I entered NUC incorrectly, now I can't use another SIM

[Bassbaboon]

Hi. I'm on holiday in Australia with my UK contract S7 phone. I bought an Australian Vodafone PAYG SIM to use in it. I got the NUC from completing the online form but I entered it wrong three or four times. Now I can't get another NUC.
How can I unlock my phone to use the Australian SIM?

Many thanks

[BandOfBrothers · Accepted solution]

Hi

Which phone are you using?

I ask because Vodafone .uk cannot guarantee an unlocking code will work outside the UK. You may not be inputting the Code wrong but instead won't work outside the UK. 

The exception being an iPhone as it unlocks via iTunes and not an actual unlock code. 

If the unlocking code won't work then your options as I see them are ...

1. Buy a cheap phone from that country to use the local sim card in. 
2. Have it unlocked via a shop in that country so it accepts all sim cards but I must advise personally I wouldn't as force unlocking can rarely cause issues with the phone itself. 

[Bassbaboon]

Hi. Thanks for a quick reply! It's a Samsung S7 edge SM-G935F. Cheers

[BandOfBrothers]

You're welcome.  

If this was my situation then I'd pack the phone away and use a cheap put me on phone from that country. 

Arrange to unlock it on my return. 

Is there an issue with using your Vodafone sim card where you are with wanting to use a local sim card in the phone. 

[Amanda]

Hi @Bassbaboon

Unfortunately @BandOfBrothers is right, we cannot guarantee that a Network Unlock Code will work whilst you're outside of the UK.

If you'd like us to double check the code, please come and speak to us on Live Chat. 

Thanks, 

[Bassbaboon]

Hi Amanda

I've spent a couple of hours on chat to both UK and Australia Vodafone. Each one said it wasn't their problem and referred me to each other. Very frustrating doesn't even describe it!

I was told to email nucresolutions at help dot vodafone.co.uk 'who are a team of specialists who could help me.' I wrote them a very long email describing my problem in great detail. I just got an automated reply telling me how to get a NUC. Absolutely useless.

The greatest help has been this forum, and the replies to me have been very helpful. 

Many thanks again

[BandOfBrothers]

Just to note although they both share the Vodafone name they are not connected networks. 

[Amanda]

Hi @Bassbaboon

My apologies about this. It is us (Vodafone UK) that need to help with this, not Vodafone Australia as the phone was provided by us. 

Please follow the steps that I've sent to you in a private message, to get in touch.

Thanks, 

[donnyguy]

I'm a little confused as to why we're making an issue of the geographic location of the end user when they're entering a network unlocking code.

A network unlocking code is unique to the handset and is generated using the IMEI code. 

The end user then gets an email with the code in telling them what key presses they need to follow to remove this lock.

The exception to this is iPhones which are unlocked with no action required by the user. 

The issue seems to be here that the original poster has entered the code incorrectly. There may only be a certain number of tries allowed before the phone locks forever (I remember this being the case back in the day with my Nokias).

Good luck though, hope this gets resolved!

[Bassbaboon]

Hi. My UK phone still works with my UK SIM, but not the Aussie one. My wife's Samsung S6 works fine with the Aussie SIM because I put the correct NUC in first time.
What I can't understand is why Vodafone UK is telling me to put a non Vodafone SIM into my UK before I can enter my NUC code to unlock non UK networks???