iPhone5 lock

[Anonymous]

I'm currently tearing my hair out thanks to O2's policy of not unlocking the iPhone 5/their refusal to do it. I purchased my handset outright.

My question; where in their T&C's does it say they can do this? How are they able to do this when I own the handset?

[Anonymous]

Your argument about unlocking and competition are flawed.  There is no law that requires O2 to unlock a phone.  You weren't forced to buy the phone from O2, there are plenty of other shops you could have bought it from.  You chose to buy the phone from O2 knowing fine well that it is locked to the network, as all phones tend to be these days. 

[Anonymous]

EU guidelines on competition and mobile phones require service providers to give users the facility to unlock their phones. I've already posted the link but it's here again;

http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-96-791_en.htm

It's quite clear that in these circumstances O2 are not complying with the directive. There is no subsidy to recover and there is nothing in my contract/T&C's suggesting a time period the phone will be locked for.

The fact is, O2 should not be able to exert any control over how I use my handset. I own it outright with no outstanding contract or subsidy. The reason they are doing this is for purely commercial reasons and that flies in the face of what the EU want.

[adamtemp64]

http://giffgaff.com/unlock/is-mobile-phone-unlocking-legal-illegal-faq read up there, there are still no laws preventing the locking of handsets

the eu bit you refere to has not been adopted into uk law.

Just wait until o2 unlock them

[Roadking]

Not true. I purchased my Iphone 5 from CarphoneWH at christmas at full price as sim free. I was duped by the manager who told me that he couldn't sell me the phone without a pay as you go £10 simm which I did then binned just to get the phone. As soon as I inserted my own sim it locked the phone to O2. I can't get it onlocked. This is unfair practice because CPWH say that they cannot unlock any phones and instructed me to go to O2 for the unlock. Guess what they tell me? O2 appear to be resorting to deperate measure to cling onto customers. I can understand the unlock rule being inplace for people still in contract but not for 1 month simplicy customers who want to try out the competition. Anybody want to but a new@ish iPhone 5 locked to O2?

[Roadking]

Wouldn't it be good practice for your sales staff to explain that the iPhone boughts as "sim free" and at the full price is in fact LOCKED, rather than hiding it fine print expecting a customer to read a full two A4 sheets in small font, IN THE SHOP? Surely this is something that should be pointed out at point of sale.

Over the next month I intend going into O2 shops a going through the motions of buying an iPhone only to stop and read the whole T's & C's in detail. Then back out when I read the " Oh yeah, your phone will be locked" section. Just so your sale staff feel the same pain that your customers are feeling. POWER TO THE CUSTOMER!

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:
EU guidelines on competition and mobile phones require service providers to give users the facility to unlock their phones. I've already posted the link but it's here again;

http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-96-791_en.htm

It's quite clear that in these circumstances O2 are not complying with the directive. There is no subsidy to recover and there is nothing in my contract/T&C's suggesting a time period the phone will be locked for.

The fact is, O2 should not be able to exert any control over how I use my handset. I own it outright with no outstanding contract or subsidy. The reason they are doing this is for purely commercial reasons and that flies in the face of what the EU want.

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That is a guideline, not a law.  Again there is no illegality about O2 refusing to unlock your phone.  If you feel there is, take O2 to court.

[Anonymous]

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@Roadking wrote:
Wouldn't it be good practice for your sales staff to explain that the iPhone boughts as "sim free" and at the full price is in fact LOCKED, rather than hiding it fine print expecting a customer to read a full two A4 sheets in small font, IN THE SHOP? Surely this is something that should be pointed out at point of sale.

Over the next month I intend going into O2 shops a going through the motions of buying an iPhone only to stop and read the whole T's & C's in detail. Then back out when I read the " Oh yeah, your phone will be locked" section. Just so your sale staff feel the same pain that your customers are feeling. POWER TO THE CUSTOMER!

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You bought the phone from Carphone Warehouse, a shop known for telling people what they want to hear in order to get a sale.  You then blame O2 for the misadvice?  Really?  Think back.

Who told you O2 would unlock the phone?  Wasn't O2.

[Anonymous]

Just to confirm my thoughts on O2 unlocking/not unlocking the iPhone, in case of any confusion:

I can see why O2 refuse to unlock the iPhone.  I understand their reasoning for it.  I don't agree with it though.  I think it is daft that they choose to do so.  I'll be the first to post on here to let people know when they're doing to start allowing unlocks.

However, I disagree with people talking about it being illegal and find it incredible that people go out of their road to blame O2 for misadvice when O2 have always been clear on the matter.  THose people I have little sympathy for, as you'll see from my replies to them.

[Anonymous]

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@Roadking wrote:
Wouldn't it be good practice for your sales staff to explain that the iPhone boughts as "sim free" and at the full price is in fact LOCKED, rather than hiding it fine print expecting a customer to read a full two A4 sheets in small font, IN THE SHOP? Surely this is something that should be pointed out at point of sale.

Over the next month I intend going into O2 shops a going through the motions of buying an iPhone only to stop and read the whole T's & C's in detail. Then back out when I read the " Oh yeah, your phone will be locked" section. Just so your sale staff feel the same pain that your customers are feeling. POWER TO THE CUSTOMER!

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First off - CPW and O2 are 2 different companies. So it wasn't "our" sales staff who never told you about the locking of the handset on first use.

I agree that in your case they should have told you this as you were buying the phone outright - however, it is in the T&Cs which you signed so unfortunately you will just need to wait for O2 to start unlatching the iPhone 5. I don't imagine that being much longer.

Your sadistic plan for the O2 stores is a bit ludicrous, in my opinion. As mentioned, it was not the O2 store who you bought it from, it was CPW. Buying a phone from O2 directly will quite obviously be locked to the O2 network. And it isn't the staff in the shop who set the unlocking rules or have any influence over them. Also, wishing to read your full T&Cs will be no burden whatsoever on the sales staff who would rather a customer was understanding of what it is exactly they were signing up for.

And lastly, your write 'POWER TO THE CUSTOMER' but you have to remember that O2 staff are also customers. As are the people on here trying to help you and agreeing with you too. 

[Roadking]

Your staff are not open and honest when asked if the phone is "Sim Free". I tested the theory only last Saturday when I went into an O2 shop in a major city in the NW and said that I was looking to buy an Iphone unlocked and sim free. " Yes we can sell you an Iphone 5 Sir" was the reply that I received.

I don't think that my plan is sadistic. I'm just testing your staff for honesty...Oh Yea! and there's no law or fine print preventing me from doing it. I'm using my choice to back out if I disagree with the T&C's that you seem very eager to point to to validate your side of the argument..