Will unlocking phone get me into trouble?

lookingforthelight

Hi all,

Im currently with Tesco on a pay monthly contract. Its coming to an end in 4 months and I'd like to start shopping around in readiness.

I want to unlock my handset, iphone6 plus, now in case a really good deal pops ups over the next few months.

2 questions.....
If I unlock now does the unlocking process notify my current service provider (Tesco) and will I get into trouble with Tesco for unlocking before my contract actually finishes??

thanks

Roland_Sausage

lookingforthelight wrote: »

Hi all,

Im currently with Tesco on a pay monthly contract. Its coming to an end in 4 months and I'd like to start shopping around in readiness.

I want to unlock my handset, iphone6 plus, now in case a really good deal pops ups over the next few months.

2 questions.....
If I unlock now does the unlocking process notify my current service provider (Tesco) and will I get into trouble with Tesco for unlocking before my contract actually finishes??

thanks

You will need to request that Tesco unlock the phone, so yes they will know about it. And no, they won't get you into trouble

d123

The info is on their website.

Unlock your Tesco Mobile phone

Unlocking your device
If you’ve got a Tesco Mobile phone and you want to put another network’s SIM card into it, you need to get your Tesco Mobile phone unlocked.

Pay as you go
Your Tesco Mobile pay as you go phone will be free to unlock 12 months after it was activated. If you want to unlock it in the first 12 months, it will cost £10.

Pay monthly
Our pay monthly phones are free to unlock. Sometimes if a new phone or tablet has just been launched, you might not be able to unlock it straight away. We’ll let you know if this is the case when you contact us to unlock your device.

How long does it take?
It normally takes 7 working days for your unlocking code to come through, but occasionally it can take up to 28 days, depending on your device. Call us on 0345 300 6660.



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From http://www.tescomobile.com/help-and-support/1080-getting-started/1822-pay-monthly/unlock-your-tesco-mobile-phone?search=Unlocking

TadleyBaggie

There are no 3rd party unlocks for the iPhone, Apple will only unlock a phone on the request of the registered service provider. Anyone who claims to be able to unlock an iPhone is probably a scammer.

WellKnownSid

TadleyBaggie wrote: »

There are no 3rd party unlocks for the iPhone, Apple will only unlock a phone on the request of the registered service provider. Anyone who claims to be able to unlock an iPhone is probably a scammer.

+1

There is no unlock code for iPhone. Instead the service provider informs Apple the phone is unlocked.

d123

TadleyBaggie wrote: »

There are no 3rd party unlocks for the iPhone, Apple will only unlock a phone on the request of the registered service provider. Anyone who claims to be able to unlock an iPhone is probably a scammer.

Actually incorrect, there are a number of people or companies other than the SP that seem to have access to the lock request system. I have had a number of iPhones and iPads unlocked by using the unlockers who advertise on eBay. It's just a matter of common sense, use one who has plenty of feedback.

Of course the OP would be foolish not to use TESCO Mobile directly, as the account holder they should get it done for free.

grumbler

d123 wrote: »

Actually incorrect,

Only partly I think, especially as the word 'probably' was used.

there are a number of people or companies other than the SP that seem to have access to the lock request system.

I believe this is some sort of 'back door' access via unscrupulous insiders in the same SP.

WellKnownSid

The back door seems to be fooling the phone that it's activated with a different SIM. If you then put another SIM in or restore or update the phone at any point through iTunes or iCloud, it ends up being locked again because it's never actually been unlocked.

Given that it's easy to unlock via most providers for a few quid or free - it's just worth doing officially.

macman

The phone was yours from day one, so whether you unlock it is no concern of Tesco Mobile whatsoever. TM have some pretty good SIM only contracts that you might consider, though you'll need to port the number out to a temporary PAYG SIM if you want to retain it.

grumbler

WellKnownSid wrote: »

The back door seems to be fooling the phone that it's activated with a different SIM. If you then put another SIM in or restore or update the phone at any point through iTunes or iCloud, it ends up being locked again because it's never actually been unlocked.

No, this is untrue. There were many reports about successful and proper unlocking via ebay.

Given that it's easy to unlock via most providers for a few quid or free - it's just worth doing officially.

Many providers have time restrictions and do this for existing customers only.

grumbler

macman wrote: »

...TM have some pretty good SIM only contracts that you might consider, though you'll need to port the number out to a temporary PAYG SIM if you want to retain it.

Why?..........