Zero Response from Vodafone for a NUC after 3 Attempts!

[Efkay]

My brother gave me his former PAYG Vodafone phone, but despite his assurances that the Newbury branch said the phone was unlocked, it isn't. I have tried 3 times to obtain a NUC, none of which has been successful

The chat service is non-functioning, I can't phone Vodafone from the phone as it is locked so I'm looking for anyone who can help me get this phone to operate with my PAYG provider, Tesco.

[BandOfBrothers]

The Vodafone Social Media Team's via Contact-us-for-account-specific-queries should be able to help the account holder @Efkay 

Ask the account holder to persevere with the unlock request.

Phones such as an iPhone don't unlock via a Nuc but are instead unlocked by Apple after Vodafone requests it and can take from a few days up to 30 days. Hooking upto iTunes can help complete the process.

Unfortunately there is no account access assistance via this forum.

Two other options are…

1. Pick up a Vodafone Payg sim card and use that in the phone for 30 days making calls etc and then use the new Vodafone Payg account details to request it's unlock.

2. Use a reputable unlocking phone Highstreet Store or Online Site. However they would charge for the unlock.

[AnnS]

Hi @Efkay 

A store would have been unable to let a customer know if a phone had been unlocked.

Your Brother would have needed to complete this form Unlock your phone  with his PAYG number, he would then have received a response from Vodafone and received the unlock code within 30 days.  In the phone was an iphone the unlock would have been processed with Apple and all that would have been needed would be to insert the alternative SIM in the phone to complete the unlocking process.

Please be aware some Samsung phone also need an MSK master code to bring up the unlock menu before using the supplied code.  If you mention the phone you are wanting to unlock the forum can help further.

[Efkay]

Thankfully the phone my brother gave me is not an iPhone.

As the process for obtaining a NUC is FREE, I'm certainly not going to pay for a SIM card to evoke a FREE service!

The point of passing on an old phone is to keep it out of landfill - surely that is something that even Vodafone can't disagree with.

[Efkay]

The phone in question is a Vodafone Smart N8 (VFD 610) .

Like most of us when wanting to implement an upgrade or change network provider, we simply consign the old model to a drawer with little thought as to its future.

When my own phone gave up the ghost my brother stepped into the breach and said, 'I've a spare phone you can have!' - and so the saga began.  On the basis that he should have completed the NUC request, where do I go from here?  Can I for example get him to complete the form but with my email address on it?

[AnnS]

Hi @Efkay 

For Vodafone phone you need to type *#7525*01# this will prompt you to enter the unlock code supplied by Vodafone.  Vodafone phones are simple to unlock with just the one lock.

As far as you completing the form, this has to be done with your Brothers PAYG number and his information, if you have completed the form with your details and email address without using a PAYG SIM and mobile number in the phone for 30 days duration this could well be where there is the problem.

[Efkay]

Following on from your reply AnnS I sent another NUC request using my brother's current mobile number and entering his email address.  This time he has received an email response - however, it says "Unfortunately, we can’t do this at the moment because your request has not met all of the required criteria."

On the basis that the non-responsive aspect of this NUC request was as a direct result of thinking I had to complete the details as the 'new owner' - is it likely that the three earlier requests (from me) plus the one that did elicit a response - has given rise to:  "failing to met the criteria:   An NUC hasn’t been requested for the device more than 3 times in the last 12 months".  

If that is the likely scenario, how can this refusal be overcome?  There is clearly no way this can be explained to anyone on the "Vodafone Unlocking Team.

[Efkay]

Despite a follow-up posting it failed to ellicit any response, so I decided to pay for an unlock code from a third party, which has been 100% successful.

The only consolation in this entire saga is the fact that from next December Vodafone and other mobile phone providers in the UK will be forced to supply unlocked phones to consumers.

In the meantime should anyone want a recommendation for a third party nuc provider, try doctorsim.com! They even reply to emails faster than Vodafone!!