Since the first free software hacks were released last week, various methods of unlocking an iPhone for use on any GSM carrier have sprung up. As we noted in a Wired News article on Saturday, intrepid coders with the skills to do the trick began selling their services (and, of course, unlocked iPhones) on sites like Craigslist and eBay.
One such software-savvy seller named Jef posted a Craigslist ad selling his iPhone unlocking services. Craigslist users flagged his post, and it was removed -- they likely objected to his selling of services in the "Electronics" category rather than the "Services" category. Jef also noticed that the price demanded by unlockers was dropping quickly as software tools became easier to use and the market became increasingly flooded.
So, rather than charge a somewhat paltry $10 or $20, he offered an enticing trade instead:
UPDATE: Jef's trade post was flagged and pulled. He's posted a copy of the original on his blog.
UPDATE 2: Jef re-posted his unlocking service as a free offer and that post was pulled as well. We dug around a bit and found some of the history and reasoning behind iPhone unlock posts being flagged on Craigslist. Read the update.
Photo: Piperita Patty via Flickr
