[Stig]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Resonance

Doesn't the iphone become locked to the first network you use anyway, even if you buy it sim free?

No, only in very specific cases, like buying from Carphone Warehouse.

[Resonance]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stig

No, only in very specific cases, like buying from Carphone Warehouse.

Ah right. Why do ones sold by Carphone Warehouse do that and not others?

[davethorp]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Resonance

Ah right. Why do ones sold by Carphone Warehouse do that and not others?

Carphone warehouse sell iPhones on contract on most networks. This way they can use any of their inventory for any network

Problem is that a lot of people may be changing networks and put their old network sim into their shiny new phone which locks it and then they are buggered when they come to switch sims. A mate of mine did just that a few weeks ago with his 6 plus. Luckily it locked to 3 and they are quite easy to get an unlock from

[d123]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Resonance

Doesn't the iphone become locked to the first network you use anyway, even if you buy it sim free?

No

As long as it isn't bought from CPW.

Quote:

Originally Posted by davethorp

Problem is that a lot of people may be changing networks and put their old network sim into their shiny new phone which locks it and then they are buggered when they come to switch sims. A mate of mine did just that a few weeks ago with his 6 plus. Luckily it locked to 3 and they are quite easy to get an unlock from

Lucky, I always recommend to people if they really have to buy sim free from CPW to always activate with a Three sim, at least then it can be properly unlocked permanently.

[Resonance]

Quote:

Originally Posted by davethorp

Carphone warehouse sell iPhones on contract on most networks. This way they can use any of their inventory for any network

Problem is that a lot of people may be changing networks and put their old network sim into their shiny new phone which locks it and then they are buggered when they come to switch sims. A mate of mine did just that a few weeks ago with his 6 plus. Luckily it locked to 3 and they are quite easy to get an unlock from

Thanks for the info.

[tdenson]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kmusgrave

On their homepage I clicked on the price list link on the left hand navigation bar and it says it on there.

For EE/Orange/T-Mobile UK networks, there will be a final payment of approximately £80 in addition to the pre-order payment - the exact amount depends on your IMEI.

Still v expensive though of course.

So it does, I completely overlooked that one as well

[tdenson]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jabbamk1

The lesson here is to buy your phone unlocked in the first place.

All well and good, but as I said earlier it was a freebie from a friend.

[Lidtop2013]

Well for starters £100+ price tag for unlocking a phone should set alarm bells ringing lol

Phone networks only charge £15-20

[alanwarwic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tdenson

So it does, I completely overlooked that one as well

I had a look at that site when someone else admitted spending £20 to 'see what happens' a month or so ago.

It looked exactly like a price list with no mention of it being a 'deposit' at all.
Almost no one in their right mind would pay £80 so it is a ploy to scoop a good income from us all.

A glance at the price list certainly fooled me and likely anyone else who followed up the DS post at the time. But post event, why would someone spend £20 to 'see what happens' ?

I contend that they make most of their money from the £20 thus making it a cleverly done scam. The intent is to defraud.

[d123]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tdenson

All well and good, but as I said earlier it was a freebie from a friend.

Why didn't you ask your friend to request the unlock via EE?

You could still do that, as long as your friend has (or had) his account in good standing, and it will cost £20.42.

[davethorp]

Quote:

Originally Posted by d123

Lucky, I always recommend to people if they really have to buy sim free from CPW to always activate with a Three sim, at least then it can be properly unlocked permanently.

Yeah it could have been a lot worse if he had used pretty much any other network sim in it first. Thing was he was told it was unlocked and he even checked with the sales assistant if he could do it and they said it would be fine. Guess some of their sales assistants need training up a bit more

[tdenson]

Quote:

Originally Posted by d123

Why didn't you ask your friend to request the unlock via EE?

You could still do that, as long as your friend has (or had) his account in good standing, and it will cost £20.42.

I actually did, and I emailed him the link to the appropriate EE web page. However, he had already moved to his new phone and when the web form asked him for his phone number he got cold feet because he was worried that his new number might get cancelled.
As it happens I have decided to transfer my daughter's phone from O2 to EE as it's a better plan anyway for the same cost, and after 6 months it can then be unlocked by EE by us.

[tdenson]

I have now moved my daughter to EE and she is using the new phone. Think I will leave it there - although I do find it therapeutic showing the website to friends who reassure me that I wasn't a complete wally falling for it !!

[Bernita_Diwuric]

What about alternative web services ? I have found this one letsunlockiphone5.com. Is it scam too ? Have anyone tried ?

[enapace]

The only one I know that is legit for iPhone is http://theofficialunlocks.com I know a few friends who have it done by them it isn't cheap though.

[alanwarwic]

I think EE currently charge £8.50 per unlock.
If not on contract, find an old PAYG, phone them and they might ask you to top-up to cover the £8.50.

[d123]

Quote:

Originally Posted by alanwarwic

I think EE currently charge £8.50 per unlock.
If not on contract, find an old PAYG, phone them and they might ask you to top-up to cover the £8.50.

It's £8.99 and the IMEI will need to tie in to the sim (so a PAYG sim isn't going to work if it's a recent contract phone).

[alanwarwic]

Quote:

Originally Posted by enapace

The only one I know that is legit for iPhone is ...its not cheap

I bet they simply go through the official channels (such as EE), paying the £9+ fee when they can, but refunding the customer when they cannot.

Their profit will be in the difference between the two fees.

But that is assuming they do play fair!

[d123]

Quote:

Originally Posted by alanwarwic

I bet they simply go through the official channels (such as EE), paying the £9+ fee when they can, but refunding the customer when they cannot.

Their profit will be in the difference between the two fees.

But that is assuming they do play fair!

No, they have people who work for the networks who process the request on the sneak. EE have a very small unlocking department (or did) so not as many people to try and "bribe" making it much more expensive when they can do it.

[moox]

Quote:

Originally Posted by alanwarwic

I bet they simply go through the official channels (such as EE), paying the £9+ fee when they can, but refunding the customer when they cannot.

Their profit will be in the difference between the two fees.

But that is assuming they do play fair!

The official channels wouldn't let them do that, EE will only unlock the phone if they supplied it to you directly, even if you sell the phone on, that user can't unlock it (officially)

They couldn't have a few EE accounts of their own and use them to unlock other people's phones (and I'm sure at some point it'd be audited and noticed that someone seems to have a lot of phones to unlock)

[Aetnla]

Is unlockamobile.co.uk any good or is a another scam? I am thinking of using it to try and unlock a second hand iPhone 5 on Orange. There was no way the seller could get Orange/EE to unlock it. Should I take the risk?