"Could not activate iPhone" (3GS after iOS 5.0.1 update)

Firstly can I start of by saying I am extremely annoyed. Okay so I am having trouble activating my iPhone after the iOS 5 upgrade! (5.0.1)

Sorry if this isn't the right place to post this, but I couldn't find an email address for support, and I am really quite fed up with the whole situation!

I got a pre-owned iPhone 3GS for Christmas from ebay. And as we got home yesterday I thought it would be a good idea to upgrade to the new iOS 5 firmware... How wrong I was.

5 hours its been since I upgraded my iPhone, 5 hours of looking for solutions as to why my iPhone wouldn't connect to my carrier.

"Slide to set up"

"English" Next

"United Kingdom" Next

"Enable Location Services" Next

"Choose a Network..." select my wifi, Next

"Activating your iPhone"..."It may take up to three minutes to activate your iPhone"

....

Nothing... it then tells me to try activating through iTunes, iTunes then tells me I have no sim in my iPhone.. Hmm, but I do!!

Please will you tell me how to fix this!

I have been reading forums and watching videos all day but nothing seems to work. The only successful people with this problem are the people who went to the apple store and got given a refurbished iPhone and an apology.

I can't even restore it through iTunes because it just tells me to insert a sim. It is well and truely bricked.

I am going away tomorrow and have more or less accepted that I will not be taking my iPhone away with me which is very disappointing!

If there's anything you can do to help i would be very grateful! Thanks, Sam

It is an iPhone 3GS, which had 4.1 installed before the update.

The phone is was originally set up to Orange but the seller on ebay said it had been unlocked.