Mobile Phone...

Milkshake

Loyal Freddie
Joined
Dec 22, 2003
Messages
496
I handed in a mobile phone about 3 months ago to the lost property in my University. Got an e-mail today asking me to pick it up, it was now mine as no-one had claimed it.

Damn thing is locked though :/

What can I do, if anything, to get it unlocked, and where is my legal standpoint?

Anyone know?
 

Ch3tan

I aer teh win!!
Joined
Dec 22, 2003
Messages
27,318
You can't get it unlocked as far as I know, it would have been blacklisted by the networks when it was reported lost.
 

Brynn

Can't get enough of FH
Joined
Dec 22, 2003
Messages
3,261
take the sim card out, and flog it on ebay, but make sure you state that it was locked :p
 

Calamore

Fledgling Freddie
Joined
Dec 24, 2003
Messages
169
I am not sure if this is correct. But I always see on market stalls, advertising phone unlocking for like £10, dunno if this is that.
 

old.Tohtori

FH is my second home
Joined
Jan 23, 2004
Messages
45,210
Umm...maybe a dumb question but does it ask for a PIN code(solved by removing pin card), or the other code(png...pnm...phone code)?

Ofcourse if it's just a keylock, i'm gonna come and shoot you :p

EDIT: Also, model?
 

Clown

Part of the furniture
Joined
Dec 22, 2003
Messages
4,292
Calamore said:
I am not sure if this is correct. But I always see on market stalls, advertising phone unlocking for like £10, dunno if this is that.
They probably mean unlocking the networks that you can use on the phone.
 

Bodhi

Once agreed with Scouse and a LibDem at same time
Joined
Dec 22, 2003
Messages
9,270
If you've got a locked phone you should be able to get it unlocked fairly easily - it might only work on the networks OTHER than the one it was originally on, as someone mentioned the network will block it if the phone is lost.
 

Trem

Not as old as he claims to be!
Moderator
Joined
Dec 22, 2003
Messages
9,293
I've got a nifty little program that gives you the codes for unlocking many phones. If you give me your email I will send it to you tonight when I get home.

May be able to send it today if I can find it. They sell this 'calculator' on Ebay for a few quid, total rip off.

Anyone who wants it give me your email.

Edited to say I have found it and send it anytime.
 

UndyingAngel

Can't get enough of FH
Joined
Jan 21, 2004
Messages
1,957
Dam thats an olf phone in the pic ;)
BBC NEWS said:
An average of 328 mobile phones are stolen in London every day
you would think.. ppl would learn to make it easy for ppl to steal them :E
 
G

Guest

Guest
If its locked to the network then you _could_ get it unlocked, if it's sim locked then you can get it unlocked, if it has been reported stolen then you cannot use it in the UK without reprogramming it but thats illegal. The phone companies share imei numbers of phones reported stolen, so you cant just put another sim card in from another provider and expect it to work. It's most likely been reported stolen and blocked in the UK, you could ebay it saying that its blocked and would only work abroad (eg france spain germany etc).

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=30389&item=6400926450&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

thats an example.
 

leggy

Probably Scottish
Joined
Dec 23, 2003
Messages
3,838
The Violent Crime Bill will make it illegal to offer or agree to reprogramme a phone, rather than the act of doing it.

Babs = Jail Time
Milkshake = ok :)
 

Milkshake

Loyal Freddie
Joined
Dec 22, 2003
Messages
496
The mobile is a Motorola v600, quite nifteh. My current nokia 3300 needs to be popped in to get it's buttons fixed, so I'll see if I can get this v600 unlocked and use it while my old one is being fixed.

After that, I dunno. Might even track the old owner down.

Thanks guys :)

P.S Will tell you how I get on with Trem's suggestion
 

Ch3tan

I aer teh win!!
Joined
Dec 22, 2003
Messages
27,318
Honestly, what type of lock are you talking about? a sim lock is easy to remove. However if the phone has been blacklisted by its IMEI number, then it is very illegal to circumvent.
 

Bodhi

Once agreed with Scouse and a LibDem at same time
Joined
Dec 22, 2003
Messages
9,270
I may be being stupid here, but how much is someone wanting to use a stolen phone actually going to give a shit that it's illegal to get it reactivated? Last time I looked, theft was very illegal as well.
 

Trem

Not as old as he claims to be!
Moderator
Joined
Dec 22, 2003
Messages
9,293
Milkshake said:
The mobile is a Motorola v600, quite nifteh. My current nokia 3300 needs to be popped in to get it's buttons fixed, so I'll see if I can get this v600 unlocked and use it while my old one is being fixed.

After that, I dunno. Might even track the old owner down.

Thanks guys :)

P.S Will tell you how I get on with Trem's suggestion

I have sent you the program but I don't think it will do that phone. Leave it with me, will have a look around.
 

Trem

Not as old as he claims to be!
Moderator
Joined
Dec 22, 2003
Messages
9,293
Looks like you will have to pay fella -

Unfortunately there is no such thing as a Motorola unlock generator or free motorola unlock code, as such there is no way to unlock your Motorola V600 for free, Motorola randomly generate the codes so they have full control over unlocking Motorola V600
 

leggy

Probably Scottish
Joined
Dec 23, 2003
Messages
3,838
I thought trem was babs. It's that fucking avatar.

Change it to a picture of your penis please. That way I will always recognise you.
 

Brynn

Can't get enough of FH
Joined
Dec 22, 2003
Messages
3,261
Think there is a minimum size on avatars, so that plan wont work leggy
 

Milkshake

Loyal Freddie
Joined
Dec 22, 2003
Messages
496
I believe the lock is IMEI, since I've tried a different sim and it's still blocked.

As for paying for it to get unlocked, I dunno if I'll go down that route. Thought I might be able to get a little prize for being a good citizen, but ahh well.

Might just try and track down the old user, explain what went on and hope for a reward...though if it was at the Uni, it prolly means it's a student.

How much would it cost to be unlocked anyhoo? And should I contact Motorola? Or is that just really, really, really dumb? :)
 

Gray

FH is my second home
Joined
Dec 25, 2003
Messages
3,418
Trem: I think the code/program you maybe referring to would be to unlock the actual mobile from one network to another.

It wouldnt have a bearing on removing the actual IMEI Bar which has been placed onto the handset, the IMEI code would have to be changed - But i very very very much doubt that you would find anyone who can unblock the phone
 

Tom

I am a FH squatter
Joined
Dec 22, 2003
Messages
17,179
Just take it to a cop shop and forget about it.
 

Bodhi

Once agreed with Scouse and a LibDem at same time
Joined
Dec 22, 2003
Messages
9,270
Tom said:
Its somebody else's nice phone.

Somebody else's nice phone that they didnt care about enough to go and claim from the lost property department. Keep it I say.
 

Ch3tan

I aer teh win!!
Joined
Dec 22, 2003
Messages
27,318
If it's IMEI blocked then chances are he has claimed on insurance anyway, the networks wont reactivate a blacklisted IMEI. You would have to reprogram the IMEI.
 

WPKenny

Resident Freddy
Joined
Dec 22, 2003
Messages
1,348
Milkshake said:
I believe the lock is IMEI, since I've tried a different sim and it's still blocked.

As for paying for it to get unlocked, I dunno if I'll go down that route. Thought I might be able to get a little prize for being a good citizen, but ahh well.

Might just try and track down the old user, explain what went on and hope for a reward...though if it was at the Uni, it prolly means it's a student.

How much would it cost to be unlocked anyhoo? And should I contact Motorola? Or is that just really, really, really dumb? :)


You've not stolen the phone and the uni's lost property department will back you up. You handed it in, no one claimed it so it's yours. You can do what you like with it, guilt free and the lost property department can back you up if you get anyone accusing you of stealing. Go into a mobile phone shop, explain what's happened and see what they say.
 

Milkshake

Loyal Freddie
Joined
Dec 22, 2003
Messages
496
Hmm, yeah, I guess so. I mean, I found it in Uni, handed it in to the Uni's lost property...it's not as if it was hard to go and ask for it back.

Might pop into the next mobile shop I find, and theoretically pose a few questions :)

Thanks everyone!
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Top Bottom