[tk1194]

I just purchased an unlocked Blackberry Bold 9700 from a private party. The phone says T-Mobile and looked brand new in the box. When I placed my ATT sim into it, all it says is "searching for network" I called ATT and they could not figure it out. I then Called Blackberry who directed me to call T-Mobile. T-Mobile would not help because I do not have a plan with them. I went to Bestbuy and purchased a Pre-Paid plan. Once I got the new Phone # I called T-mobile and they have been trying to help but the say the coverage map shows that I have "no coverage" in my area. I even drove to another area with the Tech on the phone and it detected both ATT and T-Mobile doing a manual search. I try to connect to either but it won't connect. The tech had me do a master, then had me connect it to my home network which worked and the phone worked fine because he did something to allow full access (since I only paid for a normal plan) Once I drove to another area and tried to connect to T-Mobile, I just says "searching", but never finds it. I have even tried my ATT sim card but again it wont connect. Lastly I called T-Mobile and the tech had me download the desktop mgr. and the latest version in case mine is corrupt, when I do this it says "No updates needed" I am really upset because I spent $300 and I have tried everything. I even contacted the guy who sold me the phone, and he even gave me the complete instructions to Unlock again, but when I try it, I cant enter the unlock code again because it shows already unlocked. Any advice would be very helpful. This was a gift for my son who is really upset that his Xmas gift does not work. I feel like a fool for just not renewing my ATT plan and getting the Torch for free with my company plan but the kid wanted the Bold which they are not offering. Ill even put him on T-Mobile, but that does not even work now. Thanks again and Merry Xmas.

[tsac]

Merry Christmas
Welcome to the Forums.

Trying to sort out the issues. First it seems like you do not have service in the area your trying or the BB is possibly defective. Do you know if any phone will work in your area on T-Mobile or ATT? If they will, then you can try a simple test to see if the phone is the problem. Just see if the phone will find a network. Don’t expect full data use. Put the SIM for T-mobile in another phone and if it works the next thing is the OS on the BB. You could try downloading the OS for the BB and replacing it. If there is any corruption that will clear it out. Last is the BB may be defective. My other thought is to be a bit suspicious of the seller. You cannot “re-unlock” a blackberry. It is either locked or unlocked. If someone attempted to unlock the BB and made a few input errors and exceeded the limit then the phone cannot be unlocked regardless of what is entered. If all fails or you don’t want to play with the OS, I would try to return the phone.



As for the phone being unlocked, follow these instructions to find out
How do I determine if my BlackBerry is "unlocked"?
To determine if your BlackBerry is "unlocked" for use on carriers other than for which it is branded:
1. On your BlackBerry, go to Options > Advanced Options > Sim Card.
2. At that screen type MEPD (see note below) on your keyboard. A new menu will pop up.
3. Look for Network in the list.
4. If your device is "unlocked", it should say Disabled or Inactive. If it says Active, it's still locked to that carrier.

[mike71857]

Originally Posted by tk1194

I just purchased an unlocked Blackberry Bold 9700 from a private party. The phone says T-Mobile and looked brand new in the box. When I placed my ATT sim into it, all it says is "searching for network" I called ATT and they could not figure it out. I then Called Blackberry who directed me to call T-Mobile. T-Mobile would not help because I do not have a plan with them. I went to Bestbuy and purchased a Pre-Paid plan. Once I got the new Phone # I called T-mobile and they have been trying to help but the say the coverage map shows that I have "no coverage" in my area. I even drove to another area with the Tech on the phone and it detected both ATT and T-Mobile doing a manual search. I try to connect to either but it won't connect. The tech had me do a master, then had me connect it to my home network which worked and the phone worked fine because he did something to allow full access (since I only paid for a normal plan) Once I drove to another area and tried to connect to T-Mobile, I just says "searching", but never finds it. I have even tried my ATT sim card but again it wont connect. Lastly I called T-Mobile and the tech had me download the desktop mgr. and the latest version in case mine is corrupt, when I do this it says "No updates needed" I am really upset because I spent $300 and I have tried everything. I even contacted the guy who sold me the phone, and he even gave me the complete instructions to Unlock again, but when I try it, I cant enter the unlock code again because it shows already unlocked. Any advice would be very helpful. This was a gift for my son who is really upset that his Xmas gift does not work. I feel like a fool for just not renewing my ATT plan and getting the Torch for free with my company plan but the kid wanted the Bold which they are not offering. Ill even put him on T-Mobile, but that does not even work now. Thanks again and Merry Xmas.

I would try to sell it on EBay and see if you can still get a free phone from your company.At least he'll have a working phone even if it's not the model he wanted.
Posted via BlackBerryForums.com Mobile

[NJBlackBerry]

Wow...

[tsac]

And people wonder why they get defective cell phones on Ebay.

Wow ©NJBlackBerry

[spider_6666]

can you help me to unlock my bold 9700 if i send you my IMEi & MEP...?

[tsac]

Originally Posted by spider_6666

can you help me to unlock my bold 9700 if i send you my IMEi & MEP...?

The forum site has various sponsors who offer the unlock codes for a very reasonable price, some as low as $10.00. Once you decide on the vendor I would check the FAQ web site for details on the procedure you need to follow. READ the instructions carefully because there are consequences if you do not follow them
I have used Horizon and can tell you they are reliable.
How do I unlock my BlackBerry? - BlackBerryFAQ