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Buying an unlock code for your mobile


mint
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Has anybody managed to buy one of these and did it work?

Further to posting about unlocking my Orange mobile many weeks ago, I have tried many suggestions given to me, none of which unlocked the phone.

I even went to an Orange shop and they told me that, as I had no contract with Orange, I couldn't get the phone unlocked.  Well, I never had a contract, it was a pay- as -you -go one for which I used to buy a mobycarte (or whatever it was called).

In the end, I bought a code from an on-line French company.  Weeks went by but then it was May and I gave them the time to come back from their various holidays.

Finally, after several emails which were unanswered, I suddenly got a message to say they would return my money and that it would show in my bank account in 8 to 10 days.

So....all that still leaves me with a virtually new but very firmly locked phone.

I am hoping that someone on here has used a company for this service and that the service was efficient.

Any info or suggestions, please? 

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Sweet, I think it's quite difficult to advise you because there are some online sites which specialise in particular phones, and there are some brands of phone which are considerably more complicated to unlock than others.Years ago I had great success unlocking a Nokia phone using an online service which cost next to nothing, and later a failure with another phone and company whose "small print" (which I hadn't noticed as it WAS so small) advised that it was up to me to read the endless list of model numbers and, in the event that they couldn't do what I'd paid for, they would not reimbure me but send me a credit code for another phone or time.

I've more recently just used a walk-in, bricks and mortar shop to get a phone unlocked, which has the advantage of face-to-face discussion and negotiation before any money changes hands. Of course, these and other small stalls offering to unlock your phone for a few pounds are in abundance in the London commuter belt, but much thinner on the ground in La France Profonde.

Sorry I can't be more helpful..

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We never ever could unlock my french orange phone. Managed to get it to work with a UK orange sim card, but when I wanted to change, then no one could get it to accept another sim and it blocked itself. Tried France, tried the UK Orange people and my local 'unlock' shops.

It is in a draw now.

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[quote user="idun"]We never ever could unlock my french orange phone.[/quote]

I have an old Siemens phone, very ancient but which still works, which has resisted all attempts to unlock it over a number of years.

Seemingly some models are unfathomable.

Sue

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Thank you for all your replies.

Pickles, I looked up your company and saw some very negative comments about it.  However, I couldn't investigate further as it was so hot yesterday that the computer refused to work and went into go-slow mode.

Will look again but I might just cut my losses and buy another mobile from leboncoin for 15 euros, all débloqué and ready-to-go.  Being of the school that believe that make-do-and-mend is best (both for the planet and for my wallet), I want to explore all avenues first, before consigning my mobile to the scrapheap. 

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Cooperlola, as most will realise, was not backward with adopting technology. Her Android phone had a wiggly-finger code on it. Last time (first time since....) I was in the UK I dropped into a cheapo phone shop, and the code was broken after two day and £30. Great. Get home to France and it now wants a password! Probably the same password Deb had set on her laptop, too.
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[quote user="sweet 17"]

Thank you for all your replies.

Pickles, I looked up your company and saw some very negative comments about it.  However, I couldn't investigate further as it was so hot yesterday that the computer refused to work and went into go-slow mode.

Will look again but I might just cut my losses and buy another mobile from leboncoin for 15 euros, all débloqué and ready-to-go.  Being of the school that believe that make-do-and-mend is best (both for the planet and for my wallet), I want to explore all avenues first, before consigning my mobile to the scrapheap. 

[/quote]

Sweets, you don't say which mobile it is as some are very hard to unlock whereas others are a breeze. Pickles gave you one link, there are dozens and most will refund if not successful (read their small print)

A good site to use is Unlockapedia from the people at Giffgaff mobile, lots of helpful advice if you look up your phone model on there.

 

PS, Nice to hear from you Ian, hope things are ok.

 

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Hi Teapot

Thanks for the tip and I will look at it and let you know.

The phone is one that I bought when we had no phone line for several months back in 2007 when we first moved here.  Only used it for absolutely essential calls to the UK and we hardly knew how to speak to anyone in France, so it is truly "quasiment neuf" (hah, how I love that "quasiment" and I hear it all the time now!)

Bought it in an Orange shop in Cognac when I was visiting a friend to see the time trials for the Tour de France.

It is a Samsug SGH-C260.

I managed to buy a phone of the identical model on leboncoin for 15 euros and that works just fine.  Thought having the same model would make charging, etc, learning how to use it and the rest easier.

I am reluctant to just ditch it as it's a dinky little thing and hardly had any use.

OH has had a bad patch healthwise and it would reassure him (and me) hugely if we could be in contact when I am out and he is, say, pottering in the garden.  That's the only reason for having a his n' hers as I feel very little need for having the latest anything, nevermind a mere mobile[;-)]

I'm less than useless with anything remotely technological and it would be very good indeed if I could get the damn thing unlocked.

Coops 2, hope you are doing OK....[:D]

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Teapot, I have found some sites that promise to give you your money back if they can't give you a code that works.  The American sites seem to do phones worldwide but the UK ones tend to just do UK and Ireland or, at most, Australia as well.

I have found a site that charges just over 20 USD, so a bit cheaper than the 28 USD that the site you gave me charges.  I shall have a go in the day time so that I can follow the instructions better.  I tried unlocking one of my old Tesco phones (unsuccessfully) and you have to fiddle about putting in a sim card that doesn't work, etc. and then remove it, put in the new card and then .......blah, blah, blah....

I am too tired to follow instructions by the evening![:-))]

I did try to buy a code this evening but the message on the screen was that there was a problem with my payment.  Could be that it is a UK credit card and I live in France.  That sometimes happens so might have to try a combination of different strategies.  What a load of *&%!

Pommier, yes, I tried that site and couldn't use it because I am not an Orange customer.  My French neighbour, who IS an Orange customer, tried for me and got nowhere.  The Orange shop staff told me that it couldn't be unlocked but that I could buy one of their sim cards instead.  I didn't know a polite way of saying "not on your nelly" so I left the shop with zilch results.

 

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