nav[aria-label="Primary Navigation"] { padding: 0; & ul { list-style: none; width: 100%; display: flex; flex-direction: row; justify-content: start; align-items: start; gap: 30px; padding: 0; & li { margin: 0; } & ul li { list-style: none; } } }

*228 not working - "The number or code you dialed is incorrect"

jjhuddle

Just upgraded to the 4s, and troubles out of the gate. Everything set up fine, but I can't activate it. *228 gives me an incorrect # message. I called support and they sent me up to second teir, where the girl had me just reset the phone twice, then told me there was a problem with 'delayed activations' (wow, you really think I'm stupid) and that I'd have to wait for service. So basically i have an iPod Touch now until someone figures this out. First problem ever with Verizon, and not being able to use my phone at all is a pretty big one. Thanks for pushing me off the phones, tech support.

Accepted answers

Starmaul81

Hi everyone!

Ok so I had the same problem everyone else was having with the iphone 4S. Mine started working at around 3:00 pm today and I almost fell over with joy...I received it yesterday morning and had done EVERYTHING you could think of to try fixing....

12/29 This morning reading blogs losing my mind...I decided to call Verizon. One woman was very nice and said the "Vodaphone" should not be affecting the phone. They are in a partnership with Verizon and that should NOT affect the phone whatsoever.

Sadly I had been transferred to someone other woman who thought she rules the planet verizon and begun to tell me oh no this Vodafone is not our system oh no it is an Apple problem.

We both are connected to an Apple rep, who was VERY pleasant...wish I could say for the know it all Verizon rep.

We I explained that I had taken the SIM card out of my original iphone and placed it into a new phone, her answer was it was definitely not an Iphone problem rather a Verizon. However the Apple rep took down my info and sent me her info. In the meanwhile the Verizon rep hung up...how professional.

4.) Ran to the store to just say give me a new phone. The young man helping was very nice and said literally to just wait. That I would get service just wait, everything was so backed up. SO I left the store.

When I returned to work (yes all this during work) the Apple rep actually called me at work. She had spoken with an Apple engineer. According to him there was something not syncing in their system with Verizon or whatever it was he said I dont remember.....whatever it was she said to do the do the following at that moment:

1.) Settings -> General -> Reset -> "ERASE ALL CONTENT AND SETTINGS"

I did that already so I just assumed nothing would work. BUT since the nice Apple engineer had fixed something on their end to try it NOW and it should work. SO I did and VOILA it worked!

I dont know if it was what they did at Apple for my phone specifically or all phones in general. I still do not know whose problem it really was but Apple was kind enough to call back immediately. Hope everyone else is getting theirs to work now!

All comments

christyyylee

I'm having the same exact problem. And I was just on the phone with tech support and I was told I would be called back and I haven't been. I don't know what to do to fix it.

Sueze29

Having same issue with my daughter's IP 4S. Just received it today and already I have not been able to activate it using the *228. Had tech support on the phone for 15 min. Removing S-card does not work, nor does re-setting the phone. Was told others are experiencing the same problem. I am still waiting for the obligiatory text, letting me know service has been restored, This will not be an easy fix I am guessing! I have been waiting over 4 hours. Good luck all you new iPhone 4S users, it is a fabulous phone when it is working, got mine two weeks ago and love it! Hopefully all will be up and running soon. Oh Verizon :smileysad: !!!

kaebfly

Not sure if the issue is related to what area you are in or if it's solely and issue with the 4s, but I just tried dialing *228 from my iPhone 4 and had no problems. Hopefully things will begin to work for you all soon. I think some have mentioned that they are having 4G/3G data issues in their areas (no issue where I am but it was running a little slowly earlier today when I was in the Atlanta area...it worked and it wasn't unbelievably slow but I noticed it was a little slower than usual)...not sure if that could have anything to do with the *228 issues you all might be experiencing though.

mikef19

I just got mine today also, and have the same activation problem. When I spoke to the tech support rep they said it has to do with the 4G outage up and down the east coast. I had them re-connect my droid that I was swapping from and they said to continue to check before trying to re-activate the phone if the outage was still happening. As of last check a few minutes ago, it was.

Highly disappointing. I've been a huge verizon fan for years, and this is the first issue I've ever encountered with them.

johnnylove67

Same problem here in Richmond VA. @ 9:30pm

Went to the corperate store and they said it has been everyone that got their 4S today (December 28th, 2011). They were as clues as us. I asked them what they were told to say and they said nothing. They were given no iformation except that the server is down and keep trying *228.

However i gave my daughter my iphone 4 and they were able to set up her phone number on that phone.

I can't believe more people aren't going crazy over this.

Sueze29

:smileysad: Day 2! Still having trouble activating my daughter's new iPhone 4S. While I realize that Verizon is working to correct this issue, it is extremely frustrating. Dialing *228 to activate tells me "I am unauthorized to make this call." I have a feeling this may take more time than originally thought! I am still waiting for the courtesy text alert that the problem is resolved! Very disappointing., iPhone 4S' already activated prior to yesterday, seem to have no problems, since mine is working just fine. My husband has an HTC Thunderbolt, no 4G service, day two! We live in New Jersey. Come on Verizon!

courtniemarie

I was in the store yesterday for over an hour. The tech support person was completely befuddled by why she couldn't get the phone to activate. Was told it should be resolved by midnight last night...guess not! I dunno if I'm comforted that others are having this problems or ticked off. Mainly the latter, I think. As others have said - I've had Verizon for about 10 years and have never had a single problem between billing, tech support and everything. This is so frustrating. Might as well not even have the phone! Please report if you are able to get your phone activated. I'm in Richmond, VA, btw, if that makes any difference.

CathySue785

"We are investigating reports of some customers experiencing trouble accessing the 4GLTE network. The network itself continues to operate and all customers continue to be able to make calls, send text messages and utilize data services. 3G devices are operating normally."

I have no service at all. I was trying to activate my new 4s and my old phone won't work now either. I love Verizon and this is the first problem that I've had with them. I'm upset that this is the only communication that we can get from them. It would be nice to get some type of update on the situation.

dstankov

Just tried *228 on the 4S and it is still not working. Talked to Tech Support last night and was told a fix should be in by midnight; I guess they are a few hours late. Interesting that when looking at the carriers under settings only T-Mobile and AT&T appear. Is Verizon trying to tell me something? It appears that the Iphone with Verizon is a glorified paperweight (and an overly expensive one at that).

courtniemarie

I noticed that too re: AT&T and T-Mobile when you manually search for service. For $300 I should be able to take my phone out of the box and use it, right? Or at least have an explanation and reasonable timeframe in which the issue will be repaired.

mcd5017

Not sure if this is the same issue you are having, but I received my 4s yesterday and couldn't activate the service. I took it to the store and they said that Apple shipped them a batch of phones with the wrong software. The phones they shipped are set up for the Vodafone network. You can check if yours is set up for the Vodafone network if you go to settings and about or network, I can't remember. Verizon kept my phone to return it to Apple and placed an order for another one. Apparently the Apple store can re-configure the software if you make an appointment with them, but the one in my area stopped taking requests for this, so I have to wait until a new phone is shipped.

jjhuddle

I'm guessing Vodafone is 'vf nl 11.0' in the carrier. Great. Anyone else seeing this in settings->general->about ?

mcd5017

I'm not sure because I didn't look at it personally, but they did at the store. Also, when I was switching the carrier mode to manual, At&T and T-Mobile were the only options that showed up. I waited for over an hour in the store while they reset my upgrade date so I could re-purchase the phone.

dewolb

been having the same problems up here in Michigan.. The fact that I spent all day yesterday at multiple Verizon stores and on the phone with apple and Verizon numerous times to figure it out right here... Looks like I have a vodafone... settings, general, network, cellular data network == a useless vodafone that I had to preorder. Unhappy to say the least.

johnnylove67

"You can check if yours is set up for the Vodafone network"

My phone says Vodafone too. It is still not working.

johnnylove67

UPDATE 10:19am est

Just got off the phone w local store manger.

Told me we should have been told to dial *288.

Told me batch was set up wrong from apple and to do a total reset fro the phone.

I'm doing it as I type. She said it may have to be done twice.

UPDATE 10:22am est

1st try didnt work doing reset #2 now

jjhuddle

I just got off the phone with tier-3 support at verizon, and they have a ticket in to the networking team now. I advised them about Vodafone, and they said that should not be the problem actually. I was told my ticket is going to the top, as I haven't been able to use the phone for 24 hours now. I was also told they should be calling me back by early this evening. I had excellent help from the tech team on tiers 2 & 3 today. Here's to hoping my phone is up and activated soon!!!

Please, if you call in, check on your carrier. Let them know that it is Vodafone so they look into that, because I think they pushed that off to the side when I said that.

This forum rocks, btw.

mlaws9

I had this issue too. Verizon tech told me last night that they were working on it, and would call back by early this morning (which they didn't); Apple was similarly befuddled this a.m.

FINALLY I got someone knowledgeable on the line at Verizon customer support — I don't know her name, and really wish I'd asked, because she deserves some recognition. Sad. Anyway, here's the fix:

First off, back up whatever you've done with your iPhone 4S so far. iTunes, iCloud, whatever. Because you're going to have to wipe your phone.

1. Unplug the iPhone from computer/iTunes.

2. Go to Settings > General > Erase All Content and Settings. Yes, this sucks, but it's why you've backed everything up. Thankfully iTunes is good about this.

3. ... Actually that's pretty much it. The phone will reset automatically, and the weird Vodafone problem should be resolved as well. Just walk through the setup steps again (slightly annoying, but whatever).

4. Make sure your old phone is powered off, then dial *228 and select option 1. This completes activation of the iPhone.

5. Reconnect phone to computer/iTunes and select Restore from Backup, or whatever. And voila, all your stuff should be there, just as you left it, but now with a working iPhone. Woohoo!

Hope this all works for you. Big-time relief.

- Mike

johnnylove67

2nd try didn't work. Still says voafone and still doesn't work.

They told me to bring the iPhone4S back and they will have to order another one. They said I will get moved to the front of the waiting list but won't guarantee when I'll get it. In the meantime they will not give us a loaner phone. They will only connect another Verizon phone that we are not using.

GREAT!

My fellow sufferers we are screwed!!!!!!!!!

:robotsad:

jrod4409

It is well over 24 hours since I have been trying to activate my phone through *228 and STILL unsuccessful ! I have tried resetting the phone, activating through wifi, and all that. NOTHING. Does anyone have an update?

DogStar

Also see this thread: http://community.vzw.com/t5/Upgrade-and-Activation/New-Phone-Activation-is-DOWN/td-p/763618/page/7

It does not appear to be an Apple problem, but rather a Verizon one. (I found this thread while looking for reasons my Android phone won't activate.)

danielelangham

UGH! At least I am not alone. I wonder if it's the Vodafone thing (which I have all over the place on my phone) ?? and if so, they can change it to match up with our serial numbers, or whatever. I think I'll skip going to the store as I see that's not much help either. Had them turn my old phone back on because after 24 hours without it, I needed my phone more than anything. So Iphone sitting aside and hoping we get a fix soon! Will keep checking back - all post if something happens .

kaebfly

Sorry if I have missed this but has anyone tried to contact Apple in reference to the claim that the issue is related to incorrect software on these iPhone 4s devices with activation issues? Has anyone asked that their call be escalated to a supervisor at Verizon when they call in (and not let them tell you that someone will contact you...instead insisting that a supervisor speak to them even if you have to be placed on hold until one is available)? I can imagine how frustrating this all must be...especially for those that don't have a backup device to re-activate until something is done. But if a CS rep can get you off of the phone by telling you to wait and it will eventually start to work without being able to tell you what the problem is (which makes them being able to tell you that it should be working within a timeframe impossible if they don't even know what the cause of the issue is in the first place) then they will do just that. They honestly may not know what the problem is but someone at Verizon has to make it their job to try and find out what the problem may be and communicate it to the CS reps that are having to field these calls...otherwise, the number of frustrated customers will grow. If they are being honest with you and telling you they truly don't know what the problem is and are working on trying to find out...then as frustrating as it may be you have to be patient. Things do happen...no matter how much you pay for something or how big the company is. Just keep pushing for some sort of answer and hopefully...something will be done to fix what ever the issue is asap.

rcorn1214

So, I continued to do a hard reset of my phone throughout the afternoon. After about the 4th time, while I was connecting to wi-fi, I noticed "Verizon" popped up with signal bars at the top of my screen. It's the first I've seen this! I immediately dialed *228 and got through right away. Phone is now activated and up and running.

I am so relieved! Also, once I activated, the T-Mobile, AT&T and Vodaphone references all seem to have disappeared.

Good luck everyone!

Starmaul81

Hi everyone!

Sadly I had been transferred to someone other woman who thought she rules the planet verizon and begun to tell me oh no this Vodafone is not our system oh no it is an Apple problem.

We both are connected to an Apple rep, who was VERY pleasant...wish I could say for the know it all Verizon rep.

1.) Settings -> General -> Reset -> "ERASE ALL CONTENT AND SETTINGS"

I did that already so I just assumed nothing would work. BUT since the nice Apple engineer had fixed something on their end to try it NOW and it should work. SO I did and VOILA it worked!

Ravenissee

Hello everyone,

if you haven't been able to get you iphone to activate try the following steps, I've been in this forum and on the phone with verizon the entire day and I was finally able to get service after doing a combo of things that every1 else was doing to get their phones to work.

1. plug your iphone into itunes and do the restore iphone from there (this will take away that vf carrier crap that hasn't gone away for most people) this will take about 15 minutes (you'll have to do the setup again when its complete)

2. after your phone has fully restore unplug it from itunes, here you should double check to see that your network isn't vf anymore.\

3. do the iphone reset, this the one every1 is doing where you are erasing the phone again settings/general/reset/reset all content and settings

4. go through the set up 1 last time

5. do the *228 dial and you should get the "your phone has been activated" message

hope this work for you.

theperfectluv

Same problem with my phone and when i called yesterday they said it would be working by today!!! but no its not working of course! Thanks verizon for the best Christmas present.... frustration!!

dlangham

Working now! Called again since I saw that someone's phone was activated, and they took me through one more time with the "erase all content" stuff on my phone and voila - working! They said they JUST NOW got the fix in from Apple - so go for it!!!

KCOleary

Why is it that Verizon or Apple has not posted anything about this. I just called the local Verizon store and they said some phones will activate and some won't?

jjhuddle

So happy I could cry. Reseting now!

jjhuddle

programming successful! Best Day Ever!! :robotvery-happy:

theperfectluv

I just got my phone to work by going in the settings and "reset and erase" and then when it rebooted it let me dial *228 and press option 1 to activate

shmagoogle

I just got my phone today and yeah, I have the Vodafone problem, but I have a question.

How does the phone know to be on Verizon's network after you erase all settings?

I'm just being careful to not mess up my phone.

theperfectluv

What this user said to do fixed my phone as well!!

theperfectluv

I was told that the iphone just knows what to do and it has a mind of its own thats what verizon said... i did the erase and reset and i lost some of the applications i had bought but Verizon credited me back the money i had spent.

Starmaul81

Don't worry the phone knows exactly what to do. You can go right ahead and erase all contents and settings. I had the vodaphone too but after I did that it does disappear and everything goes back to normall...amazingly.

courtniemarie

Thanks to everyone for all your help on this today! Got my phone up and running. For anyone still having trouble resetting it yourself, I called the 1800 #, got through quickly and was all set up in about 5 minutes.

She had me pull the battery on my previous phone (also Verizon). Then dialed *228 on the iPhone and it activated immediately. Have sent and received calls and texts with no trouble. Yay! :smileyhappy:

jjhuddle

@perfectluv,

Those apps will be in your iTunes under your store in the Apps tab. there is a new 'Purchased' category. They should all be there with your Apple ID.

Child Item