Hi I'm wondering if anyone can help me or possibly tell me what is best to do next. I'm new to unlocking/jail breaking and not particularly tech savvy.

I've recently got a used iphone 3Gs which I was told was locked to the Orange network here in UK. I got a sim from them, popped it in for activation but iTunes tells me the sim card is not supported and I'm stuck on the emergency call screen. Apple has confirmed that the phone was in fact registered with Orange but was swapped for a new phone previously due to damage, and the carrier provider may have forgotten to update/re-register the current IMEI number in their database. So I went back to Orange with this information but they have told me that it's not possible. Tried putting in other sims but still the same response from itunes.

Pretty much at my wits end now and clueless. Should I consider jailbreaking/unlocking and is it possible to do so? I have no idea what iOS and baseband it is currently on. Help and suggestions much appreciated! Thank you!!

If the phone is on an IMEI blacklist due to having been lost/stolen/replaced/etc., the only recourse you have is to approach the carrier and discuss the situation with them and request that they remove it. If they are unwilling to work with you, unfortunately, there is nothing we can help you with. IMEI blocking in the EU is a legal issue, and tools that exist to circumvent the IMEI block are illegal.

Give a shout back to Orange and see again if they can help. If they can't help, you should contact the seller (if he/she was the original owner of the device) to have them contact the carrier and request removal of the IMEI blacklist. If they are unwilling or cannot, you should return the phone as it will not function in the EU as a phone while the IMEI blacklist is in effect. Jailbreaking or unlocking will have no impact on this as the block is done at the carrier level and is shared between most carriers in the EU. Regardless of what network you roam on, it will likely be using the same IMEI blacklist and your phone will not work to make phone calls.

Hi there! Thanks for the quick reply. The guy who sold me the phone mentioned that he has indeed been using the phone on Orange up until the time he sold it to me. Orange was quick to shoot down what I had to say and insisted it may be tied to another carrier and suggested I return to Apple or get it unlocked. As the guy said it was fully functional before, would it be worth a shot trying to jailbreak it?

Depends on whether you want an iPhone or an iPod touch. If you are successful in hacktivating and jailbreaking it, it will function as an iPod touch, but you will not be able to make or receive calls on it if it truly is IMEI blacklisted.

I'm not surprised about Orange's response, they have absolutely no reason to work with you on this as you weren't the original owner -- it's sad that they treat potential customers this way, but it's just the way things are. If the original owner / contract holder called them, they would be willing to work with him/her on it. If they recommended that you get the phone unlocked, did they offer (for a fee) to unlock the device for you? As a last ditch, you can call Apple, but I don't withhold much hope that they'll be able to work with you on it -- if the problem is a deregistration from the carrier side, the only thing Apple could do to fix it is replace the phone -- but they have no motivation to do so free of charge.