3 refusing Unlocking Code

icedtea

So I'm trying to move 48, and in order to do that I must unlock my Sony xperia Tipo I bought last month.
When I call 3 they say I must have put at least €130 onto this phone to qualify to get my code, even though they themselves say I have topped up €360 with them in the previous years I've been with them.
Is there any way I can persuade them? I've tried telling them I'm moving away for a few months and will need to be able to use my phone abroad but no joy.
Is it even legal to keep the code from me?

Thanks!

Oracle

Just buy an unlock code online or go to a phone shop that does unlocking.

icedtea

They're wanting €3o off me for that, too expensive!

StaticNoise

You'll be looking at that price in most places. From what I'm reading, there seems to be no issue way to unlock Sony smartphones from 2012 without a dedicated unlock code.

I'm taking a look for you on XDA to see if there is another solution that will stop you requiring to shell out 30 to 40 Euros.

mitosis

You bought the phone last month - did that include accepting a new contract?

Caliden

Genuine question but is that a stipulation of buying a 'pay as you go' phone from a network now? It's 'pay as you go' but you have to spend x amount before you can leave?

Oracle

Caliden wrote: »

Genuine question but is that a stipulation of buying a 'pay as you go' phone from a network now? It's 'pay as you go' but you have to spend x amount before you can leave?

Yeah thats always been the policy for pay as you go (also called Prepay). Although it's not x amount before you can leave, its x amount before they will give you the unlock code for the phone you've bought. But here's the real kicker; in a lot of cases you could have bought the same phone, for the same price or less, unlocked.

BaronVon

Oracle wrote: »

But here's the real kicker; in a lot of cases you could have bought the same phone, for the same price or less, unlocked.

Then maybe that's what people should do!

Oracle

infacteh wrote: »

Then maybe that's what people should do!

... or maybe the networks should stop deliberately disabling the products people buy from them.

icedtea

StaticNoise wrote: »

You'll be looking at that price in most places. From what I'm reading, there seems to be no issue way to unlock Sony smartphones from 2012 without a dedicated unlock code.

I'm taking a look for you on XDA to see if there is another solution that will stop you requiring to shell out 30 to 40 Euros.

Thanks a million, will help the student budget/1

mitosis wrote: »

You bought the phone last month - did that include accepting a new contract?

Nope it didn't, pay as you go so no contract

Cossax

Oracle wrote: »

... or maybe the networks should stop deliberately disabling the products people buy from them.

Yeah, I don't get how they're allowed network lock a phone you've bought outright?

Walkman

OP did you top up the sim that came with the phone, the sim card that's registered to the phone needs to be topped up with the €130 not your own SIM so if you put your own SIM into the phone then that's not registered to that phone. Also 3 don't sell the Tipo

icedtea

Walkman wrote: »

OP did you top up the sim that came with the phone, the sim card that's registered to the phone needs to be topped up with the €130 not your own SIM so if you put your own SIM into the phone then that's not registered to that phone. Also 3 don't sell the Tipo

I didn't change SIMS when I bought the phone, I've had the same one since I joined the network.
3 Do sell the Tipo, just look on carphone warehouse's website

BaronVon

Cossax wrote: »

Yeah, I don't get how they're allowed network lock a phone you've bought outright?

I'd imagine the phone companies are still subsidising the price of the phone, hence they are locked until you spend a certain amount of money so they can recoup the subsidised amount.

If the phones are not subsidised by the phone company, it would make far more sense to buy an unblocked one!

icedtea

Ok I've pretty much given up on 3 ever giving me the code.
I went into the shop on Stephen's Green and the lad in there told me it would take 1-5 days to unlock my phone.
I see a few sites online offering codes, just wondering if anyone has used them and which they find to be the best?
Thanks!

josephharte

I went online paid 15 euro and got my samsung galaxy note unlocked in ten minutes not ten days as the three staff technical team told me every day it would take. I was moving network and had to buy out my contract as i moved to the fantastic value 48 network. Three told me repeatedly i would be able to get it any other way even though i explained to them that as they were a huge supplier of samsung phones surely its just a matter of sending a priority email and getting an email back. Is that what separates the genuises from us mere mortal souls. Their staff told me not to keep ringing them every day. I told them i found the experience soothing. So 15 euro spent well spent.

ED E

Yeah, its just inputting one number into a database and reading another back out. Its a fast process, but the way they do its sent off to the far east to be done(by somebody on a different time zone) and then sent back. Its not in samsungs interest to put several people working on unlocks, so thats probably why it takes a while.


The network locking pays for the shops. If phones werent network locked only carphone warehouse would have stores. And when something goes wrong its very handy to have them! OP was a bit naive to try and unlock after a month, anyone could have told him that'd happen.


Be careful of very cheap unlocks, if they biapass using the NAC code you could end up with a brick'd device after an update.