O2? H3, more like! (Holding Handsets Hostage)

CubicleDweller

O2 refuse to unlock my iPhone, unless I buy 150 euro credit for a prepaid number that I don't use. How ridiculous is that?

Reason: I'm a billpay customer, but my billpay iPhone was stolen. Being without insurance, I replaced it myself by buying a prepaid iPhone. It cost me 569 euro. The SIM that came with it was of no use to me - I got a replacement SIM issued on my billpay account, and I use that.

Now, after 3 weeks of asking, I've been told that they won't unlock the handset unless I buy 150 of credit for the prepaid SIM that is sitting in a drawer someplace.

Right now, here's what I'm thinking:

• I'll never buy a locked handset again. For an extra 100 euro or so, I could have flown to Italy (or some other country where the regulator had the balls to outlaw handset locking) and bought an unlocked iPhone.
• Once this iPhone is replaced, I'll never, ever deal with O2 again.

Thanks to boards.ie for providing me with someplace to rant! :mad:

talla

Great, I'll probably be in the same situation as you.
Lost my 3G Iphone in Prague last November. Didn't bother claiming on insurance as would not have got anything as had no police report. So popped into local o2 store and explained situation to sales rep. Purchased a new 3gS model and got a replacement bill pay sim card in store. Contract is up in July / August, if they try and pull the same I'll be off back to Vodafone.

RandomPerson13

Well earlier this month a friend of mine was in the exact same situation. He pm'd daryll from o2 on boards, explained the situation, dayrll replied saying it would first get rejected but let him know when it does. He pm'd dayrll again once it failed. Within about 3 days the phone was unlocked.

Try pm dayrll

CubicleDweller

Thanks for the replies, folks.

talla wrote: »

Contract is up in July / August, if they try and pull the same I'll be off back to Vodafone.

Well, as I understand it, you won't be taking your iPhone with you.

RandomPerson13 wrote: »

Well earlier this month a friend of mine was in the exact same situation. He pm'd daryll from o2 on boards, explained the situation, dayrll replied saying it would first get rejected but let him know when it does. He pm'd dayrll again once it failed. Within about 3 days the phone was unlocked.

Try pm dayrll

I've been through a thread of about 22 messages with Daryll and the other mods on Talk2O2 about this. Just now, I've PM'd him here on boards, pointing to your reply - just in case that makes a difference. Sadly, I think your friend's case may be different to mine in some subtle way. Thanks for the suggestion, anyway - I'll let you know if it works!


Does anyone have direct contact details for anyone senior in O2? I'm thinking of embarking on a campaign of "being a pain in the a**e until they do something". Childish, perhaps, but possibly satisfying. And nothing else seems to be working.....

RandomPerson13

Well I know his iPhone 3gs was blacklisted straight away after he reported it stolen to o2 and he got his new iPhone 3g registered on his ac and unlocked. He was prepay with no contract... There are a few differences with your case but those differences shouldt matter much.

CubicleDweller

Thanks for the reply, RandomPerson13.

RandomPerson13 wrote: »

There are a few differences with your case but those differences shouldt matter much.

You're right, of course - they shouldn't matter at all. Sadly, though, it seems they do.

kjl

CubicleDweller wrote: »

Well, as I understand it, you won't be taking your iPhone with you.

There are ways to unlock without o2

CubicleDweller

My iPhone was unlocked this morning.

I have no idea whether my rant here on Boards made any difference - probably not. But within 5 hours of posting it, O2 had told me that my phone *would* be unlocked.

That's probably just coincidence; they just took a long time to decide what to do with the relatively small number of people who were in my situation. Not that that is any excuse; they've been hinting for months that the would start unlocking handsets once Vodafone started supplying them, so they should have had plenty of time to make all of these decisions in advance.

Well, all's well that ends well, I guess.



By the way, the individuals that I've dealt with in O2 about this have been helpful and professional at all times; their hands were tied by the lack of a decision from elsewhere....

Eire Go Brach

I have to say I was and still am to an extent a big criticiser of 02. But credit were credit is due they are beginning to listening to us. Now I'm not naive and know its part down to competition. But the fact is they are listening to us. The lads over at the 02 forums I think deserve the most credit for this.

They have unlocked the iPhone(Not even out of contract) and the tethering on the old tariffs is quite useful.