refuse to unlock the phone as unlocking is free of charge. 

And phones now purchased after Dec 1 2017 are no longer allowed to be locked into providers. 


They can refuse to unlock a phone if the original owner is not making the request, and/or, if the person requesting it to be unlocked is not a current customer.  Having said that, they have nothing to gain by not unlocking it which is why they are generally doing so.

Amans
Great Neighbour / Super Voisin

First you have to unlocked with your previous carrier and you can use other carriers sim card 

caitknight77
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

I've sold a few used phones to people that were locked to service providers. 

And they had no problem going in and unlocking the phone. 

They can't refuse to unlock the phone as unlocking is free of charge. 

And phones now purchased after Dec 1 2017 are no longer allowed to be locked into providers. 

jimbobs
Model Citizen / Citoyen Modèle

@caitknight77 wrote:

1. Unlocking

  1. Any device provided by a service provider to the customer for the purpose of providing wireless services must be provided unlocked.
  2. If a device is, or becomes, locked to a service provider’s network, that service provider must unlock the device, or give the customer the means to unlock the device, upon request, at no charge.

 

Directly from the CRTC site. 

https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/phone/mobile/codesimpl.htm

 

They are no longer allowed to charge you for unlocking phones. 

 


Note that there is still ambiguity here.  The obligation is between the service provider and their customers.  If you are no longer their customer, or not the original owner of the device, they have wiggle room.  Hence the need to threaten them with CCTS or CRTC.

caitknight77
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

1. Unlocking

  1. Any device provided by a service provider to the customer for the purpose of providing wireless services must be provided unlocked.
  2. If a device is, or becomes, locked to a service provider’s network, that service provider must unlock the device, or give the customer the means to unlock the device, upon request, at no charge.

 

Directly from the CRTC site. 

https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/phone/mobile/codesimpl.htm

 

They are no longer allowed to charge you for unlocking phones. 

 

edwardnikkel
Great Neighbour / Super Voisin

I've found that going into establishments that carry or offer Public Mobile will have the ability to unlock phones, as usually they already have some sort of dealings with cell phones.


@jimbobs wrote:

@caitknight77 wrote:

You just find what service provider your phone is locked to. Then you contact them to unlock your phone. 

It should be free to unlock since it's no longer acceptable to have phones "locked" to certain service providers. 


Some providers, or maybe just some customer service agents, IME, have tried to suggest that unlocking is only free if you are a customer of theirs.  Best way to deal with that is to say you will make a complaint to the CRTC and/or CCTS.  


Carriers are not legally obligated to provide unlocks to anyone other than the original owner of9 the device.  So be careful when buying used devices from craigslist, lol, especially when the seller is not smartphone savvy.

 

Carriers are reluctant to provide unlocks to the original owner.  Because it always means the owner is interested in taking their business to a competitor.  Sometimes they'll try to regain your loyalty with bribes.  Sometimes you can fool them by claiming you need an unlock for out-of-Canada travelling.   But they have a legal obligation they cannot avoid if you keep them on topic. 

caitknight77
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

Actually they're not allowed to charge you for unlocking phones. 

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cbc.ca/amp/1.4161711

 

I've posted a link with information on it. 

 

"As of Dec. 1(2017), cellphone customers can ask their provider to unlock their phones free of charge, the CRTC announced Thursday"

 

jimbobs
Model Citizen / Citoyen Modèle

@caitknight77 wrote:

You just find what service provider your phone is locked to. Then you contact them to unlock your phone. 

It should be free to unlock since it's no longer acceptable to have phones "locked" to certain service providers. 


Some providers, or maybe just some customer service agents, IME, have tried to suggest that unlocking is only free if you are a customer of theirs.  Best way to deal with that is to say you will make a complaint to the CRTC and/or CCTS.  

caitknight77
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

You just find what service provider your phone is locked to. Then you contact them to unlock your phone. 

It should be free to unlock since it's no longer acceptable to have phones "locked" to certain service providers. 

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cbc.ca/amp/1.4161711

Korth
Mayor / Maire

@iamsoups wrote:

Hi I just moved to another carrier but when I instert their SIM card, it says my phone is carrier locked. How to I proceed to unlock it. I have an iPhone 6.


The new carrier can never unlock devices, the only possible exception is when moving between MVNO brands/subsidies which are all operated by a single MNO (such as Telus Mobility, Koodo Mobility, and Public Mobile all being operated by Telus).

 

You can contact the MNO which imposed a carrier-lock on the device.  If the account is all good and the device is fully paid for then they are required (by CRTC wireless code) to promptly provide the unlock at no charge.  They can (and will) refuse to unlock if the subsidized device hasn't been fully paid for.

 

You can search ebay for "iPhone 6 unlock code" - expect to pay anything between $5 and $50, expect "delivery" to arrive in your email (without any shipping charges) within a day.  You'll need access to a computer which can run iTunes.

 

If the device IMEI has been blacklisted - flagged as lost/stolen, etc - then there's no legit way to unlock an iPhone.  Your only choices are to still with the original carrier (if they allow it), to hack/jailbreak the device, or to get a different device (to use on Public Mobile).

chukdefatey
Deputy Mayor / Adjoint au Maire

@iamsoups wrote:

Hi I just moved to another carrier but when I instert their SIM card, it says my phone is carrier locked. How to I proceed to unlock it. I have an iPhone 6. 

 

Thanks


That message means your Phone is locked to the Provider that originally sold the Phone. Public Mobile can unlock a Telus and or a Koodo Phone but not from any other Providers


@Riettarose wrote:

You can go into a smart phone repair shop and unlock it, usually around $50 to have it done. You can contact the moderator but I'm not sure if PM can unlock your phone for you. When you're signing up it states that you need an unlocked device. 

Good luck!


Moderators cannot help in this situation. Moderators can only unlock devices or provide unlock codes for Telus/Koodo/Public locked devices. An iPhone 6 locked to Telus would already work at Public Mobile.  The original carrier can get this phone unlocked.

LovesToPM
Mayor / Maire

@iamsoups wrote:

Hi I just moved to another carrier but when I instert their SIM card, it says my phone is carrier locked. How to I proceed to unlock it. I have an iPhone 6. 

 

Thanks


You were likely with Koodo or Telus before PM.  Do you remember who you bought the phone from? Contact them (either Koodo or Telus) and they will unlock it for you.

Riettarose
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

You can go into a smart phone repair shop and unlock it, usually around $50 to have it done. You can contact the moderator but I'm not sure if PM can unlock your phone for you. When you're signing up it states that you need an unlocked device. 

Good luck!

@iamsoupsIt depends on how you got your phone unlocked.. if it is 3rd party (ie other than the carrier or Apple), technically they are illegal and Apple sometimes revoke those unlocks.

GR
Mayor / Maire

@iamsoups  were you with koodo/Telus before and now switching to bell or Rogers? 

iamsoups
Great Neighbour / Super Voisin

That's interesting. Do you have an idea why my phone says my new SIM is not supported by the activation server?

GR
Mayor / Maire

@iamsoups   who were you with before public mobile? 

RossN
Mayor / Maire

@iamsoups hi PM does not sell or lock phones 

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