Samsung S10 5G network locked

[Jmellis86]

Hello,

I bought a Samsung S10 5G directly from Samsung Liverpool One in August 2019. I paid it outright. I put our EE SIM (SIM only pay monthly) in and used it until April 2021.

Due to a screw up with the billing team, we decided to leave. Moved over to Virgin Media. Put the VM SIM in and a message prompts that I need to enter a network lock code.

I filled in the form but the IMEI is not recognised. 

I used chat to help out. Still waiting over a week later. Called EE and asked them to look into it. The agent could only email his colleague and wait further.

Anyway, he mentioned that if they can’t unlock it I would then, need to find a 3rd Party.

My question now is. Why is EE locking my privately owned phone and why would I need to go to 3rd party? I mean, it’s my phone and EE decided to lock it down and brand it their own.

I would also like to know, will EE cover the cost from the 3rd Party? Since EE is responsible for locking the phone in the first place.

That is all for now. Thanks.

[Leanne_T]

Thanks for the further details @Jmellis86

Sorry we have no account access on the community, this will be getting looked into by the right people.

Please keep me updated with how you get on. 

Thanks. 

Leanne.

[Jmellis86]

Just a quick update. We are still waiting for a code. The original request was submitted on 26th April. 

I can see why Ofcom has decided to put a ban in place. I really wish this was much sooner. 

The ban will start from December 2021.

The fact that a ban is required, goes to show that networks like EE are really not that good as they make out to be. EE should have taken the step to give their customers a better experience. 

[Chris_B]

@Jmellis86   Your issue about your device locking to EE is not with EE it’s with Samsung as they actually program device to lock to the first network Sim card that got put into it EE didn’t do this as the device doesn’t have EE software on it.   And because of that you’re now having to request EE to unlock the device. 

[Jmellis86]

@Chris_B Thanks for the prompt response Chris.

It seems to me, that nobody wants to take ownership of who is responsible of locking the handsets.

Samsung blame EE, EE blame Samsung (or rather, the Manufacturer).

I can see why Ofcom is abolishing the locking of handsets by banning it entirely. I suspect mainly because there are elements of misuse.  

[mikeliuk]

Hi @Chris_B ,

Do you have a reference online to say that the Samsung S10 or any other similar Samsung phone will device lock itself to the service provider of the first SIM card inserted into it?

I'm not aware of this behaviour with any unlocked phone on any other network?

Ofcom-provided information suggests such device locking is when a device is purchased from a service provider and I don't see any reference that an unlocked mobile might become locked if accidentally used with EE before any other service provider (I'm not aware of this happening with any other service provider).

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

Here is one reference I see regarding Apple's phones but I can't find anything regarding Samsung? https://forums.digitalspy.com/discussion/2109154/iphone-locked-to-first-sim

One reference from Samsung:

Network Lock

If you originally received your device from one network provider and your new SIM card is from a different network, the original network provider may have locked the device to their network.

Samsung does not lock any of its devices to any particular network. You will need to contact the original service provider or retailer to request an unlock code.

Some service providers may allow you to unlock the device for a small charge or for free, whereas others may not allow the device to be unlocked at all.

https://www.samsung.com/uk/support/mobile-devices/i-inserted-a-new-sim-card-and-now-it-is-asking-me-...

[mikeliuk]

Hi @Jmellis86 ,

I think it's also useful to take the opinion of the vendor of the phone to ensure it was a fully unlocked phone and would not device/vendor lock to the first SIM inserted

Edit: perhaps you were accidentally provided with a mobile which was not fully unlocked but instead intended to be supplied to a service provider or a reseller such as CarPhoneWarehouse to be device/vendor locked to the first SIM?

[Jmellis86]

Hi @mikeliuk ,

I am not sure who the device was intended for. I understood that devices provided by the network were locked. I’ve known that for over 20 years. I accept that.

I bought a handset outright and expected it to be free from locking. No branded apps were installed. Samsung store staff didn’t mention anything about it being locked. They did say at the time, only EE were 5G compatible network.

The phone is only useful for WiFi use at the moment. I can insert a EE SIM and it works.

Besides, I’ve been in contact with Samsung. They cannot help me and I’ve been directed to EE and this is where the problems start. EE did at one time tell me to go to the manufacturer, even when all legitimate sources point to the network.

If I go to a 3rd party, I am guaranteed an unlock code within hours. I go to EE and I’m told up to 10 days. I don’t understand why. 

The thought of using a 3rd party is not on my mind because I’ve read it could invalidate the warranty thus potentially invalidating my insurance. 

If phone locking was common knowledge, I wouldn’t be in this situation.

[mikeliuk]

It seems like an extremely unfortunate situation and I have used Samsung for many years in the past and never come across this.

The fault would seem to lie either with the vendor of the Samsung S10 phone or with EE. As EE is clear they do not believe they would interfere with an unlocked device, the next thing is to get the opinion of the vendor of the phone.

I'm also not aware that SIM cards have the choice of interfering with unlocked phones so I think a good argument can be made it was a feature of the device that was supplied to you. Potentially a claim can be made against the vendor for selling a mobile falsely advertised as unlocked to all networks but in fact locked itself to the first network accessed. Potentially your credit card company may be able to assist as they will be jointly liable for any sale (obviously assuming a credit card was used).

[Chris_B]

@mikeliuk   It wasn’t a unlocked device as such, 3rd party sellers like the carphone warehouse sold such devices even if you purchased it outright from them.  It’s not just Samsung devices it all devices even iPhones.   The device to be a unlocked device has to be sold as a unlock network free device.  Places like the carphone warehouse can’t have stock for every network that they sell devices for so they have one phone that will lock to any network that that Sim card is from.  Can you imagine the amount of phones they would have to stock if they sold devices already locked to one network.   

this part here 

“Samsung does not lock any of its devices to any particular network. You will need to contact the original service provider or retailer to request an unlock code”

that’s correct because Samsung doesn’t know what network that phone is going to be used on. But if it’s not a unlock device it will lock to the first network that the first Sim card is on that placed within the device.   

 There’s been posts on here where people have bought new phones through different networks/3rd party sellers but have seen out their EE contract and have put the EE sim in the other network provided device and when they went to put their different network Sim card in the device that came from that network the device was locked to EE because it was a device that was always going to lock to the first Sim card from whatever network.  And it’s always EEs fault it got locked to the EE network.   

[mikeliuk]

Hi @Chris_B ,

That sounds reasonable purchasing from a reseller who resells from many service providers but the retailer as far as I can tell is a Samsung-branded retailer so I wouldn't have expected them to stock truly unlocked phones side-by-side with phones falsely advertised as fully unlocked.

There's no suggestion anywhere that devices are pre-locked to a network out of the manufacturer's box as indeed there are a high number of vendors and we cannot know what combination of phone and SIM would be purchased.