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All replies
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Helpful answers
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Aug 15, 2015 6:55 AM in response to Techno12345by wegras,In theory a UK iPhone should work in Russia on an Apple Authorised network on 3G
However the message suggests the iPhone is locked to a carrier ,probably UK ,
If that is the case it will not be unlocked whilst in Russia by a UK carrier
Was the iPhone locked to a UK Carrier
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Aug 15, 2015 7:03 AM in response to Techno12345by Phil0124,Technically there's no reason an unlocked iPhone from the U.K. would not work in Russia.
However, the error points to it being locked to a particular carrier.
How did you get it unlocked?
If it was unlocked by the original carrier ti should not re-lock.
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Aug 15, 2015 9:15 AM in response to wegrasby Techno12345,Thanks for your reply. It was on a contract with a UK carrier (cant remember which now) but was unlocked so I could use it with a giffgaff sim, after which I had no problems. Now someone else is using it in Russia with another SIM, it gets this error message - SIM not valid.
As I cant remember which carrier I had the contract with, is there any way of checking if the handset is 'locked' for some reason? (However I don't understand this as if it wasn't unlocked it wouldn't work with a giff gadff SIM?) and any way of having it unlocked in the UK without the handset?
thanks again
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Aug 15, 2015 9:25 AM in response to wegrasby Techno12345,I got the reference /PAK code? from the provider at the time, think it was vodaphone - im trying to find out.
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Aug 15, 2015 9:33 AM in response to Techno12345by wegras,That isn't an unlock ,it is the Porting Authorisation Code (PAC) which simply allows your new carrier to take your telephone number to your new carrier
The carrier unlock is applied at purchase only allowing the iPhone to be used on the sellers network and only they can release it
This is how it works
How to unlock your iPhone for use with another carrier - Apple Support
Vodafone will only unlock an iPhone if it is active on their UK network with a Contract customer or PAYG
An iPhone in Russia is not going to be unlocked by them
You may have to refund ,especially considering where it is
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Aug 15, 2015 9:46 AM in response to wegrasby Techno12345,ok thanks for the quick reply. what I don't understand is that the iphone was used on a different network in the uk to the one the contract was for and so in order for it to work, wouldn't it have had to have been unlocked to do this? how could it have been used on 2 different UK networks if it hadn't been unlocked?
will it have to have the last sim installed in it, in order for me to try and get it unlocked by the last carrier? no other way?
sorry, but as you can tell, I am a newbie to this type of situation..
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Aug 15, 2015 10:20 AM in response to Techno12345by wegras,Only if you did unlock correctly (not something you would forget ) and that wouldn't explain the issue in Russia
or is was hacked by an online or back street phone mechanic and when restored that would remove the hack and lock it back to Vodafone
call AppleCare and they may tell you the true status of it's lock state called Carrier lock
United Kingdom
0800 107 6285
then you will know if the iPhone is locked or it is a Russian scam being tried
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Aug 15, 2015 10:41 AM in response to Techno12345by Jonathan UK,The iPhone may not have been unlocked and may have originally been on an O2 contract (or on an O2 MVNO network).
giffgaff is a MVNO (mobile virtual network operator) that uses O2's network, so a giffgaff SIM card would have worked (as you said it did) even if the iPhone was still locked to O2:
"A giffgaff sim will work in an unlocked, sim free or o2 locked phone"
Re: Does GiffGaff work on O2 locked phones? - The giffgaff ...
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Aug 16, 2015 6:18 AM in response to Jonathan UKby Techno12345,Thanks Jonathan - ive just discovered that it exactly whats happened!
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Aug 16, 2015 6:24 AM in response to Techno12345by Jonathan UK,You're most welcome - I'm sorry it wasn't the solution you were hoping for