Phone unlocking company not giving my phone back.Help.

Cara21

Hi all,

A few weeks ago I bought a Nokia C7. As it was locked to 3 I brought it to an unlocking stall to get it unlocked. No problem, but it would take 2 days. Went back on Tuesday only to be told there was a delay and since I lived an hour away they would post it to me free of charge and I would definitely get it on Thursday.
Unfortunately it did not arrive and when I contacted them I was told it wasn't unlocked yet and would take another 3 days.
Now almost 2 weeks later they still have my phone and my money and are not replying to my messages anymore.

Where do I stand with this one as I really want my phone back.

Thanks for reading.

forgotmyname

Go and ask for your phone back.

Maybe report it as theft? They have stolen your phone.

Ectophile

forgotmyname wrote: »

Go and ask for your phone back.

Maybe report it as theft? They have stolen your phone.

But they didn't steal it - the OP handed it to them.

It does look like they've either lost it or broken it, and don't want to admit it.

llyamah

Ectophile wrote: »

But they didn't steal it - the OP handed it to them.

It does look like they've either lost it or broken it, and don't want to admit it.

I don't think the fact that he has handed it over to them means it is not theft. What if I borrow a car from Avis and do not give it back? I think this could be viewed as theft.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1968/60/crossheading/definition-of-theft

"A person is guilty of theft if he dishonestly appropriates property belonging to another with the intention of permanently depriving the other of it...Any assumption by a person of the rights of an owner amounts to an appropriation, and this includes, where he has come by the property (innocently or not) without stealing it, any later assumption of a right to it by keeping or dealing with it as owner."

Whether or not this will mean anything in practice is an entirely different matter.

Jeff_Bridges_hair

Phones on 3 are notoriously difficult to unlock and with some phones you simply cant.

Tell em you want it back ASAP.

alistair.long

3 would charge you £15 to unlock the handset but you would have to pay for the entire line rental.

did you get a receipt to show that the phone was given to the shop?

most shops goto a warehouse that are able to unlock most new phones, the warehouse does something and sets up agreements for unlocking and buy codes in higher quantity.
Your phone maybe with the warehouse, simply phone them to get your phone back asap and you will be willing to collect it.

The reason why the company wants to hold onto it is because it is easy money, remember smaller shops give it to the warehouse and get money for being the middle man.

Cara21

Thank you all for your reply.
Yes, I've got the receipt for handing it in. It also shows the emei number of the phone.
It's the first time I've tried to get a phone unlocked, and have no idea how these guys work. You live and learn.

It's not the fact that it takes long to unlock it, but the fact that they are not telling me what is happening.
I will go today and get it back! it's the 2 hour round trip that has stopped me going.

If it turns out its broken or lost what do I do then?

MothballsWallet

I'm sorry to hear about what's happened to your phone, OP.

I've had my Nokia 3510i for about 7 and a half years now, and I had it locked when I was in New Zealand because I needed to get a local SIM for job agencies to phone me (they wouldn't phone a UK number) - I took it to a place that was recommended to me by someone I knew, and had it back in about an hour.

Hope you get your phone back soon.