Unlocking Iphone 5s bought from CPW for other network locked to O2

[Anonymous]

I have been a victim of of Carphone Warehouse malpractice of unlocking the Iphone 5s to first sim. I'm starting this thread to gather support to get O2 to help victims out there to help unlock their 5s.

A bit of background

As soon as my 5s was locked to O2, I had contacted Apple, CPW, Vodafone (my actual provider). All of them asked me to talk to O2 as only the "carrier" that my phone is locked to, can unlock it. 

O2 Gurus advised me to get a Pay & Go sim, top it up with at least £15, which I did with £20. It had also been escalated to Escalation team who contradicted O2 Guru saying that no iphone 5s is unlocked at this point whereas they had done in some O2 Refresh cases. All the customers have to do is pay in full of the contract.

What I need of you

Just the victims, with the positive mindset to achieve the common goal - Unlock your Iphones 5c/5s so that we can lodge a formal complain to the CEO as the chains of command, has clearly broken and this is a big reputational issue to O2.

Negative comments, if you have, please spare us from them as this is a positive environment for the greater good.

Thank you for your support and if you want to email me rather than post, please do so at (edited)

[Anonymous]

To be honest I have no idea. I wouldn't like to give to false info so I won't guess.

I would follow the guidance I gave above although a quiet chat with the branch manager at CPW may help.

[Anonymous]

Why do these people just shut it when the thread header clearly mentioned what this thread is for. 

"What I need of you

Just the victims, with the positive mindset to achieve the common goal - Unlock your Iphones 5c/5s so that we can lodge a formal complain to the CEO as the chains of command, has clearly broken and this is a big reputational issue to O2.

Negative comments, if you have, please spare us from them as this is a positive environment for the greater good."

Didnt say that I needed help. *sigh* 

[perksie]

We understand your frustration but most people responding are trying to offer you the best advice they can, so why not show them a bit of civility?

[adamtemp64]

http://service.o2.co.uk/IQ/SRVS/CGI-BIN/WEBCGI.EXE?New,Kb=Companion,question=ref(User):str(Mobile),C...

i have highlited below the relevant text i.e. not all iphone can me unlocked

This policy may vary according to the handset you have purchased.

Please see many threads since the 4s launch that have had same issue.

There is no law compelling o2 to unlock and I am sure they comply with the guidance ofcom sets (note it is guidance not a requirement)

As Mi5 says the ombudsman will most likley not uphold your case as

A you knew about the sim lock from cpw

B first sim was GiffGaff so your beef is with them

C on all other payg handsets there is a 12 month period before unlock as proved here normal phone unlock procedure

Every year we see this as I said above it is not sharp practice just the way o2 works but if it was a GiffGaff sim first used then that is where you must complain as it is a sepaerte business of telefonica nothing to do with o2 directly

[Anonymous]

Excellent post, the best response I have seen by far about this, if you don't mind me saying so. Although the second link is defective.

No law - agreed.

Ofcom guidance - not so sure - Ofcom don't accept undue unlocking delays and told me that enough complaints like mine and they will take action.

A - agreed.

B - agreed in part, there is some responsibility here by giffgaff, for not making clear there would be a lock, and for issuing SIMS which lock without having the means to unlock.

C - disagree, as I understand it Vodafone have a 6 month policy wait policy like O2, the others have no wait policy. However, and this is the fundamental point, the O2 wait policy is based on the underlying assumption I bought the phone from O2, which I didn't.

Nor do I agree giffgaff and O2 should be regarded as completely separate networks for my purposes, as giffgaff locked me to O2 in the first place, so there clearly is a connection.

Remember that what I want here is unlocking from O2. I did go back to giffgaff first to request one, but they don't do unlocks, so there is no point me pursuing them for something they can't give me.

Only O2 can provide the solution to this, even though giffgaff caused it, so there definitely is a Telefonica link here. That is what I will be saying to the Ombudsman anyway. We'll see in due course whether or not he or she agrees with me.

[Anonymous]

@DeanVincent

All good but on Vodafone, it's immediate, i.e. no wait policy leaving O2 on its own behind the line at the moment and my wish is for them to improve.

GiffGaff cant unlock as they are not network carriers as per Apple.

Bottom line is, we are not sitting on our hands and give up hope. In a war, we fight, not surrender till guns are pointed at us.

You guys are not who we are fighting and I'm not sure why you're anti-revolutionary but I get it. We respect that hence why looking for other fighters to join us and this is not your fight so please help towards our cause or stand aside to let us through.

Thank you. I'll await other unfortunate ones to join us.

[adamtemp64]

Try the second link now edited to work (forum issues)

Re ofcom the advice is once any contractual / minimum time before unlock then there must not be delays (o2 are not unlocking any 5s)

So when o2 start to unlock the 5s then it will be done in a quick and timely manner.

[Anonymous]

Thanks Say, I didn't realise that.

Yes if O2 amended their policy to differentiate between people who bought their phones from O2 and those who bought them from CPW it would solve the problem.

But they won't, so Ombudsman here we come.

[Anonymous]

Yes, it says PAYG can be unlocked 12 month after purchase, again assuming the purchase was from O2, which is the crux of the issue, because ours weren't.

[Anonymous]

Noted thanks.

As long as O2 don't refuse me an unlock in due course on the grounds I didn't buy the phone from them then this will sort itself out in the Spring one way or another.