Thanks to a settlement of a pre-trial class action lawsuit, AT&T today agreed that it will provide unlocks to pre- and post-paid customers provided a specific set of criteria are met. Pre-paid customers must provide proof of purchase of their locked handset, while post-paid subscribers are required to have their accounts in good standing and have “completed a minimum of 90 days of active service.” That’s all fine and well, right? Well, there’s one sticky issue that’s sure to cheese off more than a few people. According to the settlement, “handsets for which AT&T has an exclusive sales arrangement with a manufacturer of less than 10 months will have to wait until the 10-month period expires before they can receive an unlocking code.” This means that if AT&T has an exclusivity period which extends beyond 10 months — as is the case with the iPhone and the BlackBerry Bold 9000 — then AT&T is not obligated to issue an unlock. Sucks, but not exactly surprising, now is it?
[Via Consumerist]
