FAO Ian.S
1) The Microsoft newsgroup is "synched" to the Modaco forum - and the newsgroup posting claims "ALSO" to have recieved the email. As the email has now been revealed as a hoax... that makes the poster a liar, because NOBODY recieved it. The spurious email was posted - in full - within a few minutes at both Modaco and on the Newsgroup - around 4.30pm on Friday 13th. So, if it DID start on the newsgroup, someone jumped the gun - claiming to "also have recieved" something not yet claimed in the other place.
2) Orange allow people to "unlock their phones" in exchange for a FEE. The ONLY UK telco to unlock phones at no charge is Virgin. Orange also require a payment for every month of unexpired contract. As contracts run for a year, there aren't any SPV's in the UK to which this does NOT apply.
3) As recently as January this year, Orange were issuing "formal warnings" to tech support reps if they commended Modaco to customers. I know because in January I WAS a TSR, and I received such a formal warning.
4)Unless things have changed dramatically, the only Orange Website that is linked to Modaco is the English language section of Orange (Switzerland) SA's SPV "hints and tips" page. That certainly was the state of play in February - and in January Orange issued a press release condemning the availability of tutorials on how to "decertify" the SPV - they didn't mention Modaco by name, but everyone knew who they meant. At that time, telling a customer how to reset their SPV was grounds for *summary dismissal* by Orange - yet the information was freely available from the Modaco site.

Somehow... I don't think it's ME that's not in full posession of the facts.