Phone locked to Vodafone

Scoobiedoo

I hope someone can help me with this. Almost three weeks ago I decided to change mobile phone provider having been with Vodafone for 20 years. I know my number has been transferred as requested as you can use my new providers SIM card on my older phone. The problem is my phone that I finished paying up my contract with Vodafone is still locked to Vodafone. It keeps asking for a PUK code. Vodafone gave me a NUC code which doesn't work.

I have lost count of the amount of times over the past three weeks I have been on line chatting with Vodafone as well as countless phone calls. I sent an email to the Chief Executive to complain. They are now saying I have to wait up to another ten days for a master code which they hope will work. Can anyone tell me what my rights are? I can't see anything in their contract to explain what my rights are. I have upheld my side of the contract by paying up the phone. The phone belongs to me but I still can't use it as it's still locked. Am I entitled to a new phone if the master code still doesn't work. I hope someone can help me so I'm armed with the information when they gave me the master code should it fail to work. Thanks.

Browntoa

Phones are almost all locked to network

10 days for a code to unlock ( or in case of an iPhone an over the air unlock ) is about normal.

There is no reason why the code should not work if you follow the instructions properly

A bit of research would have indicated that you may need to unlock the phone when swapping networks

Browntoa

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/phones/unlock-mobile-phone/

mobilejunkie

Isn't the PUK needed when you enter the sim lock code in three times? Then the NUC would be a Network Unlock code (which unlocks from network only)? Try a difference Vodafone (working) sim in it and then use the NUC code, if you can borrow one from someone on Vodafone (or go into a Vodafone shop).

I admit I'm guessing since I've always used sim and phone locks combined but never locked myself out and needed to use the PUK (which may be on the original card surround/leaflet as some of mine are), or needed to unlock a network phone as all but one of mine arrived unlocked.

Most people (I suspect from what they come up with on here) never activate sim and phone locks and if you never did I don't know why it would be asking for a PUK (maybe it's confused by a non-working sim?).

I am also aware that when I ask for the standard SIM lock code on a new contract the network advisers often have no idea what I'm talking about or try and give me a PUK number instead so they appear to get as confused as their customers much of the time.

Scoobiedoo

Thanks for your reply. Just to clarify that I did know the phone would have to be unlocked, I also followed all the instructions correctly too. Vodafone can't work out why this has been happening and can't seem to come up with a solution. My question was what are my rights if the master code doesn't work. I'm looking for someone that is able to answer that question. Thanks again though.

Carrot007

Just a thought as it happned to be before. Is the unlock code long enough?


Vodaphone appear to have a problem of striping preceeding zero's. (provbably loading a csv into excel as that does it). So a zero on the start is always an idea if the code seems too short.


Though of course if you have tried it consecutively too many times as people have said it is a different code you need.

Scoobiedoo

Thanks for your reply. Vodafone can't work out why the phone is asking for a PUK code. Just to clarify I'm looking for legal advice rather than a solution to the phone issue. Senior team members at Vodafone have been trying to work it out. The phone will work with a PAYG SIM I've been given for free to keep me going in the meantime. It won't work with my new SIM with my existing number from a different provider. On their instructions I also tried a SIM from yet another network to see if the same message came up. It did. The phone is definitely still locked to Vodafone. They hope the master code will unlock it but can't guarantee it. It was intimated to me by one of the team that they may provide me with a new phone if this next code doesn't work.

Again my question is if they can't come up with a solution to unlocking my phone what's my rights? Thank you.

Jon_01

How old is the phone and what make/model?

PHK

You keep using the term PUK, but that's nothing to do with unlocking the phone from Vodafone.

PUK is Personal Unblocking Key. It's a code needed when the phone security is breached by entering the wrong SIM pin too many times.

NUC is a code used to unlock a phone so that it works on any network. Perhaps if you have used the wrong term, there's been some confusion?

I should add that if you have an older handset, eg Nokia. Then it might not be easily unlockable. This is because the passage of time and changes of owner means the code generation software or database is no longer accessible.

What model and make of phone are you trying to unlock?