Unlocking your phone could be a costly exercise. We look at how Ofcom recently decided to tackle the issue.
Ofcom the UK’s communication regulator has recently collated, collected and investigated different modus operandi of mobile service providers in relation to the way they provide an unlocking service to their customers.
Lack of consistency
Usually when a phone is purchased from a high-street retailer the handset is locked. This can cause some issues when the user wants to use another sim-card home or abroad.
Unlocking a device can also prove a costly and timely affair depending on the service provider you signed up with. Lots of polices, processes and paperwork has to filter into the system before your phone finally gets unlocked.
Rules of their own
Most handsets can be unlocked reasonably quickly. However, Ofcom discovered that most service providers have their own criteria set up for their users to adhere to before an unlock can be processed.
The finding unveiled some providers required a certain period of time to have elapsed before an unlock request can be granted. Other operators required periods of time and a charge. Yet interestingly some didn’t require any at all.
Unlocking
Ofcom’s investigation found that Three mobile is the only service provider not to lock its handsets. It’s also fair to comment that GiffGaff also doesn’t lock its handsets yet it didn’t make Ofcoms list.
The main findings of the report was that EE (T-Mobile & Orange) keep their handsets locked for 6 months after they have been activated. Once the 6 month period is over they then charge £20.42 for an unlock.
Heavy cost
Vodafone are ever so slightly cheaper at £19.99 and Virgin will charge their users £15.32 with a wait of 30 days to get the phone unlocked. O2 will charge £15 to all its pay-as-you-go customers once a massive 12 months has been served. Finally Tesco will charge their users £20 for an unlocked device which requires a 28 waiting period after the request is made.
Commentators and experts on the industry state that unlocking a phone should be a simple and quick procedure at no extra cost. Recent research has also revealed that over two thirds of consumers think that locking phones is unfair with just under 80% of users finding the experience of unlocking their phones frustrating.
It is thought that Ofcom’s report will spur service providers to re-think their phone unlocking strategy and make consumers more aware of the pit-falls involved.
Remember Frenzy fans, for more up to date Fortune Frenzy news you can follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
