I think I jumped the gun...

[estefana]

So I just got my Captivate in. It's beautiful and everything I wanted it to be. Except I can't use it on Rogers Wireless Canada. I thought maybe I would use my cute girlie voice to plead with someone to get an unlock code. It kind went like this:

AT&T person: Mam, this phone is not eligible to be unlocked. Mam, you'll just have to call Samsung (I hate getting Mam'd... I'm 22 for god's sake.)
Calls Samsung.
Samsung Dude: It would be my greatest pleasure to give this to you.
Samsung Dude: Oh...I am much sorry to say that you will need to call AT&T to get an 8 digit Network Retrieval Code.
Me: And THAT will unlock my phone??? *skepticism*
Samsung Dude: I am thankful that I can do this for you.
Me: Okaaayyy...thanks.
Samsung Dude: You are teenage girl, I can tell!
Me: I'm 22.
Samsung Dude: But you sound like teenage girl! haha! Thank you for calling Samsung. It has been of great value to me to serve you in this way.
Me: ????? Thank you, have a good dayyyy!!!! *voice tapers to maximum shrill-i-ness*
Calls AT&T. Again.
AT&T Person: (this is a different lady) I'm sorry mam (there's that mam again!!) but according to the computer this phone won't be eligible for unlocking for AT LEAST another 10 months. That person at Samsung didn't know what he was talking about. And even if they did have an unlock code, they aren't legally able to give it to you.
Me: ......%%#%^@#@@#........okay, thanks so much, you've been super helpful!! Have a nice day!

For the record, I didn't swear on the phone, just in my head. And nobody was ever rude to me, the customer service people were all awesome. I'm just bitter and in Canada nobody really calls me mam.

So I have this beautiful phone that I paid a lot of money for, and I can't use it. The worst part is I think I knew that it wasn't yet unlockable when I bought it . I just couldn't resist the lure of a sexy gadget with an android os.

So should I sell it? Throw it out the window in frustration? Stroke it furiously with a crazed gleam in my eyes and wait forever for an unlock code? Why can't I control my buying impulses???!!!

 

[HX_Guy]

Looks like your out of luck unfortunately...

http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php/1660649-Unlock-AT-amp-T-Samsung-Captivate-SGH-i897

 

[kisner]

Really sorry to hear that ma'am

 

[sremick]

Not to be rude... but didn't you research the potential unlockability of this phone before purchasing it?

A quick search of this forum reveals that despite countless people trying, no one has managed to get theirs unlocked.

 

[alphadog00]

Check out the Unlock threads on XDA forum - one person in Canada got AT&T to unlock their phone - he has some tips.

 

[c2k]

When I was buying the captivate on early upgrade, I wanted to unlock my old phone so I could re-sell it for more money (lol). They couldnt unlock it from the store, so he told me to call customer service and tell them Im going out of the country, and that they would give it to me.

 

[estefana]

Not to be rude... but didn't you research the potential unlockability of this phone before purchasing it?

A quick search of this forum reveals that despite countless people trying, no one has managed to get theirs unlocked.

Oh I researched the crap out of the Captivate... I just have this horrible case of optimism that I would be able to get it unlocked with my oodles of charm...of course this all got dashed away by reality. I still have time to decide what to do though I just really wanted it to work NOW

 

[chaoscentral]

ouch, sounds like AT&T are horrible when it comes to unlocking the phone... Got my Vibrant unlocked within 13 days of purchase lol(requested a code on day 12, got it day 13 ) Best part is it works on Both ATT and Tmobile 3G

 

[mrcamp]

No. AT&T is not horrible when unlocking phones. It's just that this particular phone has some type of agreement between samsung and AT&T. Just like tmobile for example, you can unlock any AT&T phone as long as you have been a customer in good standing for at least 90 days. Also, unlike tmobile, AT&T does not have a limit on the number of unlock requests you can make within a certain period. You can unlock 10 phones in a day if you want, as long as you meet the requirement. Within the last year and half I have requested and received 6 unlock codes from AT&T. Majority of them I got right on the phone, and in a couple of cases the codes were mailed within 24 hours.

ouch, sounds like AT&T are horrible when it comes to unlocking the phone... Got my Vibrant unlocked within 13 days of purchase lol(requested a code on day 12, got it day 13 ) Best part is it works on Both ATT and Tmobile 3G

 

[rajendra82]

Interesting link on page 3 of this thread on xda. You can try it, and it may work like it did on Samsung Jack and Epix. You apparently risk permanently locking your phone to AT&T if you mess up on the unlock code the first tim, because if you forget that first code then even AT&T can't unlock it for you. If that happens, your only choice will be to sell it to an AT&T customer for life.

 

[BmanCV60]

Looks like help is on the way:

Samsung Galaxy S to launch on Rogers Canada in September

 

[kirbo20]

I have always had luck calling international customer service. Just tell them you you bought the phone outright and you would like to use it for international travel. They may require you fax in your receipt but they are usually good about just giving it to you.

Edit: I just found this:

Devices as to which ATT Mobility have exclusive marketing rights for ten months or more are permanently excluded from any unlocking obligation.