Apple

[Tumo]

Afternoon all,

I was gvien an iPhone 3G S from my uncle for my birthday recently (as I've still been running a Sony Ericsson w810i how old school!) and it is currently simlocked to VF. It was his previous contract phone before he upgraded to an iPhone 4. Now, I am wanting to unlock the iPhone, but my only concern is that my uncle uses the same number for his current iPhone 4 as he did for his previous phone (the one I currently hold). In the unlock request form, it mentions you need to input your number. Will there be any knock-on effect for my uncle's phone, considering they are both the same number?

[drey_p · Accepted solution]

Hey Tumo - welcome to the Vodafone Forum!

There will be no impact on his current number / phone as the number is associated with the SIM card and not the phone.  Although the iPhone you are wishing to unlock does need to be active on the Vodafone Network.  He will need to complete the Unlock Request Form and it will take a little while to do because Vodafone have to send the request off to Apple to action!

[Tumo]

Okay, so he's done all the unlock codes, and it's been 2 weeks, and we've heard nothing. I've tried to use it by plugging it into my laptop with a different sim (O2) in, and it hasn't worked. It's been over two weeks, and nobody has bothered to even get in contact with us. He had to update his details as he had changed email addresses, but heard no confirmation of that, or no response in general. Fairly poor customer service, and now we're left at a loss as to what to do? I have the reference code that was given, I just want to know where everything is in terms of how long it'll be before I can use the phone? I was told a wait of 3 days, which is why i'm at a loss to explain why this is taking so long? 

Thanks

[kids]

You post is a bit confusing;

You say your uncle has done all the unlock codes, what codes? There are no codes to unlock and iPhone it is only done by connecting it to iTunes.

Vodafone would not have started the unlocking process until the updated email address matched  their records, so how long ago was that done?

Once Vodafone accept the unlock request it can take up to seven working days for Apple to process the unlocking. If the reference number you have was in response to an unlock request using the old email address your uncle may have to resubmit the form using the updated details. What does the email that you have actually say?

[Tumo]

By unlock codes, what I meant was he's sent the unlock form off, they've replied saying that it's not the same email that he used on his original contract, and to ring to confirm details, which he's done. Yet since then, he's heard nothing. Sorry for the mixing of words, it's just that there's been a lengthy wait yet we have received no responses. He rang them well over two weeks ago, to confirm the e-mail address and his details.

The e-mail is the one that says "We are unable to verify your email address as it is not updated in our database. To update these details and process the unlock request, kindly contact the Helpline by calling 191 from your mobile phone or 08700 700191 (Vodafone contract) or 08700 776655 (Vodafone Pay as you Talk) from a landline.". Which he's done, over two weeks ago, as previously stated. Therefore he shouldn't have to re-submit the form, as the e-mail specifically states that this process (contacting Vodafone) will continue the action of unlocking the phone. I know that you have mentioned a seven-day wait, but I have read from Vodafone staff on here that it takes up to three days for Apple to process the unlock request, which s why I was a bit confused as to that. And I've tried connecting the iPhone to iTunes with a different network sim in, but it's not worked.

[Simon]

Hi Tumo

Thanks for your post. We'll be able to check this out however we'll require access to the account and the reference number of the e-mail reply that came from our NUC Resolutions team.

If you could forward this info on to us via the details I've sent to you in a private message that would be fantastic.

You can find your PM inbox here. If you can't access this link, please ensure that the box next to "Turn on private messages" is ticked on this page, and let us know if you need any further assistance.

Thanks

Simon

[Tumo]

So I forwarded the information as Simon suggested, to be told that it is in fact my UNCLE that needs to forward the information. So the vodafone tech team are contradicting each other. Useful. He replied to the original e-mail on Friday night, as he was told to by the Vodafone twitter team. This should, according to them, process the unlock. I've checked the iphone by connecting it to itunes with a non-vodafone sim every day for about 2 weeks, and as yet nothing. I somehow get the feeling that this might last a fair amount longer, before this is all resolved. I didn't even ask for anything other than a realistic time-frame for how long this will take, I don't want to know anything else, I just want to be able to use this iPhone with my current sim! This has gone around in circles, even after my uncle ringing up to confirm his details, which according to the e-mail would process the unlock, yet apparently he even had to do that himself, and wasn't made aware of this by vodafone! Can't really work out why this has all taken so long... 

To sum up the post, I'm still waiting on the unlock. As I have been for the best part of 3 weeks. 

[Lee]

Hi Tumo,

Please could I take the unlock request reference number form you?

Cheers,

LeeH

[Tumo]

Hi Lee, 

The original one was 9494279, and the latest one (as we have been told to do by thw twitter team) was 9639764, but I believe that they are in the process of sorting it out, that's what I was told earlier! So (touch wood) it's on the road to being fixed!

Ben

[James]

Hi Tumo,

Thanks for your post.

I can see that Phil has responded to your email this morning with further information however due to data protection we can not give information to an unauthorised 3^rd party regarding an unlock request as it relates to a customers account.

If you can follow the instructions on the emails that we have sent, we can then chase this up for you.

James

[Tumo]

Dear lord, this is frustrating. In the e-mail, Phil said to  "let us know the 7 digit reference number for his email and we’ll look into it.  Otherwise please ask him to follow the instructions James set out in the below email and we’ll be in touch with him." All well and good, yet I've let you know the 7 digit reference number repeatedly, including already in this thread! The most recent reference number, for when he re-requested an unlock code, is 9639764. The previous one, the original, was 9494279. Why do I have to repeatedly give the same information? Phil requested information I've given on twitter, via e-mail, and that my uncle has given via e-mail as well. I have followed every single instruction given, more than once. He originally requested this unlock over 3 weeks ago, so I am at a loss as to why it is not already unlocked... 

On a different note, it's extremely difficult for people to discuss the situation when you guys take hours (or even days) to respond, I understand that you are very busy but it's extremely frustrating when we've not actually done anything wrong! My uncle has given several methods, including his mobile number, for you guys to contact him yet you don't. Please, PLEASE can you sort this out? I'm still phoneless, as mine had previously broke, so if it's possible for a rapid response I would grately appreciate it! 

[Ben_H]

Hi Tumo,

Thanks for posting. I can appreciate that this method may take a little longer while you await responses to emails etc and I know it's not fun having to repeat the reference number when requested. If you've contacted us multiple times over several channels, there's the chance your query could get repeated and more than one advisor pick your emails. We'll be in touch once we reach your response, however should you need to get this sorted in store with the account holder present this may be a faster and more immediate route.

We must comply with the data protection act as advised by our colleagues, even if this may slow us down to a degree. Our customer security is of the utmost importance.

Cheers, Ben

[Tumo]

I understand all this, but my uncle is currently the other end of the country to me, he gave me the iPhone 3 to me whilst I was down in Cornwall (for my birthday) and he assumed that I could get it unlocked myself. He didn't expect there to be so much red tape, and I'm not going to push him to e-mail you guys or get into twitter conversations with you repeatedly because I thought that him giving me his old phone was nice enough, hence why I'm doing most of the leg-work. However I've just received a tweet from the vodafone twitter feed saying they've replied to me uncle's e-mail and will update him accordingly as promised, which is good news! Hopefully I'll be using my iPhone within the next week!