phone wont work on orange???

[ianthe plumb]

Hi there i recently bought my mrs a new phone thinking i was doing the right thing got home to find its on vodaphone and rest of the family is on orange. So there it sits un used unopened i have heard it wants unlocking and i can do it online???any ideas guys and gals thanks in advance...ian the plumber...now any probs on plumbing im your man...phones forget it..

[CheekyChops]

You can get the code online - try googling 'unlock + the make of phone'. I found a few sites last time I needed a phone unlocking but have to say that I didn't trust any of them enough to give my card details. I eventually took it to town and got it done for �10.

[Paperman1967]

What make is it?

If it's a Nokia try this site and unlock it yourself for free:-

http://unlock.nokiafree.org/

[qapmoc]

This is not an answer it is a question, I am not in the UK so I am not up to speed on the phones there.
surely all the phones whatever the network is can call each other etc... why is the fact that some are on Orange and one is on Vodaphone a problem ??

[Gandy]

qapmoc - Network Operators over here lock phones so that they can only be used on their network. If you can only use a phone on their network then they make money rather than one of their competitors

[qapmoc]

Hi Gandy, well yeah. The network operators here tried that for a couple of years, there was so much hassle about it that they gave up and now all sell unlocked phones.

But my point is still - surely any phone on any network can call any other phone on any other network otherwise what's the point to have a phone anyway ?? Or is it that the call costs change (increase) when you call a different network.