EE can't / won't unlock iPhone 5S

Maisie_Miss

Hi all,

I'll try and keep this concise but it's turned into a bit of a tale!

So... my daughter is currently in her year abroad in the States and when she went over there in September 2015, she had an old iPhone in which she used her US sim card (the service is called Campus Sim - it's an American network designed for students). When she came home for Christmas, I gave her the money for an iPhone 5S which she bought from Carphone Warehouse, as it was in the sale. My husband got her a PAYG sim card from Virginmedia for no other reason than he was in town at the time and it was convenient to go to their shop.

What no one mentioned at any time was that if you buy an iPhone from Carphone Warehouse, it's initially unlocked and will automatically lock the handset to the first sim that's put in it. So, in goes the VM sim and all was well until the time came for her to go back to the States. She tried her Campus sim in the phone and of course, an error message came up. We contacted VM 6 or 7 times over the next couple of days, to no avail - they told us various things, like they said they could not unlock it and we would have to contact CW and Apple. I contacted both of them and a chap at Apple checked the IMEI number and said it was locked to EE. I was a little confused but a bit more digging showed that while the "contract" was with VM, the actual service is provided by EE so it is they who we would have to contact.

Well, I've called them numerous times, speaking to various people with various levels of helpfulness (from the guy who agreed that it was locked to EE, to the girl who hung up on me the other day while I was still speaking! And I can say hand on heart I was not being rude to her nor was I swearing or giving her any reason to hang up on me!). The nice chap told me that I had to take it to an EE shop and they would be able to get it unlocked for me, but unfortunately it's not a service that can be done over the phone or online (oh yes, I initially tried online through their website and after accepting the unlock order, I then got an e-mail a few days later saying that it was not one of their phones so they could not unlock it).

My husband took the details to the shop and they said they could not unlock it at all, but if he was to buy a £10 sim from them, then they could. Eh? I called EE and asked them this and they said no, this was not correct. I went to the shop last week, although it's not easy for me to get around at the moment (I have a boot cast on for an Achilles injury) and happened to see the same guy my husband had seen previously. He denied what he had told my husband and accepted the order from me. I then got a text a few days later, saying the IMEI number didn't match my account. Well, if they were trying to match her IMEI to a phone that is on my own EE account, it won't match, will it?!! I called EE and spoke to a girl (the one who subsequently hung up on me) and so I called back and spoke to a much more helpful girl who agreed that it sounded like the IMEI number was being matched against my account, instead of being treated separately, but said all I could do is take the details back to the shop. My husband took the details back to the shop on Monday this week and they put another order through. My daughter contacted me this evening and said she had received a text to say the same thing as we'd been told before - that the IMEI number didn't match the account.

And this really is an abridged version of events!!

Honestly, I feel like my head is going to explode with all of this and I don't know which way to turn now! If I was mobile, I would go in that shop and bug them every day until it is sorted but I simply cannot do that. Nor do I want to keep phoning them (it's a pain trying to get through to the right department in the first place) and run the risk of more rudeness, lies and incompetence (with the exception of the two nice people I have spoken to during this time).

Has anyone else had a problem with trying to get an iPhone unlocked from EE and if so, how did you overcome it? My daughter has been back in the States for a month now and has a brand new phone that she cannot use. Luckily, she still has her old iPhone so she can use her Campus sim in that when she goes out and doesn't have WiFi access, but that's not the point. I could try one of these unlocking services which are online but again, that's not the point - I can see no reason why EE cannot unlock it. Besides, the independents seem really expensive and EE is only £8.99.

I really would be grateful for any constructive advice that anyone can offer in this regard.

And I do apologise for this length of this thing - well done if you stuck it to the end!!

Regards

M__M

xx

grumbler

If it was bought from CPW online, they clearly warn about locking to the first network.

If it was bought over a phone or in a store and they failed to warn about this, claim a refund and threaten them with legal actions otherwise.

That said, if it really locked to EE, not to Virgin, EE have to unlock it for £9:

If you’re not an EE, Orange or T-Mobile customer and have bought a device second hand that’s locked to our network, you can go into an EE store to get it unlocked.

http://ee.co.uk/help/getting-started/joining-ee/unlocking-your-device

d123

OP, your post is far too long and just a wall of text, so I haven't read the whole post.

From the bits I skimmed, the following applies:

The lock shows as EE because Virgin is an MVNO of EE, as you never used the phone with EE the unlock is nothing to do with them.

ONLY Virgin can process the request, you need to keep on at Virgin until somebody takes responsibility and arranges the unlock.

Maisie_Miss

Thanks for your replies.

Grumbler - no, husband and daughter went to CW shop and bought it there. They did mention about the locking apparently but didn't indicate what a pain it might be depending on which sim you put in first. It does seem that certain providers are easier to unlock from than others, I've discovered.

Dave - again, I apologise for the length of the post but I felt it necessary to paint the broadest picture possible (as concisely as possible), so that anyone who reads it understands what a pain all this has been. I've found from previous experience that not putting enough information is just as bad as putting in what is perceived to be too much. Anyway, I've had it confirmed by both Apple and EE that the phone is definitely locked to EE, so it's nothing that Virgin can help with.

Ah well...

d123

Maisie_Miss wrote: »

Dave - again, I apologise for the length of the post but I felt it necessary to paint the broadest picture possible (as concisely as possible), so that anyone who reads it understands what a pain all this has been. I've found from previous experience that not putting enough information is just as bad as putting in what is perceived to be too much. Anyway, I've had it confirmed by both Apple and EE that the phone is definitely locked to EE, so it's nothing that Virgin can help with.

Ah well...

If EE are really willing to accept responsibility (which is extremely unusual, the MVNO should be processing the unlock as the IMEI will only be showing on their systems, not EE) then the process can only be actioned via an EE store, not by customer services.

If you’re not an EE, Orange or T-Mobile customer and have bought a device second hand that’s locked to our network, you can go into an EE store to get it unlocked. Sorry, but these requests can’t be made online.

http://ee.co.uk/help/getting-started/joining-ee/unlocking-your-device

grumbler

Maisie_Miss wrote: »

What no one mentioned at any time was that if you buy an iPhone from Carphone Warehouse, it's initially unlocked and will automatically lock the handset to the first sim that's put in it. So, in goes the VM sim

Maisie_Miss wrote: »

...husband and daughter went to CW shop and bought it there. They did mention about the locking apparently ...

I felt it necessary to paint the broadest picture possible (as concisely as possible)

You did succeed with 'broadest', but failed with getting the facts right.

Kim_13

Virgin are one of the worst providers for unlocking: http://www.uswitch.com/mobiles/guides/how-to-unlock-a-phone-a-guide-to-unlocking-mobile-phones/ . Nearly double what EE would charge and taking 4x as long to do it!

I would either:

- Keep going with EE as d123 said.

- An easier way might be to buy a £1 EE sim from a supermarket (not the £10 someone at EE suggested; this probably is what EE charge in their shop.) Then the IMEI would show on their system, if this is their issue. Though I'm unclear as to whether the phone would just need an actual EE sim in it for the unlock to proceed, or whether it would need to actually use the EE network for a chargeable action first (meaning a top up would be needed.) It seems you can buy a sim with £5 credit on from the EE website for £5, which would save £1 in this event, so perhaps something to look into? Does anyone here know? That said if you can't find a supermarket with a £1 EE sim, or can't get to one then £5 online is the way to go.

d123

An EE sim with £5 credit is currently £2.49 on eBay.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-EE-Sim-Card-OFFER-Pre-Loaded-FREE-5-CREDIT-/191806522442

The phone would have to be used for chargeable actions for the IMEI to start showing on the EE system.

grumbler

HUKD: EE SIM with £5 credit 79p @ Homebargains

Maisie_Miss

Thanks all - apologies for the misinformation, I was going by the details that hubby gave me, and thought he'd said that no one had told them that the phone would be locked to the first sim. It was not until I was telling him about the replies I'd got that he then said the shop had told him it would be locked. Arrrgh - this is why I usually do things in our household, not him!!

Unfortunately, I don't think the EE sim idea will work as the phone is going to be in the States until the middle of May, and I'm not willing to wait till then. Unless I can find someone on eBay who will ship to the States? It's worth a thought, thanks Kim_13 and Dave.

I'm feeling slightly more hopeful now.

d123

You'll need to use an eBay unlocker then, all you need is the IMEI. Let's hope it really is a direct EE unlock though, or it could fail (no refund if it's wrong details).

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/QUICK-ORANGE-EE-T-MOBILE-UK-IPHONE-5-5S-6-6-OFFICIAL-FACTORY-UNLOCK-/311422409407

You could always get a lock status report for 99p before committing to pay for an unlock and being sure yourself first:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/IPHONE-3G-3GS-4-4S-5-5S-5C-6-6-or-IPAD-NETWORK-CHECK-SERVICE-IMEI-LOCK-STATUS-/121849119444