Sim Card switched to a new phone and issues

[Happywishes]

I have been with Public Mobile for many years and today needed to switch my phone after an incident with my kids and bubbles (to a used phone- Samsung Galaxy J1). I was told it was unlocked and had been tested. After removing my SIM card and placing it in the "new" phone, the pop up "SIM network unlock PIN" came up. Can anyone help me with this? I have tried 1234 and pins I thought I would have used but they don't seem to be the correct numbers...not sure what to do next. Thanks for the advice!! 

[pkaraa]

If it is still not resolved. 

you ll need to do some workaround.

Thats what I did long back.

get the old carrier name 

get their SIM from a friend or family 

call them 

give them the IMEI # and unlock the device

put PM SIM and check 

[computergeek541]

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@Happywishes wrote:

I am in Canada (as is the phone I purchased) so this should work out...it had better after all of this hassle! haha 

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That's probably the true, but not necessarily always the case.  The person who you bought the phone from could have bought it while visiting another country or purchased it from a retailer who imported it from somewhere else.  I know that the seller said that 2 different SIM cards were tested, and I assume that those are SIM cards are for one of the Canadian carriers, but we can't be sure when the seller still insists that the phone is unlocked when you've already proven that it isn't.

[Happywishes]

I am in Canada (as is the phone I purchased) so this should work out...it had better after all of this hassle! haha 

[computergeek541]

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@Happywishes wrote:

I appreciate this information. I wrote the seller and he said if I take it to any cell shop they will unlock it for free and is still stating that it is unlocked...he also said that my SIM card is still registered to my old phone and I need to go into my settings and clear it (??).

Anyway, I will call Samsung tomorrow and see if they can provide me with a code over the phone and if not I will bring it in to a shop and see what can be done. 

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The phone asking for SIM Network Unllock PIN means that the device isn't unlocked. 

Unofortunately, your seller is misinformed and the replies that you're being given at this point are purse nonsense (including the part about your SIM card being registered to a phone).  A cell phone shop willl not unlock the phone free. Only carriers unlock devices for free, and even then, will only unlock a device that is locked to that carrier. In the case of a cell phone store/cell phone repair store sometimes do provide phone unlock service, but they will charge you a fee for this service.

Keep in mind that Samsung Canada will only be able to assist you with unlock if your phone was originally intended to be sold in the Canadian market.

[Happywishes]

I appreciate this information. I wrote the seller and he said if I take it to any cell shop they will unlock it for free and is still stating that it is unlocked...he also said that my SIM card is still registered to my old phone and I need to go into my settings and clear it (??).

Anyway, I will call Samsung tomorrow and see if they can provide me with a code over the phone and if not I will bring it in to a shop and see what can be done. 

Thank you everyone for your input 🙂 

[computergeek541]

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@Happywishes wrote:

The gentleman that I purchased it from assured me it was unlocked and said he had tried two sim cards in it and they worked just fine. I have spent hours trying to figure this out 😞

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Your seller is wrong. A message asking for the SIM Network Unlock PIN means that the phone is 100% without a doubt not unlocked.  Please contact the original carrier to get the unlock code, ask the seller to get the phone unlocked, or demand that the seller refund you the purchase price after you return the phone.  The misinformation given by the seller is likely accidental, but the product isn't as promised.

The seller clearly never tested the phone using a different carrier's SIM card (probably used two different SIM cards from the same carrier). It's also possible that this was a phone that was sold at retail for use with any carrier but is one of the Samsung models that automatically locks to the carrier of the first SIM card. Samsung will unlock phones locked because of that process, but that still doesn't change the fact the person sold you a locked phone.

[Happywishes]

The gentleman that I purchased it from assured me it was unlocked and said he had tried two sim cards in it and they worked just fine. I have spent hours trying to figure this out 😞

[esjliv]

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@Happywishes wrote:

I have been with Public Mobile for many years and today needed to switch my phone after an incident with my kids and bubbles (to a used phone- Samsung Galaxy J1). I was told it was unlocked and had been tested. After removing my SIM card and placing it in the "new" phone, the pop up "SIM network unlock PIN" came up. Can anyone help me with this? I have tried 1234 and pins I thought I would have used but they don't seem to be the correct numbers...not sure what to do next. Thanks for the advice!! 

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@Happywishes 

Is sounds like a locked phone.

Contact your previous provider to unlock it for you. You will need your imei number, dial *#06# to get it.

Who told you it was unlocked?

[computergeek541 · Accepted solution]

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@Happywishes wrote:

I have been with Public Mobile for many years and today needed to switch my phone after an incident with my kids and bubbles (to a used phone- Samsung Galaxy J1). I was told it was unlocked and had been tested. After removing my SIM card and placing it in the "new" phone, the pop up "SIM network unlock PIN" came up. Can anyone help me with this? I have tried 1234 and pins I thought I would have used but they don't seem to be the correct numbers...not sure what to do next. Thanks for the advice!! 

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Sorry, but your phone is not unlocked.  Please do not enter any more codes. It isn't possible to guess the phone's network unlock code.  You'll need to either contact the old carrier for the phone's unlock code, or pay a store or online retailer for an unlock code. Samsung might also be willing to provide the unlock code.