Free Vodafone Unlocking codes?

Half_Price_Sky

I'm trying to get my head around the rules regarding free NUC network unlock codes from Vodafone. The general consensus on HUKD seems to be that you can get a "friend" to stick their Vodafone sim in any locked Vodafone handset and providing that your friend is on contract or has been on PAYG for 12 months or longer then the unlock code would be provided free of charge for any Vodafone handset regardless of age or where it was purchased.

I have found some spiel from Vodafone regarding the unlocking process:

For Pay Monthly Customers:

Except for the BlackBerry Storm, we will supply a Network Unlock Code (NUC) for you if you've bought a phone from us on either pay monthly or pay as you go. A NUC allows you to use non-Vodafone SIM cards with your Vodafone phone.

If you got the phone on pay monthly, the NUC will be free of charge, regardless of its age, as all new pay monthly phones (other than BlackBerry devices) are now supplied unlocked.

To get a NUC code you need to contact your customer services team.

Contact Customer Service

We will need the following information for us to process your code request -

your active Vodafone mobile number (if you don't have one you can order a free pay as you go SIM card online and can get your NUC as soon as this is registered)
your phone's serial number/ IMEI (enter *#06# into the phone to get this, or you can look on the manufacturer's sticker which is underneath the battery, it is a 15-20 digit code starting 35)
the make and model of phone or device
an alternative contact number for you
an email address for you.

If the IMEI number is kept on our systems we can give you the NUC straight away. If we don't hold the details there is a timescale of 72 hours to retrieve the code from the mobile phone manufacturer. The main exception to this is Samsung, who have a timescale of up to 16 days.

and

For PAYG customers:

Except for the BlackBerry Storm, we will supply a Network Unlock Code (NUC) for you if you've bought a phone from us on either pay monthly or pay as you go. A NUC allows you to use non-Vodafone SIM cards with your Vodafone phone.

If the phone is on pay as you go and over 12 months old the code will also be free of charge.
For pay as you go phones less than 12 months old a charge of £19.99 including VAT applies. The £19.99 will need to be credited to your phone before you apply for the code. Once the NUC has been issued the charge will be debited.

To get a NUC code you need to contact your customer services team.

Contact Customer Service

We will need the following information for us to process your code request -

your active Vodafone mobile number (if you don't have one you can order a free pay as you go SIM card online and can get your NUC as soon as this is registered)
your phone's serial number/ IMEI (enter *#06# into the phone to get this, or you can look on the manufacturer's sticker which is underneath the battery, it is a 15-20 digit code starting 35)
the make and model of phone or device
an alternative contact number for you
an email address for you.

If the IMEI number is kept on our systems we can give you the NUC straight away. If we don't hold the details there is a timescale of 72 hours to retrieve the code from the mobile phone manufacturer. The main exception to this is Samsung, who have a timescale of up to 16 days.


*** When you click "Contact customer services" Make sure you click Email us on the left hand side of the Page

*** If your a Contract customer your NUC will be free of charge

*** If your a PAYT Customer the Normal charge is £19.99 , However If the Handset is over 12 months old It is FREE

I'm a little confused here. Firstly does the criteria for qualifying for a free unlock code depend on the customer's status (ie. being either a contract or PAYG customer) or rather does it depend on the status of handset (ie. whether it's a contract or PAYG phone?) And secondly does the phone have to be bought at a Vodafone store or can it be bought elsewhere and still obtain a free unlock code?

My girlfiend is on sim only contract with Vodafone and I'm on O2 Simplicity. If I bought myself a PAYG phone from the Vodafone shop to use on my O2 contract would they give her a free unlock code, as she is a contract customer, if she requested one the following day for example? Or would we have to wait 12 months to get it for free?

Also if I were to buy a Vodafone PAYG handset from somewhere else such as Play.com would they still provide us with a free unlock code for it within the first 12 months?

OneADay

Sounds pretty clear - you can have the phone unlocked free providing you are the owner registered to that phone and you are not within 12 month period, otherwise there is a fee. Thats pay and go.

For pay monthly - you can have it unlocked whenever providing you are the contract holder.

£note

Just as an FYI, my last two contract phones from Vodafone, a Samsung Steel and my current Nokia E71 were both supplied to me unlocked. Both supplied directly from the network.