phones unlocked from Carphone Warehouse? (esp new HTC Desire S?)

SpiceLMF

Hey All,

So unfortunately my old iPhone disappeared out of thin air on Easter Sunday and after a good few days of thinking it would turn up, I've decided to buy a new phone.

I was looking into buying the new HTC Desire S but I need it unlocked as I'm going to be going home to New York for the summer and will want to use my US sim. I'm also trying to avoid a contract if possible. So I read all over that Carphone Warehouse's phones are often sold unlocked - even their UK site says a lot of their phones are unlocked (http://selfhelp.carphonewarehouse.com/SelfHelp/request.do?view()=c{298975a0-1faa-11df-4872-f20203001e3d})

When I went into Carphone Warehouse to buy one and asked if it was unlocked they said no they weren't, when I mentioned their website said a lot of phones they sell are unlocked the girl got flustered and said "well it's hit or miss whether you get an unlocked one, so I can't really say for sure." I asked to see the phone and the packaging/phone had no carrier branding as far as I could see. Then when I said I wanted to get it as pay as you go she said "oh then it will definitely be locked" I asked her if the phone I was looking at would be what I'd get on pay as you go and she said yeah (not sure if she knew what I was getting at though). I have a feeling they are unlocked but don't want to say - I just don't want to shell out the cash and not be able to get it unlocked if it is.

To make a long story short, what has been everyone's experiences with buying phones from CPW, unlocked? Have you gotten a payg phone factory unlocked? Anyone bought a Desire S that was unlocked?

SpiceLMF

No responses and I couldn't bear to wait till wed or even later for a phone so I took a chance.

Went to Carphone Warehouse, they had no O2 prepay Desire S so I asked about the Vodafone ones. Again they said it would be locked but the handset would be slightly cheaper if I wanted to port my number over to vodafone. No problem with that, so I did the deed, bought the phone and switched to Vodafone.

Went ahead and started it up and there's a big Vodafone logo on start up, my heart sank a bit as I thought for sure it would be locked as it is in fact branded. Taking a chance, I popped a meteor sim in and sure enough it worked perfectly! Woot woot. I may have just gotten lucky but worked out in the end, if anyone else is in the situation it may be worth a gamble.

rannerap

I work in the same place, the girl is right, its hit or miss if its unlocked, and you cant put a sim in to check before you buy it as it then deem sthe handset un sellable, when a new phone comes out some of the initial hansets are unlocked,but the longer a phone is out the less likely it is, especially with prepay

SpiceLMF

Thanks for the official word on that, wasn't sure if you're just not supposed to say they're unlocked when they are or if it really is hit or miss.

Guess I did get lucky then