02 Making me pay for PAC code

[Anonymous]

I've been with 02 for over 5 years. I lost my phone that was nearing the end of its contract in about August. So i went and bought a pay as you go phone in may to tide me over in the meantime until i renewed my contract. I got a new phone, Xperia Z2 with a new 2 year contract from 02, and haven't used the pay as you go phone since.

My girlfriend wants the phone to use, and i said i'd give her it. 02 are telling me i have to pay £15 for the PAC code in order to unlock the phone for her.

This is a joke. Years of loyalty and they're trying to sting me for an easy £15.

It's a disgrace.

[Anonymous]

The official O2 process for this situation is quite simple :

You have taken out a contract with that phone, you can have the unlatching code at any point in your contract. 

You bought the phone on pay and go, you pay £15 and have to wait 12 months. 

The process for unlatching also says that in order to issue the codes the imei has to be checked against the used sim card. If those checks would have been made, like they are meant to, none of the requests mentioned before would have been accepted .

So my answer is the same as the other thread :

£15 and active on o2 for 12 months  

[MI5]

I fully understand you have to quote the official line but the reality is different.....
We're just helping fellow customers

[viridis]

My experience has always been as mi5 and jonsie stated.
Payg tablets work too

[cyrillicguy]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I've been with 02 for over 5 years. I lost my phone that was nearing the end of its contract in about August. So i went and bought a pay as you go phone in may to tide me over in the meantime until i renewed my contract. I got a new phone, Xperia Z2 with a new 2 year contract from 02, and haven't used the pay as you go phone since.

My girlfriend wants the phone to use, and i said i'd give her it. 02 are telling me i have to pay £15 for the PAC code in order to unlock the phone for her.

This is a joke. Years of loyalty and they're trying to sting me for an easy £15.

It's a disgrace.

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Sorry if I appear to be a little pedantic here, but I don't think that O2 are trying to charge you for a PAC code. The £15 fee is a fee to unlock the phone, not to get your PAC. Correct me if I'm wrong, but every mobile network is obliged to give you a PAC code free of charge should you demand so and can't stop you from transferring your number to other network even if you are in the middle of a fixed 24 months contract (they can charge you for the remaining months of the contract, but not for the PAC).

[Anonymous]

@cyrillicguy

The networks are obliged to provide pac codes indeed they are and they are free.  To unlock is slightly different as there are certain criteria including (but not limited to) for o2

contract phones free to unlock
Except iPhones where o2 restrict unlocking for several months from launch unless you have bought through refresh and paid the device plan in full.
Payg £15 but phone needs to have been active for 12 months on payg (there are workarounds).

So it is not quite so simple for the OP as they need to unlock. 

[cyrillicguy]

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@Anonymous wrote:
@cyrillicguy

The networks are obliged to provide pac codes but there are certain criteria including (but not limited to) for o2

contract phones free to unlock
Except iPhones where o2 restrict unlocking for several months from launch unless you have bought through refresh and paid the device plan in full.
Payg £15 but phone needs to have been active for 12 months on payg (there are workarounds).

So it is not quite so simple as the networks must give you a pac. Yes they must but. ...

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But are getting a PAC code and unlocking your phone not two completely different subjects? I know that for a lot of folks those two procedures come hand in hand, but still...

Here's an example:

Say, I bought an O2 iPhone on the first day of its launch with a non-Refresh 24 months contract. Then after a month I decide to transfer my number to another provider To my understanding O2:

1. MUST give me the PAC.

2. CAN and most likely WILL bill me for the remaining 23 months of my contract.

3. CAN refuse to unlock the iPhone as it was launched only a month ago.

[MI5]

Yes, as I said in my first reply, it is not a PAC that is required here.
The OP, I believe understands that now.......?

[Anonymous]

Sorry I immediately realised I had not quite read the post so edited at the same time you were posting. Sorry

[MI5]

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@cyrillicguy wrote:

Here's an example:

Say, I bought an O2 iPhone on the first day of its launch with a non-Refresh 24 months contract. Then after a month I decide to transfer my number to another provider To my understanding O2:

1. MUST give me the PAC.

2. CAN and most likely WILL bill me for the remaining 23 months of my contract.

3. CAN refuse to unlock the iPhone as it was launched only a month ago. 

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O2 will allow the iPhone to be unlocked once the phone has been paid for (on refresh) or the contract paid off completely (non refresh).

[cyrillicguy]

Oops, sorry about that More careful thread reading next time for me