O2 does not unlock iPhone 5 even if it was not bought from O2!

[Anonymous]

I bought my iphone 5 from Carphone warehouse on it's release, it was supposed to be SIM FREE, little did I know it gets locked to the first SIM that is inserted in to the phone.

After my contract ran out with O2, now with the ability to shop around, O2 refuses to unlock my phone, while in the same time refuse to match any offers on other networks for contract renewal.

I think this anti compeitive, espically 6 months after it's release, with iPhone 5 in pentful supply. All other networks now freely allow their phone to be unlocked, with O2 refuses to do so, even though I did not buy my iPhone from them in the first place!

[jonsie]

As ever, everyone is free to make up their own mind and if that is what you want to do then fair enough. Enjoy your new phone when you get it and I hope your your new network works out fine for you

(Before you do make your network choice, check for the best coverage in both your home and work areas)

[Anonymous]

Well, I had this lovely chat today with an operator : 

This situation annoyes me so much that I do take a bit of my time every week to go on a weekly rant, hoping that it'll one day change something, I'm borderline not even bothered to do it anymore.

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Well, I had this lovely chat today with an operator : 

This situation annoyes me so much that I do take a bit of my time every week to go on a weekly rant, hoping that it'll one day change something, I'm borderline not even bothered to do it anymore.

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You do realise your speaking to a person overseas who recite's from a script.

They are not overly bothered either.

Im sorry but I cant see why you would enter into doing this ?

If it bothers you that much to not have a networked locked iphone then do what I and countless others do and buy it direct from Apple.

[Anonymous]

Agreed, it is almost certain that the guys they pay in india less than minimum wage are reading from scripts, and pretty much would not care if they loose customers or not. Even if they do feedback to their superiors, O2 pretty much wouldn't listen anyway.

I don't blame O2 for locking my phone, but CPW, but I blame O2 for being the ONLY network that do not allow iPhone 5 to be unlocked, effectively locking their customers on to their network.

The best way is to vote with your feet or complaint through O2 complaints.

In addition to that, I am pretty sure this practice is borderline anti-competitive, maybe reporting them to OFT or Communications Ombudsman. With enough reports, they would be fined, then maybe they would listen.

[Anonymous]

o2 should not lock the iphone if it was purchased from an independent. The purchase has nothing to do with o2. What gives o2 the right to take control of a phone.

[perksie]

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@Anonymous wrote:

o2 should not lock the iphone if it was purchased from an independent. The purchase has nothing to do with o2. What gives o2 the right to take control of a phone.

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That's been answered already and it would have locked to whichever network's sim was first used.

[Anonymous]

A friend of mine purchased from CPW and the first sim inserted into the iphone 5 was a talkmobile sim which the phone did not recognise. O2 are being very sneaky. Locking phones to their network and claiming to only lock to the first sim inserted.

[perksie]

Talkmobile is an MNVO of Vodafone so for some reason that didn't work.

But you're not listening to the answers here so I'll leave you to your imaginings.

[Anonymous]

Blocking iPhone 5 to their network is fair enough, they all do it.

Refusing to unlock it for questionable and contradicting reasons is not fair enough.

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Blocking iPhone 5 to their network is fair enough, they all do it.

Refusing to unlock it for questionable and contradicting reasons is not fair enough.

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Pretty self explanitary to me.

Source : 02 Help Website.

Can I 'unlock' my iPhone and use it on another network?

* To make sure our iPhone 5 stock is reserved exclusively for genuine O2 customers, while the demand remains high, we won't unlock the iPhone 5 at this time.