Unlocking Strangeness

[tullyhubbert]

About 10 months ago I bought a Lumia 925 of a neighbour, it was a new but unwanted O2 upgrade with O2 firmware.

Twice a year I visit the Isle of Man and use a Manx SIM while I'm there. As I'm a pay monthly O2 customer I requested an unlock code for the phone. While I was waiting I tried the Manx SIM and was surprised to find it worked fine, the phone seemed to be unlocked. An O2 unlock code later arrived by email but I never needed to use it.

I bought a Lumia 830 in Feb and eventually sold the 925 on ebay about 5 weeks ago. I had advertised it as unlocked and running O2 firmware. I included a picture showing the phone working with Manx Telecom.

Much to my surprise I received a mesage from the buyer today, he has been out of the country working and when he tried his EE SIM it woudn't work. I had visions of everything going sadly wrong but I gave him the previously unused unlock code supplied by O2 and its now working fine with his EE SIM.

So how come it worked with a Manx SIM? I never actually used it in the IOM, only in the UK when it was roaming but reporting Manx Telecom? Strange but at least my ebay customer is sorted

[jonsie · Accepted solution]

I'm sure it's because of this :

Mobile coverage on the Isle of Man is provided by Manx Telecom, a wholly owned subsidiary of Telefónica O2 Europe and the Island’s telecommunications operator for fixed, mobile and Internet services.

[viridis]

Yup like a Manx giffgaff

[MI5]

Manx is owned by Telefonica - just another of it's subsidiaries.
It would work with giffgaff, Tesco, Moviestar, O2-DE, O2_CZ etc.

[jonsie]

....but not EE 

Riddle solved!

[MI5]

Correcto

[Cleoriff]

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@MI5 wrote:
Correcto

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Blimey...it's like watching Sherlock and Dr Watson at work...

[MI5]

Elementary, my dear

[jonsie]

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@MI5 wrote:
Elementary, my dear

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 You know my methods, Watson

[tullyhubbert]

I thought of that, but according to Wiki Telefonica sold Manx Telecom off in 2010 😊