How to check if phone received is locked to carrier?

skipy89 on 05/08/2014 - 23:24

My grandfather gets randoms items from clients time to time, and he received an sealed iphone 5s . He usually just leaves it lying in the garage or either loses it in the next few days. I thought i would sell it since we doesn't want it and just give him the money. I just want to know whether it is locked to a carrier or anything i should know about before i sell it? Don't want to be in the situation where i sell it then the buyer finds out it is locked or some sort of problem
The Imei is 352020068625401.

I tried to put it in the Imei checkers but all of the ones i could see you have to pay to see if phone is locked to the carrier and i don't want to pay.

PS. ( second question) go with ebay or gumtree to sell it?

Cheers

Mobile

Comments

  • Sage on 05/08/2014 - 23:36
    +1

    you don't have another SIM card to pop in it?

  • Pigey on 06/08/2014 - 00:43
    +1

    $2 sim cards from the petrol station

  • Car-la-la on 06/08/2014 - 00:46

    unlike the above two posters, i certainly wouldn't recommend opening the box - instant way to decrease value…

    • Sage on 06/08/2014 - 01:21

      I think it was opened to get the IMEI.

      • Morien on 06/08/2014 - 02:07
        +1

        You can get the IMEI from the box. But OPs options seem limited:
        - Sell the phone with the clause that it may be locked, and get a lower price
        - Open the box, test a sim in it, and sell it with the description 'As New - Opened and tested'

        As for ebay or gumtree. Take (almost) 20% off for ebay fees. But then, anything is more than the nothing you paid.

  • ZippyRoo on 06/08/2014 - 09:16

    I think for an iPhone, you just need to plug it into your PC, connect it to iTunes and restore it using the latest firmware from Apple and it'll unlock it. That's what I did with my iPhone 5 purchased on the Vodafone plan. Most carriers should have instructions on their website on how to unlock the iPhone so you can probably just Google the Optus or Vodafone FAQ and you'll see that they all have the same instructions as stated above. So when you sell it, you can just tell the buyer to do that if you haven't opened the box, or if you have, then you can do it for the buyer before they take it off you.

  • skipy89 on 06/08/2014 - 18:36

    The imei is on the outside of the box. Dont want to open it up as that will make it lose value( still has the original packaging on it) I might just pay the few dollars extra from those imei checkers to see if it is locked to carrier.

  • tokimonkey on 06/08/2014 - 22:00

    Go to http://unlock.vodafone.com.au and punch in the imei. If it's with Vodafone it will give you unlock instructions or tell you it's not one of theirs.
    Ebay is a better way to sell. That way it's guaranteed to go. Gumtree you get too many dumb dumb's enquiring.
    how much do you want for it? My wife is hounding me for one but I can't afford a new one.

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