Please help: Trapped in SIM-lock ****!

[Bazouges]

Hello All,

Yesterday I bought an iPhone 4s from some woman online.

So, this morning I took it in to the local mobile store to get a SIM card/account. No luck. She failed to mention it was blocked by another carrier.

So I am trying to unlock it, but seem to be stuck in a set-up mode loop. It goes like this:

HELLO > Choose Language > Choose Country > Set up Network (home network entered)
> "SIM Card Not Valid" > option: "Try Again" (back to Language set up) or back arrow.

I can't even get the home menu to display, otherwise I might be able to unlock it (thanks to University of Youtube).

The guy at the mobile store thought it's just a SIM-lock issue, not stolen. (Considering I have her full name and received all the original accessories, I tend to agree with him).

Please help me get back to the original menu!

Thanks!

 

[chscag]

Which carrier is the iPhone 4S locked to? And is it a CDMA model or a GSM model iPhone?

 

[Bazouges]

Which carrier is the iPhone 4S locked to? And is it a CDMA model or a GSM model iPhone?

Thanks for your reply, chscag.

I'm American, but I live in France, so the carrier is SFR.

As for CDMA or GSM, I'm guessing GSM, since that seems to be the standard outside the US.

Any ideas?

 

[chscag]

I'm sure your 4S is GSM since CDMA is only used in the US. Normally when a phone is SIM locked, the carrier has to unlock it with a code. I don't know anything about French carriers or what their rules are for unlocking. But I suspect that you're going to need to contact them. The person you purchased the phone from should have told you whether or not the phone was still under contract. If the phone is no longer under contract the carrier should unlock it for you without a charge or another contract.

 

[Bazouges]

Yes, she should have told me—but that might have been a deal-breaker. Go figure!

Now she's not responding to my emails. Oh well.

Thanks again for your advice!