Help: Is it true that all phones from Carphone Warehouse are unlocked?

All4ABargain

Hi,
I'm wondering if anyone can tell me if it's an urban myth that phones bought from the carphone warehouse are unlocked, even if you buy it with a sim?
I am currently looking a phone on the Carphone Warehouse that is on clearance with T Mobile, but I am currently on Orange and possibly moving soon to Tesco, so I would need it to be unlocked.
My other (even cheaper) option was a phone on ebay that's up very soon. It was bought in the Carphone Warehouse a year ago, but the ebayer has always used it on O2 and has no idea if it's unlocked to other networks or not. Should I take the risk? Does anyone know if this is definitely true or untrue?

Thanks for your help in advance!

therealdessie

I have never had a phone from CPW which is unlocked.

nell2

I think T Mobile and Orange phones from CPW can sometimes be locked, but my understanding is that O2 handsets won't be. HTH

sjc_2

I have never had a Phone from the CPW which is locked. Have purchased O2 & T-Mobile PAYG & Contract Phones.

Plus if you ask them they will tell you, my usual excuse for wanting it unlocked is I want to put in a Cypriot SIM in to use on Holiday.

trish06

Are you talking about pay as you go ?
I bought a noklia n73 from the carphone warehouse on 02 pay as you go

at the moment i have a orange sim card in it

all my phones that i have bought from the carphone warehouse was unlocked

devils_spawn

Yes it is true that SOME phones are unlocked - the majority of them on the O2 network.

The exceptions are:
Most T-Mobile, Vodaphone & Orange phones are locked. Especially the pay as you go phones.

Ask to see the phone you want, if the phone box has no branding on it (i.e. O2, Orange etc) then it is unlocked.

Some of the pay as you go phones on O2 are unlocked, however, if you buy one that is sim & phone (rather than all in one) and do not use the sim then CPW doesn't get their commission from the network. So, to keep a neutral retailer in the market, put the sim in and make one call from it (at least use up the credit on the sim).

ioscorpio

I recently bought a PAYG Orange phone online and it was unlocked.

mcmanlyn

I used to work there & some are locked, most aren't but it is kinda random. In my shop I noticed it was mainly Orange & Voda that locked them.

Just ask before you buy - the staff know & don't care when people wanna put their own sims in.

All4ABargain

Thanks everyone!
You've been such a great help. I feel a lot more confident now about trying to bag myself an unlocked phone. :j

unsure

Crapphone !!!!!house in Norwich told me that all payg phones were unlocked EXCEPT Virgin ones. I bought a motorola on T Mobile and promptly switched Sim without a problem.
It may be a different urban myth but I've also been told that T Mobile are usually unlocked because they make money sub-letting their network and are quite happy to have it used by other networks.. no idea if that's true but both my daughter's t-mobile (bought at Superdrug) and the one I bought were unlocked.

fuzzgun19

I'm thinking of buying this phone, but I'm on Tesco mobile and they only do T-mobile or Orange.

...is it safe to buy thinking this will be unlocked/unbranded??

http://www.carphonewarehouse.com/mobiles/mobile-phones/SAMSUNG-I5500-EUROPA