Unlocks Blog

Unlock T-Mobile Zest | Unlock T-Mobile Vibe

2010-11-30T10:26:00.003Z

Unlock T-Mobile Zest and T-Mobile Vibe mobile phones online instantly for just £3.99 with an unlock code from Unlocks.Co.Uk!

Purchasing an unlock code for your T-Mobile Zest or T-Mobile Vibe is as easy as 1-2-3!

Click on the appropriate link below!
Enter your phones IMEI, your name and email address and make your payment of £3.99 securely through PayPal or Google Checkout!
Your unlock code will be delivered to your email address immediately along with easy to follow code entry instructions!

So what are you waiting for, get an unlock code for your T-Mobile Zest or T-Mobile Vibe instantly today with Unlocks.Co.Uk!

T-Mobile Zest Unlock Codes

T-Mobile Vibe Unlock Codes

Unlock Orange San Francisco | ZTE Blade

2010-09-30T09:11:00.011+01:00

Unlock Orange San Francisco and ZTE Blade mobile phones online in under 24 hours for just £3.99 with unlocks.co.uk!

The mobile phone world is buzzing with the announcement of the Orange San Francisco/ZTE Blade - a new Android-Based handset on sale currently for less than £100 in the UK. As always, unlocks.co.uk is one of the first to provide unlock codes to unlock Orange San Francisco and ZTE Blade handsets.

Click on the link below to get an unlock code for your Orange San Francisco or ZTE Blade today!

Unlock Orange San Francisco Here

Enter Network Key - Enter Service Provider Key

2010-07-27T15:09:00.003+01:00

If you own one of the Alcatel based mobile phones listed below and it is displaying Enter Network Key or Enter Service Provider Key, we can help! These errors appear on an Alcatel based mobile phone if you attempt to use an alternative network SIM card and the phone is Network Locked.

The good news is that we can generate the Network Key or Service Provider Key for any of the Alcatel based mobile phone models listed below for just £3.99!

Alcatel B331x - Alcatel BF3 - Alcatel BF4 - Alcatel BL11d - Alcatel C552bf - Alcatel EL03 - Alcatel EL05 - Alcatel ELLE - Alcatel Mandarina Duck - Alcatel Miss Sixty - Alcatel OT-103 - Alcatel OT-202 - Alcatel OT-203 - Alcatel OT-203a - Alcatel OT-203e - Alcatel OT-280 - Alcatel OT-303 - Alcatel OT-360 - Alcatel OT-363 - Alcatel OT-383 - Alcatel OT-600 - Alcatel OT-660 - Alcatel OT-708 - Alcatel OT-800 - Alcatel OT-C551 - Alcatel OT-C552 - Alcatel OT-C652 - Alcatel OT-C700 - Alcatel OT-C701 - Alcatel OT-C707 - Alcatel OT-C717 - Alcatel OT-C750 - Alcatel OT-C820 - Alcatel OT-C825 - Alcatel OT-E101 Flip - Alcatel OT-i650 - Alcatel OT-i708 - Alcatel OT-M298 - Alcatel OT-PB01 - Alcatel OT-S215 - Alcatel OT-S218 - Alcatel OT-S319 - Alcatel OT-S32 - Alcatel OT-S320 - Alcatel OT-S321 - Alcatel OT-S520 - Alcatel OT-S621 - Alcatel OT-S853 - Alcatel OT-V570 - Alcatel OT-V670 - Alcatel OT-V770 - Alcatel Playboy - Alcatel TH3 - Alcatel TH4 - Alcatel VM621i - Vodafone 331 - Vodafone 541

If your Alcatel based mobile phone is in the list above and is displaying Enter Network Key or Enter Service Proivider Key, simply click on the link below to purchase a code for only £3.99. We will deliver your code to your email address in less than 24 hours (usually in just minutes during the day) along with full, detailed code entry instructions!

Click Here To Unlock Your Phone Today!

Enter NP Code - Enter SP Code

2010-07-27T14:51:00.004+01:00

If you own one of the ZTE based mobile phones listed below and it is displaying Enter NP Code or Enter SP Code, we can help! These errors appear on a ZTE based mobile phone if you attempt to use an alternative network SIM card and the phone is Network Locked.

The good new is that we can generate the NP Code or SP code for any of the ZTE based mobile phone models listed below for just £3.99!

Orange Miami - Orange Rio - Orange Rome - Orange Vegas - SFR 114 - SFR 231 - SFR 232 - SFR 241 - SFR 251 - SFR 341 - SFR 342 - SFR 343 - T-Mobile Vairy Touch - T-Mobile Vairy Touch II - TMN 5000 - TMN BlueBelt - TMN BlueBelt II - TMN SilverBelt - Vodafone 547 - Vodafone Indie - ZTE G N281 - ZTE G R231 - ZTE G X760 - ZTE G X761 - ZTE G X990 - ZTE G X991 - ZTE N61 - ZTE X760 - ZTE X761 - ZTE X960 - ZTE X990 - ZTE X991 - ZTE Xiang

If your ZTE based mobile phone is in the list above and is displaying Enter NP Code or Enter SP Code, simply click on the link below to purchase a code for only £3.99. We will deliver your code to your email address in less than 24 hours (usually in just minutes during the day) along with full, detailed code entry instructions!

Click Here To Unlock Your Phone Today!

Unlock BlackBerry Free

2010-07-05T19:59:00.010+01:00

Unlock Your BlackBerry For FREE!!!

How would you like to get your hands on a Free Unlock Code for your BlackBerry mobile phone? For a limited period of time we will generate an unlock code for your BlackBerry mobile phone absolutely Free Of Charge! But what is the catch? There really is no catch - we don't ask you to signup to anything and you don't have to pay a single penny, this is a genuine free offer!

What BlackBerry Models Are Supported?

We can generate a free unlock code for most BlackBerry phone models including the Bold, Curve, Pearl, Storm, Storm2, Tour and many more!

How To Get Your Free BlackBerry Unlock Code!

Click on the Unlock BlackBerry Free link at the bottom to visit the Unlocks.Co.Uk site, select your BlackBerry phone model, complete the online request form and we will send you a free unlock code for your BlackBerry mobile phone!

How Long Does It Take?

You should allow 3-4 working days for email delivery of your free BlackBerry unlock code. If you are unable to wait 3-4 working days for your BlackBerry unlock code, consider our normal paid service at only £3.99 with email delivery in under 24 hours (usually less than an hour during the working day).

Unlock BlackBerry Free

Video Technology In Football

2010-06-28T21:42:00.006+01:00

Unlocks is proud to support an online petition aimed at Sepp Blatter and FIFA regarding the absolute necessity of Video Technology in World Football.

The events in South Africa on 27th June 2010 strengthened the case for the implementation of video technology in world football. Both the England team and the Mexico team were victims of poor decisions by so-called Professional Match Officials on the same day. The fact is that mistakes such as these will continue to be made in major tournaments in the future because, after all, match officials are only human and we all make mistakes. The implementation of video technology would give scope for any mistakes to be rectified and thus take pressure away from match officials!

Sepp Blatter and FIFA have made it very clear that they have no intention of considering the implementation of video technology in world football - a view that is certainly not echoed by the masses. Sepp Blatter and FIFA would have you believe that the implementation of such technology would be too costly - absolute nonsense!

Enough is enough! It is time for the world of football to unite and make a stance against Sepp Blatter and FIFA. I call upon every football fan in every country across the world to join me in supporting the online petition to Sepp Blatter and FIFA. If we get enough names on the petition we can make a difference and we can force change. Tell your family, friends, neighbours and associates to sign the petition. Link to the petition on your Facebook, Twitter, MySpace or any other social networking sites. Spread the word in any way you can and maybe, just maybe we can make a difference!

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/videotechnologynow/

Unlock Any BlackBerry Mobile Phone Just £3.99

2010-06-14T16:16:00.004+01:00

You can now unlock ANY BlackBerry mobile phone on ANY worldwide network for just £3.99! Unlocks have slashed the price of BlackBerry unlock codes to just £3.99 and your BlackBerry unlock code is delievered by email in less than 24 hours (just minutes in some cases).

The Unlocks BlackBerry Unlock Codes service supports all of the following BlackBerry models on any worldwide network;

6120 - 6210 - 6220 - 6230 - 6280 - 6510 - 6710 - 6720 - 6750 - 7100 - 7100g - 7100i - 7100r - 7100t - 7100v - 7100x - 7105t - 7130 - 7130c - 7130e - 7130g - 7130v - 7210 - 7230 - 7250 - 7270 - 7280 - 7290 - 7510 - 7520 - 7730 - 7750 - 7780 - 8100 - 8100-Pearl - 8110 - 8110-Pearl - 8120 - 8120-Pearl - 8130 - 8130-Pearl - 8220 - 8220-Pearl-Flip - 8300 - 8300-Curve - 8310 - 8310-Curve - 8310v - 8310v-Curve - 8320 - 8320-Curve - 8330 - 8330-World-Edition - 8350i - 8350i-Curve - 8500 - 8500-Curve - 8520 - 8520-Curve - 8520-Gemini - 8700 - 8700c - 8700f - 8700g - 8700r - 8700v - 8703e - 8705 - 8705g - 8707g - 8707v - 8800 - 8820 - 8830-World-Edition - 8900 - 8900-Curve - 8900-Javelin - 9000 - 9000-Bold - 9020 - 9020-Onyx - 9100 - 9100-Pearl - 9105 - 9105-Pearl - 9500 - 9500-Storm - 9520 - 9520-Storm2 - 9530 - 9530-Storm - 9550 - 9550-Storm2 - 9600 - 9630 - 9630-Niagara - 9630-Tour - 9700 - 9700-Bold - Bold - Curve - Gemini - Javelin - Niagara - Onyx - Pearl - Pearl-3G - RIM850 - RIM857 - Storm - Storm2 - Tour

So what are you waiting for, click the link below to visit Unlocks and get an unlock code for your BlackBerry mobile phone today!

BlackBerry Unlock Codes Here!

Free Permanent iPhone Unlocking | 2G 3G 3GS

2010-06-14T13:27:00.007+01:00

Yes you can unlock your O2 UK locked iPhone 2G, 3G or 3Gs permanently and absolutely FREE! No I haven't lost my mind, it's absolutely true! If you are an O2 UK Pay Monthly customer or an O2 UK Business customer, you can get your iPhone 2G, 3G or 3Gs unlocked permanently and absolutely free of charge! What's more, O2 UK Pay & Go customers can also get their iPhone 2G, 3G or 3Gs unlocked permanently for just £15.00! Here's how it works;

The iPhone you wish to unlock MUST originate from O2 UK.
Ideally you should be the registered owner of the iPhone.
Visit the iPhone Unlocking page on the O2 UK website (link below).
Complete the unlocking request form.
If you are an O2 UK Pay & Go customer, make sure you have £15.00 credit available on your phone for the unlocking fee. O2 UK Pay Monthly and O2 UK Business customers don't pay a single penny!
Within 14 days O2 UK will send you an SMS message confirming that your iPhone has been registered as Unlocked on the server.
All you need to do now is connect your iPhone to iTunes and the iTunes application will confirm your iPhone is unlocked!

So what are you waiting for? Click on the 'Unlock My iPhone' link below to visit the O2 UK website and get your iPhone unlocked permanently and absolutely FREE (or for £15.00 if you're an O2 UK Pay & Go Customer).

Unlock My iPhone

If you found this information useful, please click on the Share button below. Don't forget Unlocks can supply unlock codes for many Alcatel, Blackberry, Motorola, Nokia and ZTE mobile phones from just £4.99!

Win An LG Cookie | Prize Draw

2010-06-11T14:25:00.003+01:00

It's finally here! The World Cup 2010 has begun and Unlocks is celebrating by giving you a chance to win a brand spanking new LG Cookie KP500 mobile phone.

Unlocks have hidden an image of the world cup somewhere on the Unlocks site. If you find the image of the World Cup, you need to click on it to submit your entry - it's as simple as that! The prize draw is open only to residents of the UK, Isle of Man and Channel Islands. The prize draw runs throughout the duration of the World Cup (11th June 2010 - 11th July 2010).

Good Luck!

More Details About The Unlocks Prize Draw Here

Cannot Undo Restriction | Not Allowed

2010-05-22T10:06:00.005+01:00

What Is 'Cannot Undo Restriction' or 'Not Allowed'?

The Cannot Undo Restriction and Not Allowed error will display on Nokia mobile phone when you attempt to enter an unlock code. It is an indication that your Nokia phone has been subjected to it's maximum allowed number of unlock code entry attempts. Most older Nokia mobile phones will allow a maximum of five (5) unlock code entry attempts, however more modern Nokia mobile phones will allow a maximum of only three (3) unlock code entry attempts. Once the maximum allowed number of unlock code entry attempts has been reached on a Nokia mobile phone, further attempts at code entry will result in a Cannot Undo Restriction or Not Allowed error. This basically means the phone can no longer be unlocked by code, however read on for a possible solution!

Is There A Solution To This Problem?

Until recently, any Nokia mobile phone displaying the Cannot Undo Restriction or Not Allowed error had to be taken to a mobile phone store to be unlocked. Times change and new methods have been discovered that allow the entry of a correct unlock code, even if the phone has been subjected to it's maximum allowed number of unlock code entry attempts. First, there are three things you will need;

The correct unlock code for your Nokia mobile phone.
A USB Data Cable for your Nokia mobile phone.
A software application to send the unlock code to your phone.

If you don't have a Data Cable you can usually purchase one for just a few pounds at a phone store or market. Don't panic if you don't have the correct unlock code or the software application to send the unlock code to your phone, I will explain shortly how to get both.

I Have the Correct Unlock Code - What Now?

So you have a Data Cable and the correct unlock code (and obviously a Nokia mobile phone displaying Cannot Undo Restriction or Not Allowed). All you need to do now is follow the link below and you will be given full instructions on how to send the unlock code to the phone using the sofware application which can be downloaded from the same page. Please read through the instructions carefully as this method will only work for most modern Nokia mobile phones. I do not offer any guarantee that this method will work for you, however I have tested this method on over 50 Nokia mobile phones and have yet to encounter a failure;

Click Here For Instructions Only If You Have The Correct Unlock Code

I Don't Have the Correct Unlock Code - What Now?

This is an obvious problem because this method will not work unless you have the correct unlock code for your Nokia mobile phone. You can try to purchase the unlock code from your network, however it can be very expensive and you may be waiting between 7-28 days for delivery of your unlock code. Alternatively you can purchase an unlock code for most modern Nokia mobile phones using the link below;

Nokia Unlock Codes

Once again, I do not offer any guarantee that this method will work for you, however I have tested this method on over 50 Nokia mobile phones and have yet to encounter a failure. I have published this information because it worked for me, but it may or may not work for you. If you go and spend money on an unlock code for your Nokia phone in the hope that this method will work, you do so entirely at your own risk.

Alcatel Netwok Key | Vodafone ZTE NP Code

2010-05-21T10:25:00.010+01:00

So here I am again with some more good news. Unlocks can now supply the Network Key or NP Code for many Alcatel, Vodafone and ZTE mobile phone models for just £3.99. Network Keys or NP Codes are delivered by email along with code entry instructions within 1 - 24 hours (instant email delivery for some models).

Supported models include the T-Mobile Vairy Touch, Orange Vegas, Vodafone Indie, ZTE X760/GX760 and ZTE X761/GX761. The full list of supported models is as follows;

114 - 231 - 232 - 241 - 251 - 331 - 341 - 342 - 343 - 541 - 547 - B331x - BF3 - BF4 - BL11d - C552bf - C700 - C701 - C707 - C717 - C750 - C820 - C825 - E101-Flip - EL03 - EL05 - ELLE - GX760 - GX761 - GR230 - GR231 - GN261 - GN281 - i650 - i708 - Indie - M298 - Mandarina-Duck - Miami - Miss-Sixty - OT280 - OT303 - OT363 - OT383 - OT600 - OT660 - OT708 - OT800 - PB01 - Playboy - Raise - Rio - Rome - Sage - S215 - S218 - S319 - S32 - S320 - S321 - S520 - S621 - S853 - TH3 - TH4 - V570 - V670 - V770 - Vairy-Touch - Vairy-Touch-II - Vegas - VM621i - X760 - X761 - X960 - X990 - X991 - Xiang

So, if you have one of the above models what are you waiting for, click on the link below to get an Network Key or NP Code for your Alcatel, Vodafone or ZTE mobile phone today!

Alcatel, Vodafone and ZTE Netwok Keys and NP Codes

Blackberry Unlock Codes Just £3.99

2010-05-18T11:39:00.010+01:00

I know it's been a long time since I posted, however I return with some great new for all Blackberry owners. Unlocks can now supply Blackberry Unlock Codes for just £3.99 with delivery via email within 24 hours.

No I haven't been taking illegal substances, you really can get Blackberry unlock codes for ANY Blackberry for just £3.99 at http://www.unlocks.co.uk/blackberry_unlock_codes.php.

There are many online services currently claiming they can supply Blackberry unlock codes, however the majority are generating unlock codes using the old method of IMEI + Network. Here's the problem with the old method - it generates a possible 4-6 codes and figuring out which is the correct code can be time consuming. Not only that, many new Blackberry mobile phones will allow only 3 attempts at code entry so, if you have 6 codes to try, you're out of luck.

The new method used by Unlocks requires you to download a small application. You then connect your Blackberry mobile phone to your computer with the USB cable and read the 'MEP' information from the phone. Once you have the MEP information you can complete the Blackberry unlock code request form on the Unlocks site and One Single Unlock Code will be delivered via email within 24 hours (usually within the hour between 9am - 5pm GMT).

This new method is ideal because it allows us to generate the one single correct unlock code for your Blackberry mobile phone. So, in summary, get yourself to http://www.unlocks.co.uk/blackberry_unlock_codes.php and get a Blackberry unlock code for your Blackberry mobile phone today!

Blocked, Barred or Blacklisted Mobile Phones

2005-11-26T13:34:00.005Z

When a person reports a mobile phone lost, stolen or otherwise unsuitable for use, the phones imei/serial number is included in a 'blacklist database'. When you switch on a mobile phone, the phones imei/serial number is passed through the blacklist database to check if the phone has been blacklisted. If your phones imei/serial number exists in the database, connection to the network (any network) will be refused!
There are two main reasons the networks blacklist mobile phones:

Prevention Of Mobile Phone Theft

Prevention Of Insurance Fraud

Prevention Of Mobile Phone Theft!
Mobile phone theft in the UK has risen quite substantially over the past few years. The Government, the mobile phone manufacturers and the networks have been working together to combat mobile phone theft. The introduction of a 'blacklist database' essentially makes mobile phone theft pointless because the phone will be immediately rendered useless once it has been reported stolen.
Prevention Of Insurance Fraud!
Insurance fraud is a major problem in the UK, however if a person informs their insurance company that their mobile phone has been lost, stolen or otherwise unsuitable for use, the insurance company will not pay out on a policy unless the phone has been reported lost, stolen or otherwise unsuitable for use to the network service provider and/or the police. Obviously, the phone is then blacklisted making insurance fraud a pointless task.

Many people seem to think that purchasing 'unlock codes' or 'restriction codes' will remove the restriction on blacklisted phones - IT WILL NOT! Although the unlock codes supplied by unlocks.co.uk will remove the phones network restriction, the phone will remain blacklisted and will not operate on any network! Unlocks.co.uk will not knowingly entertain any mobile phone that is blacklisted, and we reserve the right to pass onto the police the details of any customer who attempts to use our service to unlock a blacklisted mobile phone!

Network Frequencies

2005-11-11T09:00:00.005Z

One thing to consider before deciding to purchase unlock codes for any mobile phone is the network frequency on which the phone operates. There are currently five types of mobile phone - single-band, dual-band, tri-band, quad-band and dual-mode. There are also several GSM/WCDMA(3G) network frequencies - GSM 850Mhz, GSM 900Mhz, GSM 1800Mhz, GSM 1900Mhz and WCDMA 2100Mhz to name a few. Single-band handsets will operate only on one specific GSM network frequency, dual-band handsets will operate on two specific GSM network frequencies, tri-band handsets will operate on three specific GSM network frequencies, quad-band handsets will operate on any GSM network in the world and dual-mode handsets will generally operate on most GSM networks and some WCDMA(3G) networks.

Sounds simple enough, right? Well, not really because you will need to know the network frequency your handset uses to ensure it will operate on the network you intend to use after unlocking your phone. Although not concrete, this is the general rule:

Single-band GSM handsets purchased in the Americas will usually operate on GSM 850Mhz or GSM 1900Mhz (either of the two, not both).

Single-band GSM handsets purchased in Europe, Africa, Asia, Asia-Pacific etc. will usually operate on GSM 900Mhz or GSM 1800Mhz (either of the two, not both).

Dual-band GSM handsets purchased in the Americas will usually operate on GSM 850Mhz and GSM 1900Mhz.

Dual-band GSM handsets purchased in Europe, Africa, Asia, Asia-Pacific etc. will usually operate on GSM 900Mhz and GSM 1800Mhz.

Tri-band GSM handsets purchased in the Americas will usually operate on GSM 850Mhz, GSM 1800Mhz and GSM 1900Mhz.

Tri-band GSM handsets purchased in Europe, Africa, Asia, Asia-Pacific etc. will usually operate on GSM 900Mhz, GSM 1800Mhz and GSM 1900Mhz.

Quad-band GSM handsets purchased anywhere in the world will operate on GSM 850Mhz, GSM 900Mhz, GSM 1800Mhz and GSM 1900Mhz. (any worldwide GSM network)

Dual-Mode GSM/WCDMA handsets purchased in the Americas will usually operate on GSM 850Mhz, GSM 1800Mhz, GSM 1900Mhz and WCDMA 1900Mhz.

Dual-Mode GSM/WCDMA handsets purchased in Europe, Africa, Asia, Asia-Pacific etc. will usually operate on GSM 900Mhz, GSM 1800Mhz, GSM 1900Mhz and WCDMA 2100Mhz.

The above rule obviously applies only to handsets purchased new and does not apply to used handsets that may have originated from another country.

Remember, unlocking your mobile phone will not change the operating frequency of the handset!

The Benefits Of Unlocking Your Mobile Phone

2005-11-05T11:32:00.005Z

Over the past few years, many people have contacted me asking why they should unlock their mobile phone. Every individual will have their own reasons for wanting to unlock their mobile phone, but some people really don't see the point. I have detailed below some of benefits associated with unlocking your mobile phone:

Choice - With your mobile phone unlocked, you will be able to choose which network you want to use. It can be financially beneficial to swap and change network Sim cards at various times of the day and week. As an example, one network may offer cheaper daytime calls, so you would use a Sim card from this network during the day. Another network may offer cheaper evening and weekend calls, so you would use a Sim card from this network during the evenings and at weekends.
Avoid Roaming Charges - As you will know, your network service provider imposes 'Roaming Charges' when you use your mobile phone in another country. These roaming charges can be quite high, specifically when you consider that you can be charged when someone calls you! However, if your mobile phone is unlocked, you can avoid these roaming charges by purchasing and using a prepaid Sim card from the country you are visiting (this obviously only applies if your mobile phone is capable of operating on the network frequencies used in the country you are visiting. We will be discussing this in another post at a later date). The obvious benefit here is that you will no longer be charged when people call you, and in certain circumstances outbound calls will be cheaper too!
Re-sale Value - Although there is no guarantee, mobile phones that have been unlocked can have a greater re-sale value than phones which are still locked to one specific network. The obvious attraction to a potential buyer is that they will be buying a mobile phone for which they will not have to spend more money getting unlocked!

Some people will have their mobile phone unlocked 'just in case'. You may be completely happy with your network service provider at the moment, but with your mobile phone unlocked, you will always know that you have the option to change networks and keep your existing mobile phone should you wish to do so!

The Bad Side Of Unlocking

2005-10-30T18:08:00.005Z

We all like getting something for nothing. If one service online charges for their service and the next site offers the service free, you're going to use the free service, right? In certain circumstances this may be true, however in the world of unlocking a free ride may cost you more than you think!

Before I continue with this post I need to make something clear - many mobile phone will allow onlt a certain number of unlock code entry attempts. Once that limit has been reached, the phone can no longer be unlocked by code. This would mean you taking the phone to a phone shop to be unlocked, and this could cost you anything between £10-£40. There are a number of sites and forums online that offer free unlock codes for mobile phones, and I explain for each below why you should not use these free services:

FREE UNLOCKING SITES - Take a close look at the list of supported phones and networks on most of these free sites, you will notice that the majority haven't updated these lists in a long time. This usually indicates that the code calculation methods used by these sites is not up-to-date either. The people running these free services really don't care if the codes they supply work or not, at the end of the day you can't really ask for a refund can you? Recently I obtained codes for a Nokia phone from one of these free sites as a test. The Nokia phone in question was quite a new model, and I had a feeling I would be supplied incorrect codes. I was right, the codes supplied were calculated using a very old method which does not work with newer handsets. I contacted the site explaining that the codes did not work and asking if they could help. Two days later I received a response 'You get what you pay for' - I couldn't have said it better myself!
FREE UNLOCKING FORUMS - These in my opinion are the worst offenders because many of them are using people as the proverbial 'Guinea Pig'. You will find many of the people supplying free codes on these forums are actually people who have sites selling unlocking codes. But look closely at the posts on these forums - people post their phone information requesting unlock codes, someone replies with two codes, the phone owner responds with 'sorry, these codes didn't work', someone then replies with another two codes, the phone owner then responds again with 'sorry, these codes didn't work either', someone then responds with yet another two codes, the phone owner then responds with 'sorry, these codes didn't work either' - problem here is that the phone owner has now entered quite a few codes and the chances are they won't be able to use further codes because it would be a pointless task! Some of the people on these forums are posting unlock codes calculated using different methods in the hope of finding the correct solution for a specific phone!

Many of the people who use these free services end up contacting me asking if I can supply the correct codes. In the majority of cases I have to say no simply because they have already tried more than the allowed number of codes. If these people had come to a service like mine in the first place, they would have been supplied with the one and only correct unlock code and their phone would be unlocked. Because they wanted something for nothing, it's ended up costing them £10-£20 at a phone shop!

These free services cause people like me serious headaches - not because they are stealing business from me, that couldn't be further from the truth, but simply because many of the people using my service are people who have already tried more than the allowed number of codes from a free service. They order codes from me and they obviously don't work.

Now I will explain the benefits of buying codes from a service like mine in the first place:

I will not supply codes for any phone unless I am 100% sure that the codes I am supplying will work.
Phone are not added to my supported phones list until I am 100% sure that I can supply the correct codes for any specific phone.
I spend 7 days a week improving my service to ensure that I can offer codes for the latest phones and networks.
I spend 7 days a week ensuring the codes I supply are calculated using the correct method (some phones require a different code calculation method to others).
If I ever come across a situation where the codes I supply are incorrect, the customer is refunded and I will remove the phone in question from my supported phones list until I know why the codes I supplied failed.
I have supplied codes for over 40,000 Nokia phones since I started trading in 2003 - out of 40,000 I have had to refund only 48 customers!
I am very prompt in responding to customer support requests. I will usually respond to customer support requests immediately. There are times when this is not possible, however I will always respond within 48 hours!
Many customers have praised my customer service skills - you can read some of my customers comments in my Guestbook.

In summary, the choice is yours. This post may look like an attempt to get people to stop using free services so I can make financial gain, that couldn't be further from the truth. The simple fact is that using these free services may end up costing you more than you thought, I'm simply trying to prevent you making that mistake in the first place!

Since writing this post many years ago things have changed considerably. I now have a 'Free Nokia DCT4 Unlock Code Calculator' published on my site at http://www.unlocks.co.uk/freenokiaunlockcodes.php. This code calculator uses the very same system I have used for 7 years. 40,000+ customers and only 48 failures isn't bad going is it?

I haven't changed my view regarding the other free code calcs you can find online because many of them haven't changed since I wrote this post!

Is Unlocking Illegal

2005-10-29T11:31:00.005+01:00

I just received an email from a potential customer (I'll call her Ann for the sake of this post) and this particular email echoes the thoughts of many people. The email went a little something like this - 'I want to use my O2 Sim card in my Vodafone Nokia 6230i, however when I put my O2 Sim card in the phone I get a Phone Restricted message. I searched online and found your web site. I would like to purchase unlock codes for my phone, however I'm a little concerned that I will be breaking the law if I unlock my phone, can you please clarify the situation?'

Ann is not alone, there is still a lot of confusion surrounding the subject of mobile phone unlocking, and many people believe that it is illegal. As an unlocker, I face a constant battle to convince people that unlocking a mobile phone is not illegal. However, there are certain things you need to take into consideration before deciding to unlock your mobile phone:

Does the phone actually belong to you? This may sound like a stupid question, but if you obtained your mobile phone on contract, the phone remains the property of the network until you have completed the said contract (usually 12 - 18 months). It may be worth while reading through your contract to see if unlocking is prohibited while under contract.
Will unlocking affect your warranty? Unlocking your mobile phone may void your warranty. Removing the network restriction could be construed as a modification to the original design of the phone, thus voiding your warranty.

Ann wanted to know if she would be breaking the law by unlocking her phone - the simple answer is no, Ann would not be breaking the law, nor would unlocks.co.uk be breaking the law for supplying Ann with the codes to unlock her phone.

So why do people automatically think unlocking is illegal? It's simply a matter of confusion between unlocking and unblocking. Unlocking is a legal procedure whereby the network restriction is removed via cable or with unlock codes. Removal of this restriction allows for the use of alternative network Sim cards. Unblocking on the other hand is a procedure which is extremely illegal. For legal reasons I will not go into too much detail, however phones that have been reported lost, stolen or otherwise unsuitable for use are blacklisted. Unblocking effectively changes the phones identity so that it will no longer be blacklisted. Unlocks.co.uk would like to make it very clear that we have never and will never accept requests for phone unblocking!

I replied to Ann with the above information and within the hour she had ordered codes for her phone. She also sent me a small email saying that the codes worked fine and thanks for the help.

In summary, unlocking your mobile phone is not illegal, however it may be prohibited in your contract and you may void your warranty.

Welcome To My New Blog

2005-10-28T11:31:00.001+01:00

Well, here it is. I have finally created my own blog. I have created this blog to keep people informed of the latest developments in Nokia mobile phone unlocking, and believe me when I say, things are heating up in this industry right now!

First of all let me introduce myself - My name is Derek and I am the owner of unlocks.co.uk which is a service supplying unlock codes (aka restriction codes) for Nokia mobile phones. My initial reasons for creating unlocks.co.uk back in early 2003 was to earn a little extra income. I never expected it to take off in the way it did, however by the end of 2003 I was financially able leave my employment and dedicate all of my spare time to unlocks.co.uk.

A lot has changed since 2003 - I started out with a simple device which generated unlocking codes for Nokia phones. When I received an order, I had to type the imei number of the phone into the device along with other information including the phone model and network etc. The codes generated by the device then had to be typed out into an email which was sent to the customer along with code entry instructions. This was very time consuming, specifically when I started to obtain good listings in the search engines and the orders started to flow. I spent many months and many sleepless nights developing a new automated system. Now customers simply complete an order form, make a £4.50 payment and their unlock codes are displayed on-screen instantly along with easy-to-understand code entry instructions!

Unlocks.co.uk has become arguably one of the best and most trusted unlocking services on the internet. Many of my competitors have an unlocking service as a 'Sideline' to their main business. This can result in poor customer service or even incorrect unlocking codes being supplied. My main business is unlocking and that is all I do. I dedicate my time to ensuring the service is completely up-to-date and that my customers get the correct codes first time, every time! I constantly research this industry to ensure that we can provide a service for all the latest handsets and networks, and my service remains one of the most competitively prices unlocking services on the internet!