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| iphoneunlockuk.com Ripped me off then threatened to lock my iphone 4s via the IMEI Number I provided on their webiste Birmingham Internet |
| 2nd of Jan, 2012 by User571307 |
Below is my response to an email received from Tim of iphoneunlockuk.com after I sucessfully removed charges to my debit card after feeling I had been ripped off and conned by this untrustworthy bunch of scammers. I was lucky enough to have my charges reversed but many will not be so lucky. They do not allow you to pay via paypal as they would lose very time. I did some research here in the UK the company has similar websites in the states, but their ISP back track states that they are based in the Sechelles, their UK Companies House reports show they have not entered any Corporate reports for a number of years, and are in breach of hundreds of city regulations.
I received an email threatening that unless I re-paid them for the unlock - which according to their fake website would take 48 hours to complete, my phone would become inopperative and locked. In order to establish if this is possible - which it is I instigated my own investigation.
Here is my response to their threat: Dear Sir,
Thank you for your email.
It does seem starnge that without fail over 12 telephone calls (to your contact centre number (0871 566 0239)
all within the posted operating hours) calls and 17 emails to your
support email address I did not receive a response of any kind within 14
days, but when I contacted my bank and reversed the sale, I get a call
and an email sounds very much like you do not want to lose your money.
I called the
dev-team in the USA to clarify that your software is freeware and they
stipulated that it can not be used for commercial use including the sub
codes. They advised that they would be in contact with you withinin the new year to clarify the situation. Their websites states: Stop Thief! So, earlier today we were alerted to a scummy, scammy and not-at-all-nice operation at http://www.iphoneunlockuk.com .
These guys are selling our PwnageTool
application. The people at this ‘company’ have modified our application
(in a rather amateurish way) and sell this to people for £29.99. This is
unfortunate as we have all put in lots of time to bring you this application for FREE.
We didn’t license this application to them, we don’t license it to anyone. The application even contains the PwnageTool helpfile and original credits! Well, thanks to Jody Sanders of 118 Bromyard Road, Worcester, United Kingdom for bringing you this scam, he or she can be found drinking in the Garabaldi Pub in Bromyard Road, Worcester why not pop in and buy them a pint?
You can read the Hacknt0sh forum thread here which makes very interesting reading.
Update: Another interesting development is that the owner of iPhoneUnlockUK has been exposed as using a fake Guardian endorsement on his website.
it also says:
Hello Jody!
Seems like “Jody Sanders†of the West Midlands, UK (who we mentioned in our release post) is
at it again and is stealing our work and passing it off as his own, he
has done this before and this scam was reported by theGuardian and also by on this blog last year and was also covered in a very very long thread over at hackint0sh forums.
We specifically restrict the commercial use of our
software, and yellowsn0w is included in these restrictions. This dodgy
geezer is selling our software to you at a bargain £19.99 he says:-
“We can now fully unlock the iPhone 3G for use
on any GSM network for just £19.99 DIY (£49.99 in-store at either London
or Birmingham) - just in time for the release of the iPhone 3G PAYG in
the UK (available from Carphone Warehouse and o2).â€
Jody’s “software†contains our code and also copyrighted code from elsewhere. All you need is free and outlined here . What he is doing just isn’t cool. If you are in Birmingham or London then if you could find out any information about Jody Sanders at “iph*neunl*ckuk†we’d be very appreciative.Also if there are any UK based lawyers or student lawyers that could help us with this, then please contact us at [email protected] of course student lawyers can’t give us specific legal advice, but even your informal opinion helps.
Seems like even though Jody claims he doesn’t offer our software, he is offering his “own software†(that is fact just QuickPwn with some edits, also forbidden) and also claims (in relation to yellowsn0w) -
“Please bear with us at the moment - the software is in beta stage and we are trying to get it working for all users.â€The
patched QuickPwn isn’t the only warez they sell or offer, they also
provide a hacked version of the Apple IOUSBFamily kernel extension.
Some interesting stuff has been uncovered about
Jody, some which can’t be posted here, but his limited company “Phone
Unlock Limited†is way behind on submitting the company accounts, if anyone would like details of his company it can be read here - 1, 2, 3 and 4
Seems like selling our
work has paid off, his current apartment (not the one listed in the
companies house records) is up for sale for £190,000 - looks like he is
moving onto a bigger and better things. We also need information on his
co-worker “Tim Hinton†also of the West Midlands.
There are also other companies who are operating the same scam, but Jody has been warned specifically, so he is first (two wrongs don’t make a right) I have been in contact with my bank and
spoken to the chargeback department but they say your website is
possibly fraudulent and suggested I seek legal action if ; my phone is
locked as you suggest by your email. I might add that the software you provide on your
website is free to anyone and is jail-breaking software produced by the
dev-team in USA and they are in contact with me on a regular basis. My
bank also forwarded the following websites; all of whom can attest that
others (clients like me who paid in good faith for a 48 hour unlock as
stated on your website) have not received any service from your company
what so ever.
I have noted your name and mentioned it in a formal letter to Mr Gareth Jones OBE - Chief Executive and Registrar at Companies
House in London requesting your company be investigated fully with the
option of compulsory de-registration and wound-up and thus disbarred
from trading in the UK or anywhere else. I have copied the letter to Bernard Hogan-Howe (The head of the Met
Police) and have asked him to look into your company along with the
LONDON MET Fraud Squad who specialise in online fraud investigations. To
be on the safe-side I have also copied the letter to my ex-coleagues in
FIT Financial Intel Unit (HMRC) Dover for a full investigation into the
possibility of sequestration of assets held by managers company
directors and secretaries. http://www.sitejabber.com/reviews/www.iphoneunlockuk.comhttp://forums.macrumors.com/archive/index.php/t-564204.htmlhttp://www.complaintsboard.com/?search=iphoneunlockuk.comhttp://ibuymobile.co.uk/reviews/2010/04/12/beware-of-iphone-unlock-scams/http://boardreader.com/fp/scams_free_message_board_10809/Internet_Scams_560353.htmlhttp://www.everythingicafe.com/forum/threads/warning-about-iphoneunlockuk-com.32341/http://modmyi.com/forums/unlocking-activation/753725-more-scams-iphoneunlockuk-com.htmlhttp://www.canyoutrustthem.com/cytt2/index.php?go=details&id=12613&adv=yes&company_name=3487&city=&list=yes&offsetf=0http://www.canyoutrustthem.com/cytt2/index.php?go=search&adv=yes&company_name=3487http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?p=38607004http://www.gaj-it.com/34422/is-the-unlocked-iphone-a-con/http://acadeum.com/2011/10/services-and-benefits-of-the-iphone-is-officially-unlocked/I note the terms and conditions do not state about request to
cancel contract- within 48 hours "cooling-off period" as is stated in
the UK law statutes:
Terms and Conditions - iPhone Unlock UKiPhoneUnlock is a UK based telecommunications company.
GENERAL :
We reserve the right to change these terms and conditions at any time.
Any such changes will take effect when posted on the website and it is
your responsibility to read the terms and conditions on each occasion
you use this website and your continued use of the website shall signify
your acceptance to be bound by the latest terms and conditions.
Please
note that the unlock we supply is for the IMEI you submit and will ONLY
work with the IMEI you submit - if you give us the wrong IMEI, this is
not our fault!
For
official unlocks, the stated timeframe is typical timeframe, not a
guarantee, as we rely on the networks and Apple servers, sometimes
usually around new handset releases, this timeframe increases slightly.
APP PACK ACCESS :
You must keep your login information private and not divulge account
information to third parties. Doing so may result in account termination
without explanation and without course for refund. Accounts purchased
are strictly for the account holder, additional accounts need to be
purchased for additional iPhones. We reserve the right to terminate your
account should staff deem it appropriate.
All account access and downloads are logged using your IP address.
iPhoneUnlock are committed to protecting your privacy. We will only use
the information that we collect about you lawfully (in accordance with
the Data Protection Act 1998) We will never collect sensitive
information about you without your explicit consent. The personal
information which we hold will be held securely in accordance with our
internal security policy and the law.
We may occasionally email you with offers relating to your iPhone (i.e. accessories, applications, etc).
If you have any questions/comments about privacy, please do not hesitate
to contact us using the address listed on our Support page.
By ordering our unlocking service, you agree terms of service stated on this page.Users of this service must be 18 or over.
All phones sent to and from the clinic are sent at the owner's risk -
all items are sent insured via special delivery, hence any damage needs
to be claimed for from Royal Mail.
To receive a full refund please follow the procedures below.REFUND PROCEDURE
Once we have started to supply the unlock for your IMEI, you lose your right to cancel the order.IF
YOU SUPPLY US WITH THE WRONG IMEI, YOU WILL BE CHARGED FULL PRICE FOR
THIS AS WE HAVE NO RECOURSE WITH GETTING OUR FEE BACK FOR THE UNLOCKING
CODE
If,
however, you subsequently discover our IMEI-based unlock cannot unlock
your handset, you will be entitled to a full refund providing these
terms are met:
Refunds will only be given when you have emailed us video proof
the unlock hasn't worked or you bring the iPhone in-store and show us.iPhones
which cannot be unlocked due to being previously reported as lost or
stolen and have been barred are not eligible for a refund for the unlock
as they are barred at the network levelOn receipt a refund will be issued within 21 days of the order date.Refunds
when agreed will be made via the same method as payment. Please note it
may take 5 working days longer if you paid via credit or debit card.
As this is an IMEI-based unlock, iPhoneUnlockUK guarantee that any warranty you have with Apple will remain intact. |
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