ovivo, apple iphone and invalid sim

john1002

Hi Dave,

Yes i did, Itunes shows the same invalid sim message as the phone.

QVC emailed to tell me exactly what i told them, with no help or solution so formal complaint for them.

Apple rang back to say still waiting on dept to sort out, hopeful for tomorrow am.

If all else fails I can unlock phone for 74 online, will try to see if there is cheaper but would rather pay and know it is right.

Frustrating but ill know for next time.

john

d123

john1002 wrote: »

If all else fails I can unlock phone for 74 online, will try to see if there is cheaper but would rather pay and know it is right.

john

That would be mad at that price, if you want to use a non-official Apple official unlock provider, use this one for £28.95:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FACTORY-UNLOCK-IPHONE-5-VODAFONE-UK-GUARANTEED-FAST-SERVICE-NOT-FOR-BARRED-IMEI-/201033450996?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item2ece8705f4

I used them to unlock a Vodafone iPad 4 a few months ago, they do the job for a little more than the official unlock cost.

Goodstone

Carphone Warehouse do technically sell unlocked iPhones.

Mine was replace by them a few months ago (iphone5)

Mine is locked via a service called EMEA.

It means you can put any uk sim in to the iPhone

You cannot put a foreign sim in.

The good news is that you can get these iPhones unlocked very cheap via eBay prices start around £7.

You do need to check that it is locked to that service.

There is a website you can check this on which is free


Iphoneimei.info

john1002

Thanks for the info everyone. Will look into the ebay thing.

Am I safe in thinking that i select vodafone as carrier?

john

imho

Yes Ovivo piggy backed on Vodafone but if you know someone using Vodafone just put their sim in your mobile just to check it is on Vodafone.
Plus you will need the imei number from your mobile .*#06# gives you imei number write the numbers down right.

gjchester

Goodstone wrote: »

Carphone Warehouse do technically sell unlocked iPhones.

Technically yes, but they lock to the first sim card used, Buy from Apple and they remain unlocked regardless of the sim used. Given CPW and Apple are usually the same price, it makes a lot more sense to buy from Apple but not everyone knows this

Goodstone wrote: »

Mine was replace by them a few months ago (iphone5)

Mine is locked via a service called EMEA.

Its not really unlocked, It means its got a wider lock than one network and should be Europe wide, its typically because Apple didn't lock it back to the specific carrier your previous phone was locked to.


The way an iPhone is locked is on the Apple server, not in the handset unlike most others.


Anone who isn't a network is almost certainly replying on someone in the network doing them as "on the side" jobs. If they get audited or chedked your phone lock status may be revoked.


Where you can use the official network unlock route, it may take awhile but you know that it will remain unlocked, whereas other routed may be revoked without warning.


Don't get me wrong the chances of the unlock being reversed are small, but theres still the chance.

john1002

Just an update, still without phone, still waiting on apple, was just going to use one of the unlocking services but knowing my luck the fact apple are already on case would mean something goes wrong and I would be out of pocket, am going to give them till friday i think. Did find out for sure that Im locked to vodaphone using one of the links so that gives me piece of mind.

QVC complaint has been sent in so will wait to see on that one.

Thanks again for all your input and help.

john

Balkris

I have a similar problem - I bought an unlocked iPhone from a 3rd party (not Apple direct) last year and used it on O2 with no problems. Switched to Ovivo last month, no problems. But ever since I activated the Ovivo sim it appears that the phone has locked onto Vodafone and will not allow any other sim cards to be used.


I really don't want to pay for it to be unlocked, since it was unlocked to start with, plus I'm not sure who to contact?

john1002

I would say you need to go back to the retailer you got the phone from as I am doing with QVC, you could like me try apple to resolve but they seem to be taking a long time to resolve for me, Ive found per the links here the cheapest unlock for 28.99 so if i get no joy from apple will use this, frustrating but i just want a phone now as its over a week since ovivo went bump and Ive had the problem.

Good luck, its a slow process.

Or you could just go vodaphone now you know the issues you might face.

john

Balkris

Thanks for the advice John, but I already signed up to Three, thinking the phone was unlocked. I'm tempted to see what Vodafone have to say, since it was one of their 'piggy back' companies that seems to have locked my phone. Could I ask where you were quoted £28.99?