Is there any point complaining to the network?

thriftymanc · 28 January 2013 at 3:58PM

Short version: network said unlocking would be free but it wasn't, any point complaining?

Long version: my colleague's mum upgraded her phone and her old one was going spare. My old phone was on its last legs so my colleague offered it to me. Her mum didn't want any money for it as the upgrade was free. I gratefully accepted but when I got it home and put my SIM card in, it was locked to another network. I popped into the network's store nearest me and asked them to unlock it but they said they could only do it for the account holder, i.e. my colleague's mum. They told me to give the phone back to her and get her to come in and do it, I asked if there was any cost and they said no. A couple of weeks later I went into work and my colleague said she had the phone back but her mum wanted x amount of money for it. I was confused as previously I'd taken the phone without paying anything. It turns out her mum took the phone into another branch of the same network, but that branch charged her. I'm not particularly close friends with this colleague and as her mum had already paid the fee, I couldn't really say no and felt guilty about it so I paid up even though I can't really afford it at the moment - I wouldn't have accepted the offer of the phone if I'd known there would be any money involved. It's a big network with a trillion branches so I'm surprised one branch would charge and another wouldn't, either I got the wrong info or the other branch was trying it on! I would just sell the phone on and get my money back but it's not really worth anything and my old phone has died completely now so it would leave me with no phone at all! It's not my colleague or her mum's fault but I'm not happy because the network told me it would be free. Is there any point in me complaining to the network?

DUTR · 28 January 2013 at 4:01PM

As far as I know unless things have changed, they are obliged to unlock the handset BUT NOT FOR NOWT. So complain if you wish, but for the time taken to complain and resolve it, a fiver spent down at the market to get it unlocked is money well spent.

jbainbridge · 28 January 2013 at 8:56PM

Depends which network. e.g. I think Vodafone will unlock contract phones free for their customers, Orange however charge a fee. Go to their website and have a search.

thriftymanc · 28 January 2013 at 10:46PM

Just to clarify it's the fact that I was specifically told by the staff that it was free, and then the lady who the phone originally belonged to got charged. If I had been told that there was a fee in advance, that would be fine, they can do what they like - just didn't like being lied to and ending up spending money I can't really afford! And also the fact that I'm not the account holder, would they even do anything if I spoke to them rather than the mum? I can't really go asking my colleague's mum to complain because I'm sure she couldn't care less and I don't know my colleague well enough to feel comfortable doing that anyway.

Buzby · 28 January 2013 at 11:17PM

You are out the loop on this one - the woman may have even gone to the wrong store (they all look the same!) but it would be her call to ensure the cost was clarified at the outset - not pay up, then pass the cost to you. What cost are we talking about? £20 or so? If so, you'll have to the cost on the chin yourself ......