Apple support is a joke!

naasrd

gettafeck wrote: »

I requested an unlock code which they sent to me.

This can't be true. Unlock codes are not "sent", infact I doubt there are even "codes". All iPhone are unlocked via iTunes.

Eugene Norman

gettafeck wrote: »

I didn't actually as it is not in my nature unless people dont do the job they are paid to do. If you took the time to read my complete post I gave the reason that Apple emailed to me. That was the full content. Nothing more.
Quote
We regret that we are unable to reactivate this repair using the provided POP. Apple previously denied the Express Replacement service request for this customer. Discrepancies were found in previous customer returned products and/or Proof of Purchase.
Unquote
You are very defensive about Apple. I am guessing there is a connection as I do not sense any impartiality.

Apple keep getting the best reviews in the business for their support. Looks like they think you are pulling a fast one.

Eugene Norman

naasrd wrote: »

This can't be true. Unlock codes are not "sent", infact I doubt there are even "codes". All iPhone are unlocked via iTunes.

There's a sim unlock. It's odd that three would say "talk to Apple" though.

whiterebel

Eugene Norman wrote: »

There's a sim unlock. It's odd that three would say "talk to Apple" though.

That is how iPhones are sim unlocked.

Eugene Norman

whiterebel wrote: »

That is how iPhones are sim unlocked.

Taking to Apple? No.

whiterebel

Eugene Norman wrote: »

Taking to Apple? No.

Sorry, you've lost me completely now.

guil

Eugene Norman wrote: »

There's a sim unlock. It's odd that three would say "talk to Apple" though.

Do you know how the sim unlock is done?

Eugene Norman

guil wrote: »

Do you know how the sim unlock is done?

Yes. Nothing to do with the manufacturer.

I suppose the question is do you know what a sim unlock is?

Eugene Norman

whiterebel wrote: »

Sorry, you've lost me completely now.

Really. Sim unlocks are done by carriers. Apple has other locks on the device not related to sims.

whiterebel

Eugene Norman wrote: »

Really. Sim unlocks are done by carriers. Apple has other locks on the device not related to sims.

Phew, I thought for a minute I was confused, but it turns out its you.
The carrier requests the sim unlock from Apple. Apple send the unlock to the phone via iTunes.
I'd imagine Guil will be along in a while to ask you if you know what a sim unlock is.

Tipsy McSwagger

whiterebel wrote: »

Phew, I thought for a minute I was confused, but it turns out its you.
The carrier requests the sim unlock from Apple. Apple send the unlock to the phone via iTunes.
I'd imagine Guil will be along in a while to ask you if you know what a sim unlock is.

Are you talking about unlocking the iPhone by restoring it through iTunes? There's 2 ways to unlock an iPhone, once approved by a carrier just take out the sim and pop in a sim from a different carrier or if you don't have a sim from another carrier restore through iTunes. I don't know what you're on about saying the carrier requests the sim unlock from Apple when Apple have nothing to do with unlocking iPhones.

https://support.apple.com/en-ie/HT201328

whiterebel

Tipsy McSwagger wrote: »

Are you talking about unlocking the iPhone by restoring it through iTunes? There's 2 ways to unlock an iPhone, once approved by a carrier just take out the sim and pop in a sim from a different carrier or if you don't have a sim from another carrier restore through iTunes. I don't know what you're on about saying the carrier requests the sim unlock from Apple when Apple have nothing to do with unlocking iPhones.

https://support.apple.com/en-ie/HT201328

The carrier requests the unlock from Apple. The unlocks are sent direct form Apple servers. Carriers are not the ones who lock the phones, apparently they lock to the first sim card that is put in, unless it is bought unlocked from Apple.
Apple won't deal with an unlock request direct from a customer, only from the carrier, maybe thats where the confusion is arising.
All your link says it that you must contact your carrier first to begin the process: "First, your carrier will need to process your unlock request."
And BTW, even Apple have it wrong because most times you don't need to erase and restore to unlock.


Here is a part of an email received from Eir customer service: "The email that is sent to our iPhone customers when the unlocking code is available was provided to eMobile by Apple."

creativedrinker

If your in Dublin pop into compub at trinity college, I went there with a 5 with lightning connection problems and had a replacement in 1-2 days

guil

Eugene Norman wrote: »

Really. Sim unlocks are done by carriers. Apple has other locks on the device not related to sims.

What other "locks" have apple got on an iPhone?

whiterebel

guil wrote: »

What other "locks" have apple got on an iPhone?

iCloud lock?

guil

whiterebel wrote: »

iCloud lock?

Completely forgot about that.

xband

A few issues:

1. Under Irish and European consumer law, your contract is whoever you *bought* the phone from, not the manufacturer.

If you bought your phone in an Apple Store or from Apple.com, then you're Apple's customer and their support is really top notch in my experience anyway.

So, if you bought from 3, then you need to deal with 3 contractually.

2. In general, I haven't had any issues at all with Apple support.

3. Why aren't you using the mail in option? Apple will send you a courier with a box to place your phone in. It goes back, the repair / replacement is done and you'll get it back.

4. The SIM lock is technically implemented on Apple's servers but it's controlled by the carrier eg Three Ireland, who sold it locked. Apple can't unlock the phone. As far as I'm aware, the carriers have an API on their systems connected to Apple so they actually control the unlock requests.

5. They're not locked to the first SIM card inserted. If the phone is sold by a carrier with a network lock, it's registered as locked on apple's servers. So, when you activate the phone it will check for the network's SIM card and won't accept anything else.

6. There are no iPhone unlock codes. They're locked / unlocked by a push message from an activation server.

Gumbo

Tipsy McSwagger wrote: »

Are you talking about unlocking the iPhone by restoring it through iTunes? There's 2 ways to unlock an iPhone, once approved by a carrier just take out the sim and pop in a sim from a different carrier or if you don't have a sim from another carrier restore through iTunes. I don't know what you're on about saying the carrier requests the sim unlock from Apple when Apple have nothing to do with unlocking iPhones.

https://support.apple.com/en-ie/HT201328

I think you missed this line :

First, your carrier will need to process your unlock request

This is the carrier submitting to Apple that it is ok to unlock this phone. Apple don't oversee any unlocks as long as the carrier requests it.

Flaccus

There are also 3rd party companies such as repair companies, 2nd hand resellers, that are authorised by apple to unlock devices. You see them popping up on eBay but of course Apple charge them a significant amount to unlock their iPhones which is why it's always an expensive proposition. But it is a valid alternative if you can't wait for your carrier to do it.

I've used sim-unlock.net a couple of times with great success. Interestingly they charge 24.99 for a permanent unlock of an iPhone 6S Plus on VF but the same unlock on 3 costs well over 80 euro. Again they use the apple database just like the carriers.

http://sim-unlock.net/site/Iphone/6S_Plus/

whiterebel

Flaccus wrote: »

There are also 3rd party companies such as repair companies, 2nd hand resellers, that are authorised by apple to unlock devices. You see them popping up on eBay but of course Apple charge them a significant amount to unlock their iPhones which is why it's always an expensive proposition. But it is a valid alternative if you can't wait for your carrier to do it.

I very much doubt they are authorised by Apple to unlock. They seems to be able to get their hands on the IMEI numbers for certain carriers to get them unlocked.
One of the carriers they cannot unlock are eMobile/Meteor. For a long time they couldn't do Three Ireland.

xband

Flaccus wrote: »

There are also 3rd party companies such as repair companies, 2nd hand resellers, that are authorised by apple to unlock devices. You see them popping up on eBay but of course Apple charge them a significant amount to unlock their iPhones which is why it's always an expensive proposition. But it is a valid alternative if you can't wait for your carrier to do it.

I've used sim-unlock.net a couple of times with great success. Interestingly they charge 24.99 for a permanent unlock of an iPhone 6S Plus on VF but the same unlock on 3 costs well over 80 euro. Again they use the apple database just like the carriers.

They're not authorised by Apple or the network operators....

Flaccus

whiterebel wrote: »

I very much doubt they are authorised by Apple to unlock. They seems to be able to get their hands on the IMEI numbers for certain carriers to get them unlocked.
One of the carriers they cannot unlock are eMobile/Meteor. For a long time they couldn't do Three Ireland.

What I have been told is Apple have a 2 tier model they operate for unlocking. Carriers and Third Party. Legit third parties pay a significant amount to Apple to avail of this. They get the IMEI from the customer and like the carrier apply to Apple to have the lock removed from the database. Of course I could have been given bad information here but I took it on face value from a person I trust.

There does not seem to be anything on google about the veractity of what I have said above. Apple support forums suggest some third parties hack the phone but that usually results in a relock after a restore which has not happened me. Therefore I can only assume some companies have a contact who works for the service provider who requests the unlock from Apple. Would this be plausible I wonder ?

whiterebel

Flaccus wrote: »

What I have been told is Apple have a 2 tier model they operate for unlocking. Carriers and Third Party. Legit third parties pay a significant amount to Apple to avail of this. They get the IMEI from the customer and like the carrier apply to Apple to have the lock removed from the database. Of course I could have been given bad information here but I took it on face value from a person I trust.

There does not seem to be anything on google about the veractity of what I have said above. Apple support forums suggest some third parties hack the phone but that usually results in a relock after a restore which has not happened me. Therefore I can only assume some companies have a contact who works for the service provider who requests the unlock from Apple. Would this be plausible I wonder ?

The carriers would go apesh^t if they thought that was true. They subsidise a phone from Apple who allow a 3rd party to unlock it? I don't think so.

mylesm

stoksyXL wrote: »

Think you have to go back to three about this.

I've bought all my apple products directly from Apple for years and years and I can vouch for them as being 100% helpful and solving any issues I've had with my products, and I've had loads of problems and phones / iPads sent back and exchanged.

I think they see it as three's problem as you got the phone from them.

Probably a good reason not to buy Apple Quote "and I've had loads of problems and phones / iPads sent back and exchanged"

guil

whiterebel wrote: »

The carriers would go apesh^t if they thought that was true. They subsidise a phone from Apple who allow a 3rd party to unlock it? I don't think so.

I would love to know how third parties can process the unlock. I always thought they had a contact within a carrier but surely they all can't have someone on the inside?

whiterebel

guil wrote: »

I would love to know how third parties can process the unlock. I always thought they had a contact within a carrier but surely they all can't have someone on the inside?

Baffles me too, but I noticed in one of the links above, that Three Ireland are now on the list that can be unlocked, even though it is expensive. That would suggest to me, that whoever was getting the info to them from O2 is now working for Three.....All you actually need is one person per company, getting €10/€20 each to supply an IMEI from their database?
Its probably a small enough number that request unlocks this way, so is easy kept under the radar?

guil

whiterebel wrote: »

Baffles me too, but I noticed in one of the links above, that Three Ireland are now on the list that can be unlocked, even though it is expensive. That would suggest to me, that whoever was getting the info to them from O2 is now working for Three.....All you actually need is one person per company, getting €10/€20 each to supply an IMEI from their database?
Its probably a small enough number that request unlocks this way, so is easy kept under the radar?

Makes sense alright.

xband

Flaccus wrote: »

What I have been told is Apple have a 2 tier model they operate for unlocking. Carriers and Third Party. Legit third parties pay a significant amount to Apple to avail of this. They get the IMEI from the customer and like the carrier apply to Apple to have the lock removed from the database. Of course I could have been given bad information here but I took it on face value from a person I trust.

There does not seem to be anything on google about the veractity of what I have said above. Apple support forums suggest some third parties hack the phone but that usually results in a relock after a restore which has not happened me. Therefore I can only assume some companies have a contact who works for the service provider who requests the unlock from Apple. Would this be plausible I wonder ?

There's absolutely no official 3rd party way of unlocking the phones and those suppliers aren't legitimate.

Apple would be contractually obliged by agreements with the carriers to lock them. They're being heftily subsidised.

One big change in the US is Apple itself now offers a finance plan. You can subscribe to them for an amount a month and get a new iPhone every time one comes out. It's really freaking out the carriers as it breaks their lock in model and suddenly gives the control to the customer abs handset maker.

As for those lock sites they're either using dodgy links into the networks' call centres - high staff churn, often outsourced etc etc

Or, they could be scams where you're paying for a fictional service that doesn't unlock anything.

Elemonator

I've come to realise Apple in its entirety can be difficult at best. Between constantly changing the chargers (and making irrelevant 3 docking stations of mine) to an even worse charger each time and the exorbitant prices for phones when you can actually get better specs with Samsung for less.

xband

Next iPhone revision is likely to move to USB-C though as is the entire industry.