I called the closest Cricket store on 7 Mile Rd. at Middlebelt in Livonia, MI 48152; the female proprietor told me she could get my older phone from another carrier working with service for $55; and have a $30/month service rate afterwards. I took her the phone a couple days later. She then said it would actually be $65 to begin, she put in a new SIM card, assigned a new phone number, took my money, and told me I was all set to start using this phone. I tried it later - and it DIDN'T WORK! It asked me for an 'unlock code' . I thought that meant the " passcode" she had me select; didn't work. I was miles out of town at the time; I stopped at a Cricket store I saw; the owner explained I would need an 'unlock' code from the previous service provider. That evening I spent an hour on 'hold' and talking to a Metro PCS rep from my other phone with him searching and searching for info on the phone I was trying to use again with the IME number - which he could never find. I'd also used Cricket Service years ago - and called their customer service rep. After giving the same IME# to him; he said he DID find record of my phone that I'd used; "your phone doesn't 'qualify' to be unlocked; we don't unlock any phone that's been out of service for more than 6 months"! WHY DIDN'T THIS WOMAN AT THE LIVONIA CRICKET STORE MENTION THIS?!! - A couple days later (after the Easter weekend), I take this phone back to this woman. She says, "I used this phone to call my phone here before you left the other day. I'M REQUIRED TO MAKE SURE EVERY PHONE WORKS BEFORE IT LEAVES THE STORE. But I've seen this happen before", she said. She called 'customer service' at Metro PCS - they wouldn't help her; wasted about 20 minutes with them. She then called Cricket Customer Service - they wouldn't help her either; another 20 minutes wasted. "They do that to punish you for switching carriers", she said, "they make you jump through hoops". - THAT was the most honest thing THIS woman ever said to me. She finally says"This is a T-Mobile phone! -maybe I can unlock it with an 'unlocking app'. - She then spent A SOLID 20 MINUTES working with some 'app' she know of that she downloads onto this phone, and literally hits option after option after option - FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES - and it never works. It was obvious she was trying some illicit way to 'unlock' - and 'T-Mobile' or whoever has safeguards against this app. - THIS WOMAN was just SHADY!! - WHY DIDN'T SHE JUST OFFER ME MY MONEY BACK - AND PERHAPS OFFER ME A GOOD DEAL ON A NEW PHONE TO KEEP BUSINESS WITH ME?!! - I might have done it. "You'll have to get 'T-Mobile' to unlock it", she says. "There's a 'T-Mobile' store down on 6 Mile Road at Merriman" (a couple miles away, in Livonia), and "you'll have to go and argue with them and get them to unlock it for you. Only 'T-Mobile' can do it". NOW, MY PATIENTS HAS FINALLY RUN OUT; AND I'M STARTING TO GET PRETTY TICKED OFF....WOULDN'T YOU???! NOW SHE'S TELLING ME IT'S UP TO ME TO CONTINUE THIS GOOSE CHASE AND GET THIS PHONE WORKING ON MY OWN! "I've got frozen food in the car", I said (- which I did; and I'd been in her store for an hour), I'm not going there now". I said, "I've paid you $65 to get this phone working for me; which you told me last week you could do, and now I've got ALL THIS HASSLE AND HOURS OF WASTED TIME and STILL DON'T HAVE A PHONE THAT WORKS! - WHY DON'T YOU JUST GIVE ME A 'REFUND'"? - "I DON'T GIVE 'REFUNDS', she said! "I asked you if this phone was 'unlocked', and you said it was", she claimed - WHICH WAS A LIE! I'd have remembered if she had asked me THAT - and I definately would have said, "I don't know" - because I didn't know anything about this 'locked' vs. 'unlocked' stuff before this ROTTEN EXPERIENCE WITH THIS ROTTEN '20 SOMETHING CHALDEAN WOMAN running this cell phone store in metro-Detroit! I'm almost 60 - how much do I really know about cell phones? "Yes you did"! she claimed; "You said you'd been using the phone before"! - "Yes, YEARS AGO!", I told her. "That phone's been in my dresser drawer for 4 or 5 years now - and I told you that"! She says, "I don't give 'refunds'! I put a new Simm card in and activated it for you - so I provided the 'service'" - for my $65! I told her "well then WE HAVE A PROBLEM HERE", to which she replied, "NO, YOU have a problem here! I don't HAVE a problem - YOU DO"! - And she MEANT it - and she has NO INTENTION of giving me my money back - and SHE REALLY DOESN'T CARE if I get a phone I can actually use for it or not. NO ONE should do 'business' with THIS ROTTEN, SHADY Broad - NO ONE! - How would YOU feel??!! Also, this store opened several years ago - and she is NOT the 'original' owner. Some of the more 'positive' reviews here are from people who dealt with PAST owners! read more