Barred N73: CPW or O2 to blame?

Hamstar

I bought a SE K800i with a CarPhoneWarehouse 02 sim (A) for the wife, and Nokia N73 with an O2 direct sim (B) card for me, last October. I then swop the sim cards (more minutes for wifey) and everything worked perfectly (nothing in T&C that says I cannot do this).

The SE K800 is stolen (containing Daughter’s Vodafone sim – she wanted to try the phone out over a weekend) and I ask CPW to barr the phone. Specifically I tell them to bar the phone (IMEI bar) only (I have sim A in the N73). CPW say no can do, must bar K800 and sim A. Reluctantly I let them do it.

The next day I buy a new CPW 02 sim (C) (£10) as advised, and my mobile phone number of sim A is assigned to the new sim (C). Unknown to me, CPW have allowed the bar to continue on the new sim (C). I put the new sim (C) into the Nokia N73 and greeted with “Sim card registration failed”. CPW say cannot understand it – it must be the fault of O2 direct – it is their supplied phone.

Speak to several CS people at O2 direct with 4 promises of unbarring (one said to allow 5 days). Finally, today O2 direct confirmed that the N73 was not barred from their end. But I still get “sim card registration failed”. O2 direct say take it up with CPW. 5 weeks on I still have a handset that does not make/receive calls.

I have installed the latest firmware and tried a hard reset. The phone works perfectly otherwise. Sim C works perfectly in other phones. Sim B does not work in the N73 either but works in other phones. As far as I can tell, sim C makes good contact with the springy sim contacts inside the N73.

What do I do now? Do I take CPW, O2, or both to court for a replacement N73? If only someone had explained at the outset of the contract that CPW O2 is NOT the same as O2 direct (separate confidential databases of customers). How is it that CPW can wreck (bar) a phone in 5 minutes yet not be able to restore function? I would be grateful for ideas on how to progress.

diamonds

o2

cpw just buy airtime

all network stuff is o2

Hamstar

I am pleased to report that this saga has a pleasant ending! In an idle moment this evening, I put my sim (C) into the N73, it latched onto the o2 network and I can now make calls. It has only taken 6 weeks and I will never know who or what was done to restore the phone. Luckily this N73 has performed well without the nightmares of many other owners and is particularly good at playing movies during my commutes to London.