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O2 in UK: A bunch of c****!

L

lefse

macrumors member
Original poster
Jul 11, 2008
89
0
Pardon my language.

But why is it that you can pay 538 Pound Sterling for a phone, and then they refuse to sell it unlocked. Even after using their (quite decent) Pay And Go-service for years...
Same thing goes for the different Pay Monthly-options..

What about the people who travel, and don't feel like buying another identical 500-pound-phone for every f****** country they visit?

Atrocious and meaningless greed. The men who came up with this idea should be lined-up and shot.

Again, apologies for my vulgarities...
 
£540 is still patrially subsidized, i would hate to see a Sim Free Unlocked Price....
 
I know what you mean about the PAYG price for the iPhone.

I didn't know that there was a different price for PAYG as 'Sim free' on other models of phones :)
 
lefse said:
Pardon my language.

But why is it that you can pay 538 Pound Sterling for a phone, and then they

Again, apologies for my vulgarities...
Click to expand...

all I got to say is DONT BUY iPhone from any of those countries who selling locked iphones.

you will get for the same price unlocked iphone in Itly if you convert British pounds you will get decent rate..

I bought just few weeks ago iPhone 3G 16GB from UAE they sell unlocked iphone as i was on holidays and got back sold my locked iphone on ebay for the same price... can you imagine.. and i dont have to worry about all that update FW after 2 months cat and mouse game about lock or not locked with yellowsnow or ultra snow. just sick and tired with this soft unlock

so buy a factory unlocked iphone from Itlay or somewhere they sell unlocked iphones u can get on ebay easily...

payand go ove £500 for handset and LOCKED to O2 its just CRAAAAAAAAAAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! network

I am using Orange UK sim on my factory unlocked iphone and really 3G speed just great as well 3UK 3G data speed great too but t mobile and o2 just cannot imagine if i am on edge or 3g.
 
So basically if I am living in the UK now and buy an iPhone 3GS and in two years time I am moving to Spain, I cannot use MY iPhone 3GS from o2 over there? Are they not forced to unlock it after a certain period??
 
DanD81 said:
So basically if I am living in the UK now and buy an iPhone 3GS and in two years time I am moving to Spain, I cannot use MY iPhone 3GS from o2 over there? Are they not forced to unlock it after a certain period??
Click to expand...

In two years time, the 5th generation iPhone will be out, so why worry? =)
 
Willis said:
In two years time, the 5th generation iPhone will be out, so why worry? =)
Click to expand...

I have been on my current phone for 4 years now and I probably will not buy a new iPhone every year, so for me it does matter indeed.. also, it matters if you want to sell your iPhone, say in 1 or 2 years time ;)
 
DanD81 said:
So basically if I am living in the UK now and buy an iPhone 3GS and in two years time I am moving to Spain, I cannot use MY iPhone 3GS from o2 over there? Are they not forced to unlock it after a certain period??
Click to expand...

I looked into this in detail when I got an N95 locked to Orange , at the time OFCOM's information DEFINATELY stated that the network was obliged to provide an unlock solution for a reasonable charge - When the iPhone came out I remember wondering how Apple / o2 would get away with not offering any such solution
....However , I have just looked again , and now all the info appears to have changed and suggests it is down to the consumer to be aware of *if* there network provides unlocking or not .
I may have it wrong , but from what I can see ... , it appear the law (or at least OFCOM's guidelines ) - have been changed to accomodate the likes of Apple and Blackberry !!
 
mcmonkiez said:
all I got to say is DONT BUY iPhone from any of those countries who selling locked iphones.

you will get for the same price unlocked iphone in Itly if you convert British pounds you will get decent rate..
Click to expand...
Hardly - the prices in Italy are arguably even more insane than the UK prices considering that the UK ones are only minimally subsidised on PAYG. These prices for Italian unlocked/SIM-free 3GS's were posted up earlier in another thread:

3GS 16GB: 619€ (~£529)
3GS 32GB: 719€ (~£615)

Belgian prices (when they are announced - they don't get it for another week) will likely be even higher than that considering that their 3G prices are higher than Italian 3G ones (which didn't change - just like in the UK).
 
Its not greed at all. How are they being greedy. Yoy agreed to pay 02 however much you pay a month for 18-24 months, and you havent done that yet. So why should they give you any favours when you havent fulfilled a legally binding contract?
 
Ofcom's advice (as miffed mentioned):
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consumeradvice/mobile/switching/switch/

But the problem here isn't the unsubsidized price from O2. The problem is that even after the contract has run out, O2 still refuses to unlock the phone.

They got all of their god damn money - the phone is no longer subsidized.
Makes one wonder what the point of Ofcom is, or if we need a law to prevent this sort of blackmail.
 
daveishere said:
Its not greed at all. How are they being greedy. Yoy agreed to pay 02 however much you pay a month for 18-24 months, and you havent done that yet. So why should they give you any favours when you havent fulfilled a legally binding contract?
Click to expand...

I think the OP got a PAYG phone so they haven't agreed to pay O2 anything for the next 18 to 24 months if so.
 
So let me ask my question again in a clear manner ;)

IF I buy an iPhone in the UK, o2 will NEVER provided me with an unlock of the phone, even after my contract has ended?
 
daveishere said:
Its not greed at all. How are they being greedy. Yoy agreed to pay 02 however much you pay a month for 18-24 months, and you havent done that yet. So why should they give you any favours when you havent fulfilled a legally binding contract?
Click to expand...

After the contract is fulfilled, they still refuse to unlock the phone.
So basically, if you still want to use the phone, you are forever an O2-customer. An 18-month contract that lasts forever is not an 18-month contract.

If that's not greed by your definition, then you son, have a very different understanding of it than most people. :)
 
ChazUK said:
I think the OP got a PAYG phone so they haven't agreed to pay O2 anything for the next 18 to 24 months if so.
Click to expand...

in that case then, you agreed to pay £600 or whatever you paid for the phone and then have to pay as you go thereafter. nobody forced you to pay that money for that phone. why do people always complain when its their choice to buy something.

As for apple bringing out a new model now, its supply and demand. there will always be something bigger and better than what you have in a short space of time in the technology world. if there wasnt, what would create demand?
 
DanD81 said:
So let me ask my question again in a clear manner ;)

IF I buy an iPhone in the UK, o2 will NEVER provided me with an unlock of the phone, even after my contract has ended?
Click to expand...

Correct.

You would have to trust a third party solution to unlock it. They are fairly popular, but demand that you use caution when upgrading the phone's firmware in iTunes.
 
miffed said:
I looked into this in detail when I got an N95 locked to Orange , at the time OFCOM's information DEFINATELY stated that the network was obliged to provide an unlock solution for a reasonable charge - When the iPhone came out I remember wondering how Apple / o2 would get away with not offering any such solution
....However , I have just looked again , and now all the info appears to have changed and suggests it is down to the consumer to be aware of *if* there network provides unlocking or not .
I may have it wrong , but from what I can see ... , it appear the law (or at least OFCOM's guidelines ) - have been changed to accomodate the likes of Apple and Blackberry !!
Click to expand...

lefse said:
Ofcom's advice (as miffed mentioned):
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consumeradvice/mobile/switching/switch/

But the problem here isn't the unsubsidized price from O2. The problem is that even after the contract has run out, O2 still refuses to unlock the phone.

They got all of their god damn money - the phone is no longer subsidized.
Makes one wonder what the point of Ofcom is, or if we need a law to prevent this sort of blackmail.
Click to expand...

You Brits got mixed up because you read the short FAQ version of the Ofcom policy, not the long version of the official Ofcom policy paper.

Ofcom changed its policy back in 2002 --- so they didn't change the policy just to accommodate Apple and RIM.

Read the conclusion section of the 2002 Ofcom policy paper:

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/static/archive/Oftel/publications/mobile/2002/sim1102.htm

The point of the Ofcom policy is that a deal is a deal. If you decide to buy a house on a leasehold land (i.e. not freehold), then after paying your mortgage for 40 years --- you finally own the house. What you can't do is complain that after 40 years why do I not own the land. You agree to purchase a "never to be unlock iphone", O2 sold you a "never to be unlock iphone" --- after your 18 month contract, you can't complain that why do I have a "never to be unlock iphone".
 
Speaking of o2, any ideas when they are going to improve 3G coverage to the same standard of every other UK networks? They are way way worse than the others. If you want an iPhone you are stuck with o2, but because of their piss poor 3G network, the iPhone can't be used as intended. Web browsing is so slow, it's like using ceefax! If vodafone, 3 or t-mobile had the iPhone I'd be able the use HSPDA with the new 3GS. With o2 I'd still be stuck using edge.

I thought they had to improve coverage or else? Looks like they aren't and are more than happy to bleed us dry and give us a poor service.
 
samab said:
You Brits got mixed up because you read the short FAQ version of the Ofcom policy, not the long version of the official Ofcom policy paper.

Ofcom changed its policy back in 2002 --- so they didn't change the policy just to accommodate Apple and RIM.

Read the conclusion section of the 2002 Ofcom policy paper:

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/static/archive/Oftel/publications/mobile/2002/sim1102.htm

The point of the Ofcom policy is that a deal is a deal. If you decide to buy a house on a leasehold land (i.e. not freehold), then after paying your mortgage for 40 years --- you finally own the house. What you can't do is complain that after 40 years why do I not own the land. You agree to purchase a "never to be unlock iphone", O2 sold you a "never to be unlock iphone" --- after your 18 month contract, you can't complain that why do I have a "never to be unlock iphone".
Click to expand...

That's absurd. A handset is not comparable to land. If you actually read the publication that you so kindly linked, you will see that Oftel (or Ofcom these days) concluded that, quote: "(...) SIM-locking was a barrier to consumers switching suppliers, and that the removal of locking, or easing of its terms, would benefit competition in a number of respects, including price, consumer choice and entry barriers." End quote.

Though apparently no law was changed, meaning Ofcom's ridiculous double standard should've come to an end a long time ago.
If you buy a house you should be able to live in it after you've paid off your mortgage. Same goes for you phone. You should be able to use it on another network when it's technically no longer subsidized.
 
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