Author Topic: Problem With Unlocked iPhone  (Read 9691 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Scunner

  • Chairman of the Bored
  • Administrator
  • Prolific Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 45714
  • Age: 57
  • Location: Perthchester
Problem With Unlocked iPhone
« on: May 20, 2012, 10:49:35 AM »
I wonder if anyone has any ideas about this situation. I have an unlocked iPhone (3GS) and initially I was with O2 and then moved over to Vodafone so I know it isn't locked. I am nearly sure I have used it in Turkey with Turkcell too but can't be entirely sure as I have had other iPhones previously.

I bought a Turkcell sim last month and got "no service" showing. I was told by the shop that it was because the phone was locked - which I instantly took to be them talking rubbish because I have had o2 & Vodafone sims in it. They then took the sim out and put it in the nearest phone to hand and it worked fine. In the end, I borrowed an old Nokia and it did indeed work fine.

Anyone have any idea why my phone is unlocked but couldn't use a Turkcell sim? I am a little baffled [8)]



Offline stoop

  • Cerial Killer
  • Global Moderator
  • Prolific Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 17649
  • Age: 68
  • Location: York, North Yorkshire
Problem With Unlocked iPhone
« Reply #1 on: May 20, 2012, 12:40:17 PM »
Did you have roaming switched off?

Offline KKOB

  • Prolific Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 13570
  • I'm hearing the word.... Nonce !
Problem With Unlocked iPhone
« Reply #2 on: May 20, 2012, 12:49:07 PM »
Is it because you were previously run out of Turkey and they're blocking your calls ? ;)

Offline mercury

  • Turkey
  • Prolific Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5081
  • Age: 70
  • Location: England
Problem With Unlocked iPhone
« Reply #3 on: May 20, 2012, 13:03:30 PM »
Is it registered for use in Turkey? If you used it before here they may have blocked it. Other than that "red cabbage no idea". x




Offline usedbustickets

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 2859
  • Age: 67
  • Institute for the hard of understanding
Problem With Unlocked iPhone
« Reply #4 on: May 20, 2012, 13:46:01 PM »
Yep I have had exactly the same problem with my Galaxy sII.  I know the phone is unlocked, as I bought it that way.  It is, as Merecury has observed, to do with the phone being registered.  You can get away with it once, but when you return on your next trip you find the problem you described.  I heard that in the Turkcell shop they can get the phone registered, which is what I am hoping to do when I go over in June, so I'm a little concerned that the Turkcell shop people did not offer this to you when you was in there Scunner.
« Last Edit: May 20, 2012, 13:53:38 PM by usedbustickets »

Offline Supacabby

  • Sunny Brighton
  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 1183
  • Age: 64
  • Location: Sunny Eastbourne by the sea aka Gods waiting room :)
  • Calis Beach - next best place to heaven...
Problem With Unlocked iPhone
« Reply #5 on: May 20, 2012, 16:04:23 PM »
My Galaxy S2 also had the identical problem. I bought it in the UK & it was unlocked for me, I tried all 4 major UK suppliers sim cards with no problem but when I went to Avea in Fethiye is had the no service message. Baris registered it to my name & address & after a short wait for their system to update itself it worked perfectly for the 6 months I was there. Upon return to the UK it works as before on T Mobile with no problems.
« Last Edit: May 20, 2012, 16:05:56 PM by Supacabby »

Offline legless

  • Muppet on Wheels
  • Global Moderator
  • Sr. Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2727
  • Location: United Kingdom
Problem With Unlocked iPhone
« Reply #6 on: May 20, 2012, 19:10:22 PM »
I had my 3g iphone there 2 yrs ago, was unlocked and it worked fine even gave it to one of our friends to use in between the time we were out of the country. however last year it wouldn't work took it to the vodafone shop and they said it would not ever work as it had been used before unregistered and was now blocked.
Works OK anywere else though

Ron

Offline bewva

  • Prolific Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3353
  • Age: 58
  • Location: chester
Problem With Unlocked iPhone
« Reply #7 on: May 20, 2012, 20:16:06 PM »
I agree I had a phone blocked in turkey but it worked fine with a uk sim card

Offline usedbustickets

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 2859
  • Age: 67
  • Institute for the hard of understanding
Re: Problem With Unlocked iPhone
« Reply #8 on: July 12, 2012, 22:15:51 PM »
OK I have the process to solve this problem, and it is expensive in terms of money and time, but it does work as I can now atest, and in my case means I can properly use an expensive UK (unlocked) phone in Turkey.  I will not put you off by telling you the false starts, the number of visits to Turkcell I made, or the grief along the way, or indeed the number of people and departments, and stairs I climbed up and down at the tax office  - I'm getting bad flashbacks already - but simply provide you with the necessary steps you need to take.

Step One
Go to the tax office take your passport and the UK phone you want to use in Turkey with a turkish sim (this should work for all mobile companies not just Turkcell).  Go to the pay office on the ground floor, join the Q, when you get to the front of the Q point to your phone say something like 'use in Turkey please' handover the phone and passport .  The man will take your details including the number of the phone itself - no not the telephone number - but the one inside the phone by the bar code under the battery.  You might want to practice how to get access inside the phone to this number/bar code.  Once all details are entered in the computer by our tax office operative, you will be passed over to his colleague who will take 100TL for the service and give you a printed off receipt from his trusty dot matrix printer.

Step Two
Take the receipt to your mobile company's shop - suggest one of the larger shops where someone will know what to do - again give them your passport (they will need to photocopy main page plus the current visa with date of entry) and the phone.  After the photocopying of all the documents and entry of your details into the Turkcell system, you will be asked to pay 10TL.  Well at least that is what Turkcell charged.  I was then told it would take 2-3 days but then I should put my SIM into the phone and it will work.  Well I waited the 2-3 days, done as instructed and it worked.  This is a new process instigated by the government and perhaps you may not need to wait 2-3 days, but I did.  All I had to do then was to add a data package (1 month 4GB in my case) to my PAYG Turkcell SIM and my Galaxy S11 runs like a dream for both voice calls and data use.

Top Tip
I think I am right in saying that you can only do this once every three years, so don't look to upgrade your phone for use in Turkey anytime before then cos it won't be accepted if you make the application before the three years is up.  Might be easier next time to buy an unlocked phone in Turkey, and take that back to the UK for use with your UK SIM... :o

Hope this helps, I'm going to lie down now with a wet flannel on my head and try to drive out the flashbacks. ;D

Offline nichola

  • Global Moderator
  • Prolific Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4620
  • Location: Turkey
Re: Problem With Unlocked iPhone
« Reply #9 on: July 12, 2012, 22:40:21 PM »
Great informative post - hope the flashbacks clear up soon   :)




Share me

Digg  Facebook  SlashDot  Delicious  Technorati  Twitter  Google  Yahoo
Smf