A bit of advice from you knowledgeable people, please.
I really hate my Samsung Tocco - I've had it for about 6 months and feel
like chucking it in the river! I'm on a monthly contract with Vodafone and
don't qualify for an upgrade until January 2010.
Would you recommend I buy another phone, SIM-free, from Vodafone or is it
wise to buy it elsewhere? I'm not sure where the best SIM-free deals would
be. Maybe eBay, or somewhere like Carphone Warehouse?
Is there a way you could recommend of searching for the best SIM-free deals?
"Ian F." <wowfabgroovy@googlemail.com> wrote in message
news:7cqn24F282hq4U1@mid.individual.net...
>A bit of advice from you knowledgeable people, please.
>
> I really hate my Samsung Tocco - I've had it for about 6 months and feel
> like chucking it in the river! I'm on a monthly contract with Vodafone and
> don't qualify for an upgrade until January 2010.
>
> Would you recommend I buy another phone, SIM-free, from Vodafone or is it
> wise to buy it elsewhere? I'm not sure where the best SIM-free deals would
> be. Maybe eBay, or somewhere like Carphone Warehouse?
>
> Is there a way you could recommend of searching for the best SIM-free
> deals?
>
> Thanks in advance - all info gratefully accepted.
>
> Ian
Carphone Warehouse don't lock their phones, so best to get one from there,
least you know the phone is new.
"Loki" <loki@........co.uk> wrote in message
news:h49912$k2$1@news.albasani.net...
> "Ian F." <wowfabgroovy@googlemail.com> wrote in message
> news:7cqn24F282hq4U1@mid.individual.net...
>>A bit of advice from you knowledgeable people, please.
>>
>> I really hate my Samsung Tocco - I've had it for about 6 months and feel
>> like chucking it in the river! I'm on a monthly contract with Vodafone
>> and don't qualify for an upgrade until January 2010.
>>
>> Would you recommend I buy another phone, SIM-free, from Vodafone or is it
>> wise to buy it elsewhere? I'm not sure where the best SIM-free deals
>> would be. Maybe eBay, or somewhere like Carphone Warehouse?
>>
>> Is there a way you could recommend of searching for the best SIM-free
>> deals?
>>
>> Thanks in advance - all info gratefully accepted.
>>
>> Ian
>
> Carphone Warehouse don't lock their phones, so best to get one from there,
> least you know the phone is new.
>
Frank Incense wrote:
>
> "Loki" <loki@........co.uk> wrote in message
> news:h49912$k2$1@news.albasani.net...
>> "Ian F." <wowfabgroovy@googlemail.com> wrote in message
>> news:7cqn24F282hq4U1@mid.individual.net...
>>> A bit of advice from you knowledgeable people, please.
>>>
>>> I really hate my Samsung Tocco - I've had it for about 6 months and
>>> feel like chucking it in the river! I'm on a monthly contract with
>>> Vodafone and don't qualify for an upgrade until January 2010.
>>>
>>> Would you recommend I buy another phone, SIM-free, from Vodafone or
>>> is it wise to buy it elsewhere? I'm not sure where the best SIM-free
>>> deals would be. Maybe eBay, or somewhere like Carphone Warehouse?
>>>
>>> Is there a way you could recommend of searching for the best SIM-free
>>> deals?
>>>
>>> Thanks in advance - all info gratefully accepted.
>>>
>>> Ian
>>
>> Carphone Warehouse don't lock their phones, so best to get one from
>> there, least you know the phone is new.
>>
>
>
> www.play.com have a range of unlocked phones as do www.mobilefun.co.uk
> for comparing prices.
>
>
I got a N86 recently from http://www.mobilephonesdirect.co.uk
Can someone tell me how I can check whether it is locked without trying
another sim in it please?
"Loki" <loki@........co.uk> wrote in message
news:h49912$k2$1@news.albasani.net...
> Carphone Warehouse don't lock their phones, so best to get one from there,
> least you know the phone is new.
Is it feasible to buy a new PAYG phone and just put my existing SIM into it,
assuming it is, or can be, unlocked?
At most I would have to pay, say, £10/£20 for a top-up that I may not use,
although I have an Orange SIM in another phone so presumably the credit
could be transferred to that if I buy one from Orange.
Ian F. <wowfabgroovy@googlemail.com> wrote:
> Is it feasible to buy a new PAYG phone and just put my existing SIM into
> it, assuming it is, or can be, unlocked?
Yes, don't see why not.
If it's locked, you can also try a stick-on shim applied to your SIM card
(might need a little cutting of the SIM plastic) which claim to be able to
use the SIM in a locked phone. eBay or http://www.dealextreme.com/ have a
selection.
"Theo Markettos" <theom+news@chiark.greenend.org.uk> wrote in message
news:Yni*puNMs@news.chiark.greenend.org.uk...
> Yes, don't see why not.
Thank Dog for that, as I've just ordered a Nokia E63 from 3!
> If it's locked, you can also try a stick-on shim applied to your SIM card
> (might need a little cutting of the SIM plastic) which claim to be able to
> use the SIM in a locked phone. eBay or http://www.dealextreme.com/ have a
> selection.
I was going to pay a small amount from one of the several websites that give
you codes to unlock your phone. Otherwise, 3 charges £12 to unlock it.
"Ian F." <wowfabgroovy@googlemail.com> wrote in message
news:7cucg8F27dgumU1@mid.individual.net...
> "Theo Markettos" <theom+news@chiark.greenend.org.uk> wrote in message
> news:Yni*puNMs@news.chiark.greenend.org.uk...
>
>> Yes, don't see why not.
>
> Thank Dog for that, as I've just ordered a Nokia E63 from 3!
>
>> If it's locked, you can also try a stick-on shim applied to your SIM card
>> (might need a little cutting of the SIM plastic) which claim to be able
>> to
>> use the SIM in a locked phone. eBay or http://www.dealextreme.com/ have
>> a
>> selection.
>
> I was going to pay a small amount from one of the several websites that
> give you codes to unlock your phone. Otherwise, 3 charges £12 to unlock
> it.
>
> Ian
Thats the wrost thing you could do.. I'm sure there is a shop in your local
town that offer a unlocking service.
"Ian F." <wowfabgroovy@googlemail.com> wrote in message
news:7cueajF29efgrU2@mid.individual.net...
> "Inasa" <Inasa@........co.uk> wrote in message
> news:h4cvv3$7r9$1@news.albasani.net...
>
>> Thats the wrost thing you could do.. I'm sure there is a shop in your
>> local town that offer a unlocking service.
>
> What's the worst thing - using a website or paying £12 to 3?
>
> Ian
Both, you can't trust a website unless you know it's good...
If you buy a phone from CPW or Phone 4 U for that matter, they are unlocked
these days.
"Inasa" <Inasa@........co.uk> wrote in message
news:h4d2nk$bln$1@news.albasani.net...
> Both, you can't trust a website unless you know it's good...
Well, i've found a few but don't want to mention them here. Would anyone
know of a reliable one? The phone unlocking shops in my town all look
incredibly shifty. ;-)
> If you buy a phone from CPW or Phone 4 U for that matter, they are
> unlocked these days.
Ian F. <wowfabgroovy@googlemail.com> wrote:
> "Inasa" <Inasa@........co.uk> wrote in message
> news:h4d2nk$bln$1@news.albasani.net...
>
> > Both, you can't trust a website unless you know it's good...
>
> Well, i've found a few but don't want to mention them here. Would anyone
> know of a reliable one? The phone unlocking shops in my town all look
> incredibly shifty. ;-)
12 pounds from 3 isn't a bad price... you won't save much by going to a
market stall, and there's more risk the market stall will break it. And
it'll hardly cover the postage if you send it away.
Usually, if you google "<phone model> unlock", dig around the
forum/newsgroup links rather than the "we sell unlocking" links. They
should tell you if there's a code generator, or a cable unlock, or it's not
possible. If the latter two, the dodgy "we sell unlocking" sites will
charge you a fiver for telling you "to unlock, phone up your service
provider and ask for an unlocking code".
"Theo Markettos" <theom+news@chiark.greenend.org.uk> wrote in message
news:Wni*4HSMs@news.chiark.greenend.org.uk...
> 12 pounds from 3 isn't a bad price... you won't save much by going to a
> market stall, and there's more risk the market stall will break it. And
> it'll hardly cover the postage if you send it away.
Yup, agreed. Anyway, it hasn't arrived today as promised as 3 posted it and
there's a postal strike in London today. I assumed they would send it by
courier, but I suppose everyone's cutting back!
> Usually, if you google "<phone model> unlock", dig around the
> forum/newsgroup links rather than the "we sell unlocking" links. They
> should tell you if there's a code generator, or a cable unlock, or it's
> not
> possible. If the latter two, the dodgy "we sell unlocking" sites will
> charge you a fiver for telling you "to unlock, phone up your service
> provider and ask for an unlocking code".
I've done that and much of the problem is that codes for a BB5 phone on the
3 network are hard to come by.
I think I'll go the 3 route - assuming I was correctly informed about the
UKP12. Otherwise, a guy from a reputable unlocking firm/website in Ireland
sent me the number of a reliable contact of his here in London who can do
it, which was nice of him.
Thanks to all for the good advice - it's much appreciated. In years of
posting here on and off (mostly when looking for or getting a new phone).
I've never had anything but swift and helpful responses, unlike some
internet mobile phone forums I could mention.
Replacing hated Samsung phone 
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