iPhone 3GS - Could Not Activate

[Anonymous]

OK.  This is a long story which I will try and keep brief.

Basically my daughters iPhone 3GS will not activate after it was sold and subsequently returned to someone on eBay.

The 2 year iPhone 3GS was working perfectly until xmas. We then gave our daughter an upgrade to an iPhone 4 and decided to sell her old iPhone 3GS over eBay.  We reset the iPhone and a person eventually bought the iPhone from eBay. We then shipped it off and thought that was the end of the matter.

3 weeks later this eBay person came back saying the iPhone was faulty and wanted his money back.  I eventually agreed and thought I could get the iPhone working again on an O2 Pay-As-You-Go and so purchased a new Sim Card, inserted it into the iPhone and no matter what I try I can not get it to activate.  It just keeps saying "Could Not Activate iPhone". 

I have tried activating it through iTunes and WiFi a dozen times but nothing seems to make it activate. 

I have reset it many times and even took it to our local Apple Store who also reset it to factory settings but again the iPhone will not activate.

The Apple Support Specialist said someone may of tried to unlock the iPhone and in the process permanently damaged the firmware but he could not be 100%.  Either way he tried to sell me another iPhone 3GS!

So here I am wondering whether this iPhone is now useless. 

Any body got any suggestions.

Thanks

[Anonymous]

Amazing...  I took out the iPhones sim tray and there is the iPhones IMEI and Serial No details in tiny letters and numbers.  I never knew it was there.

Anyone know the best online database I should use to enter my IMEI details to see why my iPhone maybe blocked or what is going on ?

[perksie]

Try here:

http://www.imei.info/

[adamtemp64]

the person that bought it may have swapped the innards for a blocked unit and put your original sim tray mack in .

If they tried a jailbreak to unlock it may have corrupted the ios hence my suggestion about doing a recovery mode restore.

[Anonymous]

If you call O2 they should tell you if the IMEI number you have there is the same one that you were using until you sold it.

If they won't tell you - PM me your mobile number and IMEI number and I'll see what I can do?

[Anonymous]

OK I have checked the iPhones IEMI details using the www.imei.info and it says:

Part Description: IPHONE 3GS 16GB WHITE
Product Version: 4.3.5
Coverage Status: Out of Warranty
Coverage End Date:
First Unbrick Date: 04/12/10
Last Unbrick Date: 08/01/13
Next Tether Activation Policy Description: UK O2 Tesco.
Lock Status: Locked

Does the above info explain why my iPhone will not activate ?

Sorry this is probably a silly question but I purchased a pay-as-you-go O2 Sim Card from my local news agents I did not buy it from Tesco.  Will that work with the above "O2 Tesco" or do I need to buy a Pay-As-You-Go O2 Sim Card from Tescos itself ?

My second question is the IMEI.info website says the iphone is locked and to click here to unlock it.   I am assuming I should not do this and try and work out why the iphone is blocked.

Any suggestions ?

[Anonymous]

Locked should mean to the O2UK network, ie. you can't use vodafone sim cards etc. in it.

[MI5]

If it is Tesco locked it will require a Tesco SIM. O2 SIM will not work in a Tesco phone.....

[Anonymous]

Thanks.  The IMEI website says the iPhone is locked to 'UK O2 Tesco'

So is the O2 Sim Card which I purchased from the news agents not compatible ?

Do I therefore need to pop down to Tesco's and purchased a Tesco O2 Pay-As-You-Go Sim Card ?

Thanks

[Anonymous]

I tried the O2 Sim Card in another old phone I had and the phone seemed to work perfectly.

Is this the reason why I can not activate the iPhone 3GS because I am using an "O2" sim card but should be using a "Tesco O2" Sim Card ?

[Anonymous]

Tesco is a seperate network to O2 (although it runs using O2's masts so it is sometimes referred to as Tesco O2).

But if the iPhone is locked to Tesco it looks like you may have been conned by the guy from eBay. A Tesco Mobile sim card should work in the phone - and if it does then the guy has switched them.

Let me know if you want me to PM you to help out with this? If not, then you should call O2 as if the guy now has your original working phone then that is stolen and O2 will need to block it and you may need to contact eBay and/or the police to report that.