I'm assuming you need to unlock this phone because it was locked to a specific carrier and you want to use a SIM from another carrier. The original carrier should be able to provide an unlock code provided the original contract on the phone has been satisfied and the phone isn't blacklisted. I do know that some carriers have a policy of giving the code only to the original owner, which I understand, but it makes buying a second-hand phone difficult at times.
I would be very wary of ANY pay-to-unlock service. As you found out, many are not reputable. While some people have had success with buying unlock codes, I am not one of them and would never recommend that type of service.