[T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy Note II] phoenixbennu:
Guys, chill out. There is really no need to be so concerned about unlock codes. I work for T-Mobile, and I want to offer some advice. Completely on my personal accord, not as part of my job with T-Mobile of course. Mind you, I will not do anything that violates any NDA or other agreement, contract, association that I have with T-Mobile, but I can offer the policy information, since it is not anything I wouldn't tell any other customer I talked to as part of the job.

Basically, if you buy a phone from T-Mobile you can get it unlocked, so long as you are at least 40 days into your account. Not contract, not tenure, but account. The account you are using the phone on has to have been open at least 40 days. You also have to have used the phone on that a line on that account. Meaning you made at least 1-2 minutes worth of phone calls.

Otherwise, assuming you bought it and do not want to use it on your account, you can send in proof of purchase that you bought it at full cost, or they can see on your account that you bought it. Phone purchases in store, just to address one earlier comment, do not always show the full receipt information (device, etc) and that is why a fax is required. Purchases made through customer care, online, or through telesales, are viewable through the proper phone team.

If you buy a phone at full cost and DO NOT have a T-Mobile account, you can get it unlocked by calling in and providing the imei number and they will submit the request. No faxing or any other hassle. Many agents are not aware of this exception in the policy because it does not come up all that often. So you may get someone on the line who is unaware and will swear up and down that it is not part of policy. I, personally, have had to spend time talking to managers who did not even know this part of policy. However, it is a part of a policy, and therefore is the easiest way to unlock the device.

There are other little minor things in policy, but most of what I have said is for the average buyer. Also, note that 'going overseas' is not any sort of exception to policy. If you do not meet the normal policy requirements, you could be going to the moon for all it matters and it would not be any reason to go outside of policy. The requests are completed by an offline team, and they are strict to policy. I have seen many customers get angry because "the store told me I could just call in and unlock it" or "I am going overseas in two days and that is why I bought the phone in the first place." If you say you are going overseas, then you will just be offered international roaming information for using T-Mobile overseas, or be told about cancelling your contract, paying any applicable ETF, and then getting the unlock request submitted in as part of the cancelled account part of the policy (which has its own set of requirements).

As a disclaimer I will say that while I work for T-Mobile, I am not writing this as part of any association with T-Mobile, and I do not condone any abuse of policy or misrepresentation in order to circumvent or manipulate policy. I also will not do anything outside of policy for anyone. I am unable to submit any unlock requests for anyone or call in for anyone or do anything of the such.

However, I do hope my advice helps.

The only real time to pay to get the device unlocked is if you just bought the phone at a discount, started a brand new T-Mobile account, and are under 40 days since activating your account.