Samsung :: T401G - Cannot Enter Power On PIN

We enabled the power-on PIN option on the T401G, and created the PIN using the slide-out keyboard. We used letters and numbers in the PIN. But now when we power on the phone, and we're asked to enter the PIN...the slide-out keyboard is not activated. So we cannot enter the PIN, because we have no way to enter letters. The phone is basically unusable now. Things we're tried:

- remove battery & SIM, install battery, power on/off, install SIM.
- enter the wrong PIN (which is all we can do) many times (> 10)
- NET10's "solution" via e-mail is to hold down the */lock key, which does nothing.