A word of caution......

[mickychesnuts]

GO HERE TO CHECK THEM...

http://www.amta.org.au/pages/amta/Check.the.Status.of.your.Handset

[Louise]

Or make sure you have the sim nb.
It is rather easy to unlock these phones, but you need to have the registered nbs.
A bit more than a year or so I unlocked my own Spanish phone when I went abroad and wanted another simcard that did not work.
I also unlocked 4 phones for friends, 3 of them with UK phones.
I can´t remember exactly how I did it, but it was with downloaded software and a program to input some numbers. The program executed them and gave an "unlock-code"....but I managed, so it is possible. (if I can do it.... ;D )
At phone stores or by specialists often is asked 10 euros to have it "operator-free", but you can do it yourself.

[felipe]

A word of caution for anyone that buys mobile phones from members selling them via the forum.  We have had two complaints recently about mobile phones being bought on the understanding that were from the UK and unlocked. Only to get them home and find that were in fact Spanish mobiles and blocked for use.

So when buying a mobile phone, if you have been told this by the seller please make sure before you go home that it does work properly with your own Spanish sim card.  That should prove that it is unlocked.  I understand that Movistar changed their system of contract phones this year because foreigners were taking out a contract and then going back to their home country with them and not paying any bills.  These are the expensive type of phones.

So PLEASE BE ALERT.