Huawei P20 Pro Unable to unlock

[MaryWarner94]

I purchased my phone over 2 years ago with a Vodafone Pay monthly contract. Once my two years were up in November, I purchased a smarty sim. (due to financial reasons I can not afford my current vodafone  pay monthly price.) I submitted a NuC on the 24th Nov. I was told after my contract end date on the 28th I can use my PAC and use my new sim once the phone has been unlocked. I was contacted on the 3rd Dec by vodafone via email advising they cannot unlock my phone, after discovering my phone was purchased from carphone warehouse (didn't even know this as it was two years ago, i can't even remember last month!)  As a result, as the PAC was not used (because the phone was not unlocked) Vodafone continued on my monthly payment (which I cannot afford as it was not budgeted for this month.) I've been told to contact carphone warehouse to unlock my phone. They do not offer this service and and said it's vodafone's responsibility to unlock my phone. Vodafone online advisors are practically unhelpful robots who won't help! I was advised to sort the unlocking out myself. I've now paid £25 (again, money I can't afford) to have a shop unlock my phone, only to be contacted today and be told my unlocking request has been rejected, when I asked what has happened they guy told me "sometimes it just happens, try and contact Huawei."  Huawei do not offer unlocking, and said it's Vodafone's responsibility. What do I do? This is just going around in circles😑 

[AnnS · Accepted solution]

Hi @MaryWarner94 

Carphone purchase phones as unlocked, and haven't sold locked phones for years.  If you have purchased an Huawei phone from Carphone it will already be unlocked and you will be able to use any SIM in the phone.

If you are unable to use a Smarty SIM in the phone this will be due to a problem with the SIM, it may just not be activated and you will need to speak to Smarty Customer Services.  Smarty is a MVNO virtual operator that runs on the 3 network and you will also need the correct APN data settings for Smarty.

[MaryWarner94]

hello, thank you for replying. Hmmm, strange, vodafone has been saying my phone IS locked to vodafone, but they won't unlock as it was purchased from carphone warehouse. Carphone warehouse did not mention to me that the phones are unlocked when purchased. They just said if i bought it with vodafone contract it's locked to vodafone, and they are the ones to unlock it!!!

[MaryWarner94]

thank you, I tried again and now it works. I'm astonished both Carphone warehouse and Vodafone were both trying to point the finger at one another.  If carphone warehouse informed me the phone was unlocked from the beginning, I could used my PAC straight away, ensuring i didn't spend another £40.00. Thanks for your help

[BandOfBrothers]

You would need to use your Pac within 30 days of Vodafone issuing it to you by giving it to your new network. After 30 days you'd need a new Pac.

Until you do this your contract would continue on a 30 day rolling contract @MaryWarner94 

What happens when you insert your new sim card in your phone assuming your new sim card has been activated by your network  ?

[MaryWarner94]

Hello, yes i understand. I cannot use the PAC as my phone is not unlocked so I can't put a sim from another carrier in. If I try and put the smarty sim in, I get an x by my signal bars and a message emergency calls only.