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Extortion - cost for 3 to unlock nokia 6680
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Mister.G_3
Posts: 173 Forumite
in Mobiles
Hey there
I wondered if anyone else had had any success getting 3 to lower the cost of unlocking one of their nokia h/sets.
I bought a 6680 recently without realising it has a different algorhythm to other nokias (BB5 rather than DCT3/4) and therefore is currently unlockable in the high street/remotely. The only people that can provide the code is the Mobile Operators - so bearing this in mind i e-mailed 3 customer services:-
From: welcome@three.co.uk
Sent: 21 Sep 05 15:42:24
To: <firepond@3mail.com>
Cc:
Subject: Feedback from Hutchison 3G web site - Category: Handset issue
Name: Mister.G
Email: ****************
Contact No: ***************
Account No:
Three No:
Feedback:
Hello
I've recently bought a nokia 6680 which is locked to your network and would like to obtain an unlocking code. I do have a 3 sim card but would also like to be able to use my t-mobile sim card in the phone. The phone was bought at great expense to myself
(not given away as part of a package deal) therefore would like the code to use the phone as i choose.
As i stated previously i have bought a 3 pay sim card but it's not with me so i don't have the telephone no. to hand.
Any information you can provide as to costs, how to get this done etc. would be greatly appreciated.
Many thanks
Mister.G
I received a reply back approx 36 hours later advising the below:-
Dear G,
Thank you for your email about unlocking your Nokia 6680.
In order to discuss your concerns, I have attempted to call you but was unable to reach you.
If you have a threepay account you will be charged £135 + £15 admin fee = £150 including VAT.
If you have a contract account (that is still in contact) the charge is £200 + £15 admin fee = £215 including VAT
and if you have an out of contract account the charge is only £15.
Please contact our 3 Customer Service Team to arrange this on 333 from any 3 handset, which is free, or dial 08707 330 333 from any land line telephone. These calls are charged at the applicable national rate.
Regards
Marc Tennant
3 Customer Services
08707 330 333
Welcome to our Network
I spent this morning looking round the internet (OFT, Ofcom etc) and the general consensus is that a network provider is entitled to charge 'an amount proportional to the cost of unlocking the phone without retaining any element of profilt'
Bearing this in mind i've now e-mailed the OFT - and also 3 themselves (via https://www.howtocomplain.com) regarding 3s pricing structure and wondered if anyone else had managed to get this price lowered at all. I have no problems with paying the £15-20 all other networks charge, just not the vastly inflated price 3 want to charge me!
I wondered if anyone else had had any success getting 3 to lower the cost of unlocking one of their nokia h/sets.
I bought a 6680 recently without realising it has a different algorhythm to other nokias (BB5 rather than DCT3/4) and therefore is currently unlockable in the high street/remotely. The only people that can provide the code is the Mobile Operators - so bearing this in mind i e-mailed 3 customer services:-
From: welcome@three.co.uk
Sent: 21 Sep 05 15:42:24
To: <firepond@3mail.com>
Cc:
Subject: Feedback from Hutchison 3G web site - Category: Handset issue
Name: Mister.G
Email: ****************
Contact No: ***************
Account No:
Three No:
Feedback:
Hello
I've recently bought a nokia 6680 which is locked to your network and would like to obtain an unlocking code. I do have a 3 sim card but would also like to be able to use my t-mobile sim card in the phone. The phone was bought at great expense to myself
(not given away as part of a package deal) therefore would like the code to use the phone as i choose.
As i stated previously i have bought a 3 pay sim card but it's not with me so i don't have the telephone no. to hand.
Any information you can provide as to costs, how to get this done etc. would be greatly appreciated.
Many thanks
Mister.G
I received a reply back approx 36 hours later advising the below:-
Dear G,
Thank you for your email about unlocking your Nokia 6680.
In order to discuss your concerns, I have attempted to call you but was unable to reach you.
If you have a threepay account you will be charged £135 + £15 admin fee = £150 including VAT.
If you have a contract account (that is still in contact) the charge is £200 + £15 admin fee = £215 including VAT
and if you have an out of contract account the charge is only £15.
Please contact our 3 Customer Service Team to arrange this on 333 from any 3 handset, which is free, or dial 08707 330 333 from any land line telephone. These calls are charged at the applicable national rate.
Regards
Marc Tennant
3 Customer Services
08707 330 333
Welcome to our Network
I spent this morning looking round the internet (OFT, Ofcom etc) and the general consensus is that a network provider is entitled to charge 'an amount proportional to the cost of unlocking the phone without retaining any element of profilt'
Bearing this in mind i've now e-mailed the OFT - and also 3 themselves (via https://www.howtocomplain.com) regarding 3s pricing structure and wondered if anyone else had managed to get this price lowered at all. I have no problems with paying the £15-20 all other networks charge, just not the vastly inflated price 3 want to charge me!
First name Mister
Middle name Dot
Last name G
Middle name Dot
Last name G
0
Comments
-
You may find that the apparently large amount is not an overcharge, but is to pay out the balance of the contract; even payg handsets are subsidised and cheaper than simfree ones. I had a similar discussion with Orange last summer; they would want the rental balance paid upfront even though we were not discussing cancellation, but only a 3 week holiday.
I realise from what you've written that I could be wrong here. Perhaps you need to have another chat with them about the timing involved and they may reduce it.
The only reason I can think of to unlock my 3 phone is if I was intending to travel to Japan, as apparently a 3g phone is compatible with one of their network systems.0 -
In the report i quoted (some of which dates back to 2001) it states that some of the prices charged by networks (£30-35 at the time) were seen as an attempt to claw back some of the handset subsidy and as such frowned on. When it states proportional to the cost of unlocking the h/set it means strictly for that cost only, not to recoup any of the subsidy. Check out http://www.ofcom.org.uk/static/archive/oftel/publications/mobile/mmr0901_an1_5.htm - a lengthy document but it refers to the locking of h/sets under annex 3.
Also - i wish to unlock the h/set for the simple reason that i work for t-mobile and wish to be able to put my t-mobile contract sim card in there utilising the features of the phone (instead of making do with a noki 6600 which limps along with a dodgy menu button ATM)First name Mister
Middle name Dot
Last name G0
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