Be aware of Iphones from Carphone Warehouse

amoyguang

Please be aware that likely all iphones (SIM free) from Carphone Warehouse are region locked. It means when you try to use the phone abroad, only UK SIM can work, which is different to the usually know term of network lock. I only knew this after I had trouble using it with a foreign SIM card and rang the costumer service.

In the January sale this year, when trying to look for a gift for my cousin in China, I found from Carphone Warehouse website that the price for SIM free iphone 4s is 199.95GBP. In a Manchester Carphone Warehouse store, I explained the use of the iphone to the staff there. Both the staff and her supervisor confirmed that it works well in China. The only caution is that the phone will be locked to the first SIM network carrier, even it is a SIM card from Chinese carriers. The phone was bought and then travelled all the way back to China into my cousin’s hands. He was very excited to see it. But this quickly turned into a trouble. With SIM cards from 2 different Chinese carriers, he spent a whole day without success to activate the phone. He went to locally phone dealers and was told that this phone was locked. When I got the news, I didn’t believe it at all and blamed him not good at using the new phone, keeping telling him that this was a brand new phone from a big company. And he blamed himself for not being able to activate it as well.

However, I was shocked to find that this phone was locked when checking the iphone status with its IMEI number on internet. So I phoned Carphone Warehouse, the customer service told me that all their iphones are region locked, only working with a UK SIM card abroad. Although admitting of mis-selling, they kept telling me to go to meet the store manager (who was informed of this) and they can do nothing for me. When I finally went to the store, shop assistants were really cold to me and told that the manager was on holiday. After standing helplessly for half an hour in store, I went out without any solution and still need to come back on Monday. After emailing the costumer service about my experience in store, they never gave any replies any more.

I don’t want to blame the staff who sold me the products. Because later, I tried to ask staff in other Carphone Warehouse stores, they said it would work in China as well. There is no any mention about iphone region lock in the Carphone Warehouse website. But it seems that the customer service team in their headquarter knows this well.

It is a really disappointing shopping experience and I still haven’t got any active response from Carphone Warehouse. When I searched on internet, I found iphone buyers from Carphone Warehouse with similar situation back in 2012, discussions.apple.com/thread/4584307. It is really shocking that such a big company sells a popular phone with this hidden trick for several years. Potentially, thousands customers are affected (why there is no class action against them?).

My only advice for people is to stay away from Carphone Warehouse when you buy an iphone. I feel really guilty to my cousin, blaming him for a faulty product gift I gave.

mije1983

Is it possible you both misunderstood each other?

They thought you would be using a UK sim in the phone in China, and you assumed when they said 'that it works well in China', they meant it would work with a Chinese sim card.

amoyguang

That's impossible. I have a mobile contract with them and work in UK. It is said really clearly that the phone will be sent to China for another person to use. This is why i never put in a UK SIM card to check before sending it.

mije1983 wrote: »

Is it possible you both misunderstood each other?

They thought you would be using a UK sim in the phone in China, and you assumed when they said 'that it works well in China', they meant it would work with a Chinese sim card.

amoyguang

anyone can give advice on how to proceed with this? thanks.

Collabora

amoyguang wrote: »

It is said really clearly that the phone will be sent to China for another person to use.

But they may have assumed it would be with a UK sim, which would work with roaming charges.

DUTR

amoyguang wrote: »

That's impossible. I have a mobile contract with them and work in UK. It is said really clearly that the phone will be sent to China for another person to use. This is why i never put in a UK SIM card to check before sending it.

I agree withthe poster in post #2.
Don't they have iphones in China?
It's too late now, but perhaps it would have been 'better' to send the money for your cousin to purchase one locally.
The price you paid seems low so perhaps it was on PAYG and in effect is locked , I can understand why they would lock it to UK sims, so that these and other subsidised devices cannot find their way to a market abroad were they are not subsidised.

Collabora

DUTR wrote: »

The price you paid seems low so perhaps it was on PAYG and in effect is locked ,

no they are £199.95 and not in a sale

http://www.carphonewarehouse.com/phones/apple-iphone-4s-8gb/handset?colourCode=WHITE

but i agree it would have been better to send the money so they could get 1 locally

the specs state

Often known as 'tri-band', this device can connect to mobile networks in Europe and the USA. You'll also need to make sure your UK network offers service in the place you're visiting.

so in effect will only work in Europe and USA

amoyguang

I don't have a Chinese bank card and would like to avoid the overseas transaction fee. This model is not available in Apple Store in China. For local dealers, price can vary big and i'd like to place my trust in a big company like Carphone Warehouse.

The issue is that why the company doesn't give the information and mis-lead costumers to buy a product with limited use. In my case, the product is of no use at all.

JJ_Egan

amoyguang wrote: »

I don't have a Chinese bank card and would like to avoid the overseas transaction fee. This model is not available in Apple Store in China. For local dealers, price can vary big and i'd like to place my trust in a big company like Carphone Warehouse.

The issue is that why the company doesn't give the information and mis-lead costumers to buy a product with limited use. In my case, the product is of no use at all.

Essence of the problem is that the guys who sold you the phone did not have a clue about China and its networks .
Thats fair enough cannot expect them to but they then made the mistake of saying yes it will work .
But then again CPW probably never sell products meant to go to other countries .

Proceed you can write a letter in ink to the head office and complain .
Other options are to pay for a solicitor .

secretmsg

I purchsed iphone 6 and inserted 3 network sim card, it locked to 3 then i tried unlcokingit through unlock form but didnt work, i called CS and they asked proof of purchase as new phones comes unlocked.. I emailed the proof of purchase and they registered the phone and then unlocked it for me..

If u have the phone and they are not taking it back then u give a try if u have 3 paymonthly sim.. Iam not sure about vodafone but o2 and ee is not possible atm for u.