I am just back from my hour-long appointment at the EE shop. To be very fair to the staff, two guys spent the full sixty minutes trying their hardest to sort out the locked passcode issue.
You would think that you could send the manufacturer an email, and do a passcode reset. But no. They tried that, and were directed to a tech support page. That offered the option to reset the phone to factory basics, which I agreed to. But when they tried to do that, it wanted the (locked) passcode entered before it would allow it. They started to see why I was so frustrated.
After all their efforts, they were instructed by the tech support people to return the phone to the manufacturer, for a ‘factory reset’. They took my SIM card out and gave it to me, as that may save some of the contact details that I would otherwise lose. Paperwork was completed, and the phone packed up for courier collection tomorrow. Turn around time is estimated at up to fourteen days, hopefully less.
After over an hour sitting behind a large screen wearing a mask, I was relieved to get out of there. I still don’t have a working phone until it comes back, but then it wasn’t working anyway, so no real difference. EE cannot suspend or refund my contract money, as the fault is not theirs. The manufacturer cannot refund me any money, as I cannot prove I didn’t enter the wrong passcode. That’s what passes for extended customer care these days, apparently. Both companies blamed that issue on too many scammers messing around with stolen phones.
On the plus side, two youngish men who work with phones for a living were unable to get to the root of the problem.
So it wasn’t just me being a hopeless old git then.
I locked myself out of my Samsung phone once and I was able to login to my Samsung account through my laptop, verify my identity and then reset it that way but I was told if I had not had that account it would have been virtually impossible for security reasons. It is very definitely not a Network Operator issue though. It sits with the manufacturer.
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Thanks, Abbi. EE sent it away to Oppo to be reset/repaired. I have to collect it this afternoon, but they have warned me that I will have lost most of my contacts.
Best wishes, Pete.
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When the bright young men cannot figure out the problem, it feels good to know it wasn’t you.
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That was the only saving grace of this whole fiasco, Jennie. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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I bet that made you feel much better. It wasn’t you! Yes, that was definitely the saving grace. Best to you, Pete.
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I love that they couldn’t figure it out either! My husband had the same satisfaction with a plumbing challenge that the plumber couldn’t sort out either. They finally realized the company had sent the wrong fittings.
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It’s so satisfying, Elizabeth.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Phones and computers are nightmares when something happens but at least you know it wasn’t you, Pete…But at least you’re having a nice break from twitter 🙂
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I might end up not bothering with Twitter after this, Carol. 🙂 🙂
Best wishes, Pete. x
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Personally I can’t keep up with Twitter as much I try so I just do what time allows now …Take care and enjoy your break 🙂 x
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Good thought
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Now a days, people go on a vacation and deliberately leave phone home, taking a product called ‘Light’ that only allows emergency calls and select few numbers…consider yourself there. Buy a Nokia 1100, for emergency calls.
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That’s an idea I have been exploring, Shaily. I can buy a new basic phone for around £15 and just use a pay-and-go SIM card.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Did they try to sell another phone? chuq
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Not at all, chuq. They actually tried very hard to sort out the one I have. I was impressed by their efforts, but will be more impressed if and when my phone comes back fixed. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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If that was here they would tell you to buy a new one…..you guys got some good ones chuq
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It was all free of charge too, included in my monthly contract fee. Phone shops are very competitive here, as we have some of the highest ownership of cellphones in the world, per head of the population.
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A great shop……chuq
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What a palaver! I hope this latest episode brings a successful resolution for you, Pete. Cheers, Jon.
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I did get some pleasure from the fact that the phone shop men were also unable to fix it.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Aside from manually writing the phone number of my friends, I always save new contacts to my SIM card that way, I could retrieve them if something like this happens.
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I will have to do that in future, Arlene.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Result, well sort of 🙂 We bought some cheap Nokia 105 phones when we first moved here, sim free for about £18 each. Admittedly they are just a phone, but if that’s all you need? Pay as you go cards should last six months (they do here) and my minimum top up to keep the number is £5. So £30 for a year, reducing to £10 a year thereafter, probably as much as you spent on petrol to get the phone shop!
I have to admit that I’m all smart phone now, but if you have a Google account, or indeed a Microsoft account then all contacts will be backed up to that account (if you can find the tick box) 🙂
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The shop guy thinks it should all be retrievable from Google, but then he also thought he could easily fix it in 20 minutes!
Cheers, Pete.
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While I’m sure you’d prefer a working phone, perhaps you can take some solace that the “experts” couldn’t figure it out either.
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That really cheered me up, Pete. I bet they thought I had made a very basic error, and it was good to see them flummoxed too.
Best wishes, Pete.
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I hope it all works out at the end of the two weeks Pete. At least there was the satisfaction that it wasn’t just you.
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That was alost worth the hassle, to see their faces when they couldn’t work out the fault. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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i hope your phone gets fixed soon, Pete. it is hard to be without phones these days. regards. 🙂
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Thanks, Wilma. I will have to make sure not to travel too far from the local town until I have a working phone.
Best wishes, Pet.
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At least now there is light at the end of the tunnel (assuming the battery does not run out)
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I thought of that, and gave it a full charge before I took it in. 🙂
Cheers, Pete.
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Awe, to be validated, especially when technology is involved! Bravo, C
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Yes, it was a relief that I hadn’t just forgotten to swiitch it on, Cheryl.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Perhaps you should have purchased a pre-paid cell phone for a temporary safe guard in case of emergencies?
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That’s a thought, GP. But to be honest, I have had enough of Tech, so will take my chances until they manage to fix my one.
Best wishes, Pete.
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I guess you can’t do a hard reset without a password otherwise any thief could easily do the same. My phone works on facial recognition (doesn’t work with wearing a mask), a fingerprint and a PIN. The PIN is only ever asked for after a system update or occasionally as an extra security option. It is a nightmare when these things go wrong!
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The phone wouldn’t recognise my fingerprints when we first set it up, that’s why I had to have a 6-number code. It’s all such a faff!
Best wishes, Pete. x
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They’ve got us over a barrel, we are at the mercy of these technology companies. At least you found a shop with human beings to try to help you; hopefully you’ll have your phone back in working order sooner than later. I’ve been frustrated with my internet service and have already tried doing what the company said to address it, to no avail of course, all on chat with someone on the other side of the globe. I dread making a phone call as I’ll end up talking with someone who only goes through a script not a real expert.
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‘Customer Service Centres’ must be the biggest misnomer in history.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Nice to know it’s not just you! I guess you are banned from Twitter for another couple of weeks, then?
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Yes, Twitter-free until I can receive their code, Mary.
Best wishes, Pete.
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That all sounds just bonkers, but good to have affirmation of not being a hopeless old git! (So glad I went down the Apple road when I started out).
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I know some people who have had nightmares with i-phones too. I would sooner not have any mobile, but I need it in the car in case of breakdowns. Otheriwse, I hardly use the thing!
Best wishes, Pete.
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(1) Consider it a vacation for the intellect. More time to ponder the meaning of life.
(2) If you’re phone dependent, maybe pick up one of those prepaid phones.
(3) You can always call using Skype, Zoom, etc.
(4) This is all Alexander Graham Bell’s fault.
(5) Pony Express volunteers are ready to go.
(6) Final option: Find a cave, and paint the walls while you wait for the Apocalypse.
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I could live happily without one, David. If it wasn’t for having to drive in a rural area where there are zero phone boxes, I would save myself £20 a month.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Only 20 GBP?! Lucky you! We pay over $100 for two cellphone lines!
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My wife pays £40, but that gives her a lot more Internet. I have a basic plan, but get unlimited calls and texts for that £20. No doubt it will increase when the contract is up for renewal, it usually does.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Once your contract is up then just buy a SIM – the OH just pays £6 a month but that’s with BT discount. He’s not bothered about Internet so has a low data deal, but unlimited calls and texts. Hardly uses his phone at all.
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I have another 13 months to go, Jude. I will see what happens in the meantime.
Best ishes, Pete. x
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I’m on your OH’spage Jude
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I used to just have a PAYG Sim in my old phone. Paid £10 a month, but I didn’t use the phone as much as I do this one.
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Fair enough!
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Our contract is basically for phones only, with very limited data.
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Let me add option seven: get some carrier pigeons. 😉
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Around here, the farmers would probably shoot them. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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😉
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If they are so good at the factory they should be able to determine you did not enter the wrong password/key/pin. But then that would be admitting they have a problem. I don’t use a code for my phone for it slows down when I can take photos. Warmest regards, Theo
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I tried not to have a code, but it would not let me set the phone up without one. It’s ‘Progress’, apparently.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Not all changes are ‘progress.’ Some are “congress” the opposite of progress 🙂 Warmest regards, Theo
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You would think that with all the modern technology we have at our disposal, something as simple as this could be solved in what five seconds? This is just nuts…can feel your frustration Pete😢Hope at least that those two weeks will be worth it, and it’s solved then🤞
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So many reasons why I have no faith in tech. When the ‘tech guys’ at the phone shop are stumped, what chance have we got?
Best wishes, Pete.
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It feels good to see someone else as clueless as you, doesn’t it? Been there with my laptop…
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After assuring me that they would sort it out in 20 minutes, they were soon both scratching their heads. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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