Child Item

Site Totals

61365 Questions Answered 267 Categories

Verizon won't unlock phone

Help! I purchased a new unlocked pixel 6 in 2021 from Best Buy and activated it on my Verizon Wireless business account. I purchased it in full and have the receipt. I'm trying to switch wireless carriers now and successfully transferred my phone number to the new carrier. However, when trying to activate the new eSIM by scanning the QR code from the new carrier I get an error that says my phone is locked by Verizon. After 3 days of talking to tech support and fraud support at Verizon they still refuse to unlock my phone SIM. My SIM lock appeal was denied because Verizon has no record of me purchasing the phone. Fraud support said Verizon cannot unlock it because I purchased it at Best Buy, and Best Buy support says they don't have any ability to lock unlocked phones. I've already filed a complaint with the FCC.

Comments

Verizon_Support

Hello, being on top of your equipment is vital, especially if you are managing your phone status. We want to guide you in the right direction.

For your reference, here is our unlock policy: https://www.verizon.com/about/consumer-safety/device-unlocking-policy.

To verify more details on your business line device, please reach out to our Business Team through any of the numbers found on this link: https://www.verizon.com/business/contact/.

Hope this information helped.

~Gilbert

Gwest3

Gilbert, @vzw_customer_support

Thanks for your reply. Please read my post in full. The Verizon unlocking policy you sent does not apply since I purchased an unlocked phone from Best Buy, not Verizon. I have contacted the business team several times and have no solution to this problem.

Gwest3

@vzw_customer_support

Minor update. I've contacted both Google and Best Buy customer support. Both confirmed that the phone is SIM locked by Verizon and Verizon is the only one who can unlock it.

SynthpopAddict

@Gwest3
sorry to see you've been affected by an IT glitch. Someone else recently posted about the exact same thing and also had to get the FCC on it before their phone could be unlocked. I'm shocked that CS can't at least route your request to the correct department. Never mind that whomever you spoke with earlier couldn't tell by looking at your account that you did use the phone for the required 60 days on Verizon's network in the past. This fulfilled the unlocking policy requirement and the phone should have automatically unlocked itself. Sure hope your situation gets sorted out soon.

P.S. - How in the world does a factory unlocked phone somehow get locked by a carrier???

Gwest3

@SynthpopAddict

Thanks for the reply. I just received another SIM Lock Appeal - Denied email from Verizon @vzw_customer_support
with no useful explanation as to why. Looks like I'm forced to purchase a new phone in order to use a different carrier.

SynthpopAddict

@Gwest3
has the FCC responded to your inquiry? Sorry to see you haven't gotten a resolution.

Gwest3

@SynthpopAddict
I was notified yesterday that my FCC complaint was served to Verizon. although I have not heard anything from Verizon yet. Maybe they will call me today to address this issue. I've given up calling tech support after my Enable SIM Unlock request was denied again yesterday.

Batmanluver21

I’m having the same issue but I bought my phone at Walmart and after a week of back and forth phone calls from Walmart and Verizon I can’t get no where. What is the FCC?

Verizon_Support

Hello,Batmanluver21. Help is here. Did you purchase a prepaid device? Please see the link below for our Device Unlocking Policy for the time frame and qualifications to unlock your device.

https://www.verizon.com/about/consumer-safety/device-unlocking-policy

-Natasha

Christypruitt83

I have called several times to get someone at Verizon to unlock my son’s eSIM. I called 1 week ago and they told me it would be unlocked In 2-3 business days but keep denying my request. This is a phone that my husband bought on his company purchasing plan, and not a Verizon retailer or part of Verizon. They have held my phone hostage after trying to move away from Verizon to T Mobile. I had a past due payment and thought that might be the reason,and the only reason I hadn’t paid yet is I was finished with Verizon waiting for the final bill, but I paid that and after being on the call with Verizon for almost 2 hours, they still have not unlocked it. Today they reactivated my Verizon service after I told them that with their policy that it states you have to wait 60 days for them to unlock a phone once activated, and she reassured me that would not be the case, but they still have not unlocked it, the lady told me she needed to wait 15 mins for me to shut the phone down and she would call me back, but never did. I just feel that they are being rude and not helping me out, when my son needs his phone. What happens if he has an emergency and has no way of getting in contact with us. I am a very worried mom at this point and I don’t feel Verizon is being of any help. I need this resolved. I had no problems switching all my other lines, so I don’t understand why this one line is a problem?

Chela9090

Honestly this my first being a customer of Verizon in very Ling time oh boy this is bad they have bad customer service really bad always getting disconnected the other day I had a isssed never talk to 6 different agents from fraud department to sales none of them ever help was there for on the computer chat I'm terminating my service today

Verizon_Support

Chela9090, we never want you to leave the Verizon family, and we're sorry if you've had issues with our customer service in the past. We want to make sure you're always getting the help you need when you reach out. What issues were our customer service team unable to help you with?

~Jesse

Verizon_Support

Christypruitt83, let's figure out what the issue is with your device, and make sure we're able to unlock it. We're sorry for the amount of this this has taken, but we're going to make sure a solution is found. Please be on the lookout for a Private Message.

~Jesse

Verizon_Support

Let's figure out what the issue is with your phone unlock. Please let us know when you're available os we can help.

~Jesse

krazyclausen

I have the same issue..i purchased a phone from Swappa...paid in full...anf verizon has locked my phone and refuses to unlock it..i talked to 7 different people today who all gave me different answers...

Anyone have the FCC link???i would like to file a complaint...Verizon had no bussiness locking my phone...im not even a verizon customer...

jpmorris123

I just experienced the same issue. I received a replacement Pixel 6a directly from Google. It was fully unlocked. I activated the phone on Verizon using a physical SIM card. I am now overseas and want to use the e-SIM function. My phone shows the e-SIM slot is available with it's own IMEI. However, when I tried to load an e-SIM on the phone, it failed and I received the message "Your device is locked." I called Verizon and they said, "yes, we locked the e-SIM when you activated for security purposes." I told them I never agreed to this and asked why. The response was that "it protects the phone from being stolen and activated on another network." I said that sounds a bit ridiculous.

Customer Service said they submitted a request for the e-SIM to be unlocked but it may take up to 72 hours! Ridiculous for a simple request (Verizon can activate my phone in 30 minutes, but it takes them 72 hours to unlock the e-SIM?!?!). Makes me suspect there is something more at work here. I now I see that lots of folks have experienced this problem recently and some have failed to get the unlock accomplished within 72 hours. What terrible customer service by Verizon!!

SynthpopAddict

@jpmorris123
, I don't know how long this feature has been in place for postpaid accounts, but I noticed SIM Lock and Number Lock security features recently being added to my prepaid account. Go into your account and disable the SIM Lock feature and that may solve your problem. I'd turn it back on at some point though, as the feature prevents someone from hijacking your SIM/eSIM in a "SIM swap" sc*m. In case you're wondering, Number Lock blocks fraudulent port outs of your number and you would need to disable it in order to port.

jpmorris123

Thank you for the suggestion. I had already disabled the SIM Lock feature. I believe the issue is on the Verizon side (which they seem to acknowledge... but have yet to do anything). For other phones on my account, the online "Device Manager" shows they are "eSIM capable." This phone does not show that.

Verizon_Support

We would be happy to take a further look at this with you. We will send a Private note so that we can get some more details. -Dee

SoulSnatcher

Fraud support is right. And God help you if you're not a customer anymore or never have been, then you're just wasting their precoous time. Verizon are the worst by far.

I've been trying to get my "unlocked" phone unlocked for a week now and I've had all of the above happen to me and everytime you call back you have to go ggrough all the same explanations and answer the same questions and sit on hold while they verify things again then eventually hang up on you again. My last call today (another hour and a half ordeal) ended with them telling me not o.ly should my phone be unlocked but that it is indeed unlocked already. When I asked them why then does the scrolling banner say network locked? and why when I put in a different carrier sim does it not work and say sorry you can't activate this device on a different carrier network right now? And was promptly hung up on again.

I will never in a million years ever be a Verizon customer and I will always suggest nobody else is either. Nonody should get treated like this.

PS they're trying to get the 60 day unlock requirement removed altogether right now. They don't want to give up their phones even if they're completely paid off.

Guess it's FCC complaint time for me too.

Verizon_Support

We'd like to help and take a closer look at your situation. To better assist I'll be sending you a Private Message.

~Maria

zutipec22

The customer service representative gave me a number to call for a collection agency. The collection agency could not verify me nor could they verify my account. The Verizon representative could not give me any information to give to the collection agency. My question is if Verizon thinks money is owed on this phone why couldn't they contact me and have me pay it directly before cutting the phone off and blacklisting it. Why after calling for a week couldn't they just say hey you owe this money, which I do not know about, here's a chance to pay it so we will not have to put you through this frustrating process. I cannot use my phone. If there is money owed I am willing to pay it just to use my phone..I was not given a chance to pay.. Am I the only one this is happening to?

Child Item