Re: unlock Verizon dual GSM/CDMA phone
Kevin Weaver
> I recently purchased a second-hand Verizon Motorola A840 dual mode
> CDMA/GSM phone with international GSM900/1800 capability.
>
> I inserted an old Voicestream SIM and toggled the International GSM
> mode, and sure enough, it prompts for a Subsidy Unlock code.
>
> Has anyone had any experience in obtaining the SIM Unlock code from
> Verizon to enable the use of any GSM SIM card?
>
> (I am NOT asking to unlock the CDMA mode, as I am fully aware that VZW
> does not normally lock their phones in CDMA mode)
>
> tks.
>
> brian
> http://www.bridog.net/cellular/
>
> --
> tired of paying interest on your credit cards?
> check out http://www.zeropercentcards.com/
>
Verizon does not lock there phones. GSM Side is locked. As verizon is
not GSM Your going to have to deal with the GSM provider.
Kevin Weaver
> as a Verizon phone, hence VZW has the unlock code. Now, has anyone had
> any luck in getting the code?
>
> brian
> http://www.bridog.net/cellular/
>
> --
> tired of paying interest on your credit cards?
> check out http://www.zeropercentcards.com/
>
Donald Newcomb
news:1157322705....@e3g2000cwe.googlegroups.com...
> Has anyone had any experience in obtaining the SIM Unlock code from
> Verizon to enable the use of any GSM SIM card?
Sounds like an interesting academic exercise but one of little practical
value. You can buy unlocked 900/1800 phones for less than $30. That phone
might be of more value to someone who is interested in Verizon's GSM roaming
but who doesn't want to pay for the stupid device they now make you buy to
get it.
--
Donald R. Newcomb
DRNewcomb (at) attglobal (dot) net
Donald Newcomb
> They had no problem giving me SIM Unlock Code A and SIM Unlock Code B,
> but what is this stupid device that you need to buy? All they are
> sending me is a SIM card to use in my phone.
The stupid device is that dual mode phone. If you have Verizon and they are
sending a SIM, that's great. The point is that Verizon used to just send a
SIM. Last I heard they had changed their policy and required you to buy that
GSM/CDMA phone. All the customer needs is a SIM. He can buy a GSM phone
anywhere. If Verizon has changed their policy and now will send just the
SIM, that's a move for the better.
DevilsPGD
"brian" <bdores...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>Cool, then all I need is the SIM. Perhaps they are only sending a SIM
>because I told them that I already have the VZW branded dual-mode
>phone. If this is the case, then that would be an interesting social
>engineering trick if they usually make you buy the dual-mode phone...
>just tell them that you already bought one on eBay!
They'd probably want the ESN or something else you can't provide without
the phone in your hand.
--
You can get more with a kind word and a 2x4 than just a kind word.
Donald Newcomb
> Also, the Global Services rep seemed to be under the impression that in
> order for me to use the VZW SIM in the dual-mode phone, that I also
> needed to change the ESN in my account to reflect the CDMA ESN of the
> dual-mode phone.
>
> Is this really necessary??? My gut feeling says no. I'd rather just
> use the VZW SIM in the dual-mode phone abroad (or any unlocked 900/1800
> GSM phone for that matter), and then leave the ESN in my account
> pointed to my 6700 PDA phone.
If you give them the ESN, they will probably switch your service over to the
CDMA side of that phone and your old CDMA phone will stop working. Before
they came out with the dual mode (CDMA/GSM) phone, they would just send you
the SIM and tell you to turn off your CDMA phone when using GSM. Now they
have tried to idiot-proof the system by using just one device. Really,
Verizon's GSM roaming system is very good. Why they thought they had to do
it with just one device is beyond me. I wouldn't give them the ESN if you
can avoid it.
jdoe
their reps don't have a clue what a SIM is. I went through this with a VZW
store rep recentlly. We were going to Europe and I wanted a single #. Went
to VZW shop, they said oh yeah I think we can do that. Showed me a Samsung
the size of a brick World Phone. I asked about the Motorola 840 "no we don't
have that" maybe can get it. Who supplies the SIM? Reply....What's a SIM? At
that between the bad service, poor attitude of store reps, ignorant
treatment of a VERY high paying customer wiling to spend even MORE I threw
my hands up and drove to a Cingular store. Within 45 minutes I had a quad
band GSM Razr, World Connect (with MUCH MUCH better roaming rates thean
VZW), much more courteous and knowledgeable store reps, VERY attractive
Intl. long distance rates (in some cases WAY cheaper than my VOIP account,
and of course WAY WAY cheaper than VZW rates, I could go on but won't.
Incidentally the CIngular with WC feature worked flawlessly and seemlessly
throughout my journey throughout Europe. So I am down to 4 VZW lines and
will soon be down to 0 as quickly as my times expire with them hell I may
even eat the ETF. Oh and BTW no dropped calls so far with Cingular (even
though I am NOT in a prime covg. area like I am with VZW) and much better
voice quality.
Now I do have a couple small areas with little or no covg. but the overall
cost and customer experience is so much better than VZW I can overlook a
couple little dead spots.
"Donald Newcomb" <DRNe...@NOT.attglobal.net> wrote in message
news:44fe23e5@kcnews01...
Donald Newcomb
news:DZudnbB7JYqbK2PZ...@insightbb.com...
> I will chime in on this. VZW GSM policy is not good at all. Very costly
and
> their reps don't have a clue what a SIM is. I went through this with a VZW
> store rep recentlly.
I once saw a break-down of VZW's roaming vs other carriers' and it all
depended on where you were going. Some places they were more than the
others', some places they were less. And, I didn't say their reps were
experts on GSM roaming. Most Verizon customers don't even know they have a
GSM roaming capability. And the dual-mode phone is just stupid; every bit as
stupid as the dual-mode Iridium/GSM phones were.
However, one thing I will add is that right now I wouldn't do much
international roaming with ANY of the US carriers' plans. They are all
rip-offs when compared with some of the prepaid international SIMs like UM,
O9 & TravelSIM. If you want to save money on international roaming, before
you go check out www.prepaidgsm.net.
jdoe
YOU. I used the Cingular World Connect feature. It worked FLAWLESSLY and for
about the same $$ as using T-Mobile Debitel. People here could call me when
needed and there was no hiccups. I could SMS basically everything. Also I
now gave that Cing phone to my kid because she will want to call her friends
across the globe and intl. ld rates are VERY cheap .06 to .08! On VZW the
BEST rates were .59 to $1.29 per min.
FWIW the best intl roaming rates IF I bought that stupid Samsung Dual phone
were $1.29 per min. +intl. LD! On Cingular it was a FLAT .99 no matter what.
I know you can get some prepaid stuff cheaper but cheaper ain't always
better. For me it worked, was simple and affordable period.news:44ff7b34@kcnews01...
Mark Crispin
> Also, the Global Services rep seemed to be under the impression that in
> order for me to use the VZW SIM in the dual-mode phone, that I also
> needed to change the ESN in my account to reflect the CDMA ESN of the
> dual-mode phone.
> Is this really necessary??? My gut feeling says no.
It's a "feature" of Verizon's customer account system. I call it a
"misfeature"; it'd be a bug except that it's clearly intentional.
The way it works, if you have an ESN corresponding to a GSM/CDMA phone,
then the system automatically sets you to have Global Roaming service and
wants the serial number of the SIM card. If you then change the ESN to a
CDMA-only phone, then the system deletes Global Roaming and the SIM card
serial number.
That's why you can't change your ESN between an A840 and a V710 (say if
you're going into a known analog-only area) via the web page. You have to
get a customer service representative to do it. Fortunately, the need for
analog is diminishing all the time.
For similar reasons, customers can not switch between EVDO and non-EVDO
phones on the web page.
Telus Mobility in Canada also offers the A840, but you can buy just the
SIM card. Telus' account system does recognize customers who have both a
SIM card and a CDMA-only phone.
For what it's worth, Verizon's SIM cards are from Vodafone Netherlands,
and Telus' SIM cards are from Viking in Iceland. Neither company's SIM
card will register in North America. You can not put a Verizon SIM card
into a North American band GSM phone and expect to roam on Cingular or
T-Mobile.
-- Mark --
http://panda.com/mrc
Democracy is two wolves and a sheep deciding what to eat for lunch.
Liberty is a well-armed sheep contesting the vote.
Mark Crispin
> shipped.
For what it's worth, you can get new Verizon SIMs on eBay for about $25.
> I also told them that I purchased the A840 secondhand, and that I
> wanted the SIM unlock code for it; as I want to use my VZW SIM for
> receiving calls, and a foreign SIM for making calls.
> They had no problem giving me SIM Unlock Code A and SIM Unlock Code B.
> FYI, SIM Unlock Code A was the one that I needed to unlock the phone.
That's probably because the phone wasn't in their records as being sold at
a subsidy cost.
I got my A840 under a New Every Two deal. At the time Verizon told me
that they won't give me the GSM subsidy unlock code until after the two
years passes.