Buying a locked iphone - how do I unlock it?

mwddrwg

Hi all,


Quick iphone unlocking question (apologies if it's me being thick )


My daughter wants an iphone 4S and I've found one being sold by a colleague at work. It's currently locked to Vodafone but my daughter has an Orange PAYG sim card in a Galaxy Y at the moment.


The seller is trying to get Vodafone to unlock it but is not having much luck (so they say). Not sure exactly why. Tempted to buy the thing anyway and get it unlocked myself. Can I do it any other way than contacting Vodafone?


Thanks for any pointers

J_B

mwddrwg wrote: »

Can I do it any other way than contacting Vodafone?

There are several expensive and unreliable ways that *you* can probably get it unlocked yourself
BUT
the cheapest and most reliable way is to get the original owner to ask his network to unlock it.

mwddrwg

J_B wrote: »

There are several expensive and unreliable ways that *you* can probably get it unlocked yourself
BUT
the cheapest and most reliable way is to get the original owner to ask his network to unlock it.

Cheers JB, that's what they're doing but they're having 'trouble' it seems. If I bought it locked do you think Vodafone would unlock it for me even though I'm not the original owner?

J_B

mwddrwg wrote: »

Cheers JB, that's what they're doing but they're having 'trouble' it seems. If I bought it locked do you think Vodafone would unlock it for me even though I'm not the original owner?

No, No and thrice No

glentoran99

Vodafone is dead easy to get to unlock, its a simple online form there must be other issues with the phone. steer clear


https://www.vodafone.co.uk/vodafone-uk/forms/unlock-code-request/

mwddrwg

J_B wrote: »

No, No and thrice No

Hmmm, that's a shame, thought it would be easier but it's a security measure I suppose. If I bought my daughter a Vodafone PAYG SIM would that do the trick? I presume it's locked to network provider and not actual SIM card/phone number?

mwddrwg

glentoran99 wrote: »

Vodafone is dead easy to get to unlock, its a simple online form there must be other issues with the phone. steer clear


https://www.vodafone.co.uk/vodafone-uk/forms/unlock-code-request/

Thanks. Is that the case even though it's a second hand phone? I'm confident that it's not stolen/lost as it was owned by the mother of my colleague until she upgraded to a 5S

mwddrwg

Just been on the phone to Vodafone. As I've been with them more than a year on contract on another phone I just need to tell them the iphone details and they'll unlock it for free apparently. Thanks for your input. Hope it works!

gjchester

mwddrwg wrote: »

Just been on the phone to Vodafone. As I've been with them more than a year on contract on another phone I just need to tell them the iphone details and they'll unlock it for free apparently. Thanks for your input. Hope it works!

I hope your right but that's not whats been reported previously. The networks will typically only unlock a phone they supplied (any phone not just iPhones), and then only for the original owner.

paddyrg

But yes, a Vodafone PAYG ought to work in it (maybe try it?), and you can then call Orange for a PAC code to port the number to Vodafone. If you get no joy the other route, that is.