Yes, thanks for the tip Lavondys - it's true, when one wants bread.. go to a baker! when one wants fish... go to a fisherman!
Trouble is, most of these pay services take time - some 7 days (like vodafone) and I was *hoping* that I'd be able to find a solution here - well, there ARE solutions, and indeed Simox gives an explicit tutorial in "Remove SIM-lock patch generator" http://www.topsony.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6329

But alas, try as I might, I cannot find out *how* to choose the right corresponding firmware from the details that were displayed in the program (can't remember now whether it was the setool program??) If someone could point me to the post that instructs how to choose which file is which, I'd be more than happy to give Simox's patch generator a go for hubby's k610i (which is intermittently showing inactive sim)

Other than that, I'll checkout your link and see what time-frames they offer.
Again, many thanks
kind regards ( and blessings)
Seastar