16 Aug 2016

A question about : Vodafone sold me a locked SIM free phone

Hi all,

I took advantage of a Black Friday deal and bought a HTC mini 2 for Ј180, which I thought was a great deal. I bought it handset only from Vodafone. Nowhere on the webpage did it say that the phone was locked. However, when it arrived it was.

Ok, slightly annoying, but fine, I will pay to get it unlocked, I thought. I contacted Vodafone and it turns out they would only unlock it if counter-intuitively, I had a Vodafone account. They wanted me to order a free 'SIM' and a top up of Ј10 (phone credit I will never use because I just want to unlock the phone as soon as possible and go to giff gaff) before they would let me unlock the phone.

So I went to another phone unlock service, but they couldn't unlock it. So I went back to Vodafone and they said the same thing: I have to become a customer before they will agree to unlock my phone.

So either it looks like I have to become a Vodafone customer against my will, or I have bought a Ј180 brick, or I flush Ј10 down the drain to become a customer and leave immediately afterwards.

If when I was sold the phone it has said the phone was locked and I'd have to be a Vodafone customer to get it unlocked I wouldn't have bought it. It doesn't seem right that they are forcing me to become a customer title=Frown I have asked for a letter of deadlock several times but they haven't sent it and haven't replied.

Can anyone help? Do you guys have some advice? Should I just pay up? It's only a small amount of money but it's the principle of the thing that really gets me. :/

Thanks a lot for any help you guys can give!

Cam xx

Best answers:

  • Unless you bought the phone as a SIM FREE phone and the receipt and box states this then what makes you think it would be unlocked.
    Any provider will only unlock a phone if you are a customer. get the sim top up Ј10 then text say Ј9 to a charity and then get them to unlock the phone
  • contact Lee the Voda rep on here
    https://goo.gl/vhVWku - Please quote WRT135 - MSE in the subject line., also mention this thread ( provide a link to thread) then come back to this thread and include the ticket number you will be sent
  • Hi Collabora, I've finally got through to someone at Vodafone this morning. They told me that I could pay for the unlock with my credit - so top up Ј20 and get the phone unlocked afterwards using that.
    Thanks for the charity texting idea, that's a great idea. I will try that if the phone unlocking via credit doesn't work.
  • Try another 3rd party unlock service? There are usually recommendations floating about on here for reliable ebay suppliers.
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