locked vs. unlocked phones

[shmokes]

My friend is buying a phone (not iPhone) off eBay and she asked me if she needed an unlocked one even if the phone was originally used on her carrier.  I told her no, that she only needed an unlocked one if it was a T-mobile phone or something (she's AT&T).  I gave her correct info, right?

[protokatie]

1. Don't buy a cell phone off of Ebay
2. If it is a "generic" phone or one used on the same carrier, then there should not be a problem (Not all phones have SIM card slots tho, so beware)
3. It tends to work out to be cheaper to do the 2 year thing with a carrier. (I have been up for a "phone upgrade" for more than a year, but my seldom used unit is working just fine, so I say ---fudgesicle--- em! I will treat their service on a month by month basis from now on)

[shmokes]

1. Why would this apply to cell phones in any greater degree than any other product?
3. She already did the 2 year thing and hates her new phone, but the AT&T store won't let her exchange it cos she ditched the box.

[daywane]

there could be a problem.
she can go with a AT&T or Cingular phone
I have AT&T and use a Cingular Razor
the one problem she could run into is the phone on EBay might not be new enough to use the 3G Sim card. She has.
only 1 style Black berry will run the 3G card   

[shmokes]

Hmm . . . interesting.  Will the 3G phones run the old-style sim cards? 

[richms]

All the UMTS 3g phones I have used have being quite happy with a reasonably recent 2G GSM sim card in them, and they all seem to support GSM just fine.

The problem I have with phones is that lots of them do not have a UMTS or HSPA only option in the menus, just an option to turn it off and go back to GSM only, which is hopeless IMO.

Getting a phone with the manufacturers software on it means you miss out on all the network specific stuff, like the custom internet things, streaming stuff, music store stuff etc. I find that a total non issue so dont care, but some people love that stuff.

[daywane]

Hmm . . . interesting.  Will the 3G phones run the old-style sim cards? 

I am not sure. I am new to this stuff as well.
My phone got dropped and screen busted.
My sister sold me a phone and It worked great till it got ran over 
all this in 1 months time, sister in law gave me her razor v3 for Xmas
I learned not all AT&T phones would work with my Sim card 

[protokatie]

Hmm . . . interesting.  Will the 3G phones run the old-style sim cards? 

I am not sure. I am new to this stuff as well.
My phone got dropped and screen busted.
My sister sold me a phone and It worked great till it got ran over 
all this in 1 months time, sister in law gave me her razor v3 for Xmas
I learned not all AT&T phones would work with my Sim card 

This (as well as other replies in this thread) are why I said you should never buy a cell phone off of Ebay. You have no guarantee that it will be compatible with the service that you use, and it will be next to impossible to return it if this is the case (If the item isn't broken, then you have no real claim to return it). Buy a phone from a retailer that can not only check to see if it is compatible, but will accept the phone and give a refund if it turns out to not work with that person's account and/or sim card.