My Samsung S7 Edge has been blocked by Vodafone DE

[DonovanDufour]

Hello, I bought a phone (Samsung S7 Edge) online from a German store. Everything was fine until last friday when i came back from Paris (i live in Belgium), that i could not receive any SMS or call.

So i contacted my operator in Belgium (Proximus) and they told me to send a mail to a special justice department. IMEI has been blocked by the operator Vodafone UK. So i contacted Vodafone UK and they tell me it's not them who blocked it but Vodafone in Germany. How can i unlock my phone? I got the original invoice with the IMEI from the store if needed. Can Vodafone DE unlock it if i contact them? And how does it come that my phone has been blocked like this?

Thanks for your help.

[Der Ritter]

The only reason I can recall from the past regarding blocking an IMEI/cell phone was when the phone was reported stolen by its original owner or that delivery of a new phone failed and the carrier had no proof of delivery.

Interesting question in this context would be:  Was it a new/sealed phone or a used one?

[DonovanDufour]

Yes it's a new one, the box was still sealed and had a plastic film.

So why could it be blocked?

[Der Ritter]

Just guessing here:  Because, for example, it mysteriously disappeared from the delivery van on its way to the originally intended recipient/owner.  It then resurfaced in the hands of someone who sold it to that shop you later went to.

The originally intended recipient reported the phone as "gone missing" to Vodafone and as it was nowhere to be found, after some time Vodafone DE had the IMEI blocked so that any person in (possibly not quite legal) possession of the phone could not use it.

Was it an official Vodafone store you bought it from or some small "We sell all kinds of stuff" shop?

[DonovanDufour]

I bought it on Rakuten.de

But in case your guessing would be right, how could i solve this? Should i file a lawsuit against the store, ask the police?

[Der Ritter]

Unfortunately, it is not permitted in Germany to supply free-of-charge help in legal matters unless the person helping is a lawyer and invoices the requested support.

What I personally would do in such a case if it had happened to me would be

• het in touch with the person/store I bought it from.
• describe the issue, provide proof etc.
• request them to take back the phone as it is not useable as it should be.
• request them to reimburse the money I paid.
• be glad if it works out that way.

If it doesn't, you could still consider taking legal action.  But as said above... 😉

[DonovanDufour]

Okay so i contacted Vodafone in Germany and Vodafone in UK both of them clealy gave me the confirmation that my IMEI is not in their database and that my phone wasn't blacklisted by them. So what should i do know?

The seller told me to see with the operator who blocked me but i can't know who is it since it's apparently not Vodafone...

[doreen-123]

@DonovanDufour,

Unfortunately we can not help you with your inquiry. Since your hardware was not purchased from us and there is no lock on Vodafone. Please contact the provider who sold the phone.

Kind Regards

Doreen-123