O2 Pay & Go Sim not activating iPhone 3gs

[Anonymous]

Recently purchased an "unlocked" iPhone 3gs from eBay for my wife. However, I'm not so sure it is unlocked as it will not work with my Vodafone Sim (excuse the language).

Anyway, the seller, though not admitting the phone maybe locked, informed me he used O2 Network, and assures me this has been the case since he originally purchased it.

I got an O2 Pay & Go Sim today and it still wont activate the iphone or get a signal bar. I read somewhere on here that a Pay & Go Sim will need to be topped-up before it will activate a phone, but it works fine in my other iPhone - obviously can't make calls, but there is an O2 signal showing!

Based on the above, I can only assume the phone is in fact locked to a carrier other than O2 - or maybe I'm doing something wrong?

The seller yesterday contacted O2 and requested an "unlock" code, to which they have replied: "Hi,Your iPhone unlatching request for IMEI011950000***** has been completed. To use a non-O2 Sim, place the Sim into the iPhone and connect to iTunes using a USB cable.  iTunes will confirm that the iPhone has been successfully unlocked".

This isn't working (though I understand it can take some time).

Ultimately I can return the phone for a refund, but as my wife doesn't mind changing from Vodafone to O2, I thought I'd try to sort things out my end.

Any help will be appreciated.

[adamtemp64]

To activate an iphone it must have a vaild sim I.e. topped up payg sim in it.

If that fails then the imei may be bolcked but if the unlock was processed just keep trying with a valid vodafone sim.

[Anonymous]

Thankyou... assuming the seller is being honest about having contacted O2 to unlock the IMEI, then I will keep trying a while longer.

One more question if I may... Is there a means, via this site, of supplying the IMEI number to see if it is or ever has been locked to O2?

[jonsie]

Not via the forum but you can google sites that will tell you the status of the IMEI but there is a small fee involved.

[perksie · Accepted solution]

Try here:

http://www.imei.info/

[Anonymous]

Thanks for your help so far...

Visited IMEI.info. And they confirmed the phone is unlocked... I have the latest version of iTunes... Done reset and restored the phone (a lot)...

Also, by-passed the activation process (with a little help from YouTube) to access the phones Home-screen. However, the screens Icons will not respond (including "Settings")! Suspect it's an issue with the phones Firmware?

Thanks again!

[Anonymous]

Four days ago I changed my account from a pre-paid to a pay & go as I am mostly abroad.  I wanted to keep my old number which I've had for years.  The assistant at O2 in Oxford st, London, made the change and said the SIM would be activated the next day, latest.  It's still not working. 

I'm now in India.  I've tried calling the shop.  No reply.  Customer service is too busy and you can't live chat from abroad.  It seems it's impossible to get hold of O2 far less get any help.  

Meanwhile, they have just sent me a huge bill for my pay monthly account for the month I was in England (which is why I'm changing to pay and go).  My guess is they want to keep billing me monthly so aren't activating the new SIM.

These ****** UK phone companies!  Crooks in suits.

[MI5]

Live chat should work from abroad.
What's happening when you try?

[jonsie]

Live chat does indeed work from overseas, I have used it a few times myself.

[MI5]

It does need popup blockers disabling and any adblock too though.