cheapest iPhone unlock service?

jcc481

Hey, I'm going on holiday in a week, and suddenly this morning realised that my iPhone 5S is carrier locked, so I wouldn't be able to use it with a foreign SIM card. I bought the phone off eBay, and it came locked to Vodafone (and since TalkTalk Mobile uses Vodafone, it was fine), but now I'm trying to hunt for a iPhone unlocking service, and needless to say Vodafone won't unlock it. The cheapest (and still reputable) service I've found online is £20, and eBay seems to have had a clearout of unlocking services since last year. I was wondering whether any forum members would have had experience with any of these online sellers and could perhaps give me some links?

grumbler

A locked iPhone from e-bay? If you buy cheaply, you pay dearly.

Only the network that iPhone is locked to can unlock it properly. All other ways are more expensive and unreliable as only Vodafone insiders can do this at their risk.

However, Vodafone are unlikely to do this as you are neither their customer, nor the original owner.

jcc481

@grumbler, Indeed, when I bought my first iPhone there were cheap unlocks on eBay, and so I thought the same would apply with my 5S, but now I think my only resort is to find a reputable as possible online company to unlock it for me, since Vodafone need to original owner to unlock the phone. I'm not too worried about the seller doing a runner, as the one I found supports paypal, but was hoping that other forumites might have had a good experience with a certain website. I suppose if the worse comes to worst I can always bring a brick along, but it would be mildly inconvenient.

Double_V

A lot of mobile phone shops can unlock it for you.
A local market trader her charges £40 and unlocks it.

You can try Talk Talk to unlock it for you as you're their customer.

gjchester

No one but Apple or the original network can unlock it.

There is no plug cable into a PC and let some software unlock it option, or supply s code from the IMEI. Unlock status is set on Apples servers and checked on most new sims insertions unless the phone has seen the sim beforehand or its bee n unlocked.

Anyone who claims otherwise has someone on the inside adding India to the networks legitimate unlock list. If they or caught or audited (however remote that possibility is) the the phone Can be relocked without notice.

gjchester

jcc481 wrote: »

since Vodafone need to original owner to unlock the phone. .

Vodafone unlock for free after the minimum term. The prior owner can request it but only needs the IMEI not the phone to do it. SO they can request it even though the phone stays with you.


https://www.vodafone.co.uk/vodafone-uk/forms/unlock-code-request/?cid=rdr-11197-01

That does of course assume you can contact the seller and they are willing and able to do it.

Frozen_up_north

Coreywells wrote: »

I suggest the Iphone Unlocking UK is the affordable and very finest Iphone unlock service. This is the IMEI based permanent Iphone unlocking facility in our area.

There is no such thing as "very finest", they all operate by paying an insider to fraudulently unlock an iPhone. As others have repeatedly said, the only legitimate unlock is via the original network.

To the OP, do you really need a local SIM? In the EU roaming rates for ordinary calls and text messages, without buying a bundle, (inc to other EU countries while roaming) are very cheap, data is another matter... It's also free to receive calls on several networks too.

Outside the EU it's another matter tho'