ovivo, apple iphone and invalid sim

john1002

Hi all,

Its not another ovivo rant but I wonder if anyone else like me had a iphone 5 and used ovivo, my iphone was unlocked when I bought it brand new, as many others I decided to find a new supplier, in my case to go back to tesco mobile.

The problem I have encountered is that when i went to put my new tesco mobile sim in, it would not pass the iphone activation and said invalid sim.

Rang tesco to be told it is not them, onto apple and after lots of time and going through the script it would seem that whilst you buy a sim free unlocked iphone as soon as you put a sim in then it locks to that network so for me(ovivo) Vodafone. Of course i cant get ovivo to unlock the iphone so now my fingers are crossed relying on apple to unlock and allow the iphone onto o2, i.e tesco.

Apparently for me to avoid this issue again i need to buy from apple and not in my case QVC or any other retailer.

This is the first time I've come across this issue, you have to prove to apple that you got a unlocked phone and there is still no guarantee that this will happen but they are hopefull.

Just wonder if anyone else has had this problem or they have ensured they have gone with vodaphone. Annoying and frustrating as I am without a phone at present.

john

dealer_wins

Just one of 1000 reasons why Apple phones suck. Yes the look great but they make everything impossibly difficult and anal.

My GF has an Iphone and it took my about an hour to change the divert delay on it today, where as "normal" phones takes 1 minute!! Just ANAL!!!

d123

john1002 wrote: »

Hi all,

Its not another ovivo rant but I wonder if anyone else like me had a iphone 5 and used ovivo, my iphone was unlocked when I bought it brand new, as many others I decided to find a new supplier, in my case to go back to tesco mobile.

The problem I have encountered is that when i went to put my new tesco mobile sim in, it would not pass the iphone activation and said invalid sim.

Rang tesco to be told it is not them, onto apple and after lots of time and going through the script it would seem that whilst you buy a sim free unlocked iphone as soon as you put a sim in then it locks to that network so for me(ovivo) Vodafone. Of course i cant get ovivo to unlock the iphone so now my fingers are crossed relying on apple to unlock and allow the iphone onto o2, i.e tesco.

Apparently for me to avoid this issue again i need to buy from apple and not in my case QVC or any other retailer.

This is the first time I've come across this issue, you have to prove to apple that you got a unlocked phone and there is still no guarantee that this will happen but they are hopefull.

Just wonder if anyone else has had this problem or they have ensured they have gone with vodaphone. Annoying and frustrating as I am without a phone at present.

john

I suspect QVC sourced their stock from CarPhoneWarehouse, they (CPW) have a morally poor system of defining sim free to just mean no sim and the first sim inserted causes the phone to lock to that network.

Your only way out will be to register a Vodafone PAYG sim and use it in the phone for a while, thereafter request the unlock from Vodafone.

Unfortunately, the ONLY way to buy a genuinely unlocked sim free iPhone is directly from Apple.

buglawton

Which is.... ANAL

grumbler

Complain to QVC and report them to TS. They seem to keep misleadingly describing their iPhones as 'sim-free':
http://www.qvcuk.com/Apple-iPhone-5C-16GB-SIM-Free-Smartphone-w--Content-%26-Accessories.product.504998.html?sc=504998-SRCH&cm_sp=VIEWPOSITION-_-1-_-504998

CPW make it clear that their 'sim-free' iPhones "will lock to the network of the first SIM use": http://www.carphonewarehouse.com/mobiles/mobile-phones/APPLE_IPHONE_5C_16GB/PPAY?colourCode=YELLOW&gift=undefined&giftType=undefined

System

Is it within 120 days of your purchase of the phone?

keith1950

This is the first time I've come across this issue, you have to prove to apple that you got a unlocked phone and there is still no guarantee that this will happen but they are hopefull.

Just wonder if anyone else has had this problem or they have ensured they have gone with vodaphone. Annoying and frustrating as I am without a phone at present.

john

Hi, I have used www.fonefunshop.co.uk successfully several times and found them fast and efficient.

They can provide a permanent unlock from the Vodafone network however this can cost up to £60.

Haffiana

I bought a sim free phone from Apple and have so far used three different network sims in it - O2, Three and a middle East company (Vodaphone Egypt) when I was visiting Egypt a couple of months ago. I am off to the States next month and will pick up a local sim in the airport when I arrive.

Your issue is with QVC.

john1002

An update, just being onto QVC, apparently will take 3 days for them to see how it was sold on air!!!

Then who knows what will happen, all I want is a phone that works.

At least I now know what I should be asking next time, still got my fingers crossed that apple will be able to sort.

haffianna that is the way yours works you got it direct from apple, it would seem the only true way of getting "full sim free"

Ill keep everyone posted

John

Number29

Your issues is with QVC. Not surprised someone jumped on the issue to try and make Apple sound like the bad guys (it's currently fashionable to do so, despite being wrong).

Dave80s

John, did you connect your phone to iTunes via a computer? This solved it for me.

Dave.