Orange contract issues

antigone

Hi all,
I'm in a really bizarre situation and cannot work out what my consumer rights are.

I bought an iPhone locked to Orange in an online eBay auction. The phone works perfectly. But it seems that, even though I've never made any sort of contract with Orange, they are still allowed to control how I use my phone. According to their Customer Services, they will not unlock the phone except for someone who has been a contract holder for at least six months. (I use PAYG, with giffgaff).

I contacted the Citizens' Advice helpline, to be told that this was in order to prevent individuals agreeing to contracts, then selling the phone. However, in this case the phone was bought in June 2012 and was being sold because Orange had upgraded it with the original contract holder.

I was told by Orange that there were commercial unlocking services available. But these cost over £100 and leave the phone software vulnerable, and Orange 'cannot guarantee them'.

Can this company make my phone useless in this way, with no way to unlock it?

bris

It's not a contract issue, Orange have no contract with you and owe you nothing.

They do not have to unlock your second hand phone, you chose to buy a locked phone so you got exactly what you paid for. Next time do proper due diligence before making a mistake like this.

Unlocking does not cost anywhere near £100, I suggest you shop around, plenty places do it.

antigone

Hi, Bris, thanks for your reply.

Most unlocking services cost far less--just as most phone companies will unlock for a nominal charge or even nothing.

However I have shopped around (on reputable websites as well as locally through yell.com). Whenever it is a case of an Orange phone, the cost inexplicably rises to £100 or above. The cheapest quote I've had was for £99.65. Moreover, as Orange themselves point out, there are risks to your software stability if you go down this route.

As you've found out, it's quite hard to discover that the cost of unlocking for an Orange phone is this high. My current provider, giffgaff, has an 'Unlockapedia' which doesn't reveal the problem. So 'due diligence' isn't a lot of help.

Caz3121

have you asked the seller if can get it unlocked? If they got an upgrade they will still be in contract with them

did they sell it as locked to Orange?

mattyprice4004

It's pretty well known iPhones are a pain to unlock - even though I'm an Orange customer it took me a long time to get mine sorted.

It was sold via Orange and is locked to their network - that's not the same as them restricting your use of the handset.

Unfortunately it's a tough lesson - research unlocking costs before buying, or find an unlocked handset.