Replacement Phone unlock - I hate Vodafone!

[smeghead3]

I bought a phone from Vodafone 11 months ago, after waiting 2 months for the device to arrive my impressions of Vodafone were bad so I unlocked the phone and swiftly moved to GiffGaff.

Unfortunately the device died recently so had to be returned to Sony to be repaired - they could not repair the phone so instead sent a replacement device. 

This is where my problems began - the phone was once again locked to Vodafone.  I tried to get a 3rd party to unlock the device but this failed because the IMEI was not found in the database.  I tried to get Sony to issue the unlock since they have not replaced the device with what I sent to them - they are unable to do this without Vodafone requesting it.

So I have spent the last few weeks trying to get Vodafone to issue a Network Unlock Code.  I do not think I should have to use a Vodafone sim in my phone for 30 days (there is a reason I left them 9 months ago), And I do not think I should pay £19.99 AGAIN to unlock the phone since it is not my fault that the device was faulty in the fiirst place.  I have had the usual thing of being transferred around chat, I have had people tell me I will not have to pay but I do need to contact the NUC Team - they just send the same standard response about using Vodafone for 30 days and paying the £19.99.  I have had Vodafone staff on calls just refuse to help and then hang up on me.  The service is quite frankly apalling, and without a lie they are the worst company I have ever had the misfortune of dealing with.

Any suggestions?

[GojuSuzi]

To be honest, the only way Vodafone will be able to do the unlock is with the standard 30 days and £20 method: since they never gave you the phone, they won't have it recorded on the network without that use anyway. Sony should be sorting it out, since they replaced an unlocked phone with a locked phone, and while they're probably right that they can't do the unlock on that one, they should be able to exchange it to one that's not locked.

[smeghead3]

I have supplied the NUC team with proof of the repair as they requested, surely they must have a contact at Sony that can tell them within seconds that the replacement was issued.

[BandOfBrothers]

This issue of an exchanged device is covered in the NUC FAQs 

Ignore  the parts about Apple.

"If the handset has been exchanged by Vodafone UK then we can still request that your phone is unlocked with Apple. If the handset is exchanged via Apple or another third party (e.g. insurance claim) you’ll need to contact the company that provided your replacement for either an unlocking code, or you can ask the third party to notify us of the new IMEI details. We’re only able to request handset unlocks for phones that have been sold by Vodafone UK or if we've received the new IMEI details from the third party."

[smeghead3]

That looks promising - Do you have a direct link to this on the Vodafone website so I can reference this with Sony?

[BandOfBrothers]

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@smeghead3 wrote:

That looks promising - Do you have a direct link to this on the Vodafone website so I can reference this with Sony?

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NUC FAQs