SIM not supported…..

[chrissieg999]

i phone7plus originally purchased in UK from Carphone Warehouse on a Vodafone contract.

Contract ended 2019, paid up no outstanding bills.

Have put a Spanish SIM in the phone and get this message:

“The SIM that you currently have inserted in this iPhone is from a service provider that is not supported under the activation policy that is currently assigned by the activation server. This is not a hardware issue with the iPhone. Please insert another SIM from a supported service provider or request that this iPhone be unlocked by your service provider. Please contact Apple for more information.“

Contacted Vodafone on online chat,  they have confirmed it’s not locked to them (I have a full transcript of the conversation) and that CPW need to unlock it. CPW are saying it’s locked to Vodafone

Apple say need to contact previous carrier …. stalemate

someone is telling porkies 

What next?🤷🏼‍♀️

[BandOfBrothers]

Inserting the Spanish sim card shouldn't be an issue as Apple have stopped locking Network supplied iPhones a long time ago.

It should accept any sim card whether a UK or foreign one.

Vodafone have no control whatsoever over the phone's software as Apple don't allow it.

I'm left wondering if this is the Spanish Sim card !

Can you try a different one.

Apart from that only Apple can assist is my belief @chrissieg999 

If I can be of any further help then please don't hesitate. Take care.  😎 

[chrissieg999]

Thank you 

I’ve tried another sim- same issue 🥴

Any idea how to get an actual person to help at Apple? 
I’ve posted on their forums and was told it’s a Vodafone issue 😩

[AnnS]

Networks didn't officially stop locking phones until the end of 2021 @chrissieg999 , the iphone 7 plus was released 2016 and your contract ended 2019.

It sounds like the phone locked to the first SIM inserted in the phone, in this case Vodafone UK and will need to be unlocked.

Complete and submit this form Get an unlocked code 

The phone may be able to be unlocked against your cancelled pay monthly account, but to be on the safe side, get yourself a Vodafone PAYG SIM use it in the phone on the local UK network for 30 days and compete as PAYG.  If you use the forum search facility at the top of the page you will notice there is no code as such for an iphone, when Apple have processed the unlocked, you complete the process by inserting an alternative network SIM in the phone or by synchronising to your Apple account.

Unfortunately, this does mean you would be unable to use your Spanish SIM until Apple have processed the unlocking.

[chrissieg999]

Thanks for taking the time to reply😊

Vodafone have insisted the phone isn’t locked to them. I have a full transcript of the chat- they referred me to CFW which is obviously a waste of time as they don’t block phones and have said as much in their correspondence when I’ve raised it with them. 

Trying to get hold of an actual person at Vodafone to raise it with them again to no avail 🙄 

So, yes, I will probably have to go with your suggestion for the 30 day sim thing- not easy using it in UK for 30 days when  living abroad but I can send it home with visitors to do it  😉

thanks again  

[Beth]

Hi @chrissieg999! To add onto @AnnS's message above, I would recommend filling out the form again anyway, as it would save you needing to send the phone back to the UK. You'll need to select the No option when it asks if you're trying to unlock an Apple device to get to the form itself, but you're able to select Apple as the manufacturer from the drop down in the form itself. This way we can triple check it's not locked to us with you having bought it so long ago 🙂

[chrissieg999]

Hi Beth

Thanks  for your input 

the very first question on the form link asks where you got your phone . If you answer not from Vodafone it wont let you complete the rest of the form. 
If you say you did get it from VF and carry on with the form the response says it’s unauthorised 🤷🏼‍♀️

[Mark · Accepted solution]

If you're still unable to request a NUC using the form @chrissieg999, please pop us a DM via one of our social channels and we'll be able to look into this for you. 

[chrissieg999]

Hi Mark

Thanks for your input 

I was on “chats “ for about 3.5hrs yesterday with 3 different people including a “tech expert” whose first suggestion was to fill the form in or ask CPW to unlock it 🙄

I’m told the illusive form has been completed on my behalf and I should probably have a resolution in 10 working days….. so let’s see what happens 🤷🏼‍♀️

While each person was eventually helpful it took a lot of persistence to get them to actually read the file notes instead of trying to fob me off by either sending me links for “the form “ or tell me that CPW have to unlock it 🙄

I have also sent proof of purchase from CPW……

After almost 3 months this has become a bit of a mission. Let’s watch this space   

[chrissieg999]

@Mark @Beth 

After months and months of emails to Vodafone and Carphone Warehouse and hours of chat boxes with VF my phone has finally been unlocked.

Thanks for any input you may have had. 🫶🏻

I honestly don’t understand why so many VF representatives insist on sending customers back to CPW to get this done when CPW clearly can’t do anything 🙄