Vodafone refusing to refund me for phone not fit for purpose, please help.

JJ_Egan

How do you know its not unlocked as they say ?? Does your IMEI match ??

ewanfrance

I have checked the IMEI, double checked it and even triple checked it. The Vodafone store have checked it, and I've sent a photo of it after dialing the 06# (or whatever it is, I cant remember) to the unlocking team. The IMEI is correct

The phone I received as a replacement for my faulty phone was not brand new, it was a different repaired phone according to the store. The IMEI on the new handset was different.
Apparently when a phone is sent in for repair, Vodafone automatically lock it back to their network, so I believe that the previous owner of this phone probably unlocked it, sent it off to Vodafone for repair/refund, got his money back, and I got that persons phone. So now the phone is relocked to Vodafone, despite apparently being unlocked? That's the best guess I can make, but either way, that's not what I paid for.

forgotmyname

Your individual model CAN. Your not looking hard enough.

Your just asking Voda who are confused because your current phone is not the one that is listed on the original order and they cannot be bothered with you.

Take it elsewhere for unlocking.

Its exactly what you paid for a pay as you go phone locked to Voda. If you want an unlocked one get a contract phone. None of them are locked.

Had no issues putting my new Life SIM into my S4 or my old S2 that i stuck the SIM in to wait for it to go live.

ewanfrance

I have contacted the Vodafone unlocking team who deal specifically with unlocking requests.
They state the phone is already unlocked - it isn't
I have gone to 2 different third party unlock code sellers who have both told me there is no unlock code for my phone.
On a popular unlocking code website, it states that replacement phones may not be able to be unlocked as the IMEI is not in the database due to it being a replacement.
This model can be unlocked, I already got a working code for the original phone.
The replacement can't, I have looked elsewhere, no one else can help.

If I pay for a phone that can be unlocked, that's what I expect to get.

glentoran99

Did Vodafone tell you in writing before purchasing that it could be unlocked?


For a not fit for purpose claim to be successful it has to be not fit for purpose for which it was sold for, that was to be used on the Vodafone network with a Vodafone Sim.


Just because you bought it with the intention of unlocking it doesn't mean that was the purpose it was sold for, It would be like buying a rugby ball and complaining it wasn't fit for playing football with

ewanfrance

I have in writing from a Vodafone Technical Advisor that the condition I bought the phone under was that it could be unlocked, if that counts?

I also believe that being able to unlock a phone is a standard feature, as this particular model is definitely unlockable, the problem being that the replacement is not a new model and hence not unlockable

glentoran99

ewanfrance wrote: »

I have in writing from a Vodafone Technical Advisor that the condition I bought the phone under was that it could be unlocked, if that counts?

I also believe that being able to unlock a phone is a standard feature, as this particular model is definitely unlockable, the problem being that the replacement is not a new model and hence not unlockable

If you have it in writing then that would be that part covered,

Inner_Zone

ewanfrance wrote: »

Vodafone refusing to refund me for phone not fit for purpose, please help. 17th Feb 16 at 10:04 PM


Hi there,

I'm having a lot of trouble with Vodafone refusing to refund or replace my phone, and I'm worried I'm going to end up having to take them to court. I have no idea how to do this, or if I really have a case, but I will give you all the details and I really hope you can help. I'll bullet point it to try make it easier to understand fully. Thanks for your time.

.I bought a Vodafone Smart Prime 6 for my Girlfriends Mum for Christmas - Purchased on 10/12/15 for £75
.I paid for an unlocking code so I could use the phone on other networks.
.The phone turned out to be faulty (resetting itself every 5 minutes)
.I took the phone back for repair
.I received a replacement phone as the repair was "unfixable"
.I attempted to buy an unlocking code for the replacement phone
.The phone can't be unlocked, unlike the original - In fact the unlocking team claim the phone is already unlocked, despite me sending them photographic proof that it wasn't.
.I took the phone to the Vodafone store, they say they can't refund or replace it as it's past the 14 day deadline.
.I believe I am owed a full refund/replacement.
.I explain to them my statutory rights that I believe apply to this situation:

"Subsection (3) applies to a contract to supply goods if before the contract is made the consumer makes known to the trader (expressly or by implication) any particular purpose for which the consumer is contracting for the goods."

.I have an email sent by a Vodafone Technical Advisor saying (excuse his spelling):
"PLEASE HELP AS IF THIS ISNT CORRCTED THEN WHAT WILL WE DO AS CUSTOMER IT OUT OF THE 14 DAYS OF PURCHASE AS THAT WAS THE CONDITION HE BOUGHT IT THAT HE COULD HAVE IT UNLOCKED WHICH HE DID WITH THE FIRST PHONE BEFORE THE EXCHANGE"

.I believe that this states I bought the phone under the condition that I would be able to unlock it - please note this email was sent recently, so after I bought the phone, however I have in writing that the phone was sold to me under the condition that I would be able to unlock it from a Vodafone Rep, so I'm hoping this will count as "before the contract is made" anyway - Please advise!

. Finally my rights state:
"A consumer who has the right to a price reduction and the final right to reject may only exercise one (not both), and may only do so in one of these situations—

(a)after one repair or one replacement, the goods do not conform to the contract"

This has led me to the conclusion that the replacement phone I now have does not conform to the original contract, and I am therefore entitled to a refund or replacement

.The Assistant Manager refused to help in anyway saying I could talk to the Vodafone On-line (not in store) team, and if they couldn't help my only course would be through legal action.

So I have no idea what to do from here.
Do you think I have a case that would stand up in court. I think so, but I would appreciate as much advice as possible.
I will be calling the on-line team tomorrow on my day off, but I doubt they will help, so my only form of refund or replacement would be via small claims court, unless an On-line Vodafone Rep can help

Thanks for reading, and I really hope someone can help.

Ewan.

Vodafone Ref: [#12675890]
12675890
Last edited by ewanfrance; Today at 10:10 PM.

ewanfrance wrote: »

Update:
Leonardo on the On-Line chat has said all I have to do is call the refund team and they will refund me, so now they have to right, as I have it in writing that I will get a refund?

ewanfrance wrote: »

smart prime 6, not smart speed 6, you'd know that if you read it properly.
It cost me £75, I don't know about you, but I don't like chucking money down the drain. If moneys nothing to you feel free to send me some yeah?

ewanfrance wrote: »

jeez what's your problem? I've got ripped off by Vodafone and I don't want to settle for a phone that's never going to be used. It's not just the total it's the principle.

ewanfrance wrote: »

Well if I buy a 500 pound phone that's locked to Vodafone, I expect to be able to unlock it if I want to, if it is a model that can be unlocked.
So the only difference is the price right?

If I buy a budget phone that is unlockable that is what I expect to get.

ewanfrance wrote: »

I'm honestly not just moaning about it because I feel like it.

I have done everything I can to get this phone unlocked including going to the manufacturer directly, and even using third party ebay sellers who can find the codes, however due to the unit being a replacement, the IMEI is not stored on the database as the phone is not a brand new replacement.

The unlocking team at Vodafone have told me the phone is unlocked, however it isn't, and I have sent them proof of this and shown this in store.

The problem is that the phone can't be unlocked, not that I haven't tried.

ewanfrance wrote: »

I have checked the IMEI, double checked it and even triple checked it. The Vodafone store have checked it, and I've sent a photo of it after dialing the 06# (or whatever it is, I cant remember) to the unlocking team. The IMEI is correct

The phone I received as a replacement for my faulty phone was not brand new, it was a different repaired phone according to the store. The IMEI on the new handset was different.
Apparently when a phone is sent in for repair, Vodafone automatically lock it back to their network, so I believe that the previous owner of this phone probably unlocked it, sent it off to Vodafone for repair/refund, got his money back, and I got that persons phone. So now the phone is relocked to Vodafone, despite apparently being unlocked? That's the best guess I can make, but either way, that's not what I paid for.

ewanfrance wrote: »

I have contacted the Vodafone unlocking team who deal specifically with unlocking requests.
They state the phone is already unlocked - it isn't
I have gone to 2 different third party unlock code sellers who have both told me there is no unlock code for my phone.
On a popular unlocking code website, it states that replacement phones may not be able to be unlocked as the IMEI is not in the database due to it being a replacement.
This model can be unlocked, I already got a working code for the original phone.
The replacement can't, I have looked elsewhere, no one else can help.

If I pay for a phone that can be unlocked, that's what I expect to get.

ewanfrance wrote: »

I have in writing from a Vodafone Technical Advisor that the condition I bought the phone under was that it could be unlocked, if that counts?

I also believe that being able to unlock a phone is a standard feature, as this particular model is definitely unlockable, the problem being that the replacement is not a new model and hence not unlockable

It's not nice deleting posts, that people have taken time to reply too.

forgotmyname

If you bought it on pay as you go its locked because they sell the phones cheaper hoping you add credit and use teh phone to give them more money.

Contract phones are unlocked. So is it a pay as you go phone?
When did you buy it?
How much credit is on the phone?

glentoran99

forgotmyname wrote: »

If you bought it on pay as you go its locked because they sell the phones cheaper hoping you add credit and use teh phone to give them more money.

Contract phones are unlocked. So is it a pay as you go phone?
When did you buy it?
How much credit is on the phone?

No they arent