unlock cellphone

Have you tried contacting your service provider and asking them to unlock the phone? They'll probably charge a fee, but that's better than bricking it with some hack.

While we're talking about cell phones...

Does anyone know of a provider that does NOT offer and can NOT deliver data services? I am just about SICK of getting charged for text messages and other non-sense that I do NOT want, I do NOT use, and do NOT desire in any way shape or form. I want a phone that makes phone calls, and cannot do a single other *(&^%^(& thing. Christ. I cannot believe the crap people find value in....

Sie

JDMurray wrote:

Have you tried contacting your service provider and asking them to unlock the phone? They'll probably charge a fee, but that's better than bricking it with some hack.

+1 - This is the best way, some tie the handset to their network for the duration of the contract as the handset is often subserdised when purchased with the contract so they may or may not do it for you.

If they dont then the only other way is a hack/market trader but this would be against your contract and thats up to you.......

Mrock4

cisco_trooper wrote:

While we're talking about cell phones...

Does anyone know of a provider that does NOT offer and can NOT deliver data services? I am just about SICK of getting charged for text messages and other non-sense that I do NOT want, I do NOT use, and do NOT desire in any way shape or form. I want a phone that makes phone calls, and cannot do a single other *(&^%^(& thing. Christ. I cannot believe the crap people find value in....

Don't even get me started. My poison of choice for the last 3 years (unfortunately), has been Sprint. Did you know if you say, for example, add or remove text message services from your contract, you just extended it for 2 years from the date of the change? Well, I found this out. It's looking like the war in Iraq will be done before I get out of my Sprint contract. My fiancee's contract was supposed to end in December 07, but they notified her, since she changed plans, it was now "actually" ending in late 2009.

Mrock4 wrote:

cisco_trooper wrote:

While we're talking about cell phones...

Does anyone know of a provider that does NOT offer and can NOT deliver data services? I am just about SICK of getting charged for text messages and other non-sense that I do NOT want, I do NOT use, and do NOT desire in any way shape or form. I want a phone that makes phone calls, and cannot do a single other *(&^%^(& thing. Christ. I cannot believe the crap people find value in....

Don't even get me started. My poison of choice for the last 3 years (unfortunately), has been Sprint. Did you know if you say, for example, add or remove text message services from your contract, you just extended it for 2 years from the date of the change? Well, I found this out. It's looking like the war in Iraq will be done before I get out of my Sprint contract. My fiancee's contract was supposed to end in December 07, but they notified her, since she changed plans, it was now "actually" ending in late 2009.

Yeah I know all about Sprint. I had them as a carrier in like 2000 or some crap. My contract was up and I signed up with Verizon. Like two months later I magically had a year left on a contract with sprint. w t f?

mgeorge

Well if it was a nokia you could have easily generated the unlock key as theirs 100's of keygens
floating around online to generate the key based off the carrier and IEMI code.

Motorola's are a little more tougher, but the keygens do exist. Google is ya best friend.

illmatic3285

Yeah, if you contact your service provider and let them know the deal you should be fine. Some carriers require you to be under contract for at least 90 days before they give up the code. If not I would google the Motorola Unlocker 2005 program, my friend recently used it to unlock his V3 and it seemed to do the trick. If you don't want to risk doing it yourself then I would suggest looking into a phone shop without any ties to a certain network and they might do it for a small fee. The one thing I would be wary of is buying expensive hardware like a "smartclip" or other similar devices. Mainly because they are expensive, don't always work correctly, and the support on them isn't the best.

illmatic3285

Oh and to answer your question. Once your phone is unlocked just pick up a cheap international sim so all the calls are local and when you get back your original sim should work fine. Just don't use the phone with your orginal sim now even if it works cuz you will get hit with the ridiculous roaming charges.

cisco_trooper wrote:

Does anyone know of a provider that does NOT offer and can NOT deliver data services?

What about those disposable, pre-paid TRACFONE units? If you just want basic cell phone service and nothing else they are the way to go. Flat-rate, no contract, buy it at Wal-mart and just purchase the minutes you need as you need them. Even big providers like Verizon sell prepaid cell phones.

JDMurray wrote:

cisco_trooper wrote:

Does anyone know of a provider that does NOT offer and can NOT deliver data services?

What about those disposable, pre-paid TRACFONE units? If you just want basic cell phone service and nothing else they are the way to go. Flat-rate, no contract, buy it at Wal-mart and just purchase the minutes you need as you need them. Even big providers like Verizon sell prepaid cell phones.

I'll have to check in to the ones at Walmart, but even the Verizon Prepay plans allow for messaging. There is also a daily fee for any day that it is used. Why are people putting up with this crap? This service is not THAT valuable. It does not cost a buck to send that first packet through the wire. I'd go so far as to say most people don't even need a cell phone, but have managed to get brainwashed. For business purposes they are great, but they are also a means of revenue generation in that context. What does this intrusive little device do for the private consumer other than drain their wallet and constantly interrupt their lives? This whole rant is due to my wife's complete indiscretion in her use of wallet draining data services by the way.

I'm going to start a website about this junk. Does anyone else find the mere existence of cell phones highly irritating? Couple that with the fact that it is nearly impossible to get rid of "features" I don't want and I then have to move them from the highly irritating list to the top ten people I want to kill list..

cisco_trooper wrote:

JDMurray wrote:

cisco_trooper wrote:

Does anyone know of a provider that does NOT offer and can NOT deliver data services?

What about those disposable, pre-paid TRACFONE units? If you just want basic cell phone service and nothing else they are the way to go. Flat-rate, no contract, buy it at Wal-mart and just purchase the minutes you need as you need them. Even big providers like Verizon sell prepaid cell phones.

I'll have to check in to the ones at Walmart, but even the Verizon Prepay plans allow for messaging. There is also a daily fee for any day that it is used. Why are people putting up with this crap? This service is not THAT valuable. It does not cost a buck to send that first packet through the wire. I'd go so far as to say most people don't even need a cell phone, but have managed to get brainwashed. For business purposes they are great, but they are also a means of revenue generation in that context. What does this intrusive little device do for the private consumer other than drain their wallet and constantly interrupt their lives? This whole rant is due to my wife's complete indiscretion in her use of wallet draining data services by the way.

I'm going to start a website about this junk. Does anyone else find the mere existence of cell phones highly irritating? Couple that with the fact that it is nearly impossible to get rid of "features" I don't want and I then have to move them from the highly irritating list to the top ten people I want to kill list..

I believe you can disable the service with some providers if you call them. I have some friends with teenagers whose cell phone cannot send or recieve a text message and cannot access the internet. I know one in particular I am thinking of uses Cingular and I think the other may be Verizon. I have never tried to block it myself since I am single (and simply don't use them so therefore am not charged for them). The only thing I am unsure is if the reason they were able to do it was because they requested it before signing their contract or if it can be doe afterwards.

I could see blocking those things for kids that would abuse them, but shouldn't you be able to work something out with your wife where it simply isn't over-used due to the accomanying bill? Maybe it is just me but I couldn't imagine being married to someone who I had to block services because I couldn't trust her. Have you tried talking to her about it?

Yeah, I got on to her about it. It's her family that just simply won't stop sending the stupid things. There is no respect for money there....It's ridiculous. It is more ridiculous to get charged for crap you don't send.

cisco_trooper wrote:

For business purposes they are great, but they are also a means of revenue generation in that context. What does this intrusive little device do for the private consumer other than drain their wallet and constantly interrupt their lives? This whole rant is due to my wife's complete indiscretion in her use of wallet draining data services by the way.

You hit the nail on the head. Businesses are constantly looking for services to provide customer that involve periodic, reoccurring service charges. There's nothing evil about this. Our capitalistic economic system ensures that competition will drive prices much lower than if there were a cell phone monopoly. And people are not forced to subscribe to a specific service, nor are they guaranteed to get exactly the service plan that they want.

Most people don't need cell phones, true, but they don't need pizza and ice cream either. They make a choice and it has unrealized consequences (i.e., hidden charges or excess calories). In the end it comes down to believing that the service you receive is worth the money that you pay (or the fat you gain). If not, change your service or give it up altogether. You have choices, Comrade!

Schluep wrote:

I could see blocking those things for kids that would abuse them, but shouldn't you be able to work something out with your wife where it simply isn't over-used due to the accomanying bill? Maybe it is just me but I couldn't imagine being married to someone who I had to block services because I couldn't trust her. Have you tried talking to her about it?

Cell phones are junk food to some people, just like television and the Internet can be. Pre-paid phones are an excellent reward system for teenagers because they must earn the next NNN minutes their parents will buy for their phone, or teens must spend their own money to talk on their own cell phone. Sounds like it might be good system for some spouses as well.

cisco_trooper wrote:

Yeah, I got on to her about it. It's her family that just simply won't stop sending the stupid things. There is no respect for money there....It's ridiculous. It is more ridiculous to get charged for crap you don't send.

So send her family her cell phone bill. That'll shut 'em up real fast!

[quote="JDMurraySounds like it might be good system for some spouses as well. [/quote]

Easier said than done my friend...It would be nice for the consumer if they could have a whitelist of people who are allowed to text them at that very least. Getting charged for a text message from some jerk in egypt is not acceptable and I'll be darned if I'm going to increase my monthly service fee by adding a texting package.....Verizon better address this or this account WILL be closed as a matter of principal. I will then proceed to take my very sweet time getting new service...

networker050184

Verizon is $10 a month for unlimited texting. Its worth it if you or your wife will be sending and recieving text messages.

cisco_trooper wrote:

Getting charged for a text message from some jerk in egypt is not acceptable...

Hey, speaking of that, I just received my first cell phone text message spam yesterday. Someone with a Russian email address (probably spoofed) sent me the coded message "(ProminentPenisKelli) EnlargedPhallusHoracio" and a URL (probably a virus-dropping Web site). It's funny once, but I'll have some serious words for my service provider if it continues.

I may be incorrect, but I don't believe you are charged if you delete them without opening. I have had one spam message (about 5 or 6 months ago) that I deleted and don't remember seeing on my bill. My carrier is Verizon so maybe that is the solution cisco_trooper (unless I just didn't notice it when the bill came in and I actually was charged).

If you are charged for messages that are deleted and not opened I am sure someone with an unlimited plan would have coordinated non-stop messages to the Board of Directors from around the world by now until that changed, or at least challenged it in court since you are being charged for something outside your control.

networker050184 wrote:

Verizon is $10 a month for unlimited texting. Its worth it if you or your wife will be sending and recieving text messages.

It's a stupid service. It's not worth it for any amount of text message as they are !@#$ stupid.

Also, on principal..I'm not adding data service simply to minimize the cost of something I do NOT want, and rewarding them. This account will simply be cancelled. It is that simple. I'll eat the contract fee. They'll lose several months of revenue. In the grand scheme of things, they probably won't care, but if they don't, and this continues, their time eventually will come.

UPDATE: This just in!

Dear XXXXXX XXXXX,

Good evening. My name is XXXXXXXX, and I can assist you with your request to block text messaging on your lines of service.

Mr. XXXXX, per your request, text/pix messaging has been blocked from both XXX.XXX.XXXX and XXX.XXX.XXXX effective immediately.

We appreciate your business and thank you for using Verizon Wireless products and services. Should you have additional questions or concerns, please reply to this e-mail.

Sincerely,

XXXXXXXX
Verizon Wireless
Customer Service

Don't ever let anyone tell you this wireless carrier cannot block data services, which is what I was thinking might be the case based on other posts I found on the internet.

Congratulations and thanks for sharing back with us.

aragoen_celtdra

cisco_trooper wrote:

While we're talking about cell phones...

Does anyone know of a provider that does NOT offer and can NOT deliver data services? I am just about SICK of getting charged for text messages and other non-sense that I do NOT want, I do NOT use, and do NOT desire in any way shape or form. I want a phone that makes phone calls, and cannot do a single other *(&^%^(& thing. Christ. I cannot believe the crap people find value in....

LOL!!! I remembered this thread when I read the following article.

Filipinos sent 1 billion text messages daily in 2007

I just about started ROTFLMAO when I read it

. Now I now they are text crazy over there. I get a lot of these texts from my cousins and aunts from the Philippines. They even tell me that they have competition among friends who can text the fastest with one hand and without looking. And trust me, they got skills.

But 1billion???? A day??? I guess if the technology is there, why not? LOL

I have only ever sent one text message and will likely never need to send another. I would rather call and leave a voice mail if they don't answer explaining in a few clear and consise sentences what can be poorly typed in a much longer time frame.

Schluep wrote:

I have only ever sent one text message and will likely never need to send another. I would rather call and leave a voice mail if they don't answer explaining in a few clear and consise sentences what can be poorly typed in a much longer time frame.

Amen. I don't even want to get started on this subject again, but I find it hard to believe that anyone finds this service even remotely useful, yet alone find the preferred method of communication. Are we breeding stupidity these days or what??

Kasor

Can today people live without a cell phone or using SMS for a few days?

You can buy a unlock phone from ebay.

Never buy phone that made in U.S.... Get the 3G and you should able to connection anywhere you want as long as you there is a relay tower for signal.

cisco_trooper wrote:

but I find it hard to believe that anyone finds this service even remotely useful, yet alone find the preferred method of communication. Are we breeding stupidity these days or what??

Ah, you don't like email either? Or you don't see the striking similarity?

Everyone that I know who didn't like texting fell in love with it when they got a cell phone with a full keyboard. Texting on my RAZR is painful, but I'm looking at a Crackberry to be my next cell phone, and I may become a texting convert too. Gads, I might start playing World of Warcraft next!

paintb4707

cisco_trooper wrote:

networker050184 wrote:

Verizon is $10 a month for unlimited texting. Its worth it if you or your wife will be sending and recieving text messages.

It's a stupid service. It's not worth it for any amount of text message as they are !@#$ stupid.

Also, on principal..I'm not adding data service simply to minimize the cost of something I do NOT want, and rewarding them. This account will simply be cancelled. It is that simple. I'll eat the contract fee. They'll lose several months of revenue. In the grand scheme of things, they probably won't care, but if they don't, and this continues, their time eventually will come.

Oh god don't even get my started on data. My first phone bill I got charged $100 for data usages. $100 bucks on top of my monthly payment! I said... ok... I know I was fooling around a bit because it was a new phone and all but I don't recall using data THAT much.

So another month goes by and I haven't used data once after that hideous sight. The bill comes in the mail and what do you know, a $50 data charge on top of my monthly payment. I'm like what the hell, I didn't even use my data once. I went on the AT&T website to track where these data charges are coming from and there all at random times during the day going outbound to numbers I don't even know. There were even charges for 3 or 4 in the morning when I'm sleeping and not even using my phone!

So... I did a little research and found out that the AT&T bloatware that comes with my Tilt phone automatically downloads routine updates. Ever since then I downloaded a registry hack utility and had to disable the data service completely. Hopefully I don't see another ridiculous bill like that again.

JDMurray wrote:

Ah, you don't like email either? Or you don't see the striking similarity?

You mean email, with its full keyboard, spell check, and messages that are generally full sentences in mostly proper english

is strikingly similar to

txtng, w its 10 dig ke pad & bs msgs. i d k mb jst me.

come on man

cisco_trooper wrote:

txtng, w its 10 dig ke pad & bs msgs. i d k mb jst me.

come on man

Don't ever go for your amateur radio license. You'll freak out when you learn about Morse code.