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EDIT: solved. go to the bottom.
Our very much the very favourite "SIM NETWORK PIN BLOCKED. ENTER SIM NETWORK PUK.
I have went through so much trouble I can't believe how incompetent vodafone customer help can be. If I had a very singular and bizarre issue, I'd get that. But it's all over your forums and internet!!! And I can't seem to see any possible solution!
Get ready for my long story:
1) Moved abroad. Discover my Samsung galaxy s8 has a simlock. Quite a shock in 21st century, but ok.
At this point, only two payments in the Pay Monthly plan left for me to pay - and according to your rules, after 6 months of paying for my device, it becomes mine and I have all the rights to the phone. This is important later on.
2) Perform all the smart looking steps to get my NUC online, discover nothing works.
3) Get 3 different PUK codes (?????) from online chat adviser. None of which worked for my phone (which doesn't make sense, it wasn't the sim that was locked but the phone!)
also on a side note- One of the consultants told me the unlock code I got on my email is not NUC code because its too short (8 digits) but I was not given anything else.
4) Learn there is a code to force the Network Lock which is #7465625*638*# . Still NUC doesn't work. Nor any of the mysterious PUKs.
5) Get told here on forums that my phone has to be PHYSICALLY IN THE UK and have another UK's provider card in to get this sorted. Quite a huge lie, I'm really disappointed and angry about this as I had to arrange sending my phone off, involving friends, getting my phone back and waste all this money on post just to discover nothing works. Wasted also time as this whole procedure slowed down my working on this issue by a month. I will be trying to get some of my money back from you with receipts, wish me good luck.
Link to my first thread https://forum.vodafone.co.uk/t5/Unlocking/Can-t-unlock-samsung-s8-android-from-vodafone-network-whil...
6) At this point, I tried all the combinations: all the PUKs and NUC with: my original vodafone card in, polish provider card in, UKs provider card in and while the phone was both in Poland and the UK.
7) While in the UK, my friend took my phone to Vodafone store where they did absolutely nothing beyond what I have already done and told her that it's an issue caused by the brand, samsung. They didn't run any tests, they didn't check anything, they just knew it from the air.
😎 When I got my phone back, I took it to certified samsung support shop where I had my phone thoroughly checked. They concluded this is an IMEI LOCK (just as if A PAYMENT WAS MISSING FOR THE PHONE OR IT WAS REPORTED STOLEN) But at this point - all my payments for the phone were completed.
9) I contacted the support again. on 16.10.19 I talked to someone (after being again redirected 3 times by poor chat consultants who had no idea what I wanted from them) who told me they raised my issue over to some mystical support team, this is a quotation from the chat transcript:
A*****a : I have raised with the team for you to get a master code and the team will connect you within next 10 working days and help you with the master code that will unlock the phone.
10) Why the toxicity in my post and calling the team mystical? Well, you can guess, no one ever reached out to me during those 10 days. Checked mail, checked spam box, checked everything - expected a call to be honest - nothing.
11) Wrote to a consultant yesterday again - to my shock, they claimed I have two IMEI's ! (my device was faulty when I got it, maybe it was replaced rather than fixed when I took it to the salon during first month of owning?) but they didn't explain this point any further nor they wanted to. After battling this person for hour and a half, who really wanted to help me but brought me almost to tears, they finally said they will raise the issue to that support team again.
N***h : Let me raise the request to the mconcerned team despite of having the code it is not working
N***h : The support team will be in touch with the customer by email within the next 10 working days.
This time I also made sure they passed over my correct details. They refused by all means to give me the email to that mystical team so I could contact them myself.
12) The issue is now even more complicated as, not knowing this is going to be such a hell, after I payed off my last bill to vodafone I switched to VOXI as all I need is keeping my number for banking stuff. And that additionally provides confusion when I'm talking with the consultants because apparently they see me as two different accounts in their database.
There you go, this is a whole story. I am still stuck with my legally bought, properly over-payed samsung brick. Please, pass me over on PM details to a help centre (or whatever I have seen you do for other people with this issue) as I really wish to have this sorted.
Margaret.
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NOW editing - after 4 months of fighting I was able to free my phone from vodafone. I have not tried any alternate method of unlocking - I mean those offered by 3rd party phone shops - as I managed to get it through vodafone.
Basically, what you want to do is nag the master code team all-the-time. No advisor will sent you to them. Most chat advisors have no clue what you want from them and they will just proceed to waste your time. You have to ask for the master code specifically yourself and never let them detour you from the idea - and they will try to "help you", just to conclude they can't.
So in short, it went like that:
Month 1+2- Wrote this whole post, already so much of my time and money wasted by being mislead by forum mods, facebook mods and chat advisors. Eventually I stumbled across the "master code" code word which I had to specifically ask for. Noone told me about it from all these customer services.
Month 3- 3 attempts to contact "master code team". Receive one "we are looking into this" message after 30 days of first contact.
Month 4-5 - second confirmation of the team working on my issue. And after 4 months total of this charade, got my code and phone back.
So
Don't let them make you send the phone overseas to UK! Idiotic lies.
Your phone can be whenever and have a whatever card in it, as long as the first message I cited pops up. So this forum mods are guilty of wasting over a month of my time by making me send the phone to UK, buy a Three card and trying to solve it while putting it in, and getting my phone back. Wish me good luck with my refund for that.
Don't expect that one form filled by chat/facebook advisor will help. Keep asking to send more.
What you will receive, will be a code that serves as the "PUK" code, and after you put that in, you need also your NUC that you put in as second.
I hope my thread will help others who are in a tough knot caused by vodafone. Cheers.
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Hi @maggie8magpie I'm disappointed to see you've had this kind of experience trying to unlock your phone. As you've been advised, your phone will need to be in the UK with a non Vodafone SIM when you insert your NUC. I can see you've done this and you need the Master code, you've mentioned this was requested this on the 16 October and you were advised that this can take 10 working days. If you've not received a response by the 30 October, pop us a private message through Facebook or Twitter with your full name, mobile number and a link to this post and we'll be happy to look into this for you.
Hey @Soarealyna 👋 I'm sure we'll be able help get your phone unlocked. As we'll need access to your account to do this, pop us a private message on Faceboook or Twitter with your full name, mobile number and any NUC's you've already received and we'll take a look 👀
