T-Mobile Pearl 8100 Unlocked? Or Locked??

C

cupcake<333

New member
I just purchased a T-Mobile Branded Pearl 8100 off eBay, supposedly unlocked. I took the phone down to my local Edge Wireless GSM carrier here -- they installed several different working SIM cards and got the message "Invalid SIM card" each time they tried. They know nothing of unlocking, at all. The nearest T-Mobile (or for that matter, other GSM carrier) is over 100 miles away, since I live in a remote section of Oregon.

1. How can I tell if this Pearl is REALLY unlocked?
2. Is there a specific procedure that the local dealer needs to do to active this phone on their GSM network? Reset the phone?

Any help is REALLY appreciated!

Thank you!!

Tom
 
Do the following:

Options-Advanced Options-Sim Card

Once in the SIM Card menu, press the keys to spell:
meppd

The network should say "Disabled"

Here is a link to a pic showing an unlocked pearl menu:

http://blackberryforums.rabroad.com/127089-post16.html
 
*BTW, don't pay attention to mine up top where it says "No Valid Sim Card". That's just because the SIM for the Pearl was in one of the other BB's for whatever reason.
 
I guess I may be in trouble then -- mine says:

Personalization:

SIM Disabled
Network Active
Network Subset Disabled
Service Provider Disabled
Corporate Disabled

So only the Network is listed as Active...

Now what?
 
Gonna have to get it unlocked.

I would email dude and ask him for the unlock code or to forward you the email from TMobile from the unlocking department.
 
As you should...For anyone else who reads this who is considering buying a device off of eBay, the best advice I can give is have someone send you a picture of the screen such as the one above proving that it is unlocked.

Now there may be three scenerios to this.

First one, he blatantly misrepresented the device.

Second, he has the unlock code and forgot to send it.

Third, he thought he had unlocked it (which I wouldn't buy because anyone who has unlocked one before knows if you do it the wrong way).

My gut would tell me it's number one though.
 
Also, this may sound kind of dumb,

But check the email and messages folders...You may just get lucky and see he forgot to wipe the device and had the unlock code sent to his device and never erased the email.

On Tmo, the email should look like this:

From: ARSystem Notify
Subject: T-Mobile Sim Unlock Information 615-555-5555
 
I had this exact same problem happen with me. I just recently bought a locked T-Mobile Blackberry Pearl off of Ebay and I paid the guy an extra 30 bucks for him to unlock it for me so I could use it with my Fido service in Canada. When I received the phone I put my SIM card in and it says "Invalid SIM card". I emailed him and told him he obviously did NOT unlock it, he still claims he did and said that he also had tried it with 4 different US Carriers and it worked. He said I could return it back to him, but then I'll be out 80 bucks because of shipping and duty charges.
I also JUST did the test to see if the phone is unlocked and I also got:

Personalization:
SIM: Disabled
Network: Active
Network Subset: Disabled
Service Provider: Disabled
Corporate: Disabled

Anyone have any ideas about how I should deal with this problem??
 
Nope. Totally different - fabulous*u. Did this just happen to you? I just got my phone on the 24th -- now all I can do is sit and stare at it.

Depending on the answer I get, I'm debating trying to get it unlocked with one of the Internet services recommended on this forum. It may cost me $$, but I really am reluctant to part with this...
 
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