My iPhone is blocked by vodafone, will it work abroad?

[zubia51]

I bought a phone off of eBay and it turns out it is blocked by Vodafone uk. So I'm thinking of selling it abroad, will it work abroad in countries like Pakistan?

[63johnw]

Hi. No if it's blocked it's blocked all over.

Do you mean blocked because it's stolen or locked to Vodafone network?

[BandOfBrothers]

@zubia51

If bought from eBay why not raise a dispute through them and PayPal if bought that way. 

If the phone is locked to Vodafone then check its listing to see if it states that. 

You can unlock it if you become a Payg customer for 30 days using it go make calls , not to Customer service,send texts , top up and use data. 

The imei lock if it's blocked that way is there for a good reason. 

[AnnS]

Hi @zubia51

I assume you mean IMEI blocked and not just locked to the network. If that is correct. You have purchased a stolen or lost iphone from an ebay seller who has taken your money in return for passing on someone else's property.

You have someone else's property in your hands and you want sell it on and now want confirmation that the phone will work abroad.  That makes you a partner in crime reselling stolen property.

The phone is not your property to sell, if an insurance claim has been made, the phone is the property of the insurance company.

You will find the phone has the rightful owners Apple ID, that can't be removed.

The best thing you can do is report the seller to PayPal, make a claim and get your money back that way.  Its sellers like this who let the site down.

[zubia51]

Imei blocked not simlock

[BandOfBrothers]

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@zubia51 wrote:
Imei blocked not simlock

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Then raise a dispute with eBay / PayPal. 

[zubia51]

The person who sold it to me told me that he's the original owner and that vodafone won't unblock the imei for him. So he suggested I sell it abroad, but will it work abroad?

[BandOfBrothers]

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@zubia51 wrote:
The person who sold it to me told me that he's the original owner and that vodafone won't unblock the imei for him. So he suggested I sell it abroad, but will it work abroad?

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No.

This sounds possibly like an insurance claim which required the imei block of the lost or stolen iPhone. 

Apples own Activation lock will probably still be activated so no other SIM card will be accepted by the iPhone 

Link > Activation Lock

[AnnS]

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@zubia51 wrote:
The person who sold it to me told me that he's the original owner and that vodafone won't unblock the imei for him. So he suggested I sell it abroad, but will it work abroad?

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And you believe the seller.

 If the seller was the original and rightful owner, he would be the only one who would be able to ask Vodafone to IMEI block the phone.

You need to contact the sellef if he hasn't already done a runner.  You get the money back first, the seller then gets the phone back.  Alternatively, make a PayPal report and get your money back that way.

That ebay seller has taken your hard earnt money in return for stolen property.

If PayPal won't help this is going to be between you and the dishonest seller.

@zubia51  You said you purchased from ebay and now you have changed that to Gumtree.  Its no wonder PayPal won't help.

[kids]

@zubia51 If the iCloud lock has been removed (have you verfied this) you would be able to set up the phone if you are in a country that does not subscribe to the IMEI database.the IMEi database is subscribed to by every european mobile provider. If your mobile is in there, its barred everywhere in the UK and europe and some of the USA. Some carriers in the USA do not subscribe.  Also many of the African and other third world countries do not subscribe to the IMEI database.

But as has been pointed out the chances are you are in possesion of a stolen or lost phone that has had the IMEI blocked for one of those reasons.