I purchased an s21 ultra 5g on Amazon on August 26th , activated this The phone has a clean IMEI, meaning it's not reported lost or stolen. I've been a loyal Verizon customer for over 8 years, and I'm shocked by their abysmal customer service.
Here's the issue: I want to unlock my phone to switch to a more affordable carrier. Verizon's own policy states that phones are automatically unlocked 60 days after purchase. My phone meets this requirement as it was purchased on august 26th, and subsequently activated with Verizon on August 30th 2023 - upgrading from my unlocked note 9+, WELL over 60 days ago.
However, Verizon refuses to unlock my phone because I didn't buy it directly from them. They insist that the "original owner" needs to call and authorize the unlock, even though I HAVE PROOF OF PURCHASE from Amazon! I've spoken to multiple representatives, and they all give me the same runaround.
This is unacceptable! I own the phone, and I have the documentation to prove it. Verizon's refusal to acknowledge my ownership feels like a blatant disregard for consumer rights and their own unlocking policy.
Here's what I've tried:
- Provided my IMEI number, came back clean and free of any fraud or problems with payments on previous accounts.
- Explained that the phone is clean and eligible for unlocking.
- Offered to provide my Amazon purchase receipt as proof of ownership.
- Asked to speak to supervisors, but the issue remains unresolved - in fact, I have been hung up on and given complete silence from supervisors once I say THIS: Why is my phone allowed to be activated on MY ACCOUNT in AUGUST 2023 - clean of ANY issues or problems whatsoever - yet when I want to LEAVE verizon, I suddenly have to contact the seller of the phone to call in and "unlock" this phone for me.
Why is Verizon making this so difficult?
- Is Verizon deliberately trying to prevent customers from switching carriers by imposing unreasonable unlocking requirements?
- Is Verizon's customer service so poorly trained that they don't understand their own unlocking policy?
I'm calling on Verizon to:
- Honor their unlocking policy and unlock my phone immediately.
- Train their representatives on their own policies and procedures.
- Treat customers with respect and acknowledge legitimate ownership, even for phones not purchased directly from Verizon.
I have well over 24 hours of total conversations with Verizon - , and also HUNDREDS of screenshots of chat reps ( over 25-30 of them) giving me answers from: your phone is already unlocked, we can't do anything - to the Relations manager telling me that I am required to contact the previous seller ( amazon) and get them to contact verizon. - and he also mentioned that he "tried" to contact them, but was unsuccessful and that is was on me now.
I have already filed an FCC complaint - and within a day, they got back to me and told me that they served my complaint to Verizon - which then told me the issue was resolved due to the fact that the resolution was for me to contact the seller and get them to call in and unlock the phone - once again, DESPITE having ZERO ISSUES activating this phone on Verizon for OVER A YEAR IN MY NAME, ON MY ACCOUNT - with HARDCORE PROOF OF OWNERSHIP AND ACTIVE SERVICE.
I am waiting for the FCC rebuttal form as the Verizon resolution was nothing but a misinformed response attempting to get me to back down and put my tail between my legs.
Well, I am NOT THAT PERSON. I am not going to back down, as the FCC rules are crystal clear - I OWN THIS DEVICE FREE AND CLEAR, and I want it unlocked immediately.
Please share my story and help hold Verizon accountable! This is not just about MY phone; it's about protecting consumer rights and ensuring fair practices in the telecom industry.
