Updating the Firmware = "Unlock"?

[coredump]

So...

I use carrier "A", but A1200 is sold by carrier "B". Carrier "B" will sell me the A1200 "locked" to use only it's SIM Cards and with some customizations like GPRS config, custom Icons/menus, etc...

The firmware updating process described here in the forums erase that type of thing? letting me with a 'vanilla' a1200? Or those locks and customizations are tucked on some non-flashable/protected area?

[shawnjam]

umm good question not sure. I bought mine of ebay with no problems and the phone comes unbranded. Although some people are apprensive about spending so much on something from ebay. I bought mine from sellularphones on ebay. They are quick and had 30,000 feedbacks.

http://myworld.ebay.com/sellularphones/

[coredump]

I live in Brazil... The posting taxes + customs (IF they see that it's a phone) add like 70% to the price tag... :\

[Alpha43]

What if they send it as a gift? i believe when you send a package to a foreign country and mark it as a gift then you should be custom and tax free. I have sent things over to HK and Guatemala like that and didnt pay anything like that because i marked it as a gift.

~Alpha~

[coredump]

Gifts declared under $40 can be randomly screened, and if they found something obviously higher than $40 I get to pay the tax. It's a luck thing, really.

[TBFB]

Ya pretty much what you are all saying.

We import our phones from China and when we have it shipped to our canadian buyers we try to get it in as best we can but we got nailed a few too many times doing the gift thing and it causes delays and issues with the government