Database Develop

Sprint unlocking process is a pile of crap!!! - chat session

Here is the latest of 25 chats I had:
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Sonya B.: Hi, my name is Sonya B.. Thank you for your chat request. Please wait while I review your information.
_ME_: Hi
Sonya B.: Hello.
Sonya B.: Thank you. I am going to go ahead and connect you to my Supervisor since you have had to contact us numerous times about this. Please give them a moment to review the notes on your account.
Sonya B.: Just one moment please.
SWW SeniorTC: Hi, my name is SWW SeniorTC. Thank you for your chat request. Please wait while I review your information.
Sonya B. has left the chat.
_ME_: Hi
_ME_: please review all the notes on my account this will help you to understand the issue quickly
SWW SeniorTC: Hello. I am Sonya's Supervisor. I have reviewed the notes on the account. I have also taken it upon myself to check the unlock status of your phone. I am sorry but the phone is unlocked. If you get an invalid sim error that does not mean it is the phone. That means it is the actual sim card. If it was the phone, then you would get any number of other errors, but not that one. Unfortunately there isn't any way for us to fix an issue when trying to use a foreign sim card. We are not able to replace the phone since using 3rd party sim cards is not a guaranteed service.
SWW SeniorTC: Once using the foreign sim card, you are no longer using Sprint services, therefore we cannot troubleshoot any issues on the phone, nor will you be using your Sprint number. You will be using the number assigned to the sim card. Also, we cannot guarantee what services will be available, you will have to get that information from the carrier you purchase the sim card from.
_ME_: you are not correct in this case
_ME_: there are 3 SIM cards
_ME_: all working in another Sprint unlocked phone
_ME_: but this phone reports Invalid SIM
_ME_: this is clearly a phone issue
SWW SeniorTC: There isn't anything that we can do. You will need to contact the tech team .
SWW SeniorTC: I cannot fix any issues relating to using a foreign sim card.
SWW SeniorTC: If it was a service we guaranteed then yes we could fix it but it isn't. Unfortunately there isn't any steps for me to do in this situation.
_ME_: as I mentioned I would like to exchange the phone since there is clear indication that this is a problem with a device who would be the right contact to handle this?
SWW SeniorTC: The only way to have it exchanged is if you take the phone to a Sprint repair center and they are able to find that there is a manufacture issue with the phone.
SWW SeniorTC: This line does not have insurance so they only way it can be replaced by us is if the repair center finds a manufacture issue with it.
_ME_: they claim that they have no way of diagnosing the issues related to the unlocked phones
SWW SeniorTC: I am sorry but using foreign sim cards is not a guaranteed service by us. We cannot replace phones if this does not work.
SWW SeniorTC: Where are you currently located?
_ME_: Germany
SWW SeniorTC: Ok. I am sorry but there isn't any way for us to trouble shoot this. Our system shows that the phone is unlocked. That is all we are able to do.
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So their system shows that your phone is unlocked. What did you want him to do? Sprint chat is worthless and they pretty much have no power from my experience. Gotta talk go retentions
Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

Did you go to a sprint store to have them check it?
Seriously what do you expect them to do? Say they will give you a new phone without checking to make sure the problem that is caused be the phone and not your misuse, and I'm not saying that you did but that is the process of any company. Even the oh so great customer service company Apple.
Sent from my SPH-L720 using xda premium

Mship said:
Did you go to a sprint store to have them check it?
Seriously what do you expect them to do? Say they will give you a new phone without checking to make sure the problem that is caused be the phone and not your misuse, and I'm not saying that you did but that is the process of any company. Even the oh so great customer service company Apple.
Sent from my SPH-L720 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
At the store they are clueless as well, the tech support is helpless.
Basically I just want to exchange the phone at this point but they say it is not their problem.
As you can see they claim 3rd party SIM support is not guaranteed.

I wish my name was SWW SeniorTC.
Sent from my SPH-L720 using xda premium

From what I understand with sprint unlocked phones is that the only sim cards that will work on it are 64k sim cards. Att, tmobile and other US sims use 128k sim cards. What it means is that unlocked sprint phones will only work with foreign sim cards...not domestic. Hope this helps...
Edit: spelling
Sent from my SPH-L720 using xda app-developers app

Idk because Apple pretty much gives away replacement to those with a warranty, and it should be the same for the s4 I mean I is a 500+$ phone
Sent from my SPH-L720 using xda app-developers app

jdizzle316 said:
From what I understand with sprint unlocked phones is that the only sim cards that will work on it are 64k sim cards. Att, tmobile and other US sims use 128k sim cards. What it means is that unlocked sprint phones will only work with foreign sim cards...not domestic. Hope this helps...
Edit: spelling
Sent from my SPH-L720 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
do you have a source for this info about sprint limited to 64k vs 128k? I thought it was a MCC/MNC block.

autoprime said:
do you have a source for this info about sprint limited to 64k vs 128k? I thought it was a MCC/MNC block.
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Click to collapse
I don't have a source unfortunately. Coincidentally, I came across this information yesterday when I talked to Sprint CS International dept and that's what they had told me. My phone was shown as unlocked (iPhone 5 fwiw) in their system but when I stuck in a tmob sim it didn't work so that's why I called. I'm not saying that this is factual, just that this is what they had told me.
Sent from my SPH-L720 using xda app-developers app

jdizzle316 said:
I don't have a source unfortunately. Coincidentally, I came across this information yesterday when I talked to Sprint CS International dept and that's what they had told me. My phone was shown as unlocked (iPhone 5 fwiw) in their system but when I stuck in a tmob sim it didn't work so that's why I called. I'm not saying that this is factual, just that this is what they had told me.
Sent from my SPH-L720 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
interesting. well if that were true(might be for iPhone).. its not true for all sprint phones. my unlocked htc one works with att and tmo sims. gs4 seems to block it from getting a signal altho no sim error after the unlock.
I'll look more into this 64 vs 128 thing. It's hard to trust Sprint with any technical info tho.

autoprime said:
interesting. well if that were true(might be for iPhone).. its not true for all sprint phones. my unlocked htc one works with att and tmo sims. gs4 seems to block it from getting a signal altho no sim error after the unlock.
I'll look more into this 64 vs 128 thing. It's hard to trust Sprint with any technical info tho.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea, from what I've heard Sprint CSR is very unreliable... That you get different answers with different reps.
That's pretty cool! So your htc one is unlocked and works with t-mobile? So you pick up decent data speeds like hspa or lte?
Sent from my SPH-L720 using xda app-developers app

I had an issue getting a device swapped while overseas.
I called and talked several times to CS.
After talking to several people who told me to go to a sprint store and me telling them I was in the middle of a dessert and had no sprint store they allowed me to do an advanced exchange for the device.
They said as I was more than 30 miles from a repair center they could send a phone to my billing address and I had to send the old device back to them.
only catch was If I wanted the phone to use the sprint SIM card it had to be activated with the sprint SIM in the US.
I was using a wataniya SIM so I didnt care.
Long story short, they shipped it to my house, they shipped it to me, I put a foreign SIM in and it worked.
Of course I had to ship the old phone back. of course the device couldn't have a broken screen or water damage. . .

Why don't you try contacting Samsung?
Sent from my SPH-L720 using xda app-developers app

So, did you try going into System Update and then UICC Unlock?

GhostSonic said:
So, did you try going into System Update and then UICC Unlock?
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Click to collapse
I thought I mentioned this above, I've tried _everything_ known to date.

[Q] Replace broken phone with bad esn phone and old sim?

My sister-in-law busted her HTC One and is looking at buying a new one. I know that the Sprint Ones have sim cards now. Would it be possible for her to buy an HTC One with a bad ESN off ebay and then activate it after putting her sim card into it?

morrison0880 said:
My sister-in-law busted her HTC One and is looking at buying a new one. I know that the Sprint Ones have sim cards now. Would it be possible for her to buy an HTC One with a bad ESN off ebay and then activate it after putting her sim card into it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry but no it will not work, The CDMA which is your 3g and voice service is stored on the phone and the esn is also, So buying a sprint phone with a bad esn would not be able to be activated on your sprint account. The sim card on the sprint phones is for the LTE. Sorry for the bad news.
There is a way to use the bad esn phone but cant discuss it here since it requires some esn mods. Google would be the best bet for that
However if you want to go to pre-paid you can buy a bad esn htc one and flash it to page plus http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2601943

You can also use bad esn devices on cricket, page plus,and metro pcs by flashing it
Sent from my HTCONE using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

Thanks fragmentedlogik, yes you could use it on page plus, cricket, and metro pcs. Good looking out and providing options!
Sent from my HTCONE using Tapatalk

Used Sprint Moto X No SIM card included, how hard is it to get one?

I am looking at a Sprint Moto X that is used and has a clean ESN. They don't include a SIM card. I was wondering how hard is that to actually get from Sprint and is there a cost? If it's too much then it's not worth it may be better for me to buy new.
Thanks.

First, this should be in Q&A. Could a mod please move it?
Second, Sprint Moto Xs are SIM-locked, so they will not work with Verizon, Tmobile, etc. They can be unlocked for International SIMs only by calling Sprint and asking (I believe this requires that the phone be activated on Sprint for at least 30 days, and the account be in good standing).
Sent from my XT1056 using xda app-developers app

First this belongs in Q and A section. Second, Sprint doesnt even use Sim cards, I have Sprint Moto X and the only reason there is a sim card in there is for the phone to stop telling you "NO SIM" its basically a place holder. and the only way they will give you one if activate or buy a phone from them

Sorry for posting in the wrong place. I thought Sprint does use the SIM for LTE purposes. I know their voice/3g is CDMA which does not use a sim.

yazyazoo said:
Sorry for posting in the wrong place. I thought Sprint does use the SIM for LTE purposes. I know their voice/3g is CDMA which does not use a sim.
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Click to collapse
Nope, Sprint does not use SIMs at all since they are CDMA. I don't know the specifics, their spectrum can only be used with Sprint phones or approved roaming carrier devices.
In the case of the Moto X, the SIM card is used only for International GSM networks. Most Sprint phones don't even have SIM card slots..
Sent from my XT1056 using xda app-developers app

[Q] SIM Unlock, Sprint, and testing other carriers questions

I have been with Sprint since 1999 and have absolutely no idea about SIM cards and other carriers so hopefully you can help clarify a few things that are running through my head with the Sprint HTC One.
1. Will unlocking the SIM for domestic US use cause any problems with using the phone on Sprint?
2. If I remove the SIM card does that basically disconnect Sprint service?
3. I am assuming that if I wanted to test out a different service say from T-Mobile ($30 Walmart plan), or any other subcarrier, after the phone is SIM Unlocked I would just get one of their SIM Cards and place it in the phone and do some activation stuff and in theory that should work. If that is the case would this cause issues at all with Sprint service?
4. Would I be able to swap out a SIM card from AT&T (or any other company) to test it out and if I decided I did not like the service I could just slip my original Sprint SIM card back in and it would be like nothing happened?
Thanks!

What you are asking is near impossible or much harder than you think. Unlocking the Sprint HTC one SIM lock will allow you to use another SIM card but the data is not going to work on anything but edge service. It also depends on what Rom you're running. Sense Roms will work with other carriers but cm, aosp, or anything other than sense will not scan for networks. Basically what you're asking is not worth the time and effort starting with a Sprint phone.
Sent from my HTC One Max using Tapatalk!

gimmeitorilltell said:
What you are asking is near impossible or much harder than you think. Unlocking the Sprint HTC one SIM lock will allow you to use another SIM card but the data is not going to work on anything but edge service. It also depends on what Rom you're running. Sense Roms will work with other carriers but cm, aosp, or anything other than sense will not scan for networks. Basically what you're asking is not worth the time and effort starting with a Sprint phone.
Sent from my HTC One Max using Tapatalk!
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Click to collapse
Gotcha, thanks. If you buy a Sprint phone you are stuck with Sprint.

Well not exactly stuck with Sprint. You can program a Sprint phone to work with page plus and have 3G data working flawlessly. It's mostly trying to use the Sprint phone on a different gsm network.
Sent from my HTC One Max using Tapatalk!

[Q] USe Sprint HTC One (M7) On Verizon Network?

I haven't been up to date on flashing and switching carriers in a few years, I used to do it all the time.
My girlfriend broke here phone (Verizon Contract) and needed a new phone, we got a good deal on a HTC One (m7) Model No: HTC PN072. And purchased it.
I thought it was still be the same old flash the radios call Verizon and keep asking for new people until I get someone who can offer to activate. Now I am looking for an unlock tool and all I can find is GSM SIM unlockers, and can't find the right Verizon Radios for this phone.
My girlfriend is pissed because now she doesn't have a phone and we just spent money on this new phone. Am I SOL? Or is there a thread somewhere that my googfu just can't find?

jimk16 said:
I haven't been up to date on flashing and switching carriers in a few years, I used to do it all the time.
My girlfriend broke here phone (Verizon Contract) and needed a new phone, we got a good deal on a HTC One (m7) Model No: HTC PN072. And purchased it.
I thought it was still be the same old flash the radios call Verizon and keep asking for new people until I get someone who can offer to activate. Now I am looking for an unlock tool and all I can find is GSM SIM unlockers, and can't find the right Verizon Radios for this phone.
My girlfriend is pissed because now she doesn't have a phone and we just spent money on this new phone. Am I SOL? Or is there a thread somewhere that my googfu just can't find?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i tried to do this for a phone for mom. it doesnt matter what you do with the phone- verizon has white lists now. if they dont have the ESN in their system, they WILL NOT activate it. you have a sprint ESN, so you will never activate that on verizon no matter how many times you call them.
sucks, i know. I had to buy a verizon m7.

It can be done using a donor phone the same way you would fllash a phone to metropcs. you can find plenty of tutorials online just replace everything metro with sprint.

Any luck on this? I have a Sprint HTC One M8 that I wish to bring over to Verizon. I'm not new to changing ESNs and I understand the legal ramifications of using a service that is unpaid for, so that aside, I'm paying for the service. I had bought the phone intending to switch to Ting, but the IMEI is locked to Sprint for one year from release. I have until April when that gets unlocked, so I figured to use it without the SIM card, since that's what allows 4G LTE usage on CDMA phones, at least from what I am told by people and the phone (once I removed the SIM card it started giving me that message). Hell I'm ok disabling data altogether, but as long as I can make calls and text, I'm jolly.

You could flash them to pageplus although I think they only have 3g.

Pageplus has 4G albeit at a reduced speed but effective 1/15/2015 they will not accept flashed phones anymore

threesix10 said:
It can be done using a donor phone the same way you would fllash a phone to metropcs. you can find plenty of tutorials online just replace everything metro with sprint.
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Click to collapse
This is illegal and not appropriate conversation on XDA. It's out there though, although I've only seen people flashing phones from Verizon to Page Plus or Sprint to Virgin or Boost. Never seen Sprint to Verizon or vice versa.

I was under the impression that Sprint and Verizon use different signal frequencies, and that the radios installed by HTC during build were specific to the frequency. Yes, they are both CDMA, but different frequencies.