Long but HORRIFIC experience with o2. Sever anxiety sufferer

[Anonymous]

Firstly I want to say I suffer from anxiety and depression and my primary form of communication is via text. It is my level of comfort. 

My old phone screen broke so texting on that is a nightmare. 

I bought a second hand phone from eBay locked to o2

Found out the process to unlock is 15£ 

buy a SIM card and top up and request.

I had to go out of my way to buy a voucher as topping up a new sim with a debit card isn't allowed. So I did this. I was told it takes 72 hours. I'm fine with waiting. 

i was also told that it will take lesss time they just have to advise 72 hours. That's fine. 

I waited 24 and called to get an update the next day (calling strangers very much out of my comfort zone I start panicking) 

i was told oh don't worry it will be done by 10am tomorrow. I said ok. 10 am next day. It's still locked. I call again to ask what the progress is I get told and I absolutely quote Maxine from customer service "it will be unlocked in 4 hours"

i said "will it be unlocked or will you call me back in 4 hours?"

maxine "it will definitely be unlocked in 4"

6 hours later nothing. 

I call back and ask what's going on only to be told it's still in process no advisor can give you a time scale. 

At this point I was finding it very hard to deal with the calls as each time the advisor was ruder and ruder. I had my sister with me and she took the phone as I couldn't deal and asked to speak to a manager. The manager came on the phone quite quickly and told me/my sister "it's illegal for you to get it unlocked anywhere else except o2 and I can send you a check in the post for your £15 top up of you want to forget this"

wow. 

My sister said is there anything you can do as so much false advise has been given. He basically said no. And was very rude and short. 

So I said just leave it we can wait the whole 72 hours. 

I didn't mind waiting from the beginning but because I was told specific times I called to enquiry. 

Today is day 3 and still no unlocking. So at 12 midday - 4 hours til the 72 hour mark I decided to brave another call and I was told to just wait. It will 100% be done by today there is no problem and was told she even escalated it for me. I said ok. I wait. 

72 hours. Nothing. 

I call back and now I am told that at 8am the form was resubmitted. But they don't know by who they don't know why and there is nothing that can be done. I have to wait another 72 hours. I pretty much broke down on the phone to the lady and I know it's not her fault but I asked her is there anyway to know who did that and why she told me no. Can't check another persons email etc which is fine. 

Im at the point where I cannot speak and I am crying hoping for a reason for why 

nothing. 

Now apparently it has been escalated AGAIN. and I have to wait another 72 hours. 

I have ate zero hope of having this phone unlocked at all and because it's Friday I can bet my entire life savings I will not hear a peep from o2 even when the 72 mark hits. It will be me again making the call. 

I wish i never never bought the o2 phone. I thought it would be as simple as unlocking my last EE phone. 

Worst customer service ive ever had. Always a different answer from every agent I've spoken to and been spoken to rudely by 80% of them including a manager. 

Side note: I directly called Apple. And they told me it's nothing Apple do. O2 simply have to send a signal to my phone and Apple never refuse the signal. So it's not that they are waiting for anything from Apple so........... exactly what the hell is going on? Who is lying? Does everyone think they have the correct yet conflicting advise. It's a mess. 

[MI5]

You get an email usually.
I've never had a text regarding unlocking.

[darrengf]

Hi @Anonymous

Really sorry to hear that you have been given the run about and I know what you are going through. 

Now im not going to say this is correct but I think I know why it's getting rejected and this does happen more than you know,

when you placed the o2 sim in the phone you are correct it has to have £15 credit on before they can even remove the lock.  We know that from many pay as you go unlock queries.

however and this is the however,  I know you haven't made a call or sent a SMS as you don't want to use the £15, but if you placed the sim in and just topped up and not has the phone switched on, then the o2 system can not see the phone in their database to unlock it.

now even if you had the phone switched on for a little while, again it may have not been enough for the o2 system to register the IMEI number of the phone.

When you request any phone on the o2 network to unlock, o2 have to see that the phone is on the network.  So if for instance you are not in the U.K. And over seas the phone can't be seen. 

Or if you haven't switched it on long enough. Then again the phone can't be seen.

So the order is rejected,  not because they want to,, its becuase they can't see the phone information. 

I total get that you don't want to use the £15,  as yes it costs £15 to unlock.  But if the phone isn't seen it may never get unlocked.

So a couple of helps for you.

1) When you inserted the o2 sim, and topped up, has the SIM card ever been in that phone while switched on for longer than 30 mins?

2). As a call or SMS ever been made or received from that sim.  If not this may be the cause.

3). If you do switch the iPhone on, is the data switched off. If it's not switched or or you don't know, you may use some of the credit just by switching it on

If it is turned off the data and you know it's off for sure, then you wouldn't be charged the £1 a day and still show you £15.  Then use another phone and try and make a call to the sim number in the iPhone and answer it on the iphone.  This is the best way for the iphone to be seen on network.  Be on more than 1min.  1 min and 1 second is fine.  Not 59seconds tho.  Sounds strange but it works.

4). You will get a SMS advising that tthe network unlock has worked or failed as well as an email.

5). Unlocking an iPhone and I've done many believe me, takes normally less than 24 hours on o2.  O2  Is one of the quickest networks to unlock it normally. When they put the request in it's normally done there and then.  I request one 2 Sundays ago AM and it was unlocked by dinner time Sunday the same day. Doesn't always happen as quick but it can do.

6) Is the iPhone connected to Wifi?  My question for this is that when you install the EE SIM card, if you don't have the phone on WIFI then it will not unlock.  You don't need iTunes now a days to unlock an apple device.  As long as when you insert another network sim and on wifi, the phone will suddenly ask for the apple password and confirm its you, then will unlock.

And last  please don't get upset,  believe me It's not worth it.  Stay strong and there are some amazing people on here that will always try to help you.

if you are still having problems then please let us know,  but as long as the phone can be seen on the network via the IMEI number it should be ok to unlock,

I don't work for o2 at all,  but I've seen the unlock iPhone issue a lot and this is one of the main issues why it can't be unlocked.

Just a warning, if you do turn on the phone and credit is used, I'm afraid you will need to top up to ensure £15 or more is on there.  

please let us know, keep in touch with the forum. Really hope it gets unlocked.  Regards. Daz

[Marjo]

Hey @Anonymous, very sorry to hear what you've been through. I'm going to drop you a quick PM shortly to see if we can help you in some way.