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Beware of Orange

wintvwintv Posts: 493
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in Mobile Phones #1
My two year contract is ending 02.11.13 and 3 weeks ago I rang Orange to get my iphone unlocked. They passed me through to the Apple team and I provided all the details requested. I was advised that I would receive an email with an unlock code within 20 days or earlier if I sync my phone with itunes. Needless to say 20 days have passed no email, no unlock code via itunes so I rang Orange again today only to be told that they would send Apple another email to unlock my phone and I would have to wait another three weeks. Perhaps they are playing silly buggers because I have ended my contract so they do not care anymore.

Whilst on with Orange, I thought that if the code is not delivered prior to the end of my contract my phone will revert to being a glorified door stop so I requested a PayG sim card only to be advised that it could take up to 30 days to deliver to me - can you believe that? They said go into an Orange shop and get one. I would not mind but I even told them I did not wish to retain my mobile number.

The above is simply a warning to any Orange members or prospective Orange clients to be very wary of the poor customer service currently being provided and if you want your iphone unlocked I would recommend that you apply a lot earlier to be on the safe side.
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    BKMBKM Posts: 6,912
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    #2
    wintv wrote: »
    My two year contract is ending 02.11.13 and 3 weeks ago I rang Orange to get my iphone unlocked. They passed me through to the Apple team and I provided all the details requested. I was advised that I would receive an email with an unlock code within 20 days or earlier if I sync my phone with itunes.
    You have been misinformed!!!....there is NO CODE which can possibly unlock an iPhone - their unlocking does not work like this! It has to be done via either iTunes or Phone Activation - and you would have to put another networks SIM in to get it to reactivate.
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    wintvwintv Posts: 493
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    #3
    That is what I was advised three weeks ago and again today.

    I got the impression that I was being "fobbed off"
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    The Lord LucanThe Lord Lucan Posts: 5,054
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    #4
    Try plugging your iPhone into iTunes with a different sim in it...
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    BKMBKM Posts: 6,912
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    #5
    The Lord Lucan wrote: »
    Try plugging your iPhone into iTunes with a different sim in it...
    It is no longer even necessary to use iTunes! If a new SIM is inserted an iPhone will attempt to activate it over the network - if it has been unlocked it will succeed!
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    sdduksdduk Posts: 303
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    #6
    OP Orange are the worst for unlocking iphones they can take over a month to unlock them

    I was reading somewhere that they only have 2 people that are getting the iphones unlocked and they have a backlog to do and thats probably why they are giving you the run around.
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    wintvwintv Posts: 493
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    #7
    Thanks sdduk so perhaps within the next seven to 10 days then.
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    sdduksdduk Posts: 303
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    #8
    wintv wrote: »
    Thanks sdduk so perhaps within the next seven to 10 days then.

    Hopefully sooner i would just keep ringing them every other day

    The other people on here are right you don't get any code like they said it done though Apple's itunes servers they are the only ones that can unlock it.
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    wintvwintv Posts: 493
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    #9
    Spoke to orange on Wednesday and given the run around again advised now that the issue is with the escalations department. Was promised a text update either Wednesday afternoon or Thursday but alas no update provided.

    Spoke to orange today only to be adevised that yet again the matter has been passed to the excalation department and now they say within the next 4/5 days.

    Will keep you updated
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    wintvwintv Posts: 493
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    #10
    Here we go the start of another week and my phone is still locked. These people at orange are a total waste of space.
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    flagpoleflagpole Posts: 44,641
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    #11
    I have no time for these 'don't use X network because of my tale of woe' threads. we have them about all networks. they're all as bad and as good as each other.
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    wintvwintv Posts: 493
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    #12
    This is not a "do not use Orange" thread the service I received from Orange over the past two years has been spot on.
    Look at the original title all I am saying is beware of the poor service currently being provided by Orange in relation to the unlocking of an Iphone.
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    daleski75daleski75 Posts: 1,389
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    #13
    I am going through the same thing with Orange and getting a iPhone 4S unlocked and got the same story just hoping they do unlock it at some point.
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    anonyyanonyy Posts: 3,247
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    #14
    i had this done with orange too, they have to request the code/ process with apple then when that has been initialized you have to plug your phone into itunes to do the unlocking. i was charged twice for orange error as the first request didn't come through, i think apple sends you an email to confirm that the request has been received. i did get the money back though.
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    wintvwintv Posts: 493
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    #15
    Iphone was unlocked today 38 days it took Orange.
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    flagpoleflagpole Posts: 44,641
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    #16
    wintv wrote: »
    Iphone was unlocked today 38 days it took Orange.

    congratulations :)
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    coolercooler Posts: 13,024
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    #17
    About 4 months ago, I sent for a free Orange payu sim on the orange website. It never arrived, even though they say it should only take 3 days. So I requested another one 3 weeks later and that didn't arrive either. Are these free sim deals just too in demand?
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 7
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    #18
    wintv wrote: »
    Iphone was unlocked today 38 days it took Orange.

    I requested and paid for unlocking from Orange on 20 September - 6 weeks ago. They emailed me to say "..within 20 days". Now into November and despite many calls to customer service (the run-around and false promises of 24 to 48 hours) and escalating to complaint level with a manager, the phone is still not unlocked. Disgusting service. They have us over a barrel and we seem to have no way to fight back. In the UK, Ofcom comes to mind, but they'd take ages to do anything (if at all); consumer programmes like Watchdog (BBC1) or Moneybox or You & Yours (BBC Radio 4) will have a long lead time on a story and need significant numbers of complainants.

    I will never go near Orange again.
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    Arenas52Arenas52 Posts: 102
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    #19
    29 days so far for me. Another phone call to Orange this morning and they promised within 7 days.........I won't hold my breath!
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    Arenas52Arenas52 Posts: 102
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    #20
    Update to this thread. I am now on day 44 and my phone is still not unlocked! They did take the payment on Friday though so perhaps I won't have to wait much longer.......
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    mooxmoox Posts: 18,880
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    #21
    I don't think Orange has ever been particularly good at arranging for unlocks. The one time I had to do it was years ago, I think I waited months for the code. I eventually got an email (from a France Telecom email address, FT being Orange's parent company) with the code and then the same code in the post a few days later.

    I try to buy unlocked phones where I can to avoid this mess.
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    Lidtop2013Lidtop2013 Posts: 4,357
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    #22
    Code? There is no code for iPhones, they do it without any codes, normally you'd get a message or email saying plug the phone into iTunes and it will unlock
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 7
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    #23
    Update to my message (#18) on 2 Nov; it's now 58 days since I initiated unlocking of my iPhone, and still NOTHING. These guys are crooks, taking money under false pretences.
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    Arenas52Arenas52 Posts: 102
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    #24
    wintv wrote: »
    Iphone was unlocked today 38 days it took Orange.

    Well....day 47 and the phone is finally unlocked.....If I gave this level of service in my job I wouldn't last long!
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    TheSlothTheSloth Posts: 18,887
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    #25
    I've just left Orange where I was on a SIM only deal. Didn't like the fact the price went up early in my 12 month contract and that data packages were cheaper elsewhere.

    I asked for a PAC code near the end of a billing month (when out of contract's obligatory period). The code was incorrect when using it to transfer my number. When re-contacting Orange, the code was one character out. Strange that, especially as I made a specific point of getting the advisor to read it back to me when I initially asked for it.

    I thought it may have still been me but another poster on another forum stated the exact same thing happened to his sister.

    Coincidence? I'm not usually cynical but... :D Anyone else?
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    qasdfdsaqqasdfdsaq Posts: 3,350
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    #26
    Do they not have to text or post you the code in writing anyway?
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