Child Item

Site Totals

61493 Questions Answered 271 Categories

Unable to get my fully paid device unlocked

I bought my iPhone 15 from Verizon on March 26, 2024. I paid for it fully. I am on Verizon prepaid. My understanding is the phone is supposed to be automatically unlocked after 60 days. That has not happened for me. Even though it is much more than 60 days, my phone remains SIM card locked as viewed under "Settings / General / Information / Carrier Lock". I have gone into a Verizon store, where they helped me call Customer Service and get a ticket created. The next day I got an email saying my "SIM Lock Appeal - Denied" and the message says:

"Your request to have your device unlocked has been reviewed. Unfortunately, your device is not eligible to be unlocked at this time. Your device is scheduled to automatically unlock 60 days after your purchase/activation date."

I call back Customer Service, and they say I have to wait 3 days for the ticket to be closed, because it is still open. I wait, and nothing happens. I called back and created another ticket. Again, the next day I get the same email "SIM Lock Appeal - Denied". Again I called Customer Service, and am told I have to wait 3 days more. Every Verizon employee I've talked to at the store, and on Customer Service has told me my phone is eligible to be unlocked, but all I get are tickets and an ultimate rejection, in which I can't respond. I've spent hours on the phone. I have both ticket numbers and my original order number if that would help, but didn't think it appropriate to post them here. How can I find someone to actually unlock my device?

Comments

Verizon_Support

Hello! I know how frustrating that can be. If you need assistance, please send us a Private Note.

*Carla

beiley

Hello Carla. Yes, I need assistance. Can you guide me on how to send you a Private Note? I don't see that option here? What information should I provide in that note?

Thanks,

Mark

VZ_jenn

Hi beiley, You can send a Private Note by clicking on any customer support agent's profile image (red V) or on their username (vzw_customer_support) and selecting send message. I'm not sure what additional information the agent may need, but you could probably link to your post here or copy and paste it into your note. -kh_jenn

beiley

Thanks kh_jenn. That helped, I was able to send the private note.

beiley

Hi Carla,

I've just now sent you a private note with the reference ticket numbers. I hope you can help shed some light on why I can't get my device unlocked. Thank you.

SynthpopAddict

That's frustrating. I'm wondering if the reason why your phone is persistently locked is because prepaid plans never last longer than 31 days, hence the system thinks you've never reached the requisite 60 days? Even if you have autopay and faithfully renew every month, we prepaid customers are still going by the month.

Since you purchased the phone earlier this year, all the details regarding the purchase should still be in your order history. I'd download all the pertinent information having anything to do with the purchase of the phone so you have plenty of evidence showing you are the legitimate owner. Order history is kept in your account for 12 or maybe 18 months. If Verizon can't get you to someone who can do more than the automated system sending you form letter rejections, then you should try filing a complaint with the FCC. Good luck.

beiley

Hi SynthpopAddict,

Thanks for the help. Seems possible, but no Verizon employee has ever mentioned that as the reason. They all say it should be eligible for unlocking, and can't tell me why it isn't getting unlocked. I've been calling customer support every day, and get a different agent. For the last 2 days they say they're going to investigate and call me back. So far I haven't ever received any calls back. Super frustrating...

I do have the email from Verizon showing all my purchase details. I couldn't find an "Order History" in my Verizon account, other than the payment history for the monthly prepaid charges.

beiley

I've spent over an hour each of the last 2 nights on the phone with customer service. In both cases they couldn't understand why the device isn't being unlocked. They had their supervisors investigate and supposedly sent notes to the department in charge of unlocking. I was told it can take a while to get a response, so they would call me back the same day with the results. I've never received a call back. My device is still locked, and I feel I've exhausted all possibilities of working with customer service. They don't seem capable of resolving whatever the problem is. I guess I'll go into a Verizon store, but I'm not hopeful, as the last time I did that, they just had me call customer service while in the store. Very frustrating...

Verizon_Support

We're sorry to read about the situation with your device. Have you had this device active on a Verizon account for 60 days? ~Peter

beiley

Yes, I've kept it active non-stop since I bought it on March 26, 2024. I have just received a call from someone that is going to follow up on it, so I am hopeful this will be resolved soon.

beiley

Just an update on my issue... I ended up following the suggestion of SynthpopAddict and filed a complaint with the FCC, as I was not getting anywhere with regular customer service. I filed the complaint on Oct 20 with documentation/receipts. The FCC reviewed the case and submitted the complaint to Verizon on Oct 21. On Oct 21 I got a call from someone at Verizon who has promised to get this resolved and get back to me. This was the first time I've received a call from anyone at Verizon, so I'm hopeful it will be resolved soon.

SynthpopAddict

Fingers crossed for you. It's really too bad that it had to come to that though.

beiley

My phone finally was unlocked on Oct 21. Once someone at Verizon contacted me it went quickly. He was professional and solved the issue. It was someone from their "Executive Relations Office". The key was filing the FCC complaint. Until then nobody seemed to care, but once the complaint was submitted it was resolved quickly/professionally. The explanation for all the difficulties that was given to me and the FCC (he copied me on the letter he sent back to the FCC) was that the unlocking had been initiated, but there was a system error that needed to be cleared. In any event, my phone is finally unlocked. It's a shame I had to resort to filing an FCC complaint, but Verizon's regular customer support is not good when something a bit out of the ordinary happens.

SynthpopAddict

Glad you got the issue fixed.

Verizon: Stuff like this makes it appear that either your front line CS agents are not well trained, or else do not know whom to contact for more complicated issues. Or the more difficult problems are now a matter of "tribal knowledge", which has been slowly being lost with attrition?

Just because a lot of companies now outsource CS overseas doesn't mean it's always a great idea. Sure hope someone at the executive level is thinking of taking at least some of the money from recent price hikes to use it to hire some folks who are directly associated with Verizon to improve the customer service experience.

Child Item