Nokia

[wrighty496]

Hi,
First post here but hopefully someone can help.

I received a N900 as requested via upgrade but, when i put my existing sim card into the handset (having been assured by the operative that dealt with the upgrade request that this sim would be fine) i got a 'sim card registration failed' screen message. I contacted Customer Services and was advised that the handset IMEI was blocked and this would be cleared 'within 5 days' (this was Tuesday evening, 14th Sep).
I rang on Thursday to see how this was progressing and was advised by Tech support that the sim card may be too old, so i had to go to my local Vodafone store to replace my sim card with a new one - this was done on Friday morning. While in store they showed me on their screens that the handset was still blocked but they activated my new sim card in preparation of this being lifted.
It's now Sunday, the handset is still blocked, i've had no phone since Friday but (this is the source of advice required) could someone tell me how, when i rang CS again today, i was advised that the handset was faulty and it should be returned for replacement, despite the fact that Tech support was closed?!?! Has the handset always been faulty or am i being 'stalled'? If the handset is blocked on Vodafone's system, why was it sent out?!?!

oh further to this, the firmware version on the handset is 1.2009.42-11.205.1 (in settings>about product).

Can anyone help please? I received the tech support email at 1:05am this morning (Sunday) and i can't face several days of picking up a mail and replying and getting the reply 24 hours later etc etc.......

thanks in advance (but still mightily miffed) ...... wrighty

[davidbern11]

the only advice I can give is: nokia n900 worst decision ever

[wrighty496]

thanks David, that was indeed particularly unhelpful.

[oddbubble]

yes david that was verry unhelpful, i would say your best bet would be to go into a vodafone store and make sure its sent away for repair, and make sure u keep hole of the box and the invoice for the phone because they will have the imei number(also check to make sure they all match) on it then u have prof that they sent u that phone. and make sure that when u get this sorted to complain as much as possable ( i find an email followed by a phone call is enough) to get some disscount on your line rental.

[wrighty496]

it gets better......i've now had an email from tech support advising me that the IMEI number has now been submitted for clearing and should be cleared within 48-72 working hours......so i have the choice of either waiting for the IMEI to be cleared and finding that the problem is a technical one with the handset, or sending back the handset and finding that the problem was just the IMEI code block while i wait for the replacement handset to arrive, and probably start the whole process again.....


my disappointment with the handling of this issue grows ever larger..... (but David, i'm not convinced that the problem is a handset error......the fact that Vodafone sent out a handset that is listed as blocked concerns me greatly tbh). @Oddbubble, thanks for your reply - the CS representative today did assure me that i would get a discount for the inconvenience caused, but given the rest of the info in her reply i'm only 50/50 confident that that commitment will be honoured.....oh and i did ask about returning the handset at the store on Friday, but i was told there that the handset can only be returned to the point of sale - in this case Head Office, not the store....

ah well, lets see what tomorrow brings.......

[oddbubble]

they are useualy pritty good were discounts are conserned, i recently got one for 3 months because the took the direct debit twise, hopefully worse case senario is that you have to send it away. but the thing that is concerning me now is the fact that not one mod had even commented to help you, useually within an hour you have the cut and paste responce, anyways i have found with vodafone that the more vocal you are the more you get out of them.


and once you get your phone working are get a working phone you will wonder how you ever got on without it

[Wayne]

Hi Wrighty496

Thanks for your posts here. I'm sorry to hear of the trouble that you are having here. I can appreciate your frustration with this.

I see that your IMEI is going to be unbarred. This has probably been done in error, either submitted by mistake or an IMEI has been submitted incorrectly and it just so happened to match the handset that you have been provided with.

Also, don't worry about the discount/credit, if this has been mentioned to you in an email we will honour what has been offered

Please let me know how you get on once your IMEI block has been lifted and we'll be happy to help as much as we can

Thanks
Wayne

eForum team

[Sticky_Mick]

Hi Wrighty.

Hope the bar got lifted eventually (or will be by the end of the day). Quite a lot of legit N900s were blacklisted by Vodafone for some obscure reason. Guess I was one of the lucky ones

However, you'll find a lot of things don't work with that particular handset due to the fact that it's been sitting on the shelf at Vodafone and it's missed some important firmware updates. You should now be on Version 10.2010.19-1.xxx.1 ("xxx" will be either 205 or 203 depending where you got the handset. 205 if you bought it from Vodafone; 203 if it's a generic device from Nokia, CPW etc. There's no difference to the two firmwares.

What you'll need to do is update the firmware to get full functionality of the phone and backup services, ie Ovistore, Maps and a lot of apps from the repositories.

You could try updating via NSU (Nokia Software Updater), but I've heard rumour that the latest Vodafone firmware has been pulled off the server, but I'd try it anyway, as it could have just been a problem with the Nokia Update servers on that occasion.

Or you could do it the geeks way at Maemo.org NIT Firmware Updates. Make sure you read through the N900 section to be clear on what to do.
You can use either the Version 10.2010.19-1.205.1 or Version 10.2010.19-1.203.1 of the firmware, there's no difference.
When you get to the section about downloading and flashing the EMMC, you can skip that if you want, as it's not needed on production models. It's primarily just for N900s that were given out to developers prior to it's launch.

Take your time and don't rush it, it's quite straight forward in practice.

Good luck.

[wrighty496]

Hi chaps,
Many thanks for the replies on the matter.....i've received an email from web support stating that ' I see that one of my colleagues has unblacklisted the handset. As you are facing problem with your phone it needs to be checked manually to find out the exact error in your phone.'......now, i'm still not sure whether there is a handset fault or whether the handset was 'just' blocked (lol!) but i believe i read elsewhere that the handset needs to be left for 15 mins without the sim and battery in and then replaced and restarted.....could anyone confirm this is the correct procedure please?

@Sticky Mick, yeah i had a feeling the firmware was OE spec so the Nokia Updater is ready on the pc for when the phone starts behaving haha (although reading your post i may have to go to NIT, a move i'm cautious of taking with a brand new handset.....i'm sure you'll appreciate that i'm hoping Vodafone will start excelling themselves with the CS after this patchy start lol).

@Wayne, the latest discount for inconvenience was only confirmed verbally so, as mentioned, i'm waiting to see whether this is honoured, as the CS rep was probably a little flustered with my erm lets just say 'forthright' tone of conversation

Cheers again, i'll keep you all updated.....i'd like to offer a couple of suggestions though:

1: Vodafone check the IMEI against the block register BEFORE dispatch!!

2: This forum needs a 'steam coming from ears' smiley

oot......wrighty

[oddbubble]

@Sticky Mick, yeah i had a feeling the firmware was OE spec so the Nokia Updater is ready on the pc for when the phone starts behaving haha (although reading your post i may have to go to NIT, a move i'm cautious of taking with a brand new handset


i wouldnt worry about tinkering with it that is what it was made for, nokia releaced it as a hackers dream not for you everyday user(dispite how vodafone have been marketing it) and because of this it is almost imposable to brick the phone, you just flash it and start again

[Matt]

Hi wrighty496

The correct procedure for a hard reset is as follows:

Remove the battery with the handset switched on
Remove the Sim card and turn the handset back on with no SIM present
Leave switched on for 5 minutes
Remove the battery with the handset switched on
Place Sim back into the handset and turn the handset back on like normal

If there is anything else we can help you with give us a shout and we'll be in touch.

Thanks
Matthew_Vodafone

[oddbubble]

Hi wrighty496

The correct procedure for a hard reset is as follows:

Remove the battery with the handset switched on
Remove the Sim card and turn the handset back on with no SIM present
Leave switched on for 5 minutes
Remove the battery with the handset switched on
Place Sim back into the handset and turn the handset back on like normal

If there is anything else we can help you with give us a shout and we'll be in touch.

Thanks
Matthew_Vodafone

have u ever used a n900, you cant hard reset the n900 in this way

[wrighty496]

thanks for the further replies......after a frank discussion with CS today where i was told (this is a new one) that the SIM card was the problem, i've visited my local store to work where the sim was tested in another handset (not an N900 btw) and it worked fine, and then another sim was tried into the handset which obviously made no difference (i'm an engineer by trade....we do it analytically lol). I was shown the unblacklist request had been implemented on their store monitor and i had a good whine which was soaked up with good humour by the store chap so i can just wait.....some more......ahem

i'll keep you posted

[Madboy]

thanks for the further replies......after a frank discussion with CS today where i was told (this is a new one) that the SIM card was the problem, i've visited my local store to work where the sim was tested in another handset (not an N900 btw) and it worked fine, and then another sim was tried into the handset which obviously made no difference (i'm an engineer by trade....we do it analytically lol). I was shown the unblacklist request had been implemented on their store monitor and i had a good whine which was soaked up with good humour by the store chap so i can just wait.....some more......ahem

i'll keep you posted

For some reason a small batch of N900 were blocked, cant explain the reason, maybe some were stolen and the incorrect IMEI numbers were enetered into the system! I am sure it wont be long.

[wrighty496]

Madboy, i have a theory that they were a victim of the curse that is 'automated logistics'......package gets shipped, delivery is logged, confirmation is not received, Nokia go into a flying panic, shipment gets barred.....seen it too many times in industry lol

[wrighty496]

For some reason a small batch of N900 were blocked, cant explain the reason, maybe some were stolen and the incorrect IMEI numbers were enetered into the system! I am sure it wont be long.

well apparently (according to todays email) it is officially unblocked!!



......still won't recognise the sim card like . It is difficult for me to convey my true level of disappointment on here, but now i'm advised that 'it should be working within 24 hours'.......lol

[Madboy]

well apparently (according to todays email) it is officially unblocked!!



......still won't recognise the sim card like . It is difficult for me to convey my true level of disappointment on here, but now i'm advised that 'it should be working within 24 hours'.......lol

Thats correct, once an IMEI gets unblocked, then its 6-24 hours till it is re-enabled by the network. Cross fingers time!

[wrighty496]

Thats correct, once an IMEI gets unblocked, then its 6-24 hours till it is re-enabled by the network. Cross fingers time!

finger crossing technique (haha) was unsuccessful my friend.....still not recognising sim card, spoke to tech support who now feel its a handset fault with regard to the sim card reader inside the handset (as an aside, i put the sim into my old handset and that's working fine....used it to ring on 191, thus saving a couple of quid of phone call lol) so an exchange handset is due for arrival this Tuesday.


I've asked them to check the status of the IMEI before delivery....just in case

[wrighty496]

New handset arrived this morning...........











That's more like it vodafone on-screen as soon as it booted to desktop, 3G working fine, youtube vid playing nicely......i think we're good to go

I'd like to thank all of you for putting up with my incessant wittering on here and the assistance offered is muchly appreciated.

Yours, the happy owner of a WORKING N900......wrighty