[andycraze]

hey guys, just dragged myself out of the closet and registered at the might community of avforums

just got a new nokia E63 on 3 on contract but would like to get that unlocked so I can take it abroad and use a local sim card in it, called 3 and they said i need to pay the remaining months of contract and they will help, i told them i don't want out of the contract i still want the minutes and texts etc but they said no

any cheap way of doing it? anyone in my area who can help? i would apreciate and input, i live in worthing, west sussex btw

thanks

[prking]

Originally Posted by andycraze

hey guys, just dragged myself out of the closet and registered at the might community of avforums

just got a new nokia E63 on 3 on contract but would like to get that unlocked so I can take it abroad and use a local sim card in it, called 3 and they said i need to pay the remaining months of contract and they will help, i told them i don't want out of the contract i still want the minutes and texts etc but they said no

any cheap way of doing it? anyone in my area who can help? i would apreciate and input, i live in worthing, west sussex btw

thanks

There are third parties that will unlock the handset, however its likely to invalidate your warranty. Ask at your local independent phone shop.

When you take out a contract, you are agreeing to use the handset on 3 and their roaming partners' networks for a minimum period. This is why they wont unlock. I appreciate your desire to go for a cheaper option when abroad, perhaps it would have been wiser to sign with a provider that doesn't lock their handsets. I know this sounds like me being a smart-arse, I'm just trying to present another viewpoint.

[andycraze]

Originally Posted by prking

There are third parties that will unlock the handset, however its likely to invalidate your warranty. Ask at your local independent phone shop.

When you take out a contract, you are agreeing to use the handset on 3 and their roaming partners' networks for a minimum period. This is why they wont unlock. I appreciate your desire to go for a cheaper option when abroad, perhaps it would have been wiser to sign with a provider that doesn't lock their handsets. I know this sounds like me being a smart-arse, I'm just trying to present another viewpoint.

true but as long as i'm paying for the contract i don't see where the problem is...

i'll pay the three store a visit soon

[deathtrap3000]

Im interested in this aswell.

Just got a new 3 contract and want to get my e63 unlocked too.

[prking]

Originally Posted by andycraze

true but as long as i'm paying for the contract i don't see where the problem is...

i'll pay the three store a visit soon

The thing is they are expecting you to use their service for roaming, their business model factors in income from calls which are not included in the monthly allowance. They want consumers to sign up, use the service and pay more than the minimum each month.

There are other approaches, and not all networks lock their handsets. Its something to consider when calculating the actual cost of ownership over the length of the contract vs the headline rate.

I think your best bet, is to see if you can find a website that obtains manufacturer unlock codes, expect to pay £40 or so. Or the easier route would be a local unlocking shop, but will invalidate the warranty.