iPhone Unlocking Rules are terrible, and AT&T is a confused, and outdated company

[mhooge]

I get that my iPhones were purchased on a subsidy provided by AT&T. I realize that AT&T makes money only if I contiue service for a set period of time. But unlocking my phones and cacelling my contract with AT&T are two different things. Keeping the phones locked just so you can attempt to force me to pay ridiculous internation roaming rates defines you as a company that puts profits over the consumer at any opportunity. Unlocking my phones costs you little profit. I would stay with AT&T as long as the network provides the fastest data, so you would still make back the subsidy on my phone. However, I've been an AT&T customer for years, and I would abandon AT&T the minute I can get comparable network speeds anywhere else. I have no loyalty towards this company, and things like this are the reason why, the intentional crippling of the iPhone for no reason other than the desire to bleed every bit of money out of a customer possible. You're international rates are outrageous (I'll admit, probably through no fault of your own). The solution, which would be best for your technically proficient customers, is to just unlock the phone, so I can get  a pay as you go card for my trip. 

I also realize that my complaints will fall on deaf ears, because AT&T is a large company, and you have no reason to care about a small developer. And I realize that with my skills and technical knowledge, I could just jailbreak my two iPhones and do whatever I want. But then I risk the stability of the phone as a development device, and all other sorts of problems. I've done that in the past and it doesn't work out. My only recourse is to tell everyone who will listen to never do business with you unless absolutly necessary (which it happens to be, for me), and encourage anyone who will listen, don't buy a locked phone, and terminate your business with AT&T as soon as it is reasonably prudent to do so. 

AT&T, I can't wait to never see your name on my phone, or my financial paperwork again. 

[dwill05]

So what's your gripe? Your phones are still under contract and you want them unlocked now, before your contract is completed? Until a couple of weeks ago AT&T wouldn't even unlock phones that were long out of contract, but you're saying that's not good enough?

When did you buy the phones? If it was more than a month ago, they were bought with no indication they would ever be unlocked by AT&T.

[wingrider01 ACE - Geek]

---

mhooge wrote:

I get that my iPhones were purchased on a subsidy provided by AT&T. I realize that AT&T makes money only if I contiue service for a set period of time. But unlocking my phones and cacelling my contract with AT&T are two different things. Keeping the phones locked just so you can attempt to force me to pay ridiculous internation roaming rates defines you as a company that puts profits over the consumer at any opportunity. Unlocking my phones costs you little profit. I would stay with AT&T as long as the network provides the fastest data, so you would still make back the subsidy on my phone. However, I've been an AT&T customer for years, and I would abandon AT&T the minute I can get comparable network speeds anywhere else. I have no loyalty towards this company, and things like this are the reason why, the intentional crippling of the iPhone for no reason other than the desire to bleed every bit of money out of a customer possible. You're international rates are outrageous (I'll admit, probably through no fault of your own). The solution, which would be best for your technically proficient customers, is to just unlock the phone, so I can get  a pay as you go card for my trip. 

I also realize that my complaints will fall on deaf ears, because AT&T is a large company, and you have no reason to care about a small developer. And I realize that with my skills and technical knowledge, I could just jailbreak my two iPhones and do whatever I want. But then I risk the stability of the phone as a development device, and all other sorts of problems. I've done that in the past and it doesn't work out. My only recourse is to tell everyone who will listen to never do business with you unless absolutly necessary (which it happens to be, for me), and encourage anyone who will listen, don't buy a locked phone, and terminate your business with AT&T as soon as it is reasonably prudent to do so. 

AT&T, I can't wait to never see your name on my phone, or my financial paperwork again. 

---

policy is better then it was prior to April the 8th - you do have a choice, you can kill two birds with one stone - never see ATT on your financial paper work again AND be eligible to unlock you phone - pay the ETF, you take care of two problems in one go around. You do have a choice. compare carriers - international rate are about norm.

[coolrhyme]

---

wingrider01 wrote:

---

mhooge wrote:

I get that my iPhones were purchased on a subsidy provided by AT&T. I realize that AT&T makes money only if I contiue service for a set period of time. But unlocking my phones and cacelling my contract with AT&T are two different things. Keeping the phones locked just so you can attempt to force me to pay ridiculous internation roaming rates defines you as a company that puts profits over the consumer at any opportunity. Unlocking my phones costs you little profit. I would stay with AT&T as long as the network provides the fastest data, so you would still make back the subsidy on my phone. However, I've been an AT&T customer for years, and I would abandon AT&T the minute I can get comparable network speeds anywhere else. I have no loyalty towards this company, and things like this are the reason why, the intentional crippling of the iPhone for no reason other than the desire to bleed every bit of money out of a customer possible. You're international rates are outrageous (I'll admit, probably through no fault of your own). The solution, which would be best for your technically proficient customers, is to just unlock the phone, so I can get  a pay as you go card for my trip. 

I also realize that my complaints will fall on deaf ears, because AT&T is a large company, and you have no reason to care about a small developer. And I realize that with my skills and technical knowledge, I could just jailbreak my two iPhones and do whatever I want. But then I risk the stability of the phone as a development device, and all other sorts of problems. I've done that in the past and it doesn't work out. My only recourse is to tell everyone who will listen to never do business with you unless absolutly necessary (which it happens to be, for me), and encourage anyone who will listen, don't buy a locked phone, and terminate your business with AT&T as soon as it is reasonably prudent to do so. 

AT&T, I can't wait to never see your name on my phone, or my financial paperwork again. 

---

policy is better then it was prior to April the 8th - you do have a choice, you can kill two birds with one stone - never see ATT on your financial paper work again AND be eligible to unlock you phone - pay the ETF, you take care of two problems in one go around. You do have a choice. compare carriers - international rate are about norm.

---

+1 with ya

[sandblaster]

---

wingrider01 wrote:

---

mhooge wrote:

I get that my iPhones were purchased on a subsidy provided by AT&T. I realize that AT&T makes money only if I contiue service for a set period of time. But unlocking my phones and cacelling my contract with AT&T are two different things. Keeping the phones locked just so you can attempt to force me to pay ridiculous internation roaming rates defines you as a company that puts profits over the consumer at any opportunity. Unlocking my phones costs you little profit. I would stay with AT&T as long as the network provides the fastest data, so you would still make back the subsidy on my phone. However, I've been an AT&T customer for years, and I would abandon AT&T the minute I can get comparable network speeds anywhere else. I have no loyalty towards this company, and things like this are the reason why, the intentional crippling of the iPhone for no reason other than the desire to bleed every bit of money out of a customer possible. You're international rates are outrageous (I'll admit, probably through no fault of your own). The solution, which would be best for your technically proficient customers, is to just unlock the phone, so I can get  a pay as you go card for my trip. 

I also realize that my complaints will fall on deaf ears, because AT&T is a large company, and you have no reason to care about a small developer. And I realize that with my skills and technical knowledge, I could just jailbreak my two iPhones and do whatever I want. But then I risk the stability of the phone as a development device, and all other sorts of problems. I've done that in the past and it doesn't work out. My only recourse is to tell everyone who will listen to never do business with you unless absolutly necessary (which it happens to be, for me), and encourage anyone who will listen, don't buy a locked phone, and terminate your business with AT&T as soon as it is reasonably prudent to do so. 

AT&T, I can't wait to never see your name on my phone, or my financial paperwork again. 

---

policy is better then it was prior to April the 8th - you do have a choice, you can kill two birds with one stone - never see ATT on your financial paper work again AND be eligible to unlock you phone - pay the ETF, you take care of two problems in one go around. You do have a choice. compare carriers - international rate are about norm.

---

Plus I don't think you should blame AT&T or any other domestic carrier for those high international rates. Blame the international carriers because I'm pretty sure rates are high because of what they charge to roam on their network.

[mhooge]

I'm aware that other carriers impose high charges on roaming, but it would be trivial for AT&T to give customers an alternative. Just because the policy is better, doesn' t mean it's good. And as for your advice to just pay the ETF and just GTFO, done. I'm not going to pay AT&T and listen to one of it's employees tell me to sod off. I spend my days writing software that sells more iPhones, which basically means I help AT&T make money. Apple goes out of there way to solve my problems at every opportunity. Yourself, and AT&T, are clearly not bothered by my dissatisfaction. 

[graphite07]

some people are never happy!!  only had his iphones for a couple of weeks now he wants them unlocked.

[brainwaver]

You are aware that this is a customer to customer forum? So yes, your complaint here to AT&T will fall on deaf ears. We are all users just like you. As has been stated by the others, you have not completed your eligibility for the unlock so not sure why you are complaining.

---

mhooge wrote:

I get that my iPhones were purchased on a subsidy provided by AT&T. I realize that AT&T makes money only if I contiue service for a set period of time. But unlocking my phones and cacelling my contract with AT&T are two different things. Keeping the phones locked just so you can attempt to force me to pay ridiculous internation roaming rates defines you as a company that puts profits over the consumer at any opportunity. Unlocking my phones costs you little profit. I would stay with AT&T as long as the network provides the fastest data, so you would still make back the subsidy on my phone. However, I've been an AT&T customer for years, and I would abandon AT&T the minute I can get comparable network speeds anywhere else. I have no loyalty towards this company, and things like this are the reason why, the intentional crippling of the iPhone for no reason other than the desire to bleed every bit of money out of a customer possible. You're international rates are outrageous (I'll admit, probably through no fault of your own). The solution, which would be best for your technically proficient customers, is to just unlock the phone, so I can get  a pay as you go card for my trip. 

I also realize that my complaints will fall on deaf ears, because AT&T is a large company, and you have no reason to care about a small developer. And I realize that with my skills and technical knowledge, I could just jailbreak my two iPhones and do whatever I want. But then I risk the stability of the phone as a development device, and all other sorts of problems. I've done that in the past and it doesn't work out. My only recourse is to tell everyone who will listen to never do business with you unless absolutly necessary (which it happens to be, for me), and encourage anyone who will listen, don't buy a locked phone, and terminate your business with AT&T as soon as it is reasonably prudent to do so. 

AT&T, I can't wait to never see your name on my phone, or my financial paperwork again. 

---

[21stNow]

It would be nice if AT&T were consistent on the "rules" or clarified them.  Other posters on this forum are in the same situation that I am in, but have gotten their iPhones 4 unlocked, while mine hasn't been.  We all upgraded to another phone.  However, I am being told that I have to wait two years from the activation of the iPhone 4, while others are told that their contracts were completed and the iPhone 4 is eligible for unlock.  I have spoken to at least three different people, using three different forms of communication.

[Underlyingsound]

It would make more since if the rule was an iPhone can be unlocked if the line is eligible for an upgrade, or if the user pays an ETF. No hassles, easy to understand. Their servers could tell them instantly as long as you have a valid AT&T iPhone IMEI. A call, visit to a store, Email or chat should all be ways to contact them. For international users, AT&T could instantly check the iPhone's IMEI for unlock eligibility. This would be based around the date the iPhone was purchased and under what conditions. iPhone's bought through AT&T at non-commitment pricing would be locked to AT&T but be automatically eligible for an unlock. AT&T's rules are similar but much more complicated. All their employees should all be educated on the topic, and only one program/database should be used to verify the unlock.

[stufried]

I suspect that there will be more discretion to unlock the phone after just a few months. This is a major change for ATT and the policy will probabily get some additional liberality in the near future. With respect to the data roaming issue, it might get cheaper as well. Verizon just halved their roaming rates (effective tomorrow). 100 megs of foreign data is now $25 with the Big Red. ATT will probably match them. ATT and Verizon have historically matched each other in this department.

[cousintim]

---

stufried wrote:
I suspect that there will be more discretion to unlock the phone after just a few months. This is a major change for ATT and the policy will probabily get some additional liberality in the near future. With respect to the data roaming issue, it might get cheaper as well. Verizon just halved their roaming rates (effective tomorrow). 100 megs of foreign data is now $25 with the Big Red. ATT will probably match them. ATT and Verizon have historically matched each other in this department.

---

Roaming data rates are trending down.

[Underlyingsound]

---

cousintim wrote:

---

stufried wrote:
I suspect that there will be more discretion to unlock the phone after just a few months. This is a major change for ATT and the policy will probabily get some additional liberality in the near future. With respect to the data roaming issue, it might get cheaper as well. Verizon just halved their roaming rates (effective tomorrow). 100 megs of foreign data is now $25 with the Big Red. ATT will probably match them. ATT and Verizon have historically matched each other in this department.

---

Roaming data rates are trending down.

---

Are they really?