I'm afraid you have been given a mixed up message. If you purchase a new iPhone through a 3rd party, such as CarphoneWarehouse, and want to unlock it, they will need to provide Vodafone with the details of the handset directly. Vodafone will not longer accept proof of purchase from the owner - they want it directly from the retailer.
If you are trying to unlock a second hand phone, you have to provide the IMEI number on the NUC form. If you don't provide the matching account details, Vodafone will not unlock the handset. This means that anyone who purchases a second hand device has to go back to the original owner who has to complete the NUC request form with their details.
If you do a search, you will see that there are hundreds of threads about unlocking a second hand phone. There are people who have used the phone for over a year after buying it second hand who still cannot get it unlocked because the unlock request gets rejected as the details don't match. The answer is always, the same, the original own has to request the unlock.
You will also find that I am quite familiar with Vodafone's unlocking policy and who can / cannot unlock a phone. You will also find that the information I have given is quite correct. Take a look here where a member of the eForum Team confirms "We'll only be able to unlock the handset if you're the original owner and the IMEI matches our records."
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