What did Straight Talk charge to unlock a used phone?

[HoosierDaddy]

I have a relative with a Straight Talk Samsung. She wants to leave Straight Talk. My wife on T-Mobile wants to replace her Idol 4S Windows phone.

The Samsung hasn't been on Straight Talk for a year so can't get unlocked by owner. Straight Talk website says they will unlock for non customers for a reasonable charge.

Trying to find out what people have paid for the "reasonable" charge before bringing up subject of maybe buying the phone.

 

[hallux]

The phone may still need to meet the unlocking requirements.

Reading the ToS for ST, regarding unlocking, it seems that in order to unlock the device it must have been on an active ST account for at least a year before it will be unlocked regardless of who is requesting the unlock. The non-customer being charged a fee for the unlock is simply because they were not a customer.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

The phone may still need to meet the unlocking requirements.

Reading the ToS for ST, regarding unlocking, it seems that in order to unlock the device it must have been on an active ST account for at least a year before it will be unlocked regardless of who is requesting the unlock. The non-customer being charged a fee for the unlock is simply because they were not a customer.

Maybe but I don't think so. I believed congress passed a law years ago to protect unsuspecting used phone buyers. I believe any US carrier has to unlock a phone for non customers if it has been paid for and not stolen, etc.. That's why the term "reasonable charge" is used because the law allows that.

I actually exploited that law to evangelize Windows Phones a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.

AT&T sometimes offered Lumia 640 "Go Phones" on sale for dirt cheap. If you bought them directly from AT&T, they activated them at time of sale and would not unlock for the customer for 12 months. But, if you bought them from Walmart (for example, like I did) you were never an AT&T customer. When they were available with a free year of Office 365, I bought 8 of them, kept the Office 365 licenses (which retailed for what I paid for the phones) and gave the phones away to people on the fence. All but 1 of the 8 people stayed with Windows Phones until MS killed it. I then used half the Office 365 licenses to tide me for 4 years and gave the others as Christmas gifts. AT&T wasn't set up to charge a "reasonable fee" yet so provided unlock codes for all 8 of the brand new phones for free with the boxes still sealed (IMEIs on the box label).

Back on topic... I'm asking what people have paid to unlock a used Straight Talk Samsung. If its all over the map based on circumstances, I'm not even going to suggest buying the phone and get the owner's or my wife's hopes up.

 

[hallux]

Maybe but I don't think so. I believed congress passed a law years ago to protect unsuspecting used phone buyers. I believe any US carrier has to unlock a phone for non customers if it has been paid for and not stolen, etc.. That's why the term "reasonable charge" is used because the law allows that.

Except in the case of phones that come with a plan, that 12 month requirement is considered the "pay off" for the device. That's why they won't unlock a device for 12 months.

If you look at the unlock policy here - https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...e/h/legal/terms-and-conditions&token=1tztm5jX
It's doesn't say (a) [which includes the verbiage about the non-customer fee] OR (b) [which has the 12 month provision]. The statement at the beginning of that section indicates it has to meet the requirements outlined in the section but that none are optional.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

The phone didn't come with a plan.

Of course the description about unlocking is ambiguous. That means nobody can assume one way or the other based just on that. As I said, I think you're speculation is wrong and you haven't provided anything that make me think otherwise. Which is okay, since I have no interest in debating IF Straight Talk will unlock a phone less than 12 months old for a non-customer.

Still interested in what people who bought a used locked Straight Talk phones paid to get it unlocked.