Beware of GoPhone Trick by ATT Stores!!

[antiochian2010]

I just bought a Lumia 950 today from Att Burbank, CA store. Was upfront that I am purchasing to unlock. So put down my $652 including taxes to pay the no contact rate. To activate the phone, the store enrolled me on GoPhone and I found out later that GoPhone requires 6 months use before unlocking.. Meaning the store is trying to backdoor me into a 6-month contract while still collecting my fat no-contract rate purchase.
So am fighting with ATT customer service on the basis that the 950 is not packaged or marked as a GoPhone and No-Contract means NO contract! Have opened a case and hope to report better news tomorrow.
In short if you are looking to do same, make sure the sales staff and manager are not using GoPhone to activate you!

 

[jaimeastin]

I just bought a Lumia 950 today from Att Burbank, CA store. Was upfront that I am purchasing to unlock. So put down my $652 including taxes to pay the no contact rate. To activate the phone, the store enrolled me on GoPhone and I found out later that GoPhone requires 6 months use before unlocking...
In short if you are looking to do same, make sure the sales staff and manager are not using GoPhone to activate you!

Att does not sell unlocked phones... You just purchased a locked phone at a non contract price... Microsoft will sell ans unlocked phone to you.

So... What you should have done was walked out without activating the phone, called att with the imei number to unlock as a non customer...

Just say you are moving out of country... Just think... If you would have purchased by next or contract, you would be calling customer service, requesting to unlock phone, and then pay balance which would end contract and allow unlock with no more explaining or frustration. Hypothetically of course.

Good luck to you... Not really a trick, but assuming and "ignorance" is the case here... The should have told you when you bought it that was not an unlocked phone no matter how you paid for it...

 

[theefman]

Return the phone and wait a few days and buy it unlocked from Microsoft, save money and hassle.

 

[RumoredNow]

Not really a trick, but assuming and "ignorance" is the case here...

I concur, lack of knowledge on the part of the clerk is probably what happened. I bet they thought they were "helping."

Research is key. Buying a locked phone for the express purpose of unlocking it is always fraught with uncertainty. There is a ton of information around this board that would have warned you about not activating the phone first.

You should have 14 days grace period in which to return the phone. Try exchanging it and if a clerk wants to help you activate it tell them no thanks. Don't let them turn the phone on unless you verify there is NO SIM in it.