I have never had the need to unlock a phone until recently and it was an eye opening experience. It all started with me replacing my old Razr with a Blackberry Pearlbought in the US from T-Mobile. Unfortunately for me the phone came locked.

After asking around a bit, I learned that it costs approximately $2,000-$3,000 JMD to unlock a phone at Best Buy in the New Kingston Shopping Center so I paid them a visit.

I gave my phone to the girl at the counter and asked her if they could unlock it for me. She took the phone and disappeared in the backroom. When she returned about three minutes later she told me “it would cost $7,500 JMD to unlock the phone” and that “it took 5-10 working days”. Furthermore, ”if it did not work, I could bring it back” – no shit.

Realizing she was on crack or something, I took my phone and hit the internet to dig up some answers of my own. This research I share as is:

Preamble

T-Mobile’s policy is to give the unlock codes for their phones to customers who have been with them for at least 3 months. This clearly does not include foreigners who buy phones and without plans and leave the country.

Solution

Find a friend or relative in the US who has been a T-Mobile customer for at least 3 months. Furnish them with the relevant information depending on your phone model: for the Blackberry it was an IMEI number which you can find under the options menu-phone status.

Have your relative or friend call/email T-Mobile support and request the unlock code under their account. T-Mobile emails the unlock code and instructions to them, they email it to you and your phone is unlocked for for free.

Now the funny part of the story…when I asked the girl at Best Buy why it would take 5-10 working days, her response was “because the phone is just like a computer and they have to load the software on it”….priceless!