Sony Xperia S unlock issues

Anonymous · ‎27-05-2014

I've had a rather bad experience of late with O2. I've been a customer for 9 years, 2 years on my current pay monthly contract, on a Sony Xperia S. As my contract was coming to an end I requested an unlock code, as I decided to switch provider. The guru's got me one within a day and I entered it. It didn't work. I went back to the online chat and they encouraged me to keep trying. To no avail. Then started 6 weeks of occasional emails and online chats with different people, who wouldn't tell me anything, or didnt seem to understand what was going on. I always asked to speak to a supervisor at various times of the day but they were always busy.

I then got so fustrasted I began to tweet O2 on Twitter. 6 weeks later I finally found out via Twitter my phone was deadlocked from entering an incorrect unlock code too many times, using up my network unlock attemps. Not one online chat advisor warned me of this and even encouraged me to keep trying. I asked o2 where this left me and they replied that they might be able to send it to Sony to have my handset reset - get this - at my own expense. They said if it was £20 or under they may compensate for half but in reality I shouldn't have had to pay or wait this ridiculous amount of time for a working unlock code. My partner had exactly the same phone and contract and unlocked his phone with no problem. I am now stuck with a phone that can only be used with O2 but I have already bought a SIM and rolling contract with another provider shortly before these problems arised.

As a loyal customer I was extremely disappointed at this outcome and after lengthy, exhausting to-and-fro with online advisors and twitters I am wondering would it be worth my while contacting a consumer ombudsman to hear my complaint. I feel like as a consumer my rights to change and use the phone I had paid for, for 2 years should be the least I am owed.

Anonymous · ‎27-05-2014

Hi

I would start here http://www.o2.co.uk/how-to-complain/complain

Anonymous · ‎27-05-2014

I started that within a day of this happening. The first email I got from complaintreviewservice@o2.com was over a month ago.

Since then I gave every detail of my case via email and seemingly the outcome is they cannot unlock my phone and it will cost me money to reset it.

I wonder whether I should now ask O2 for a letter of deadlock and take it to the ombudsman.

Anonymous · ‎27-05-2014

Hi

Most defiantly.

MI5 · ‎27-05-2014

I agree. You shouldn't have to pay for this but I wish you had come here earlier and we could have warned you about entering too many wrong codes.
You could speak to Sony directly and see why they say?

I have no affiliation whatsoever with O2 or any subsidiary companies. Comments posted are entirely of my own opinion. This is not Customer Service so we are unable to help with account specific issues.
Please select the post that helped you best and mark as the solution. This helps other members in resolving their issues faster. Thank you.

Anonymous · ‎27-05-2014

I don't think Sony will want to become embroiled in a dispute over a Network Locked phone tbh. 😞

MI5 · ‎27-05-2014

Without asking you would never know. They might do something out of goodwill.....

I have no affiliation whatsoever with O2 or any subsidiary companies. Comments posted are entirely of my own opinion. This is not Customer Service so we are unable to help with account specific issues.
Please select the post that helped you best and mark as the solution. This helps other members in resolving their issues faster. Thank you.

Anonymous · ‎27-05-2014

I am not normally a forum person and I had a lack of knowledge around unlock codes, I thought it would be straightforward (for most it is).

I'm just disappointed no one I talked to from O2 warned me when the unlock code was first rejected and then was encouraged to enter it more times.

I've learnt my lesson and have passed it on to friends and family when unlocking phones.

I feel like the o2 complaint system is a bit flawed and non-transparent. No one has yet been able to explain why the unlock code didn't work, as there is only ever one unique code generated for an IMEI number. In my last email from them (over a week ago now) they have requested me to wait further for an unlock code that is probably not forthcoming (non-existant). O2 on twitter, as I have said, believe my phone is permanently blocked but the people from complaintreviewservice@o2.com are still proceeding as if this is not the case.

Confusion.

quote from the other thread:

"I got my first email from complaintreviewservice@o2.com over a month ago. They still haven't actually replied with any meaningful message or support. They've asked for details which I gave then and it is still on-going.

I took to twitter to tweet O2 and they seem to know a lot more about my case (maybe from the general information I gave them) than all the IMEI codes, error messages and other information I have given to complaintreviewservice@o2.com. They say I need to send my phone to Sony to have it reset.

I resorted to calling O2 today and an advisor read my notes from the various online chats and despite being told for 5 weeks my case was being 'escalated' the first escalation of my case was apparently only submitted yesterday. I queried about sending my phone to be reset, which the advisor told me in that case they could only pay half of the charge was under £20. I contacted Sony and they couldn't even give me an estimate until the phone was booked in and looked at. Sony have no obligations to me as It was sold by O2 but I figured maybe O2 then had an obligation to resolve it, whether that was dealing with Sony on my behalf. Perhaps I am presuming too much."

MI5 · ‎27-05-2014

Unfortunately it is usually the case that a phone will lock permanently after 10 failed attempts. However, with Sony phones, it is possible to bypass this with SUS. Any Sony service centre can do this and it would be nice if they would do it for free for you.

I have no affiliation whatsoever with O2 or any subsidiary companies. Comments posted are entirely of my own opinion. This is not Customer Service so we are unable to help with account specific issues.
Please select the post that helped you best and mark as the solution. This helps other members in resolving their issues faster. Thank you.

Anonymous · ‎27-05-2014

Hi

Online Live Chat are non uk outsourced call centres who have been known to get things muddled up hence why we always advise to speak to Uk Customer service by phone and to use the online unlocking request form.

Now you have made your complaint official O2 will have to follow their own complaint procedures. They may be able to get transcripts of the chats you've already had and make a decision from there.

In my experience the manufacturer will not entertain getting involved with the owner of a network locked phone.

Would you mind keeping us in the loop.