Unlock Vodafone phone

shoko · 12-02-2020 8:17pm #1

I bought a Huawei P Smart on Vodafone prepay in December and recently switched to another provider. At the time I purchased it I asked if I was tied into a contract with them and was told that I was not. Now Vodafone will not give me an unlock code as they say I have to have spent 127.00 in the last 12 months. I have only paid 40. However I did pay for the phone at the time at a reduced price. Is this legal? Can my phone be unlocked by any other unlock shop or online?

oscarBravo · 12-02-2020 9:01pm

Moved from Open Source.

12-02-2020 9:18pm

shoko wrote: »

Is this legal?

Yes. You are not tied into a contract. If you were, you would be liable to pay for the full length of the contract regardless of usage.

shoko wrote: »

Can my phone be unlocked by any other unlock shop or online?

Depends on the phone, but yes, most of them can be

bazzz · 12-02-2020 9:54pm

shoko wrote: »

I bought a Huawei P Smart on Vodafone prepay in December and recently switched to another provider. At the time I purchased it I asked if I was tied into a contract with them and was told that I was not. Now Vodafone will not give me an unlock code as they say I have to have spent 127.00 in the last 12 months. I have only paid 40. However I did pay for the phone at the time at a reduced price. Is this legal? Can my phone be unlocked by any other unlock shop or online?

I have only paid 40. However I did pay for the phone at the time at a reduced price.

This is normal. You should have known this at the time of purchase.

From some of Vodafone's T&Cs:

As a Pay as you go customer, you must meet the below requirements to be eligible to receive an unlock code.

You have topped up by at least €127 in the last 12 months for your first unlock code.
You have topped up by at least €254 in the last 12 months for your second unlock code.
You have topped up by at least €381 in the last 12 months for your third unlock code.
Your phone was purchased from Vodafone Ireland.
The associated Mobile number must have been used with the handset that is being requested to be unlocked.
You have not requested three or more unlock codes in the past 12 months and not requested one in the past 3 months.

You'll need to work something out with VF. I'm sure the phone can be unlocked easily. But VF will still be needing the €127.

pippip · 12-02-2020 10:13pm

I used unlock.ie recently and no problem at all to unlock.

For P Smart on vodafone it's coming up at €45 and approx 3 days to do. Others on here had tried unlock codes on ebay for same phone and didn't have good results.

17-02-2020 6:58am

Yep, another thumbs up for unlock.ie. Tried eBay a few times and only came across wasters, never got as far as getting a code as they always came back looking for more money. Unlock.ie had my P30 Pro sorted in a few days.

mgbgt1978 · 18-02-2020 9:15pm

bazzz wrote: »

You'll need to work something out with VF. I'm sure the phone can be unlocked easily. But VF will still be needing the €127.

They won't..Assuming the OP gets an unlock code elsewhere his dealings with VF are complete.

bazzz · 18-02-2020 9:37pm

mgbgt1978 wrote: »

They won't..Assuming the OP gets an unlock code elsewhere his dealings with VF are complete.

I'm not experienced in this. But I wouldn't be giving that out as lawful advice.

mgbgt1978 · 18-02-2020 10:07pm

You are correct. You are not experienced in this....but that's fine.

.....The €127 VF are looking for is simply a fee for an unlock code. The OP doesn't have any sort of contract with VF. If he can (and he can) get this code cheaper elsewhere then everything is totally legal.

bazzz · 18-02-2020 10:18pm

mgbgt1978 wrote: »

You are correct. You are not experienced in this....but that's fine.

.....The €127 VF are looking for is simply a fee for an unlock code. The OP doesn't have any sort of contract with VF. If he can (and he can) get this code cheaper elsewhere then everything is totally legal.

I don't know what your issue is? I know I'm not experienced in this....like I already mentioned. I just applied logic and a little read of the T&C's. Looks like you have a fan though

mgbgt1978 · 19-02-2020 11:07am

Fact.... The OP doesn't owe VF anything

Fiction...

bazzz wrote: »

You'll need to work something out with VF. I'm sure the phone can be unlocked easily. But VF will still be needing the €127.

If you cannot provide anything more than just an opinion you are not answering the OP's question. You are simply derailing the Thread.

bazzz · 19-02-2020 11:36am

mgbgt1978 wrote: »

Fact.... The OP doesn't owe VF anything

Fiction...
If you cannot provide anything more than just an opinion you are not answering the OP's question. You are simply derailing the Thread.

So everyone can get phones from VF PAYG and not have to pay for them? That's why there's terms and conditions. The same ones I linked above. The ones you don't seem to be seeing.
You are stating the advice you are giving is legal? Can you point me to where you are seeing this information?

19-02-2020 11:50am

bazzz wrote: »

So everyone can get phones from VF PAYG and not have to pay for them?

The phone was paid for at the time of purchase

bazzz wrote: »

That's why there's terms and conditions. The same ones I linked above. The ones you don't seem to be seeing.

The terms and conditions say €127 to receive an unlock code from Vodafone. It says nothing at all about phones unlocked by other means

mgbgt1978 · 19-02-2020 11:50am

First off BAZZZ, thank you for responding to me despite your promise not to....

VF can have all the T&C's they like. That doesn't mean they are all legally binding.
For the last time, while VF do insist on a certain top-up figure before giving an unlock code, that does not preclude a person from obtaining a code elsewhere.

19-02-2020 12:10pm

bazzz wrote: »

So everyone can get phones from VF PAYG and not have to pay for them? That's why there's terms and conditions. The same ones I linked above. The ones you don't seem to be seeing.
You are stating the advice you are giving is legal? Can you point me to where you are seeing this information?

Where does it say they don’t have to pay for them? A PAYG phone is bought in full at the time. The €127 is for an unlock code from them but you’re free to buy the unlock code elsewhere if you choose to.

You seem to be confusing this with the minimum spend on a bill pay contract in order to receive an unlock code.

19-02-2020 1:10pm

ReginaldSmythV wrote: »

Where does it say they don’t have to pay for them? A PAYG phone is bought in full at the time. The €127 is for an unlock code from them but you’re free to buy the unlock code elsewhere if you choose to.

You seem to be confusing this with the minimum spend on a bill pay contract in order to receive an unlock code.

No, that's the minimum amount of PAYG credit you're required to buy, so they recoup some of the discount they may be offering on a device.

@OP, the easiest way to unlock a Vodafone device is if you request the code through someone you know that is on a Vodafone contract. They usually can request up to 2 or 3 codes per year. I've used my mother-in-laws account multiple times for this purpose.

bazzz · 19-02-2020 1:27pm

mgbgt1978 wrote: »

First off BAZZZ, thank you for responding to me despite your promise not to....

VF can have all the T&C's they like. That doesn't mean they are all legally binding.
For the last time, while VF do insist on a certain top-up figure before giving an unlock code, that does not preclude a person from obtaining a code elsewhere.

Ok you really love getting the last word, we know that much.
Prove to me where it's legal to do what you are suggesting? I've proved my side of the argument you started. By quoting the facts(not fiction like you tried to point out)...

So show me where it states what you are saying. Or just carry on.

paddy19 · 19-02-2020 1:38pm

The condition is that if you want to get an unlock code from VF you will pay them €127 or maybe nothing if your granny has a VF account.

If you don't want an unlock code from VF you don't have to buy, nobody can force you.

If you can unlock the phone by any other means VF can do nada about it.

end of.

bazzz · 19-02-2020 1:44pm

ReginaldSmythV wrote: »

Where does it say they don’t have to pay for them? A PAYG phone is bought in full at the time. The €127 is for an unlock code from them but you’re free to buy the unlock code elsewhere if you choose to.

You seem to be confusing this with the minimum spend on a bill pay contract in order to receive an unlock code.

That's not correct. You do not pay the full price for all PAYG phones, it's always
less than the actual value. I'm not confusing anything. Can you prove me wrong?

19-02-2020 1:58pm

bazzz wrote: »

Ok you really love getting the last word, we know that much.
Prove to me where it's legal to do what you are suggesting? I've proved my side of the argument you started. By quoting the facts(not fiction like you tried to point out)...

So show me where it states what you are saying. Or just carry on.

That's not how laws work though. Laws typically state what's illegal, not legal. If they stated everything that's legal then a book of laws would require more paper than there is available on the planet. It's up to you to show us the law that states it's illegal, not for us to show you a law that states it's legal.

And, as previously mentioned, Vodafone's terms and conditions merely tell you the conditions under which you are eligible to get an unlock code from them, they do not tell you anything about the legality of getting an unlock code from elsewhere.

paddy19 · 19-02-2020 2:18pm

"That's not correct. You do not pay the full price for all PAYG phones, it's always
less than the actual value. I'm not confusing anything. Can you prove me wrong? "

Full price and actual price are meaningless terms.

VF buy phones from suppliers only they know what they pay for them.

A supplier selling an unlocked phone is a single transaction.
Whatever profit he makes on the single trancation is all he is getting.

VF are selling a phone and a service. They price the phone in the hope that you will keep using there service.
They try to keep you using the service by charging you €127 to exit.

There is no morality to this, they are just two suppliers trying to maximise their profits.

mgbgt1978 · 19-02-2020 4:46pm

bazzz wrote: »

Ok you really love getting the last word, we know that much.
Prove to me where it's legal to do what you are suggesting? I've proved my side of the argument you started. By quoting the facts(not fiction like you tried to point out)...

So show me where it states what you are saying. Or just carry on.

I didn't start an argument . I simply corrected the erroneous advice given by yourself in post #4.
You didn't prove anything....you just quoted VF's T&C's. I have already said that their minimum top-up requirement is not legally binding in any way.

You don't appear to like being corrected and have continued to insist that the OP is obliged to either keep topping up until he reaches €127 (or just pay VF the €127). He is not obliged to do so. If you cannot get your head around this that would be a matter for yourself to deal with.

....and again I really must thank you for all your replies, despite your initial reluctance to reply to me :rolleyes:.

19-02-2020 5:37pm

bazzz wrote: »

I think there'll have to be an entrance fee put on this thread at this stage. Everybody has something to say. Full of all sorts of comedians.

In terms of the legality of phone unlocking they've contributed just as much as you, i.e. not at all.

In terms of giving out misleading and outright false information though you certainly have them easily beaten. :pac:

paddy19 · 19-02-2020 6:00pm

"In terms of the legality of phone unlocking they've contributed just as much as you, i.e. not at all. "

You want the law... you can't handle the law.....:D

Comreg is the law here and they simple point to the contract.

https://www.comreg.ie/consumer-information/mobile-phone/unlock/

The contract says you want unlock code you give VF 127 eurots.

19-02-2020 6:05pm

paddy19 wrote: »

"In terms of the legality of phone unlocking they've contributed just as much as you, i.e. not at all. "

You want the law... you can't handle the law.....:D

Comreg is the law here and they simple point to the contract.

https://www.comreg.ie/consumer-information/mobile-phone/unlock/

The contract says you want unlock code you give VF 127 eurots.

Again, nothing there is indicative of anything to do with buying unlock codes from of online sellers, it is only states the typical conditions needed for service providers to give out such codes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueYUwcZV-n0

bazzz · 19-02-2020 6:07pm

Deleted User wrote: »

In terms of the legality of phone unlocking they've contributed just as much as you, i.e. not at all.

In terms of giving out misleading and outright false information though you certainly have them easily beaten. :pac:

What have I said that's misleading? Show me exactly what is false and misleading. I simply didn't want the OP to land himself in trouble. The stuff I quoted from the T&C's is correct. You're very full of yourself aren't you.

19-02-2020 6:09pm

paddy19 wrote: »

"In terms of the legality of phone unlocking they've contributed just as much as you, i.e. not at all. "

You want the law... you can't handle the law.....:D

Comreg is the law here and they simple point to the contract.

https://www.comreg.ie/consumer-information/mobile-phone/unlock/

The contract says you want unlock code you give VF 127 eurots.

pay-as-you-go / pre-pay in this case so there is no contract

19-02-2020 6:12pm

bazzz wrote: »

What have I said that's misleading? Show me exactly what is false and misleading. I simply didn't want the OP to land himself in trouble. The stuff I quoted from the T&C's is correct. You're very full of yourself aren't you.

You were false and misleading here

You'll need to work something out with VF.

because it's not true, and here

I'm not experienced in this. But I wouldn't be giving that out as lawful advice.

I just applied logic and a little read of the T&C's.

because you are suggesting that there is a correlation between the T&C's you quoted and legality of buying unlock codes online, which also isn't true.

bazzz · 19-02-2020 6:23pm

Deleted User wrote: »

You were false and misleading here

You'll need to work something out with VF.

because it's not true, and here

I'm not experienced in this. But I wouldn't be giving that out as lawful advice.

because you are suggesting that there is a correlation between the T&C's you quoted and legality of buying unlock codes online, which also isn't true.

I mentioned in my very first post that the phone could easily be unlocked? I quoted that VF look for €127 for their unlock. I quoted that fact in the post.

You were false and misleading here

Quote:
You'll need to work something out with VF.

How the **** is that false and misleading? Suggesting to work something out with VF ...........
Aristotle by name, but that's about it.

paddy19 · 19-02-2020 6:26pm

"pay-as-you-go / pre-pay in this case so there is no contract "

There is always a contract when you buy anything.

It's doesn't have to be written but it's still there.

They agree to supply, you agree to buy.

Bill/pay just has different terms and conditions to pre/pay.

19-02-2020 6:26pm

bazzz wrote: »

I mentioned in my very first post that the phone could easily be unlocked? I quoted that VF look for €127 for their unlock. I quoted that fact in the post.

I didn't reference any of that? Let me make it simpler for you. Is the following statement true or not?

You'll need to work something out with VF.

If it is, then link to the law that states it, and if you can't, then you are being misleading. Simples.

19-02-2020 6:37pm

paddy19 wrote: »

"pay-as-you-go / pre-pay in this case so there is no contract "

There is always a contract when you buy anything.

It's doesn't have to be written but it's still there.

They agree to supply, you agree to buy.

Bill/pay just has different terms and conditions to pre/pay.

well you don't need to pay anything to Vodafone (as others have said) you can get it unlocked by an unlock service without penalty of "contract" (to use your definition)

so, contrary to your statement, no you don't need to pay 127 euro in revenue to Vodafone.

bazzz · 19-02-2020 6:44pm

Deleted User wrote: »

If it is, then link to the law that states it, and if you can't, then you are being misleading. Simples.

I gave my answer in my very first post as to VF's terms and conditions(their law/rules).

As a Pay as you go customer, you must meet the below requirements to be eligible to receive an unlock code.

You have topped up by at least €127 in the last 12 months for your first unlock code.
You have topped up by at least €254 in the last 12 months for your second unlock code.
You have topped up by at least €381 in the last 12 months for your third unlock code.
Your phone was purchased from Vodafone Ireland.
The associated Mobile number must have been used with the handset that is being requested to be unlocked.
You have not requested three or more unlock codes in the past 12 months and not requested one in the past 3 months.

Did they print these T&C's for a laugh? I'm one of those people that abide by laws/rules. Foolish I might be, but I stick to rules. So what's the problem with advising him to work something out with VF, in a lawful manner.

because you are suggesting that there is a correlation between the T&C's you quoted and legality of buying unlock codes online, which also isn't true.

Can you point out to me where I correlated VF's unlocking fee and legality of buying unlock codes online?

19-02-2020 6:53pm

bazzz wrote: »

Did they print these T&C's for a laugh? I'm one of those people that abide by laws/rules. Foolish I might be, but I stick to rules. So what's the problem with advising him to work something out with VF, in a lawful manner.

Because they can also work it out much cheaper with an online unlock code seller, in a lawful manner.

What you are doing is no different then going into a thread about someone asking where to buy an iPhone, someone suggesting Ebay and you going "but haven't you read the t&cs about buying iPhones on the Apple store?" Those t&cs have nothing to do with buying a phone on eBay, those t&cs don't imply you can't buy an iPhone on eBay, and your input has been of no benefit.

Can you point out to me where I correlated VF's unlocking fee and legality of buying unlock codes online?

I already did with the last two of your three quotes that I quoted.

mgbgt1978 · 19-02-2020 11:04pm

From BAZZZ's quotation taken from VF's site;

"As a Pay as you go customer, you must meet the below requirements to be eligible to receive an unlock code.

You have topped up by at least €127 in the last 12 months for your first unlock code."

In the real world;
"As a Pay as you go customer, you must meet the below requirements to be eligible to receive an unlock code from Vodafone

You have topped up by at least €127 in the last 12 months for your first unlock code."

BTW in this house alone we have probably purchased 20 phones in the past 3 years from different providers (usually with a "bring your number" discount) and have unlocked every one the day they arrived. Still waiting for either the SWAT Teams or the Solicitor's Letters to enter the door :rolleyes:

MiCr0 · 20-02-2020 11:20am

i'm going to go through this tread and delete everything thats OT.
i believe that the OP has got their answer at this point

Unlock Vodafone phone

Comments