Locked phone

[KyleJB]

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! 

[XRaySpeX]

@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.

[Christopher_G]

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

[mikeliuk]

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. 🤓

[KyleJB]

@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.

[Chris_B]

@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.    

[Christopher_G]

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

[mikeliuk]

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-locki...

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

[KyleJB]

@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! 🤣

[KyleJB]

@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.