Direct Unlocks Reviews 

19,512
TrustScore 3 out of 5

2.9

While we don't verify specific claims because reviewers' opinions are their own, we may label reviews as "Verified" when we can confirm a business interaction took place. Read more

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Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Evaluating 777 reviews, most reviewers were somewhat happy with their experience overall. Many customers found the service effective and quick, successfully unlocking their devices. People appreciated the speed and ease of the process, with some noting timely updates and helpful technicians. However, many people were dissatisfied with the pricing structure, frequently encountering unexpected additional fees after an initial payment was made. Consumers often reported that the advertised price was not the final cost, leading to frustration. Furthermore, numerous customers experienced issues with refunds, stating that their requests were denied or they were only offered site credit for services that failed to unlock their devices.

What people talk about most

Service

Reviewers highlight ambiguous aspects of service, with many customers expressing dissatisfaction due to... See more

Payment

People report negative experiences with payment, often citing unexpected additional charges after an initial... See more

Price

Users describe negative interactions with price, frequently reporting unexpected charges and a lack of... See more

Refund

Customers consistently express dissatisfaction with the refund process, frequently reporting that instead of... See more

Response time

Customers had negative experiences with response times, with many reporting that after making payments, the... See more

Reviews shaping this summary

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

I HAVE MADE PAYMENT TWICE BUT STILL FIRST PAYMENT OF AMOUNT RUPEES 1999 & SECOND PAYMENT OF AMOUNT RUPEES 5899 BUT STILL MY IPHONE 15 IS NOT UNLOCK I THINK SPAM OF MONEY FRAUD

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

You'd better READ EVERYTHING & DO EVERYTHING carefully! They have an initial charge just to see if your phone is capable of being unlocked. I thought it was the cost to unlock the phone. eMail fro... See more

Company replied

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

I had a very disappointing experience with DirectUnlocks. I paid for an unlock service for my Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (AT&T USA), $24 for verification and then $106 for the unlock. I was... See more

Company replied


Company details

Written by the company

Unlock your phone from the comfort of your own home in just 6 hours.


Contact info

2.9

Average

TrustScore 3 out of 5

20K reviews

5-star
4-star
3-star
2-star
1-star

Asks customers to review

This company invites their customers to review, whether positive or negative

Replied to 88% of negative reviews

Typically replies within 2 weeks

How this company uses Trustpilot

See how their reviews and ratings are sourced, scored, and moderated.

2.9

All reviews

(19,512)

1,058 reviews in the last 12 months

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Rated 1 out of 5 stars

If you don’t value your money

If you don’t value your money. Try direct unlocks. God will punish all the scammers here. You think you are wise. For taking my brothers money and after your lies to refund him, you have blocked him access to your review. You don’t want him to share his experience. Please if you are reading this as a someone who’s looking for a good job, don’t try these scammers. They will bait you and after you take the bait, they will keep demanding more payments. They are red flag. Scammers. Liars.

1 July 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Total Bait-and-Switch Scam! Stole $262.69 and Violated Their Own Refund Policy

Order IDs: 13310528 | 13310532 | 13310727 | IMEI: 352400478871474

This website is a complete scam and a fraudulent operation. They use a deceptive, multi-tier bait-and-switch trap to extort hundreds of dollars from users. Here is exactly how they stole my money:First Transaction ($25.19): I paid this initial fee for what they claimed was an "eligibility check." They then stated the check had passed and told me to pay more to finish the unlock.Second Transaction ($61.17): I paid this for their "Standard Service." Shortly after, they claimed my IMEI was rejected on the standard tier and forced me to purchase their premium tier.Third Transaction ($176.33): I paid for the "Premium Service." Their explicit written policy states that if the standard service fails and premium service is required, the standard amount is non-refundable unless the premium service also fails—in which case, a FULL REFUND of all combined amounts will be issued.The Breach of Terms: Their premium service failed. Instead of issuing the full refund promised in their terms, they moved the goalposts yet again. They demanded an additional $104.36 for a "Higher Tier" premium service—a tier that was never mentioned in their terms or before I placed the premium order.Because their premium service failed, they are legally required to return my money. Instead, they refuse to issue a refund and are trying to force a useless "credit note" for their own website, which completely violates their stated policy. They are holding $262.69 of my money hostage.I am launching a formal bank dispute to charge back these funds, and I am filing official fraud complaints with the FIA Cybercrime unit, UK fraudulent platforms, and international authorities.If you have been robbed by this site, do not stay silent. Raise immediate complaints with your local police and cybercrime units. DO NOT TRUST THIS SITE—the positive reviews are completely fabricated! Save your money and look for a legitimate, authorized provider.

17 July 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Scam company

Scam company, breaking trading standards laws. Stole my money, didnt provide any service. Instructed to cancel order before any process started, 4 days later started the process then finally replied claiming they couldnt cancel as process has started. Classic scam.

10 July 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant service!

Brilliant service and very fast thank you so much. Unlocked my iPhone 12 in less than an hour. I liked the fact I was kept up to date every step of the way and it was achieved in a timely manner. Would highly recommend.
The service was easy to use, I typed my imei number in and it registered which device mine was. Once these details were confirmed the service didnt take long to complete. I was also emailed every step of the way to let me know what was happening. Very satisfasfied overall.

17 July 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Totally recommend fast and secure

Has been very helpful to allow me to unlock my phone to be able to use international service and activate my eSIM. It was stressful only being to be able to use a very specific line of service. Thank you for the service, very helpful.

14 July 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

price mentioned then extra fees later

The price mentioned was $35 Which later became an additional $80. The text said the correct phone and details Eligibility Check via IMEI $35 Check to see if you are able to unlock your phone to use any carrier. With our online service you can safely and permanently unlock your device from the comfort of your home. This is extremely misleading. in fact it's a con and a scam! I thought that $35 was the final price as no further payments were mentioned. I thought that $35 was a fair and affordable price to pay to have my phone unlocked... but the $35 only gave me a confirmation that my phone could be unlocked i already knew this was possible. Even the blurb boasts that any phone can be unlocked. But having spent $35 and got nothing for my money - ANOTHER $80 was then demanded as the next amount to pay if I actually wanted Direct Unlocks to unlock my phone! So $35 became $115... WHAT A CON and a SCAM! Dishonest dealings! Reason I chose this product: Because the advert was cleverly written to suck me in to believing I would get my phone unlocked for $35.. There was no mention of extra fees or any hint that I might have to pay more... That's plain dishonest marketting and a scam in any language. and should be stopped!

14 July 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Bait and switch hidden second payment required

Paid £15 for what was labelled as "unlock for any carrier" only to then go through an 'eligibility check' and then asked for a further payment of £30 to actually unlock. All information from the eligibility checks i already knew e.g what carrier it was on, whether it has been paid off, device not stolen etc, so the check itself was of 0 value. Only after paying does it then tell you it can't be refunded as they have performed the check. Not made clear at all anywhere on there website beforehand. Reading the terms and conditions in detail they say they will take anyone who disputes to small claims court for costs plus a £350 admin fee. After paying the £15 is the first time the website said there even was a first step of an eligibility check. It does not say that anywhere else on their website. I absolutely would not recommend anyone ever use this website. I was willing to pau to get it unlocked quicker than waiting for my carrier but to be honest even £15 was a lot for thaglt convenience. £45 in total is a crazy price. Use your carrier to unlock it. Would give 0 stars if possible. DO NOT USE DIRECTUNLOCKS.

15 July 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

I am writting this review again because…

I am writting this review again because my previous review has been removed . Last week Thursdays I paid for R1348 to be assisted with my phone . They advised it’s has been done . I loaded a ticked to say it’s not yet done . Anna requested a screen recording, of which I did send after that I’ve never heard anything from now . My phone is still not working all they did was took my money . I’ve tried the ESIM still my phone is not working

9 July 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Hopeless - ChatGPT’s feedback on DirectUnlocks

Hopeless. They are only keen to upsell and not keen to add value to clients.

This is ChatGPT's review of this company.

❌ 1. Bait-and-switch pricing (biggest complaint)

This is by far the most common criticism.

Typical flow:

Advertised unlock: US$7–25
After payment:
"Eligibility Check"
Then:
"Premium Service required"
Sometimes:
"Final payment required"

Many customers end up paying 2–4 separate charges.

❌ 2. Refund policy complaints

Many customers report:

unlock unsuccessful
refund denied
only store credit ("credit note")
difficult customer support

This appears repeatedly across review sites and Reddit.

❌ 3. Mixed success rate

Some devices unlock.

Others remain stuck at:

99% Complete

for days or weeks before eventually failing.

❌ 4. Trustpilot score isn't outstanding

Current overview:

around 3.0 / 5
roughly 25% of reviews are 1-star

The review summaries consistently mention:

hidden extra charges
refund issues
slow responses

while successful customers generally praise the speed.

❌ 5. Large number of Reddit warnings

Searching Reddit finds many independent posts warning about:

multiple payment requests
failure to unlock
store credit instead of refunds
chargeback recommendations

Reddit should not be treated as definitive evidence, but the pattern is remarkably consistent across many users.

When it may still be worth considering

Only if:

your carrier officially refuses to unlock
your phone is fully paid off
you understand there may be additional charges
you're willing to risk losing the initial fee

Better alternatives

Depending on your carrier, these are generally safer:

Request an official carrier unlock (often free once eligibility requirements are met).
Use reputable IMEI unlocking providers with stronger customer satisfaction, such as UnlockBase or UnlockRiver, both of which currently have significantly higher customer ratings than DirectUnlocks.

Overall assessment

Category Rating
Chance of successful unlock ⭐⭐⭐☆☆
Pricing transparency ⭐☆☆☆☆
Refund policy ⭐☆☆☆☆
Customer support ⭐⭐☆☆☆
Overall trustworthiness 2/5

Recommendation: I would not recommend DirectUnlocks as a first choice. The recurring reports of escalating fees and refund difficulties outweigh the successful cases. If your carrier offers an official unlock, that is usually the safest route. If you need a third-party service, providers with a stronger track record for transparent pricing and customer satisfaction are likely to be a better option.

It totally matched my own experience. The reviews on their website is totally fake

Please think twice before even paying them $0.01

14 July 2026
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Thank you for your response

Thank you for your response. I have clear, written evidence (chat screenshots) of your agent promising a full card refund, which is exactly why I disputed this transaction.
Since I cannot attach images directly in this Trustpilot reply, please provide a direct email address for your Senior Team, or check my support ticket for Order #13221442 where the screenshots are already attached.
I am ready to provide the proof immediately so your senior management can honor the agent's promise and process the card refund.

12 July 2026
Unprompted review

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