How difficult can it be to blacklist a phone?

cklass

Be persistent over the phone with Vodafone, ask to speak to their manager if they're refusing. If you're really not getting anywhere, contact their Web Relations team (it usually takes them at least two days to respond, though, so keep trying over the phone). Contact instructions are here under 'Biography'.

gycraig_2

grumbler wrote: »

Well, it's not the insurances companies that rolled over this blocking malarkey. Insurers may insist on various stupid things. Yes, blocking might reduce a little the number of phones stolen, but the fact remains - neither the insurance company, nor the victim benefits from blocking.
Why are phones so special for insurers? Laptops, tablets (wifi only), bicycles, jewelry - everything can be insured and lost/stolen, but none can be blocked.

if it was possible to block them they would be, if the phones where not being black listed phone crime would jump through the roof, steal a phone wipe it sell it on.

its a massive commiseration to me that if someone steals my expensive gadget even if they manage to get it factory reset / wiped (very hard on iphones now) it is still pretty worthless

redux

I ordered a replacement for a lost SIM card, mislaid as I returned from abroad and had temporaily used a local SIM

The network mistakenly counted it as stolen.

My phone was blacklisted, even though it by now had a different UK SIM in it (which is how the system should work, of course), and had not been originally supplied by the network of the lost SIM.

Vodafone need to be prevailed upon to do this. They have the record of the last IMEI used with your SIM card, as grumbler says.

Irrespective if what half-ignorant customer services staff say, if they report your phone and SIM stolen the block should be done automatically by their systems. Some people would not actually know or state their IMEI, as in my case, but the block still works.

macman

glentoran99 wrote: »

Id disagree that it doesnt benefit victims, Id def be a lot happier knowing that if someone stole my phone it would be no good to them.

The risk that a phone could be blocked should surely act as a deterrant to any wannabe thief

No, because the majority of stolen high-end handsets will be shipped out abroad and used on non-UK networks.
The people who steal them just pass them on up the line for a few quid, the real profits are made by the exporters who repackage them for other markets.

grumbler

macman wrote: »

No, because the majority of stolen high-end handsets will be shipped out abroad and used on non-UK networks.
The people who steal them just pass them on up the line for a few quid, the real profits are made by the exporters who repackage them for other markets.

Yes, because 'the people who steal them' would have more incentive to steal if they were able to sell the handset locally at a higher price.

pepdavies

I had a second-hand phone stolen in Paris. Giffgaff blocked the phone and SIM right away and the new SIM was waiting on the doormat when I got home. Great service and I didn't have the serial number or IMEI to hand. Obviously the phone still works abroad. I can still see it registered to a Moroccan network if I look on Android Device Manager. I do try to make it ring just to annoy them lol

Vodafone

Hi footman,

If you still need help with this, email me with your details via the link in our profile here.

All you need to do is copy and paste the link into your web browser and it'll take you to the Contact us form on our website. To make sure it reaches me, quote the code WRT135 - MSE in the subject line.

Once sent, you'll receive an automated reply with a reference number. Post back with this and I’ll check I've received it.

Kind regards,

Lee

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Vodafone UK

seaviewing

when this is confirmed to be resolved can the OP or Vodafone rep let us know so we can have reference to this in case we meet a similar brick wall in the future?

Vodafone rep, you must be able to confirm which network can block - or more to the point that Vodafone being the last network it was legit with should do it.......

Vodafone

Hi seaviewing,

We'd be able to blacklist the phone when loss or theft is reported.

Kind regards,

Lee

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Vodafone UK

secretmsg

I think this might be a help for you..

https://www.immobilise.com/index.php