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Incorrectly Blacklisted iPhone 6

Dunney
2: Seeker
2: Seeker
On Monday 1st February my iPhone 6 which I purchased from the Apple Store a year ago which has only ever had a Three SIM card inserted, stopped working saying No Service.

After trying every possible fix I could find online, speaking to my network provider (Three Network) and Apple and also getting a new nano SIM card, I have been told by Apple that my phone has been locked to Vodafone.

So I ring Vodafone to and explain my strange issue that this phone has never had anything to do with the Vodafone network so why has it been locked to it. They asked me to fill out the NUC form online which I done. Then I get an email saying it cannot be unlocked because the phone has been blacklisted as it has been reported lost or stolen.

This is completely incorrect so I rang Vodafone technical department and got through to a not very helpful lady who said I need to visit my local store. Which I did, and as I thought they couldn't do anything but gave me a number to call where I got through to a helpful gentleman who confirmed that it was in fact Vodafone who blacklisted my iPhone.

So now I know it's Vodafone who have blacklisted the iPhone I need this taken off the blacklist as I am the owner of the phone and always have been. The phone has never been tied to Vodafone and was brand new from the Apple Store a year ago and has only had a three SIM card inside it.

I have been on the phone for a total of about 5 hours and had to visit my local town twice in a day to even get to this stage. It is effecting my livelihood as I am unable to make or receive calls or texts, all because Vodafone have incorrectly blacklisted an iPhone that should have nothing to do with their network.

Please please please could somebody look into this for me as I am at a complete loss of how to get this fixed so I can start using my iPhone on the Three network like I have been happily doing for the last year.

Kind Regards
17 REPLIES 17

AnnS
17: Community Champion
17: Community Champion

Hello @Dunney

 

Welcome to the Vodafone Community.

 

Blacklisting is done on a national computer which is shared by all networks.

 

You need to take this up with your service provider, ask them to find the reason for the blacklisting and find the reason for the error.

 

If three has asked for the phone to be blacklisted, it could be that three have entered an incorrect IMEI which has resulted in the blacklisting error.

 

Vodafone won't be able to do anything to help.  There is not even an account to verify.

63johnw
17: Community Champion
17: Community Champion
Hi, doesn't help with your main problem but can you not buy/ borrow a cheap phone and use a sim adaptor to put your sim in then at least you have a phone ?

BandOfBrothers
17: Community Champion
17: Community Champion

Hi @Dunney

 

 

What an awful situation to be in and I think because it's a unique situation that does not come up frequently some of the Vodafone Agents will be I assume a little unsure on how to proceed. 

 

I assume Apple have advised they are unable to resolve this. They should be able to see you purchased the phone from them as sim free which means no network has the authority to lock it out. That should trigger some assistance from them. 

 

I would suggest speaking to Customer service at Vodafone again and ask for 2nd tier support and ask them for the specific NUC email address for unlocking. You can then start direct contact with that department. They should be able to either help or engage with the correct department that's applied the IMEI lockout 

 

There is also the Customer Relations team which you can write to via the correspondence address at the foot of the forum page. Perhaps send as Recorded Delivery so you know that the letter has reached its destination. 

 

You can also ask for a Deadlock letter from Customer service and engage the Communications Omsbudsman who would engage with Vodafone to resolve this if it's within their remit. 

Current Phone  >

Samsung Galaxy s²⁴ Ultra 512gb.

 

 

Dunney
2: Seeker
2: Seeker
Hi all,

Thank you for the replies.

I have been told by Apple that the phone has been locked to Vodafone and have then been told by Vodafone that it was in fact they who blacklisted the phone.

Correct me if I'm wrong but if Vodafone have blacklisted my phone then they can take it off the blacklist. This is Vodafone's responsibility to fix.

AnnS
17: Community Champion
17: Community Champion

@Dunney

 

That is incorrect.

 

The National Computer blacklisting is shared amongst all networks.

 

Three are your provider and its more than likely, they entered the incorect IMEI to register the phone as blacklisted.

 

You are going to need to go back to Three and ask them to check the records.

 

There is nothing Vodafone will be able to do.  If you had been a Vodafone customer, the situation would be different.  

BandOfBrothers
17: Community Champion
17: Community Champion

If Vodafone have made an error and not 3 and applied an IMEI block by wrongly using the wrong IMEI number ie if they were trying to block a lost / stolen phone for one of their customers  then as they are the involved Network that has applied this then they do in my opinion need to lift it back off. 

 

This is something you'll need to establish with both Networks Customer service departments. 

Current Phone  >

Samsung Galaxy s²⁴ Ultra 512gb.

 

 

AnnS
17: Community Champion
17: Community Champion

This is nothing to do with Vodafone.  If the phone is IMEI blacklisted on the National Computer, it will be to all networks.

 

This needs to be referred back to Three, who have more than likely entered an incorrect IMEI.

 

If Three has taken more care, the phone would never have been blacklisted in the first place.

 

Dunney
2: Seeker
2: Seeker
Hi AnnS,

If three have put in the wrong IMEI then why would the iPhone be locked to Vodafone and why did Vodafone themselves say it was they who blacklisted it?

AnnS
17: Community Champion
17: Community Champion

@Dunney

 

I really can't answer that for you.

 

Hopefully, Three will be able to access your account, rectify the error made and remove the incorrect blacklisting.

 

Presumably, the phone has never been used with a Vodafone SIM.  It would be impossible for the phone to be locked to Vodafone, especially if the phone was purchased direct from Apple as unlocked.