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Illegal services openly available? |
Nitro Fan
Joined: Jun 11, 2003
Posts: > 500
From: London
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Can anyone here tell me what the difference is between “unlocking” & “unblocking” a mobile handset, Am I right in beliving it is legal to unlock but illegal to unblock handsets? Why is this guy asking I hear you say, and quite rightly so too. Well the answer is simple I accompany my other half to a large number of boot-sales / markets in the UK in pursuit of certain types of porcelain and other items, at almost all of these events I see stalls offering unlocking / unblocking services. I just want to know if the services they offer are legal or in contravention of the law. I know how to take it from there
I have owned the ... T68i T610, P800, P900, P910, P990, W950, P1, W960 But SE have now totally lost the plot. | |
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sunjivas
Joined: Aug 17, 2002
Posts: > 500
From: London, UK
PM |
unblocking is illegal
unlocking can b legal depending on if u have your operators permission or not
i think... |
Ayush
Joined: Sep 12, 2003
Posts: > 500
From: Hyderabad, india
PM |
Yeah You're right :-) and un locking only voids warranty
This message was posted from a WAP device |
Sammy_boy
Joined: Mar 31, 2004
Posts: > 500
From: Staffordshire, United Kingdom
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As far as I know unlocking a phone to use any network is perfectly legal. I hope it is, as I've unlocked quite a few phones (all Nokias I'm afraid!) of late. I even own a Nokia 3310 which someone's reflashed/reprogammed and it now has a Nokia DCT3/DCT4 unlocking programme on it as well as being a mobile! 
I think some people mistakenly use the term 'unblocking' for 'unlocking' as well, thinking they mean the same - I believe unblocking is getting phones that have been blocked for being lost/stolen, and is definitely illegal!
"All it takes for evil to flourish is for good men to do nothing" - Edmund Burke
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Nitro Fan
Joined: Jun 11, 2003
Posts: > 500
From: London
PM |
Thanks guys, well there are going to be one or two nasty little creeps who will be getting a visit from the law in the not too distant future.
I have owned the ... T68i T610, P800, P900, P910, P990, W950, P1, W960 But SE have now totally lost the plot. |
wapchimp
Joined: Jun 09, 2002
Posts: > 500
From: Land of the chimps
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Quote:
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On 2004-04-17 15:42:30, Sammy_boy wrote:
I think some people mistakenly use the term 'unblocking' for 'unlocking' as well, thinking they mean the same - I believe unblocking is getting phones that have been blocked for being lost/stolen, and is definitely illegal!
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Thats it spot on. Network unlocking is NOT illegal. It's just not the proceedure operators would like you to follow. They subsidise the handsets so you trade that for their network lock.
Unblocking a blacklisted (lost/stolen) phone is illegal. This usually means they are re-programming the IMEI number, or scrambling it.
I have seen IMEI numbers such as 000000011101100 !?! Which are not valid. SOme customers have even had their IMEI scrammbled by a bog standard unlocking!
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Posted: 2004-04-17 14:49
