Or they could just wait here 'til the heat wave's gone... there's ski resorts here in Victoria and New South Wales that compare favourably with many in Europe and the US... Aspen and the like.  It's not something that I'd participate in, however... brittle bones, arthritis and a spinal condition aren't exactly conducive to the sport.  Besides, it's not something I think too many 60 year olds take up to pass away Winter days.

Not possible. There is no debtors prison here in America. You can't go to jail for owing a debt.As for a database that would keep track of those that default and do not pay their termination fees that already have that. Goes on a credit report and downgrades your credit for 7 years. After that all is well.

looks like the US is a paradise for parasites then. hope they can at least arrest people for committing fraud, because that's what you are doing if you don't intend to pay the bill anyways.

What if the person who at first gets the phone on good credit, has it for 6 months, than loses his job? He has no income so he can't pay the early termination bill. And the phone company still does not want the phone back.

They do investigate fraud here, and it is punishable by law with a fine and jail time but they don't consider not paying a bill to be fraud. It's simply a matter of the unpaid and defaulted bill going to collections. All they can do then is garnish 5 to 10 percent of your wages or submit your debt to the credit reporting companies thereby ruining or having a bad effect on good credit for 7 years.

I'm sure that if the person demonstrated such a situation, the phone company might even extend credit or come to a compromise... another good reason to keep a good credit rating.

You would think the phone companies would help out in that kind of situation. But they don't. It's all about the money to them. They are cold and heartless.

It has to do more with people: The one asking and the one responding.

But the rules do not differentiate.  Many chose not to go with a contract and pay the full cost up front.  Yet the new rules still make it illegal.  Which means the issue is still - did you buy it or just rent it.  Copyright says you are renting it.

Correct... until you purchase it  and have the "paid in full"... if you can ever understand the legalese in the contract. No such thing as "plain English".

I believe full-price phones are unlocked out of the box new.  Phone has to be locked before you can commit the crime of unlocking.

How man Drs are on this site?

And where is the one that disagrees?

Can't eat no cookies if you don't have any. Food for thought.

Well.....its a good analogy lol

But the ruling does not differentiate.  It merely says that unlocking is illegal.  Indeed, while the LOC said they were "sorry" for the models that are not easily unlocked, and that was what the 90 day window was intended for.

So once again, you are at the mercy of the copyright holder (or their agent).  They do not have to allow you to unlock your phone regardless of whether you buy it outright, or fulfill a contract.

Some are.  But the LOC clearly acknowledged that many were not, and that unlocking them was difficult (and now illegal).  They gave you 90 days to address the issue of a fully paid phone being unlocked.

Correct.

Since they are the ones who would create a complaint, very possibly this is a 90 day "grace period" after which they'll come after you.