Tesco Mobile Locking 'Sim Free' Phones on sim insert

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phoneguy
phoneguy Posts: 115 Forumite
in Mobiles
Silly question to ask from someone calling themselves 'The Phone Guy' (I repair old baker-lite phones as a hobby) - but hoping someone can help.

I had an iPhone 6 plus gathering dust in a drawer. I bought it from John Lewis in 2015 - Sim Free, not locked to any network.

For a year or so I used it on Giff Gaff before switching to Android. But afterwards it was used as a spare on 3 for a while too.

Recently a friends daughter had her phone stolen, so I gave her the iphone, knowing it was unlocked.

Her friend 'tried' it for her, by putting in her Tesco Mobile Sim. All was well until they took it out and put in her EE sim but it refused to work. After about an hour on the phone to EE, they said it was 'locked to Tesco Mobile'.

Has anyone experienced anything similar?
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  • Mister_G
    Mister_G Posts: 1,926 Forumite
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    Sounds a bit like it's locked to O2, which both GiffGaff and Tesco Mobile also use.
  • phoneguy
    phoneguy Posts: 115 Forumite
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    Mister_G wrote: »
    Sounds a bit like it's locked to O2, which both GiffGaff and Tesco Mobile also use.

    I've discounted that as the Giff Gaff sim that was in it, now does not work. It only accepts Tesco Mobile.

    Plus I could use a Three sim in it after Giff Gaff, but as soon as the young lady put a Tesco Mobile sim in it on Friday it now appears to be locked specifically to their network.

    Weird.
  • d123
    d123 Posts: 8,622 Forumite
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    It's probably locked to o2 (the parent of both Giffgaff and Tesco) though maybe it has somehow locked to Tesco now, you can check reasonably cheaply, a status check is only around £1.

    I've used this unlock service many times, this is the network check:
    http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/IPHONE-3G-3GS-4-4S-5-IPAD-NETWORK-CHECK-SERVICE-BY-IMEI-100-CORRECT-/111647417015

    If it's locked to o2 or Tesco he can unlock for £4.89

    https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FACTORY-UNLOCK-IPHONE-6-6-O2-UK-OR-TESCO-MOBILE-UK-NOT-4-BARRED-OFFICIAL-UNLOCK/111636614637
    ====
  • Neil49
    Neil49 Posts: 3,081 Forumite
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    If it was originally a truly unlocked phone when new then I would insist on Tesco Mobile removing the lock for free.
  • phoneguy
    phoneguy Posts: 115 Forumite
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    Neil49 wrote: »
    If it was originally a truly unlocked phone when new then I would insist on Tesco Mobile removing the lock for free.

    It really was. I bought it direct from Apple's website. I've got to make sure it is actually locked to Tesco first - they are using the phrase 'latched' which is new on me.

    I'm sure buried in their terms and conditions somewhere there is a clause. . .
  • System
    System Posts: 178,094 Community Admin
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    phoneguy wrote: »
    It really was. I bought it direct from Apple's website. I've got to make sure it is actually locked to Tesco first - they are using the phrase 'latched' which is new on me.

    I'm sure buried in their terms and conditions somewhere there is a clause. . .

    You said you bought it from John Lewis and now you said you bought it from Apple directly?

    I know that iPhones bought from Carphone warehouse (don't know if it still happens) would be so called unlocked until you insert the first carrier sim into the device and then it would lock to that carrier.

    I buy from Apple and never had any of my phones locked to a carrier once the sim was inserted.
  • phoneguy
    phoneguy Posts: 115 Forumite
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    john22 wrote: »
    You said you bought it from John Lewis and now you said you bought it from Apple directly?

    I know that iPhones bought from Carphone warehouse (don't know if it still happens) would be so called unlocked until you insert the first carrier sim into the device and then it would lock to that carrier.

    I buy from Apple and never had any of my phones locked to a carrier once the sim was inserted.

    I thought I had bought it from John Lewis, but I went back through my bank statements and found it. I bought it, and an ipad at the same time. I remember it now being out of stock with JL.

    Agree with you about Carphone Warehouse. My son had that very problem.

    What's confusing me is it's had a number of sims in it from various networks - and it was only when a Tesco mobile sim went in, it became locked - apparently.

    I've put in a request to Tesco to get some feedback.

    Thanks to everyone for their comments and help. Really appreciated.
  • neilmcl
    neilmcl Posts: 19,460 Forumite
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    phoneguy wrote: »
    I've discounted that as the Giff Gaff sim that was in it, now does not work. It only accepts Tesco Mobile.

    Plus I could use a Three sim in it after Giff Gaff, but as soon as the young lady put a Tesco Mobile sim in it on Friday it now appears to be locked specifically to their network.

    Weird.
    Something's not quite right then because if it was "locked" to Tesco it would also work for GiffGaff or O2 as it's the same network. Sounds to me like something else is going on with the phone settings rather than it actually being locked.
  • Kernel_Sanders
    Kernel_Sanders Posts: 3,617 Forumite
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    neilmcl wrote: »
    Something's not quite right then because if it was "locked" to Tesco it would also work for GiffGaff or O2 as it's the same network. .
    Incorrect. The phone I bought from Tesco locked to tesco mobile wouldn't work on O2.
  • ballyblack
    ballyblack Posts: 5,065 Forumite
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    Correct! but strangely a Tesco Sim will work in an o2 locked phone
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