Vodafone blacklisted my IMEI... but I'm an o2 customer

[Anonymous]

To cut a long story short... Vodafone have blacklisted my IMEI, even though I am not a customer of theirs. I have been with o2 since 2002 and have never had anything to do with Vodafone.

My phone is a Galaxy S5 which I have since December 2014 when I took the current contract out through Carphone Warehouse.

Both o2 and Samsung have confirmed that Vodafone blocked the IMEI, and Samsung showed me confirmation on their system. Vodafone say they couldn't have blocked my phone as I don't have an account with them. o2 say they can't unlock it as it wasn't them that blacklisted it. Vodafone say they can't unlock it as I don't have an account with them. I am stuck in the middle and neither company will help me.

I still have 6 months left on my contract and am trapped paying for a phone I can't use. It appears to me that Vodafone have tried to block one of their customer's phones which was stolen, however they have got the IMEI wrong and blocked mine instead.

Does anyone have any ideas? Both companies are supposed to be looking into, but neither seem very confident of resolving the matter, since apparently this happens incredibly rarely.

[Curr946]

What about car phone warehouse? They sold you the phone, and have a relationship with voda, so couldn't you ask them to call? Might add some pressure as cpw can proof the handset was not sold with a voda contract.

[Beenherebefore]

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@MI5 wrote:
It's still illegal for anyone other than the company (network or insurance) who blocked it to unbar a handset.
Yes, this is a unique situation but no way Samsung will unbar it I'm afraid.

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Do you know which piece of legislation that is ?

[Martin-O2]

Hi @Anonymous Welcome to the community! 

I've not heard of this issue before. Please keep us updated on your progress getting this sorted. 

[Anonymous]

O2 are supposed to be emailing me confirmation that Vodafone blocked the phone, although I haven't received this yet. Once I have this I can pursue Vodafone further.

Really disappointed with lack of support from O2. They have basically suggested I may be involved in some kind of theft or fraudulent activity. They won't discuss the matter any further until I have been all the way through Vodafone complaint procedure. Already been without a phone for a week and a half, but still have to keep paying my bill anyway.

[gmarkj]

it may well be the case of mistaken identity.
not being privy to how it works, it may well be easy to mis-type an imei number in that they have been asked to block. to them they have not done anything to your phone (intentionally) so it may be why they are denying it.

[Anonymous]

Yes I agree it was probably an accident, but this sort of thing should not be allowed to happen by accident!

I think I may be getting somewhere slowly Vodafone now say they will unlock it with proof of purchase, which I have now provided them with. Hopeful this may be resolved by tomorrow...

[Beenherebefore]

This what really annoys me, Vodafone had no legal right interfering with your phone and yet you must prove to them that it's legally yours !!

And you will never get to know how or why this error occurred.

[jonsie]

Someone with fat fingers and their mind in the clouds. There should be an easier way of sorting this out without being passed between O2, Vodafone and The manufacturer. 

[MI5]

Yes, there should be - Voda should have fixed their mistake without any hassle at all.

[Anonymous]

Vodafone stolen phones department are now saying it was a different department that put the block on (not sure which), so they have had to forward everything to that department for review.

I have told them that their internal procedures are not my concern!