vodafone protect app locked used device

[SirFinners]

Hi there,

So I recently went to a charity shop and purchased a Sony Xperia L phone that someone donated. When I got home and powered it on I discovered it was locked due to it "not being able to connect to the server" which is due to not having the original sim. It says to contact the owner: wethreepluscat(email) to return the device. Upon contacting them it apeared that their email had been canceled and therefor I could not get anything through. I thought the phone must be stolen but upon searching "wethreepluscat" on google found the owners twitter and eventually facebook where I saw a post of all the phones that were in the charity shop. I tried contacting the owner via facebook but they didn't reply.

I then thought I would take it into my own hands and try factory reseting the device and wiping the data. Unfortunately the vodafone protect software seems to have blocked the phone booting into flash mode and I could only get the phone into fastboot mode. Within fastboot mode I gave it commands to wipe the user data and reset the device but it wouldn't have any of it so now I've come to vodafone to see if you can help me take off the vodafone protect software/unlock the phone.

[AnnS]

Hi @SirFinners

Unless the have the original SIM which will be registered to the Vodafone Protect account, there wouldn't be anything which can be done to unlock the phone, thats the purpose of Vodafone protect.

A full reset might have solved the problem but you mention there are problems doing the reset.

Your only option will be to sell the phone on as spares.

[BandOfBrothers · Accepted solution]

Hi @SirFinners

I maybe way off the mark here but I'm wondering if the imei has been blocked by the network it was on which is sometimes applied to lost or stolen phones. 

It maybe worth using checkmend to double check its status. 

Im also wondering if a Hard Reset won't work then the possibility of rooting it and putting a custom rom on it. I must stress that it's important to do lots of homework on rooting and the pros and cons of doing so. 

[Retired-LouiseE]

Hi @SirFinners

I understand your frustration.

Have you tried the suggestions by @BandOfBrothers and @AnnS? 

If so, can you elaborate on what the outcome was?

Louise