iPhone 4 and 4S

[shabazshah]

Hi

I bought an iphone4 16Gb from a reputable seller on ebay.co.uk.  The phone was advertised as Brand New In Box, Factory unlocked and purchased directly from the Apple Store.

The day after receiving the phone i travelled to Pakistan, where i am for the next two months.  I tried to activate the phone for first time use, but it would not accept the WARID sim.

I called Apple support and they told me the phone was locked to Vodafone UK.

I have contacted the original seller, who still insists that it was bought factory unlocked direct from the Apple store and therefore has nothing to do with Vodafone UK.  He says i can send it back to him if i want....but I'm in Pakistan now - with that as my only handset !!  I need it to work.

What should i do - i really need your help - i am out 425pounds, as well as without a phone in one of the most dangerous countries in the world !! 

For your reference (or for you to check and see what the real story behind this phone is) - the IMEI# is (removed for security)

PLEASE PLEASE HELP ! ANYONE??

[AnnS]

Unless it has changed, Vodafone's policy is only the original iphone owner can request the unlock code.

I doubt that there would be anything you will be able to do until you are back in the UK and able to return the phone to the seller to get unlocked or provide a refund.

[le_bouch]

He may well have got it from an Apple store - that's where I got mine too. But I took out a Voda contract when I bought it, which subsidised the handset cost - hence mine was locked to Vodafone. I think you have been told a half-truth..

[shabazshah]

If that is the case, and the seller also did the same thing, then couldn't he, the original owner, contact either Vodafone (or Apple if need be) and request for the phone to be FACTORY UNLOCKED over the internet??

I can understand him claiming to have bought it direct from the Apple store, as you have explained - that is possible, but for him to describe the phone as Factory Unlocked, appears to be, as you say a 'half-truth' (outright lie more likely  )

Ann - Is it possible for you to check your records and see what the actual status of my phone is, to stop all the guesswork??

Thanks for your help guys - this is so upsetting....

[hades]

Was the box sealed?
Does the IMEI match the box?

A request to unlock the device can be put through on Vodafones website, once the NUC resolutions team pick this up they will either do it if it is one of their handsets and you are a customer (they may charge £19.99) or they may refuse to do it.

If you urgently need to use the device it is possible to jailbreak it and unlock the baseband BUT EVEN THOUGH THIS IS AN OPTION IT IS NOT RECOMMENDED AND WOULD VOID ANY WARRANTY.

[shabazshah]

The seller has agreed to scan and email me his proof of purchase from the Apple store - still insistent that he bought the phone FACTORY UNLOCKED, still insistent that he has no idea why the phone is locked to Vodafone.

Can any of the advisors on this forum (especially any of the Vodafone guys) please advise me how i should proceed?

The original seller has basically said that the best he can do is accept the phone back, but as I've explained in my previous posts, i can't send him the phone back until at least mid-August - by which time I'm sure he will shirk any responsibility.

Seems as if I'm left holding the baby, and I'm wondering what fault of mine is there? The phone was clearly described as Brand new in Box factory Unlocked bought direct from the Apple store, and i paid a lot of money for it.

Apple say its a Vodafone lock, Vodafone say the seller will have to pursue this, and the seller says - 'grab this receipt and do it yourself, cause I'm not interested in wasting my time with it'.....

Come on guys, i really need some positive help.....what should i do next?

[le_bouch]

Whilst it's unfortunate that this has happened, it does seem to me that the seller had done all he reasonably can by offering you a refund. After all, it's not HIS fault that you're in Pakistan now.

Why don't you Fedex it back to him for a refund? Open up a Dispute through eBay so that they monitor it for you - the phone is clearly not as described so you're well within your rights to pursue a claim with a full refund (via Paypal?)

[shabazshah]

Scout - thanks for your advice.

Its a little skewed to say " the seller had done all he reasonably can by offering you a refund. After all, it's not HIS fault that you're in Pakistan now" - because my location would've been irrelevant IF the seller had actually told the truth about the phone.  Had it been a genuine factory unlock, then I could've used it anywhere in the world with any Sim - as was the intended purpose.

I work as a consultant, so Pakistan for a couple of more weeks, Abu Dhabi next, and Spain in August....

The latest update is that he has scanned a receipt showing the iPhone was bought for 425pounds from the Apple Store.  I know that the Apple store currently sell Sim free iphone4 16Gb's for 625pounds - so silly and downright deceitful for the seller to claim the phone as Factory unlock - why the heck would he receive a 200pound discount???

So - back to square one - VODAFONE guys - you seem to be ignoring my plight.  Now that I have the proof of purchase, can you assist me in unlocking this phone over the Net ?? since the seller has only given me the one option of returning it to him - which at present is a non-option for me.

Once again - asking for help....

[le_bouch]

Agreed. If the seller lied then he needs to make amends - which is what he's offered to do, no?

Vodafone won't help because as you've already been told, only the original purchaser can request an unlock.

So, send it back to him or Jailbreak it.

[brendan002]

Jailbreaking and unlocking are very different things, it is highly doubtful that it can be unlocked unless it is on the original baseband of the first iphone 4s.

[Dave]

Hi shabazshah,

I can see the situation you've ended up in here and appreciate how awkward this is.

As has been mentioned, we generally do insist on the original owner contacting us for security. If you could arrange for him to do so with the request and IMEI, then that would certainly remove any blocks to getting this done.

Given the position you're in, however, I'm going to pop you an email to get your details - Some questions may be inappropriate here (like your Vodafone number/account number and PIN) but if you can include the IMEI of the handset and a copy of the receipt with the reply, we'll be able to use that to take a look and see if we can do anything to assist.

I can promise nothing more than we will take a look, but that at least will be a step forward from where you are at the moment.

Dave

eForum Team

[duckducky99]

re-insurt the SIM card