Amid complex Triple Zero phone blocking rules, Vodafone’s network appears to run on a simpler rule: if your phone’s IMEI isn’t on a whitelist, it doesn’t stay on the network. Grey import phone handsets are most heavily affected by this policy.
The policy appears to represent a shift from banning known-bad devices, and it’s likely to catch out people who are ill-equipped to deal with the consequences.
Whitelist phone blocking
A spokesperson for Vodafone/TPG Telecom confirmed that where the telco hasn’t tested a device itself, it relies on evidence from the manufacturer or supplier called a Supplier Declaration Of Conformity. Devices that don’t have an SDOC may be blocked in the interest of customer safety.
This is a self-declared system where the importer or manufacturer physically tests the handset and submits the required documentation. If there is no IMEI range submitted within 45 days, Vodafone will block the devices.
The current Approved Devices List mainly consists of familiar brands like Apple, Google, Samsung, Motorola, Oppo, Nokia, and HMD Global. Suspiciously thin on the list are Xiaomi, Realme, Honor, and OnePlus: brands that show up often on grey import list websites.
Who gets caught out
Kogan is an interesting example because it is both a retailer of grey import phone handsets and a Vodafone MVNO through Kogan Mobile. That means a customer could buy a phone from Kogan, get a SIM plan in the same order, and then find their handset blocked a month later.
The irony is that the people looking to save money by buying a grey import phone are then more likely to have to pay again when they find their handset is blocked from Vodafone’s network.
Vodafone claims that the process is in line with regulations, but other telcos like Optus have confirmed that if they confirm that a handset can call Triple Zero, it will most likely be allowed on the network. Vodafone appears to be sidestepping that legwork entirely by relying on SDOCs alone.
Our opinion: Grey import phone stores need clear warnings
Blocking phones that legitimately can’t call emergency services is the right call, but relying solely on self-declared compliance with no way for customers to prove the handset functions is too heavy handed.
In the meantime, it’s best to shop with caution regarding grey market imports. Although a device may be called the same model name, parallel imports are not guaranteed to work on Australian networks.
Grey market retailers like Kogan and Dick Smith do not make their store listings as clear as they could be regarding which products are guaranteed to work in Australia and which ones are not.
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