I need help unlocking a Cricket branded Lumia 640 to use with AT&T

[makenzie71]

A cursory search before buying the phone showed that Cricket phones work with AT&T. I thought this would be like a gophone where all I have to do is put my sim card in. No. Put the card in, asks for unlock code.

I bought the phone from a guy who just used it as a wifi toy and never activated it. I have all the original packaging and documentation (including proof of purchase)...I know it's not stolen.

Cricket will not help me unless I sign up for six months of service...not going to happen.

I see about a bajillion services online that say they'll get me a code, but most of them look like scams. I don't mind buying a code from someone/where but the risk of losing $30 to one of these sites makes this phone less appealing.

Any help would be appreciated!

 

[libra89]

Yeah unfortunately, there's not a workaround to unlock it. You can try going for the $70 month plan for a month to unlock it. Otherwise, it probably wouldn't work.

 

[makenzie71]

I can buy the ATT 640 off Amazon for $40, and I can't go without a phone for a month

 

[jazen]

As an alternative, you can purchase an unlock code off ebay for about $10. I have done 2 of these in the past but they were for cheaper phones.

 

[makenzie71]

I'm willing to try it for $10...I had seen them, just hoping for a bit of reassurance before I throw another $10 away.

 

[libra89]

I can buy the ATT 640 off Amazon for $40, and I can't go without a phone for a month

That would be a better buy. The ATT one is much easier to unlock. All you'll need to do is just take out the sim before turning on the phone and request the unlock code on ATT's website.

 

[makenzie71]

It's a better buy than buying a $70 plan from Cricket, but it doesn't help my current situation at all.

 

[Werentuckl]

Are you still fazed by the same dilemma? Or did you pull the trigger on the ATT phone already? I know someone who offers an unlock service for around 10 bucks a pop, but with a courtesy call where he can check for you before hand if its going to even work or not and if the phone will unlock. I can forward you to the guy if you want.

-- W

 

[xpmymob]

So anyone has success with getting their Cricket Lumia 640 unlocked? Tried with multiple people all say unable to get code. They say the phone has to be active on the Cricket network and other option is to take the $70 plan.

 

[jazen]

I have a few friends who are Cricket customers and have been for over a year. I wonder if they can obtain an unlock code even though they aren't using the 640 (or in the case of another friend, a different 640).

 

[RumoredNow]

I have a few friends who are Cricket customers and have been for over a year. I wonder if they can obtain an unlock code even though they aren't using the 640 (or in the case of another friend, a different 640).

The database searches by IMEI and qualifies based on that. 6 months (and I'm told it need not be continuous, just 6 months total over any time period) or put on the $70 Unlimited and the device qualifies.

Your friends could only qualify their own IMEIs, not anyone else's. The unlock code issued for their phone would not work on another device.

 

[camaroz1985]

Correct, and you have to be using the phone at the time of the device unlock, which could be 2-3 days. I had to do that for a 650 I bought earlier this year.

 

[jazen]

The database searches by IMEI and qualifies based on that. 6 months (and I'm told it need not be continuous, just 6 months total over any time period) or put on the $70 Unlimited and the device qualifies.

Your friends could only qualify their own IMEIs, not anyone else's. The unlock code issued for their phone would not work on another device.

Gotcha. Well, I would say if his Lumia 640 was in better shape, I'd ask him to unlock it and trade someone for a new one, but alas.

 

[unlock-dot-az]

http://forums.windowscentral.com/mi...289-where-get-cricket-lumia-640-unlocked.html

 

[Mark Lester1]

Well I know the thread might be a little old but I bought a Cricket Lumia 640 for my mom for Christmas and I got it unlocked on ebay for $10. I really liked it so I decided to get one for myself and I bought one from Amazon. The crazy thing is nobody seemed to be able to unlock the second one so I purchased the Hard Locked service from Online Unlocks for $36. The only drawback to this service was it was done via USB on my computer (the guy used a couple of tools like Team Viewer to connect to my computer). If that and the price bothers you well the service may not be for you.