What to do with a locked phone?

[grain]

I bought a Vivo Y55 5G smartphone 2nd hand in Australia, and it's locked to Telstra, can't use any other carrier's sim. I've lost contact with the guy I bought if from, so can't get any info from him. I thought it would be OK when I got back to Thailand as there are all those shops in TukCom that say they can unlock phones. But none of them can, and I've taken the phone to many now. They just say they can't do it, and I can only use the phone connected to wifi, not with a sim.

 

So are there are way around this? What about flashing with a different rom? Or wiping off android and installing another OS? Would doing anything like this remove the carrier lock? I've ever seen online that it's possible to change the IMEI, would that make a difference. 

[MadAtMatrix]

You have bought a wifi enabled paperweight

[NickyLouie]

sell it for parts 

[Upnotover]

Bin.

[Denim]

Could try MBK in Bangkok. For a price they might be able to salvage it.

[scottiejohn]

58 minutes ago, Upnotover said:

Bin.

ROOT it!

[Upnotover]

25 minutes ago, scottiejohn said:

ROOT it!

Whatever floats your boat.

[scottiejohn]

35 minutes ago, Upnotover said:

Whatever floats your boat.

NO!

Whatever fixes the question!

Floating boats have NOTHING to do with the topic!

[richard_smith237]

2 hours ago, Upnotover said:

3 hours ago, scottiejohn said:

ROOT it!

Whatever floats your boat.

 

It appears Johnny is a Jock not a Kiwi...  

[grain]

8 hours ago, scottiejohn said:

ROOT it!

OK, will rooting get past the problem?

[norbra]

Telstra could provide a key to unlock if certain contract conditions are met. (Completed 2 years of contract) Probably cost a fortune in phone calls to Testra

[soi3eddie]

12 hours ago, Denim said:

Could try MBK in Bangkok. For a price they might be able to salvage it.

 

Worth a try.

 

Back in 2002, it was not permitted to use a foreign phone with a Thai sim card (the Thai networks restricted access only to phones with a Thai IMEI). I brought a phone from the UK and one of the shops at MBK changed the IMEI to a Thai registered IMEI and I was then able to use a local sim card. Seems crazy now but that's how it used to be.

 

[grain]

8 minutes ago, soi3eddie said:

 

Worth a try.

 

Back in 2002, it was not permitted to use a foreign phone with a Thai sim card (the Thai networks restricted access only to phones with a Thai IMEI). I brought a phone from the UK and one of the shops at MBK changed the IMEI to a Thai registered IMEI and I was then able to use a local sim card. Seems crazy now but that's how it used to be.

 

Cheers, I have actually downloaded a guide to doing that, and it says if you have an old phone you don't use you can switch IMEI, I have an old Nokia haven't used for several years, so I may be able to switch to that old IMEI. I don't live in BKK so can't get to MBK. Thanks for the tip.

[sometimewoodworker]

On 12/2/2024 at 1:57 PM, grain said:

So are there are way around this?

This rather depends on the way the lock is implemented.

The best and easiest way is to contact Telstra and ask them.

If that doesn’t work it is possible that some of the suggestions above may work, it is also possible that you will just brick the phone by trying them.