Unlocking a network from your mobile phone .....

mrs.chappie | 09:49 Fri 06th Aug 2010 | Technology

39 Answers

Morning all.

I am with T-Mobile but want to change to Asda Mobile. T-Mobile want to charge me fifteen quid for the network code, so ,,,, being a canny Yorkshire lass .... I had a look on t'internet to see if I could get it another way.

Well, I found a site that would give me it (allegedly) for £3.50. Only thing is, they have sent me an email this morning, saying they can't generate a code, and asked me to check the IMEI that I gave them. I did this, and I definitely gave them the correct one.

Do you think I have lost my £3.50, and should I cough up the fifteen quid to T-Mobile?

Thanks chums.x

texting abroad

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snags

Well, they haven't actually provided the service that they offered even though you gave them the correct IMEI so they should give you a refund.

Try ebay. I've used it before to purchase mobile unlock codes without problem. Or the phone stall at your local market.

mrs.chappie

Question Author

Thanks very much snags. I've had an email saying they will manually create a code. Don't know anything about this sort of thing, so perhaps I am being prematurely pessimistic and they might come back with a usable code. My instincts are telling me I should have opted for the easy route and got someone else to do it (I'm not good at technology).

Anyhoo .... I am away to see what's on eBay. Thanks for advice. x

snags

Re: ebay. Aparently, due to ebay selling rules, some of the unlock auctions state that thay have to 'post' you the code after payment has been made. However, whenever I've used one of these services, they email it to you on the sly!

And use PayPal if you have it for buyer protection.

deggers316

i understood that if you've been with a mobile company for over 1 year they should supply you with an unlocked code free .Vodafone did for me

mrs.chappie

Question Author

I have a pay as you go, not on a contract. Don't know if that makes a difference, deggers. T-Mobile did offer an incentive for me to stay with them, but I don't use the mobile very much - so I declined it.

deggers316

ive always been pay and go
didn't make any difference with Vodafone so long as id been with them over a year and had spent around £25 in top ups (that was 6 years ago )

mrs.chappie

Question Author

I've been with T-Mobile for many years, in fact since I first got a mobile, but I changed my handset a few months ago. They said that the cost of the handset was subsidised by them - (it was only a tenner) therefore there would be a charge to pay to them if they lose my business. [:o(

I can sort of see where they are coming from, but it's a bit mean because they have had well over five years of top-ups from me on my old phone. Not a huge amount of cash though, as I am a light user.

Wak

Have a look at the following site, it says that ASDA can unlock your phone for you but your network may charge you. Asda may have a bit more clout than yourself when dealing with other companies so maybe you could let Asda do it???

http://www.asdamobile.com/sim_pack.html

From a cannie Yorkshire lad.

mrs.chappie

Question Author

Hey, thanks Wak. Very kind of you to post that link.

I spoke to Asda yesterday though (before I posted here) and they told me that I'm linked to the T-Mobile network, and not just the handset linked. (I don't understand any of it ..... beginning to wish I'd never blinkin' bothered).

Anyhoo ..... I am still hoping the site I paid £3.50 to will come good with a code ...... you never know. [:o)

What part of Yorkshire are you from, lad?

jomifl

The cheap unlocking sites are a con but cheap enough that you won't bother to claim back your £3.50. The T mobile unlock works, at least it worked for me. Might be cheaper to by an unlocked phone, you can get them for £20.

mrs.chappie

Question Author

Thanks jomifl. I have thought about just scrapping the phone as it was only a tenner, but I want to keep my number. I've only ever had one mobile number and it's very easy to remember. (Don't know how old you are but do you remember a group called the 1910 Fruitgum Company? Yummy Yummy Yummy? I used to love that record - brings back nice memories, it does).

Anyhoo - 1910 is the start of my number, then the last two digits are the number of the house I spent my childhood living in. (I bet you're thinking I'm a silly old fool, aint ya?)

I am presuming that if I get a new handset and a new service provider, I will also get a new number? That's what I am trying to avoid.

looobylooo

hi mrs c,
that might be your best bet - just get yourself a nice reasonably priced new little phone.
i think, if i remember rightly, keeping your existing number and unlocking your phone are two seperate things.
when i left vodafone to go to asda (remember we spoke the other day when you posted about it?) they provided me with the PAC i needed to keep my number, and then later they provided the unlocking code (free of charge)
so if you can get a PAC code off t mobile, and get yourself a new little handset, say from asda or something, im sure youd be alright and youd be up and running before you know it.

looobylooo

''I am presuming that if I get a new handset and a new service provider, I will also get a new number? That's what I am trying to avoid''

yes, you will get a new number when you buy the asda sim card and put it in your new phone, but that will only be temporary, while you get your existing number sorted with the PAC code from t mobile.

what you do is:-
put your new asda sim card in the phone.
it will come with 25p of free credit on it for you.
ring asda with the PAC code and they will do the rest.
it took up to 48 hours for my number to transfer over.

the asda help line staff are all very helpful and friendly when you speak to them and theyll be more than happy and willing to help you with any questions you might have.

LeMarchand

Just doing this, going from T-Mobile to Virgin as the former wanted me to upgrade my plan to get the phone I wanted (even though I never use all my airtime) and I could get the phone from Virgin at pretty much the same tariff!

All you need to keep your number is the PAC code, which they should provide for free. However they require 30 days notice to cancel your contract (starts on request of the PAC code), so you may want to employ some canny timing.

You only need the unlock code if you want to keep the same phone and use a different SIM (even then, depending on the supplier, it may just work).

Needless to say, T-Mobile wanted to offer me a deal to keep my custom (I was with them when they were One2One!) AFTER I had sorted out my new contract...

mrs.chappie

Question Author

Thanks very much loooby and LeMarchand. x

I already have the PAC code, got it from T-Mobile a few days ago, so I might go in to Asda and see if there is someone on site to have a talk with about it. I don't have an Asda in my village but there's one just a few miles away.

Loooby, I saw the other night, you said you had created a throwaway email addy. Will you post it on here if you still have it .... I'd like to send you an email.

looobylooo

hi mrs c,
thats ok, youre most welcome, glad i mightve been of some help :o)
so now youve got your PAC code then, youre half way there!
hope you get it sorted ok, i think you will.

yeah sure, hes the email address - [email protected]
you want to send little ol ME an email?! .. cooooo! im intrigued ;o)

mrs.chappie

Question Author

Loooby - email on the way. [:o)

looobylooo