Does anyone know anything about cell phone unlocking?

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

I bought a Motorola L6 at Circuit City in Canada, nothing about the packaging suggested it was dedicated to a single carrier, and naturally the salesman who was a paradigm of honesty and virtue informed me that it was "locked" to a Canadian cell phone provider.

Actually the salesman told me I could use it anywhere on earth and it was only $69 because the box was squished. I was planning on giving it to a T-Mobile user for his birthday, but when my girlfriend put her T-Mobile card into the phone it came up as restricted.

If you can't trust a Circuit City salesman who can you trust?

So I now understand the phone needs an unlocking code. My inquiry with Rogers AT&T (no relation to American AT&T) was only responded to with a automatic answer detailing their extensive roaming agreements and that to ensure quality of service they no longer unlock phones.

So I have been looking to get the phone unlocked, but the businesses who are offering the service look pretty sketchy. Some want the phone shipped to a post-office box, some wanted me to meet somebody at a train station, one company wanted the phone shipped to Nigeria... right. With any of those options I put the odds of ever seeming the phone again at slim to none.

My girlfriends brother said the only way to do it involved opening the phone and putting new software on it, but that would void the warranty.

Does anyone have any further insights, or should I just put the sucker on eBay and forget about it?

[Recovered Repug]

1. It most likely needs new software.

This doesn't require opening the phone. I'd contact T-Mobil (or whoever) to see if they could help.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

3. T-Mobile said they could "program" the phone for T-Mobile, but it had to be unlocked first.

Apprently the software and the lock-out are two different issues, T-Mobile sent me this link http://tmobileus.wdsglobal.com/phonefirst

[Katina]

2. as said, it needs new software

I'd bring it back to Circuit City and buy a phone that is not preprogramed or one programmed for T-Mobile. Since the Circuit City salesperson didn't tell you the phone was locked, I would return it anyway because of his lack of disclosure (honesty) and I would let the store manager know.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

4. The phone and the store are about 1300 miles apart

so it really isn't practical to return it, but it pisses me off because I told the guy I was taking it back to California so he probably figured he could tell me anything and he would never hear from me again.