Vodafone opening and closing screens

[LincsP]

I bought a new, unlocked HTC One Mini 2 six months ago and now wish to sell it.  I understood that when I bough my phone that it was unlocked, but now that I have reset the phone to its factory settings a Vodafone screen appears on opening and shut down.  I do not appear able to remove the Vodafone logos and I am concerned that I will be unable to sell the phone as an unlocked phone.  I do not know when or how the Vodafone screens arrived.

I have been in touch with HTC and given them my IMEI number.  HTC tells me that this is a 'Vodafone phone', which is news to me.  Before I do battle with the company that sold me the phone, is there any easy way of removing the Vodafone screens, please?

I remain a Vodafone customer; my SIM card is simply in another new phone

[BandOfBrothers]

Hi

The splash screens means it's a Vodafone branded phone with their version of the firmware on the phone. Google about DeBranding.

Where did you buy the phone from ?

The phone is unlocked if it accepts another non Vodafone Sim Card.

[LincsP]

Thank you - your reply was most informative.  I purchased the phone through a well-known, seemingly-reputable internet mail order company.  I shall now bring this point about possible mis-selling to the company's attention.

[BandOfBrothers]

You're Welcome.

I wish you well.

😎

[hrym]

I may be wrong about this, but I think Vodafone brands all phones it sells, but that that doesn't necessarily mean they're network-locked. Your best bet is to go into a rival network's shop, say you're thinking of moving over and do they have a SIM you can try? If they demur, either try a different network or buy a PAYG SIM and see if that prompts for an unlock code.

If it does, you can take on the seller. If I've read your post correctly, though, it does sound as though the device may have been rather poorly de-branded originally.

[jeffkinn]

I would imagine that the phone was unlocked unoffically in some way and flashed with an unofficial rom. The factory reset wiped the unoffical unlock and rom and has restored the original Vodafone software complete with spalsh screens.

You definintely have a case with the seller as this isn't right.

[LincsP]

Thank you for your helpful comments.

Whilst not pretending to understand the technicalities of what you describe, it does seem a plausible explanation.

I am now incensed about apparently being sold an expensive (to me) phone under seemingly false pretences.

Regards ...

[drey_p]

I think, as others have suggested, that it would be a good idea to just check to see if it is actually unlocked.  Pop another network's SIM card into the device and if that works, you know it is unlocked.

[LincsP]

I appreciate your useful comments.

I bought the phone on the clear understanding that it was an unlocked phone and not linked in any way to any particular carrier.  

Vodafone was not the seller. 

Your comment about de-branding is particulary interesting.  Thank you.

[63johnw]

Hi, have you tried another network sim in the phone yet as mentioned above, if they work then the phone is unlocked. I have had Vodafone phones in the past that were unlocked but still had Vodafone splash screens.