Samsung phone advice

[Simon]

So my girlfriend was sent a Samsung Galaxy S III Mini phone by her mother. Phone is from Ireland and was on a contract there with Vodaphone.

Was locked and unusable here. We asked her mum to go into Vodaphone and get it unlocked. She did and advised us to just switch it off and put in the Australian SIM and turn it on again.

I am doing so with my Optus SIM and the phone is telling me there is no SIM in it.

So I'm wondering what to do next?

If it is still locked would it detect my SIM?

Or is it a problem with the contacts? Phone is new.

Or maybe the phone is made for the European market and won't work here?

Any advice would be welcome. I have tried google but no luck.

Thanks

 

[Mr. Fabulous]

Simon, it may be locked to Vodafone. They may have unlocked the International thing, but it's likely you can only use it with a Vodafone SIM. I had a Virgin mobile and could only use a Virgin SIM in it until I spent a certain amount of money. They then unlocked the phone and now I can use any SIM with it.

 

[Propertunity]

.... now I can use any SIM with it.

Doesn't he work here?

 

[MightyWill]

A phone shop should be able to unlock it; go to a small business phone shop who will do it cheap and ask no questions.

 

[LoneWolf]

Just goto any phone shop, unlock at a fee, simple solution