Unlocking question with a slight twist.

[tullyhubbert]

I'm a SIM only O2 customer, have been with them for years.

I've seen an 'Unwanted upgrade' O2 supplied Lumia 925 phone for sale locally. I need an unlocked phone as for two weeks per year I use a foreign SIM. I also want a phone that's 4G capable (My Lumia 620 is not) The price is quite good.

If I were to purchase the phone would O2 supply me an unlock code (Free) using the link below or would they only supply this to the original owner?

https://www.o2.co.uk/apps/help/help?qid=1&q1=2&route=unlocking&case=Handset%20Unlocking%20Form

Thanks.

[jonsie]

Yes to both questions but you need to do the sim swap once you set up the new phone. 

[MI5]

If for any reason the form isn't working or you can't use it you can also text the word SWAP to 20220 from your old sim to start the process.

[tullyhubbert]

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@jonsie wrote:

Yes to both questions but you need to do the sim swap once you set up the new phone. 

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Thanks jonsie and MI5.

Regarding above, its confused me a bit. Have to do SIM swap when I set up new phone i.e can't set up new phone without new SIM? <confused>

I'm hoping to remove my old phone from Msoft account tonight, then do a reset on it and use as a basic phone for a few days.Then associate the new phone with my Msoft account tonight and have everything setup dowloaded/ready without a SIM in readiness for the new SIM arriving early next week.

Then can I do the SIM swap process in my old phone, wait a day or so to everything settles and then put the new SIM in the new phone?

Sorry for the confusion

[MI5]

You have to start the swap process from your old sim (it can be in either phone).
Once the process starts your old sim will turn off and the new one will come online a short while afterwards.
Rebooting the phone with the new sim in it helps during this activation process.

[tullyhubbert]

Good intentions and all that ... I sat looking at it for about an hour, inserted my old chopped down 3G SIM and started fiddling.

The 925 is using O2 firmware and I can only assume its locked to O2 also. By the end of yesterday evening it had been fully set up, apps + contacts + emails. Then I took the bull be the horns and installed WP8.1 (Using Msoft preview for developers) Thankfully all went well and I didn't turn it into the proverbial brick!

Not content with that I went to an O2 shop this morning and got a new 4G SIM and changed my SIM only 300/300/unlimited/250mb contract (£11.29) to a 4G 500/unlimited/500mb (£11) contract. The girl in the Ards shopping centre shop was very pleasant and helpful ... so some credit where it's due as they often get criticised a lot. A short detour on the way home for a test (The helpful girl told me where 4G was available locally) and I was using 4G.

So all that remains is to let things settle for a few weeks and then attempt to get a free unlock from O2 (Original post question)

Thanks for all the advice.

PS: One last question: Arrived home to find the 4G Micro SIM I'd requested only yesterday afternoon from an online chat with an O2 Guru had been delivered. The pack containing it says Pay Monthly and Business. I was planning on passing my old Lumia 3G phone to a family member who is on PAYG and an extremely light user. Was going to turn the data connection off and they could use it for calls/texts and do email/whatsapp/surf etc using WiFi in their house (Or when available) Using the SIM swap process below could they use the SIM just delivered or would it have to be a PAYG micro SIM? (Their own SIM is standard size and too big)

http://swapmysim.o2.co.uk/

[MI5]

Good update
Your family member will need a specific PAYG sim as the preset details on the sim card are different....

[Anonymous]

Its good to read your update. 

As the messaging centre numbers are dedicated to payg and contract accounts the sim card you have is not much good. For one every time they re booted the phone they wound have to re key that number back in.

😞

I'd keep it as a spare sim.  

[tullyhubbert]

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@MI5 wrote:
Good update
Your family member will need a specific PAYG sim as the preset details on the sim card are different....

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Thanks MI, I'll get him to drop into an O2 shop then.

Update, aye I do tend to waffle on sometimes

[Cleoriff]

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@tullyhubbert wrote:

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Update, aye I do tend to waffle on sometimes

@tullyhubbert  No apologies for the 'waffle'. It was clear and concise and understood by me (which deserves credit for that alone)

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