topic Re: Locked phone in Archived Posts

Locked phone

KyleJB — Sat, 19 Jun 2021 23:07:12 GMT

I am pretty disgusted with EE after discovering today that not only is my new phone locked to the network but that on top of that I have to wait 6 months before it can be unlocked but only if I pay EE to do this!!! Not happy about this at all especially because it's now less than 5 months until the outright ban by Ofcom on selling locked phones comes into force in December, meaning that the ban will have already come into effect before I am going to be allowed to get it unlocked and forced by EE to pay to have it done! I have to say that is some very underhanded tactics from a company with such massive profits!

Re: Locked phone

XRaySpeX — Sun, 20 Jun 2021 01:41:42 GMT

@KyleJB : You were recently involved in a thread where EE's T&C's, the reading of them & the acceptance thereof were pertinent. I guess the same could be said here.

Re: Locked phone

Christopher_G — Sun, 20 Jun 2021 08:14:35 GMT

Hi @KyleJB

Welcome to the community.

As @XRaySpeX has mentioned, this forms part of your contract with us at the moment. I've sent you a private message if you would like to discuss this further.

Please take a look and get back to me.

Thanks

Chris

Re: Locked phone

mikeliuk — Sun, 20 Jun 2021 10:44:26 GMT

Hi @KyleJB ,

I'm very sad to read of the poor customer experience you are having regardless of where the fault lies. Certainly it is the service provider which is responsible for designing the customer experience and for highlighting key information which consumers should receive.

The way I have addressed my unhappiness in the past at such a situation is to refuse to purchase any device from a service provider as often the devices need to use firmware provided by the service provider and might have other disabled functionality in addition to being locked to the service provider.

I guess a silver lining for some customers is that certain devices are already being provided unlocked, based on what I read, but this of course is no consolation for consumers in your position. Good luck and hope it gets sorted. 🤓

Re: Locked phone

KyleJB — Sun, 20 Jun 2021 10:53:49 GMT

@Christopher_G And with you being part of the community support team you most certainly ought to know better before you back up posts that are factually incorrect.

Re: Locked phone

Chris_B — Sun, 20 Jun 2021 11:10:57 GMT

@KyleJB regardless what’s happening at the end of the year that doesn’t apply to now. And why one would assume it does is not down to EE. The device is locked because it can be and you’ll probably find that after the new ruling it can be unlocked before the 6 month period, but you’ll not know until the end of the year.

you are also reading T&C of now they could change at the end of the year and you might not get charged £8.99 and the 6 month rule might not apply. But until then it does apply to all customers who can make this request.

All of what you are saying is an assumption based on the T&Cs of now for a device unlock request.

Re: Locked phone

Christopher_G — Sun, 20 Jun 2021 11:05:56 GMT

Thanks for getting back to me, @KyleJB

It states in the pay monthly network terms that the device is owned by EE for the first six months of your contract. It also states "Any Equipment that We provide to You will be locked to Our Network. It may not always be possible to unlock it. If it can be unlocked We may charge You".

The offer I sent you in private messages still stands, if you would like to discuss it further.

Chris

Re: Locked phone

mikeliuk — Sun, 20 Jun 2021 11:10:46 GMT

For consumers who find themselves in a similar situation, or are contemplating buying a device from a service provider, they may additionally want to refer to information provided by ofcom and that certain service providers already do not lock devices to a network.

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-telecoms-and-internet/advice-for-consumers/advice/mobile-phone-locking-and-unlocking

I guess the best fix for the current customer blemish is indeed bespoke intervention. 🤓

Re: Locked phone

KyleJB — Sun, 20 Jun 2021 11:23:42 GMT

@Chris_B when EE are selling you a phone that they will not unlock for 6 months and force you to pay them to do so when that will be over a month & a half after the Ofcom outright ban on selling locked phones comes into effect of course it has a direct impact on what is happening now! Doh! 🤣

Re: Locked phone

KyleJB — Sun, 20 Jun 2021 11:31:44 GMT

@Christopher_G what you have just posted is not the Ts&Cs to which both yourself and the other person were referring to in your previous post, moving goal posts to try and make it look as if you were right to start with just won't wash we me I am sorry to say.

Re: Locked phone

KyleJB — Sun, 20 Jun 2021 11:44:01 GMT

The reason I checked this information in the first place is because the phone in question is dual sim and I wanted to put the PAYG sim that I have had for many years into the second sim slot so that I don't then have to carry around two phones that makes you look like either an absolute dodge pot, or a drug dealer!

Re: Locked phone

KyleJB — Sun, 20 Jun 2021 12:08:44 GMT

@Chris_B And this matter is not a new ruling as you stated. Company's were made aware of proposals by Ofcom back in 2019 and were informed it would be taking effect from December 2021 back in October 2020 so they have had more than enough notice to make sure the necessary provisions were put in place to deal with this situation correctly something EE obviously have not done and are hoping that they can make extra money from the ignorance of the upcoming Ofcom ban from its customers. Which is as far as I am concerned utterly abhorrent.

Re: Locked phone

Chris_B — Sun, 20 Jun 2021 12:25:28 GMT

@KyleJB At the end of the year EE could change that policy.
( at the end of the year not now that’s not hard to understand is it )

What the T&Cs are now are not applicable at the end of the year as devices will not be locked. So EE could change this for devices purchased within the last 6 months of the year. Your are assuming based on the T&Cs of now.

And what is happening at the end of the year has no impact on now as nothing has changed and will not till the end of the year. EE will at present say the current T&Cs as they haven’t changed and are still correct as of right now because it’s not December yet is it.

Re: Locked phone

XRaySpeX — Sun, 20 Jun 2021 12:35:16 GMT

@KyleJB wrote:

@Christopher_G what you have just posted is not the Ts&Cs to which both yourself and the other person were referring to in your previous post

@KyleJB : The T&C's that @Christopher_G linked were indeed the T&C's to which I was referring previously in this thread. I had sections 3 & 10.5 of

EE pay monthly network T&Cs in mind when I posted.

Re: Locked phone

Chris_B — Sun, 20 Jun 2021 12:39:37 GMT

@KyleJB Nothing has to be changed as the ruling is December not now. Why are you not understanding that.
And new ruling doesn’t mean when it was decided a new ruling can mean when it comes in to effect. The new ruling is December and not before.

EE don’t have to change anything till December and the current T&Cs are still correct.

In December this will change but until then nothing has to change and your getting upset with something that hasn’t happened yet because the enforcement date hasn’t come and gone yet.

And why are you assuming EE are not ready ?? It’s not December yet and EE don’t have to do anything until December.

your basically arguing about something that’s not applicable yet.

Re: Locked phone

KyleJB — Sun, 20 Jun 2021 13:11:41 GMT

@Chris_B I purchased my phone on June 16th meaning that the 6 month waiting period before I am allowed to have the phone unlocked

If I pay EE to do it will end on January 16th 2022 the Ofcom ban on selling locked phones takes effect on December 1st 2021 a month & half before EE will allow me to pay them to unlock the phone and you are trying to insist this has no bearing on now, really??? There should be provisions made by EE already in place to ensure that customers are dealt with fairly.

Re: Locked phone

XRaySpeX — Sun, 20 Jun 2021 13:20:27 GMT

June 16th + 6 months = Dec. 16th.
Ofcom's ban on selling locked phones is on selling locked phones from Dec. 1st. not on those already sold before Dec. 1st. Such regulation cannot be retrospective. It is therefore irrelevant to your situation.

Re: Locked phone

KyleJB — Sun, 20 Jun 2021 13:32:47 GMT

@XRaySpeX @But they are selling locked phones with a 6 month waiting period for having them unlocked which they now should not be doing as it is and will be directly against Ofcom regulations that will be in effect before the 6 month waiting period on phones being unlocked by EE ends! So this is very relevant as it directly effects me.And for your information retrospective means after not before as you are inferring

Re: Locked phone

mikeliuk — Sun, 20 Jun 2021 13:31:48 GMT

I think one hiccup is that a sale should result in a change of title and ownership. The service provider may muddy the waters with "the device is owned by EE for the first six months of your contract" so it could be argued that the sale has already been pushed into scope of the future regulations if title is not transferred to the buyer before the law comes into effect.

Clarity on all of the above speculation probably requires specialist knowledge. 🤓

Re: Locked phone

XRaySpeX — Sun, 20 Jun 2021 13:35:41 GMT

Rubbish! The regulation comes into effect on Dec 1s, not before.

Laws have to start some time. Just knowing it's coming sometime in the future doesn't mean it has effect today just cuz you are aware of it.