BlackBerry Forums Support Community

FBlack · 07-09-2007, 04:43 PM

I also have contacted the right Verizon support group who said they will unlock my 8830 too. But they want me to pay retail for it. Did you pay retail? If so, may I ask how much it cost. Also, must you take at least their $29 data plan?

ofelas · 07-09-2007, 05:23 PM

Hi, just out of curiosity - what's the right support group - is there a direct line? Thx.

FBlack · 07-09-2007, 06:52 PM

Try 800.711.2900. But they said I need to pay retail. Let me know what they tell you.

rockymtnway · 07-09-2007, 10:35 PM

I paid full price for my phone from Cingular and the shop that sold me the phone told me they wouldn't unlock it, nor could it be unlocked. I called Cingular, told them I was going to Europe and had already registered for international service for e-mail, but needed a local SIMM card to keep in touch with local friends. Once I got ahold of the right person (it took three calls), they took my IMEI number and e-mail address, told me it would be 7 days, and in less than three days I had the code. Another call to customer service helped me get it right (if you mess it up, your phone becomes locked forever), and it was unlocked for free.

I just got back from two weeks in the UK and picked up a Vodaphone pay as you talk card for 10 pounds plus minutes. The nice thing over there is that there's no cost to receive local calls, only to make them, so for 15 pounds you can receive all the calls you want for a couple weeks. The only downfall is that you can't use a US credit card to top up your minutes. I had to have a friend use his UK card to top my minutes up.

Kudos to AT&T for making it doable. I couldn't use the Vodaphone simm card for data or e-mail, but anytime I swapped out for my AT&T simm card, I could use any network over there to do e-mail and internet at a rate of $.08/e-mail and $.02/kb for internet data. Not exactly cheap, but not outrageous either.

penguin3107 · 07-10-2007, 06:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rockymtnway

I paid full price for my phone from Cingular and the shop that sold me the phone told me they wouldn't unlock it, nor could it be unlocked. I called Cingular, told them I was going to Europe and had already registered for international service for e-mail, but needed a local SIMM card to keep in touch with local friends. Once I got ahold of the right person (it took three calls), they took my IMEI number and e-mail address, told me it would be 7 days, and in less than three days I had the code. Another call to customer service helped me get it right (if you mess it up, your phone becomes locked forever), and it was unlocked for free.

I just got back from two weeks in the UK and picked up a Vodaphone pay as you talk card for 10 pounds plus minutes. The nice thing over there is that there's no cost to receive local calls, only to make them, so for 15 pounds you can receive all the calls you want for a couple weeks. The only downfall is that you can't use a US credit card to top up your minutes. I had to have a friend use his UK card to top my minutes up.

Kudos to AT&T for making it doable. I couldn't use the Vodaphone simm card for data or e-mail, but anytime I swapped out for my AT&T simm card, I could use any network over there to do e-mail and internet at a rate of $.08/e-mail and $.02/kb for internet data. Not exactly cheap, but not outrageous either.

The 8800 is very simple to unlock.
This discussion is about the 8830, which is much more challenging.

BlondeBoyL · 07-11-2007, 05:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ofelas

Hi there, great news! Pics & details would be great!!

edited -

Just spoke to Global Support - they insist there is no such code available, to anyone, whether MEPD or "MEP2".
Pics/details would be great, as I can call Global Support again with that info.

Hey sorry for the delay ofelas. click the link that JRSCivic98 posted. I put all the details, pictures and videos of the phone being unlocked in there. Also I am no longer the only person with it unlocked. Another person has successfully done it. All the details and such are all at that link.

flightguy · 07-11-2007, 07:55 AM

Hey All! I too have my Verizon Wireless Blackberry 8830 UNLOCKED! It made me feel as if it took an act of congress literally however, I did get it done. I had to email the CEO down the line to the South region President. The Exec VP of Verizon Wireless replied to my email.

Here is the bottom line. You MUST pay full retail $519.00 or so in order to recieve the unlock code. You MUST also complete a form entitled SIM Unlocked subscriber Agreement.

The told me all day long that a code was not available and even went so far as to say that it was not available because of RIM having technical problems. The truth as I heard directly from the Supervisor who was instructed to walk me through unlocking my phone is they just got the database which has the unlock codes. The reps, coordinators, technical engineers do not have access ONLY the Global Data Support Supervisor has the access as of right now and they have NOT communicated this to any of their employees as they wanted to keep this "hush hush".

Hope this helps! Anything I can do to help just send me a PIN message.

jewberry · 07-11-2007, 09:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flightguy

Hey All! I too have my Verizon Wireless Blackberry 8830 UNLOCKED! It made me feel as if it took an act of congress literally however, I did get it done. I had to email the CEO down the line to the South region President. The Exec VP of Verizon Wireless replied to my email.

Here is the bottom line. You MUST pay full retail $519.00 or so in order to recieve the unlock code. You MUST also complete a form entitled SIM Unlocked subscriber Agreement.

The told me all day long that a code was not available and even went so far as to say that it was not available because of RIM having technical problems. The truth as I heard directly from the Supervisor who was instructed to walk me through unlocking my phone is they just got the database which has the unlock codes. The reps, coordinators, technical engineers do not have access ONLY the Global Data Support Supervisor has the access as of right now and they have NOT communicated this to any of their employees as they wanted to keep this "hush hush".

Hope this helps! Anything I can do to help just send me a PIN message.

Same problems with Bell Mobility? Anyone know?

BlondeBoyL · 07-11-2007, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jewberry

Same problems with Bell Mobility? Anyone know?

Dunno, but if I can get mine unlocked by verizon and sprint's is unlocked, there is no reason the bell mobility phone cant be unlocked. Just be prepared for a battle because they will probably tell you that it cant be done but it can

ofelas · 07-11-2007, 10:22 AM

The Bell & Telus 8830s are unlocked right out of the box, like Sprint's.

sanglee · 07-11-2007, 01:36 PM

I just got off the phone with a VZW phone rep in the Global group and she was more than happy to email me the form to request an unlock code for the 8830. She did inform me that I would need to pay the difference between what I paid and the retail price of the phone. But for those who were skeptical of this...it is indeed a valid option. Will advise once I hear back from them.

depopov · 07-11-2007, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ofelas

The Bell & Telus 8830s are unlocked right out of the box, like Sprint's.

Is this true?
i have 8830 on telus network and I tought that it is locked but if you say and if someone can confirm that they have tried it than I am okay.
I was actually looking someone to unlock it.
Please let me know.

penguin3107 · 07-11-2007, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by depopov

Is this true?
i have 8830 on telus network and I tought that it is locked but if you say and if someone can confirm that they have tried it than I am okay.
I was actually looking someone to unlock it.
Please let me know.

Go to Options > Advanced Options > SIM Card and then type m e p d

If the phone is locked, it will say 'Active' next to Network.
If it says something other than 'Active'... then it's unlocked.

djniche · 07-11-2007, 07:06 PM

so would you be able to use the phone on tmobile, cingular, etc. with a data plan after its unlocked?

penguin3107 · 07-11-2007, 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by djniche

so would you be able to use the phone on tmobile, cingular, etc. with a data plan after its unlocked?

No, you can't use the 8830 on a GSM carrier within the United States, even if the phone is unlocked.
It can only be used on GSM carriers overseas.

flightguy · 07-11-2007, 10:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by penguin3107

Go to Options > Advanced Options > SIM Card and then type m e p d

If the phone is locked, it will say 'Active' next to Network.
If it says something other than 'Active'... then it's unlocked.

It took me forever to get my phone unlocked. I did what you said on my Verizon 8830 and it does say the following... Is it unlocked? I am leaving for Israel and really need to know.

Thanks!

SIM Card: Security Disabled

Personalization
SIM Disabled
Network Active
Network Subset Disabled
Service Provider Disabled
Corporate Disabled

penguin3107 · 07-12-2007, 05:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flightguy

It took me forever to get my phone unlocked. I did what you said on my Verizon 8830 and it does say the following... Is it unlocked? I am leaving for Israel and really need to know.

Thanks!

SIM Card: Security Disabled

Personalization
SIM Disabled
Network Active
Network Subset Disabled
Service Provider Disabled
Corporate Disabled

No... your phone is locked.
As I mentioned above, Network - Active means your phone is locked.

An unlocked phone will report 'Network - Inactive'

BlondeBoyL · 07-12-2007, 07:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by penguin3107

Go to Options > Advanced Options > SIM Card and then type m e p d

If the phone is locked, it will say 'Active' next to Network.
If it says something other than 'Active'... then it's unlocked.

I think that the 8830 phones may operate differently due to the fact that 1.) Our native siginaling mode is CDMA and not GSM and 2.) we cant jump onto another GSM carrier here in the states to test. My phone is indeed unlocked and says the same thing But when the phone was LOCKED it said plain as day "Invalid sim" across the phone until you put in a Vodafone / VZW sim. Now that its unlocked, it takes the sim and can read and use the sim. Matter fact when I popped in my global sim, I received an e-mail on my crackberry saying "the sim has been registered on the network". I think an awsome test would be to have the sprint people type in MEPD on their phone and see if it says the same thing. I think the results will be the same and its natively unlocked.

In short, I dont think this argument holds for a CDMA phone with GSM capabilities.