Accidentally locked new phone to old network - who say they can't unlock...

brincha

First of all, I totally acknowledge that this is a problem of my own making, and I'm willing to pay a (reasonable) penalty to put it right.

Basically...

I got a new phone (iPhone SE) on a pretty good deal from mobiles.co.uk, it was delivered really quickly and I was a happy boy.

In my giddy excitement I whipped the SIM out of my old phone and put it in the new one (I wanted to start playing right away, with my same number, while I waited for my number to get transferred). WRONG! Normally I buy my phones outright and do SIM-only deals, so I'd long forgotten about the whole "if you buy an iPhone on contract it will lock to the network of the first SIM you put in it" rule.

Drat...

After a bit of googling I was reassured that all I needed to do was contact my old provider (Tesco mobile) and request an unlock. Unfortunately when I did they said the phone was "too new" and that they hadn't yet been authorised by Apple to unlock them. They suggested I went back to my reseller and ask if they would exchange it. Predictably their stance was that they couldn't accept the phone back now that it was network-locked.

So I've started down the road of ropey-looking online unlocking services. I paid 19.99 to officialiphoneunlock.co.uk, who have just emailed me saying they can unlock the phone - if I pay them another 39.99(!).

I'm at a bit of a loss as to how to proceed. I'm sceptical they (or anyone else) can unlock my phone - as best as I can tell all these services do is go to the networks and request unlocks on our behalf. So if Tesco are saying they can't unlock it, how can anyone else.

I did some quick research on officialiphoneunlock.co.uk, before I paid the "pre-order" fee, and they looked legit, but I scratched a little deeper and it looks like maybe not so much.

So, any advice gratefully received. I'm worried that I'm going to have to keep my Tesco mobile account going, while at the same time paying my new network (EE) for a SIM I can't use.

Oh, mobiles.co.uk rather helpfully suggested I "buy another handset". Yeah, no. :mad:

So annoying, I can't be the only person to have ever done this, it's not like they send phones out with a "WARNING: DO NOT USE ANY OTHER SIM IN THIS PHONE!" sticker...

d123

brincha wrote: »

First of all, I totally acknowledge that this is a problem of my own making, and I'm willing to pay a (reasonable) penalty to put it right.

Basically...

I got a new phone (iPhone SE) on a pretty good deal from mobiles.co.uk, it was delivered really quickly and I was a happy boy.

In my giddy excitement I whipped the SIM out of my old phone and put it in the new one (I wanted to start playing right away, with my same number, while I waited for my number to get transferred). WRONG! Normally I buy my phones outright and do SIM-only deals, so I'd long forgotten about the whole "if you buy an iPhone on contract it will lock to the network of the first SIM you put in it" rule.

I think you mean if you buy a phone from CarPhoneWarehouse or subsidiary company.

So I've started down the road of ropey-looking online unlocking services. I paid 19.99 to officialiphoneunlock.co.uk, who have just emailed me saying they can unlock the phone - if I pay them another 39.99(!).

They are dodgy and we'll known for asking for more money. Look an eBay, there are people with access to the Apple server who will do an official unlock for around £30 for o2 based locks.

For example http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/O2-Tesco-GiffGaff-UK-Apple-iPhone-SE-Official-Permanent-Unlock-Clean-IMEI-/162039671142

Kim_13

Have you tried approaching a local phone shop? I'm not sure they can unlock iPhones but I'd go to them in preference to an online site. You can enquire as to the cost before agreeing to the service, so you should be able to get the price you want if you shop around.

brincha

Thanks, I'll probably go with that ebay option.

d123

brincha wrote: »

Thanks, I'll probably go with that ebay option.

It's probably the safest outside using the actual network, I've done quite a few without any problems,, including through the seller in my link. You have full protection from Paypal if for some reason the one you choose doesn't do it properly.

Forget about the suggestion about asking a local phone shop as they can't unlock iPhones, all they do is find the cheapest eBay unlocker and then add £10-20 to the price and put the request in via eBay, just like you can.

brincha

Thanks Dave, I used your link (maybe you should ask them for commission..?), gutted that I frittered away that 19.99 to that other website before I asked here first.

Not as gutted as I am at how stupid I was in the first place.

Lesson painfully, expensively, learned.

Unclefoobar

OP, you're not stupid at all and I fully agree they (Apple or supplier) should put a massive sticker on the phone to explain about the SIM lock.

I recently purchased an iphone 6 plus for my son from Argos and like you thought I'd try the old SIM to ensure the phone worked ok, when a new SIM arrived the next day it wouldn't work at first whereas the old SIM still worked.

Complained to argos who told me "everyone knows iPhone's lock to the first SIM card" , well I must be the only one who didn't know then!

Spoke to somebody else in argos who said they would arrange an exchange. However in the meantime I tried the new SIM card and it then worked. It may have been because I was changing from virgin to BT mobile who both use EE.

Frozen_up_north

iPhones do not inherently lock to the network of the first SIM inserted, only those from the likes of Carphone Warehouse. iPhones from Apple Stores are totally free to use on any network and come with an EU wide (possibly world wide) support network of stores. In most of the EU Apple products have a 2 year warranty, a friend had her UK purchased iPad replaced by a Spanish Apple Store when it was 18 months old, no problem at all.

Given there is little price difference between shops for Apple products, it seems to me at least, to be false economy to buy them from anywhere else but Apple themselves. They even offer finance.

starM

Unclefoobar wrote: »

OP, you're not stupid at all and I fully agree they (Apple or supplier) should put a massive sticker on the phone to explain about the SIM lock.

I recently purchased an iphone 6 plus for my son from Argos and like you thought I'd try the old SIM to ensure the phone worked ok, when a new SIM arrived the next day it wouldn't work at first whereas the old SIM still worked.

Complained to argos who told me "everyone knows iPhone's lock to the first SIM card" , well I must be the only one who didn't know then!

Spoke to somebody else in argos who said they would arrange an exchange. However in the meantime I tried the new SIM card and it then worked. It may have been because I was changing from virgin to BT mobile who both use EE.

I'm not a fan of iphone like many are. I didnt know iphone locks to the 1sim card inserted. i thinks its abit crap argos to say "everyone knows iPhone's lock to the first SIM card. There should be a big warning on iphone boxes.

stonsey

Hi there

I'm not sure if this is the right thread to post this on but I just thought it would be useful to share.

I had a contract with EE that I got with an iPhone 5c. I had to change my phone because the memory just wasn't big enough. I wanted to give the 5C to my mum. I'm 18 months into a 24 month contract and I explained what I wanted to do to EE. They are charging me £8.99 to unlock the phone. I'm really pleased with this result.

:T