Meteor won't unlock my phone!

Elphaba

Hi all,
If this has happened to anyone else can you please let me know how you found a way out of it?

I am with Meteor and when I got a new phone as a Christmas present I just put my sim into it and it worked. Now I want to change networks but the phone is locked to Meteor. I rang them and asked could they unlock it. First they said yes they'd send the code in 3-5 days. When it didn't arrive I phoned to be told I hadn't registered the phone when I started using it (it was a pressie and I didn't know I had to) so I would have to spend 130 euro on credit and then they'd unlock it. So I went and spent 130 on credit. Then they said they couldnt unlock it cos I never registered it. I'm going around in circles and each person I speak to in Meteor sounds more stupid than the last person. I went into a Vodafone shop to ask them for advice and the guy in there said Meteor cant do that and they have to unlock it for me. So he rang them and gave them an earful down the phone. They told him they'd send out the unlock code in 3-5 days. It hadn't arrived and when I rang today I'm back to the very start again with someone telling me they can't unlock the phone cos I never registered it! AARRRGGGHHH!!!!

Apologies for the rant but I'd rally appreciate it if anyone could give me some advice on this. I want to switch to Vodafone and keep my number.
Thanks
Elphaba

jimmycrackcorm

Maybe you should register the phone?

Sam Vimes

what type of phone is it?

and as jimmy says, register the phone

Halfdog

I have seen the travellers unlocking phones at markets, they normally do it for about E10.

board om

you have to register the phone, then use €130 worth of credit in it. once you have done that then Meteor will unlock it. whats the problem? they told you this and you still havent rgistered it. so just register it.

Corruptedmorals

Do it yourself, online.

Tails142

fm mobiles on camden street unlock phones for about a tenner I think

Saint_Mel

Or, if you tell them you are going abroad and need to get it unlocked to use a sim then they should unlock it.

Doctor DooM

jimmycrackcorm wrote: »

Maybe you should register the phone?

Sam Vimes wrote: »

what type of phone is it?

and as jimmy says, register the phone

Register the phone, And its game over.

Vain

Saint_Mel wrote: »

Or, if you tell them you are going abroad and need to get it unlocked to use a sim then they should unlock it.

This works some times too

ash_18x

as some others have said already go online and get the unlocking code, some sites only do nokias www.unlockme.co.uk , but there is a site http://www.unlockexperts.co.uk/ they charge £8 and will unlock most phones i am sure, you will get the code within 24 hours, got the code for my dads phone off them as vodafone wouldnt unlock his phone as he hadnt spent enough credit. i think its crazy really, it was his phone if he wanted to change networks thats up to him, cant see why they wouldnt unlock it for him, he had it over a year.

jayhaitch2

If the phone isn't registered, how are they supposed to know where to send the unlocking code.

Its not brain surgery. Help them help you.

the_syco

ash_18x wrote: »

i think its crazy really, it was his phone if he wanted to change networks thats up to him, cant see why they wouldnt unlock it for him, he had it over a year.

Actually, did you dad get the phone cheaper with them, as opposed to paying the full price for a sim-free phone? IE: did he get the phone for €20 if he was a bill pating customer, as opposed to paying €300 to €400 for a sim-free model? The way they make money by selling you a cheap phone is by getting you to buy credit. In the long term, they make money, and in the short term, you'd save money.

board om

the_syco wrote: »

Actually, did you dad get the phone cheaper with them, as opposed to paying the full price for a sim-free phone? IE: did he get the phone for €20 if he was a bill pating customer, as opposed to paying €300 to €400 for a sim-free model? The way they make money by selling you a cheap phone is by getting you to buy credit. In the long term, they make money, and in the short term, you'd save money.

that is spot on. basicaly as syco said Meteor have subsidised the price of the phone. for them to make that money back they need you to spend X amount on credit or on yoru phone bill. if you buy the phone and then unlock it the enxt day without ever using their network they are losing money. if you want an unlocked phone then buy one sim free, but it will cost you a few hundred euro more.

ash_18x

the_syco wrote: »

Actually, did you dad get the phone cheaper with them, as opposed to paying the full price for a sim-free phone? IE: did he get the phone for €20 if he was a bill pating customer, as opposed to paying €300 to €400 for a sim-free model? The way they make money by selling you a cheap phone is by getting you to buy credit. In the long term, they make money, and in the short term, you'd save money.

nope, it was a ready to go phone, i was just giving him a new meteor sim card with credit on it so he was going to change over! when you look for the unlock code they usually give it to you over the phone so you dont need to be registered so they will have somewhere to send it! also if you do it online they will send it to an email address!

Doctor DooM

ash_18x wrote: »

nope, it was a ready to go phone, i was just giving him a new meteor sim card with credit on it so he was going to change over! when you look for the unlock code they usually give it to you over the phone so you dont need to be registered so they will have somewhere to send it! also if you do it online they will send it to an email address!

I don't know where you got this from but from past dealings with meteor it is completely untrue. You need to be regged with them and have spent the needed amount to make up their subsidy on the phone.

board om

ash_18x wrote: »

nope, it was a ready to go phone, i was just giving him a new meteor sim card with credit on it so he was going to change over! when you look for the unlock code they usually give it to you over the phone so you dont need to be registered so they will have somewhere to send it! also if you do it online they will send it to an email address!

you need to have it registered becuase they need to be sure that Joe Bloggs had put X amount of credit in over X amount of time before they give out the unlock code. as said before, Meteor are bascially subsidising the price of your phone so you are getting it at a discounted rate for using thier network. they need to know that a certain amount of credit was spent on their network so as to justify unlocking the phone. they will only take into account credit that has been bought since the phone has been registered. so if you havent registered the phone, you could spend €10,000 on credit and it wouldnt matter because the phone isnt registered. but once it is registered you spend X amount and they will unlock it.

veryangryman

I got mine unlocked yesterday from O2. The woman asked me if id spent over €150 on credit. I said yeah (lie - more like €0) and she gave me the code

Maybe it depends who answers the phone.

My advice? Ring again. And again if necessary