Don't Use FIDO Mobile for Anything!

Ahhhh, a break from Covid.... to look at other idiots lol
(Mods, please move if RANT is not the correct forum thanks)

So, buddy comes to me, can't figure out how to unlock a phone he just bought. So I tell him, no prob, let me take care of it. Now, the CRTC here changed their regulations back in 2017, I think it was December 2017, we're interested in unlocked/unlocking phones. The new regulation was that ALL mobile phones in Canada had to come unlocked or could be unlocked FREE OF CHARGE by the carrier.

You can read the entire code - Main Code
But you'd be better off reading the simplified code - Simplified Code
(just look up "unlocking" without the quotes in your browser, usually CTRL F)

So what does it say about unlocking in the CRTC code?
F. Mobile device issues
1. Unlocking
i - Any device provided by a service provider to the customer for the purpose of providing wireless services must be provided unlocked.
ii - If a device is, or becomes, locked to a service provider’s network, that service provider must unlock the device, or give the customer the means to unlock the device, upon request, at no charge.

Back to the idiots at FIDO.... Since, IMHO, they have a rather crappy service and even crappier support, these clowns are hemorrhaging customers. They are fleeing in droves. So FIDO has instituted a policy that they will refuse to give you the network unlock code unless you have the original owner's name and account/phone number. This means that anyone buying a phone used has to get detailed information from the seller, which they may not want to give, or the seller has to unlock the phone, if they are the original owner.

There is NOTHING in the CRTC regulations that apply these kinds of conditions to unlock a phone or to deliberately make it difficult for the person trying to unlock the phone. The code information from F.1.ii is very specific, "service provider must unlock the device, or give the customer the means to unlock the device, upon request, at no charge."

So it appears FIDO is breaking the regulations, I am filing a formal CRTC complaint on July 26, 2021. Don't know if it will do any good, but since the rules are very specific on the responsibilities of the service provider, I am going to push for loss of their license plus a few hundred bucks for me screwing around with this BS ;-)

The jag-offs at Fido are at ---> Fido Phone: 1-888-481-FIDO (3436)
The CRTC are at ----> CRTC Fax: 1-877-782-2924

The most comical part of all of this is that FIDO has a link to the CRTC regulations that they must follow to keep their license, but they ignore it.


Cheers - Dave

Totally agree. Fido is (insert choice of words here), but there isn't anything better to choose from. All 3 (Rogers, Telus, Bell) are horrible. They charged me $50 for unlocking a phone. Hopefully something will come out of complaint to CRTC. Tell your buddy to not buy phones that are not unlocked .

Try this maybe?
link

The dude that actually runs xda is a member here. I can't remember who.
Maybe he will see this.

I'm going to try out the link and see if I can crack mine. It's been difficult for sure.

I also think it's not required until phone is paid off.

I think the key word there is customer. Is your friend their customer? If yes, was the phone ever activated on their account?

If not, from their perspective, you are just some Randoms attempting to make changes to actual customers property or account.

originally posted by: Mandroid7
Try this maybe?
link

The dude that actually runs xda is a member here. I can't remember who.
Maybe he will see this.

I'm going to try out the link and see if I can crack mine. It's been difficult for sure.

I also think it's not required until phone is paid off.

What you linked was unlocking the bootloader. I have access to a Z3X so I can do a lot of funny things, but it looks interesting ;-)

I've done a lot of mods and rooting, loaded up cyanogen, some of the newer ones. most fun those was tearing down a 64gb S8 and installing Ubuntu plus VMWare to run android. That way I could modify the IMEI, MAC and IP on the fly to confuse tracking systems. I may take another s8 and do the same with Debian KALI plus an OTG to boot Tails from flash. It would save me dragging around dual/triple boot laptops.

Problem is this is a nice little Samsung A5, SM-A520W, hasn't been messed with at all it is preferably to keep it that way. If I have to, I'll just order the network unlock code and bill it back to Fido along with 300+ bucks for the costs and screwing me around. Thanks for the link though, I will read through it and see if it creates any problems with Verity or Knox.

Cheers - Dave

originally posted by: Jason79
I think the key word there is customer. Is your friend their customer? If yes, was the phone ever activated on their account?

If not, from their perspective, you are just some Randoms attempting to make changes to actual customers property or account.

I walked into Walmart the other day looking for a water sprayer. I didn't buy one, walked out without buying anything, but I was still a customer ;-) I used to do huge quotations for massive systems, the people I was doing them for were customers, whether I won the tender or not. There is not alternate definition of a person who walks into your store and buys or doesn't buy, they are all customers.

Cheers - Dave

originally posted by: Jason79
I think the key word there is customer. Is your friend their customer? If yes, was the phone ever activated on their account?

If not, from their perspective, you are just some Randoms attempting to make changes to actual customers property or account.

During the "fleshing out" of these regulations

10. The Commission received an application from PIAC, dated 6 December 2017, in which it requested that the Commission clarify elements of the Wireless Code related to mobile wireless device (hereafter, device) unlocking. PIAC’s concern is that if WSPs refuse, for various reasons, to unlock devices that are locked to their network, (i) device owners might be unable to switch from a WSP’s network, and (ii) there may be a reduction in market dynamism stemming from the decrease in low-cost purchasing options, such as second-hand devices.

11. PIAC asked the Commission to clarify Rule F.1.(ii) of the Wireless Code such that all devices purchased prior to 1 December 2017 that are locked to a given WSP’s network should be unlocked upon request and at no cost, regardless of whether the device owner currently has, previously had, or never had an active account with the WSP (hereafter, PIAC’s proposed clarification).

12. In PIAC’s view, the Wireless Code may be ambiguous in terms of who the device unlocking rules are intended to benefit. The Preamble to the Wireless Code states that any ambiguity is to be resolved in favour of customers. PIAC argued that this ambiguity should be resolved to clarify that a person does not need to have an ongoing service contract to have their device unlocked free of charge.

Cheers - Dave

a reply to: bobs_uruncle
No they are not customers. They are potential customers. A customer by definition is a person that gives you their custom. Looking and not buying is not giving their custom. Same as doing quotations, they are not customers but potential customers.

It sucks running into that issues like that. I ran into a similar issue with Bell setting up a used burner phone.

Haven't unlocked phones lately, but when I did often ordered codes from third party providers online. This was some time ago, but the prices range from $15 -$40 for the codes I did, typically Samsungs.

I like the A5. It's powerful enough for the basics, and runs great especially with some of the newer custom ROMs. I liked it so much, I got a couple more as gifts for family.

a reply to: bobs_uruncle

I thought you meant Fidonet.

www.fidonet.org...

I can't stand the modern times, it seems every single name and acronym I am used to meaning something very specific and possibly dear to me*, is suddenly hijacked to mean something stupid or corporate. Damn damn damn.

*Check my post on 'CRT' - I LOVE CRT!! (Just probably not _the_ CRT you might be thinking about)