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Verizon says my Phone is Unlocked but it is still locked.!!!!! Urgent help

Verizon claims they've unlocked my iPhone 14 Plus, but surprise, surprise—it's still locked! Checked with Apple and various databases, but no luck. Tried all the fancy troubleshooting steps, even did a factory reset and threw in a different SIM, but guess what? Still locked and proudly showing off on other carriers' BYOD pages. Nice one, Verizon.

Comments

Verizon_Support

That is indeed strange to hear if we've confirmed that the device is showing unlocked on our end, marilynsanders. Let's take a fresh look into this and see what we can do to help make sure your device is unlocked. Please be on the lookout for a private message from us, since we will need account access, so we can help.

-Joseph

I'm having the same issue with my iPhone 8.

Verizon_Support

We are terribly sorry for the inconvenience. Where did you purchase your device?

~Ivone

I had an Verizon agent tell me a couple of months ago when I inquired about changing my plan and when I asked about my Android phone that I have been paying them for, he said I had one more month billing cycle and I the phone would be paid in full, AND at that time of payment to call Verizon back to get the code to unlock the phone. SO, with that said, I paid that last payment on the bill for the phone and when I reached out to Verizon and asked for the code to unlock the phone, they told me it was already unlocked and did not offer any such code. Reason I'm posting on here now is because I just got an email that they are going to raise my bill another $4 a month come 3/1/24. I want to back up everything that I need to for when I change carriers because I'm tired of the lack of customer service and the increased costs. You can't just call to talk to an agent. You have to go through their online chat first to get anywhere. So, I want the code and I want that code now!

Verizon_Support

Help is here as we don't want to see you leave us. When unlocking a phone and you meet all the requirements, there is no code needed but you simply need to authenticate your account with us to access it to check the status. Once we are in the account and confirm all requirements are there, we simply unlock the phone on our end. We are here if you would like to review your account options as we always want to see you save money. Please let us know.

-Natasha

I can't get this resolved either. I bought my phone in November and paid in full, so it's been over 60 days. I have been working on this for the last week and have called 3 times and chatted 1 time today. The online account shows the line/phone is unlocked. The Carrier Lock on the phone shows SIM Locked, so I can't move it over to Xfinity. Each request that gets put in comes back denied. The first time they didn't have me authenticate it, so then a supervisor got involved the second time and it still got denied. She left a voicemail saying it was denied, but all I had to do is reset my phone and then it would work. I tried it and it didn't work. I chatted again and he assured me once again it would work, but would take up to 4 days. How can this take so long?! I was going to keep my other line with Verizon but after this mess, I'm moving it as well.

Verizon_Support

Hello,

rockfam3. My apologies to hear of this as we are here to help. I do see it was stated to reset your phone and that you did complete this step but it is important that we understand fully of the steps you took to reset the device. Did you complete a full factory data reset?

-Natasha

Verizon_Support

rockfam3, I can take a look at the recent work done, and see if there's more info on why the unlock request was denied. As part of that, I've sent a Private Message so we can discuss things further.

-John

I have the same issue and I'm starting to lose patience. I own my phone. Bought it directly from Google. It was on the AT&T network for over a year, then I switched to VZW. Phone worked fine after the switch. Now I'm trying to switch back to AT&T - and the phone is locked. I have been to my AT&T store twice in person and called their customer support twice. They of course say the phone is locked, which is what my phone shows as well. I have also been to my local Verizon store, in person, twice. They tell me that they don't lock phones and I'll have to contact Verizon customer care. I have. Three times. The issue still isn't resolved. In the meantime, I don't have a working phone. So to summarize - I tried to switch from VZW to AT&T and now I don't have a working phone. And no one at VZW seems to be able to help me.

Verizon_Support

Hello, seanptodd. Help is here as we can check on the unlock status of your phone. My apologies to hear you want to leave us. Please tell me more. Is there is outstanding balance on your Verizon account?

-Natasha

I have the same problem! I want to switch carriers. I am sick of not getting ahold of a person and getting a chatbot. My phone has been paid for over 2 years.

Verizon_Support

Hello Kfwens. No chatbot here. First I am disappointed that you want to leave Verizon. What happened to lead yo to this point? We can review the phone for you. Send us a Private Message and we can work together from there.

-Deb

I have the same problem. I bought a used phone from Amazon, and it's saying Verizon needs to unlock it. It's been saying that since I first got the phone, I do not use Verizon. I have had 2 hour long phone calls (one from me and one from a family member) about getting the phone unlocked yet I'm being told that it's not on the locked list. I still have the notification. I've factory reset, gotten new SIM cards, etc.. Genuinely don't know what to do at this point. It's been months.

I’ve had the same problem! I bought my phone in full, it’s been 1 year and a half and it says my phone is unlocked yet when I tried buying a eSIM while traveling it said my phone was locked. I contacted agents and was told it was being taken care of but it never was! Very disappointed and dissatisfied with Verizon.

Verizon_Support

Oh, no! We are stunned to see you in this equipment dilemma. Our goal is to always provide top-quality service.

Here is our Unlock Policy: https://www.verizon.com/about/consumer-safety/device-unlocking-policy.

We send you a Private Message. Please review at your earliest convenience.

~Gilbert

Ittakesjustaminutetoregister

Same problem. Was told I might get a call back on it in 48 hours. “Might” being the operative word. I own the phone. 60 days +… on top of that, I used the chatbot for q&a on the issue and it told me the phone was not locked. That’s why chat bots are useless. Misinformation!

Verizon_Support

Ittakesjustaminutetoregister, let's figure out what's going on with your phones unlock status. We're sending you a Private Message so we can take a closer look at what's going on.

~Jesse

Same problem. I bought my phone from a different company, it's completely paid off, later switched to Verizon, and now I'm trying to switch to a new carrier, but my phone is telling me that it's locked and it won't accept a new SIM. My original carrier says it does not have a lock on it, and to contact Verizon, but every time I call the Verizon customer service number the automated service does not recognize my phone number as valid and hangs up. What should I do?

Problem solved! Verizon had locked my phone for no reason. Verizon's chat box and customer service phone line were not letting me talk to an actual person, so I went to a Verizon store where the manager called Verizon for me. There were some complications since the phone had been on a Verizon business account, but in the end, Verizon had indeed carrier locked my phone, even though they said they didn't. Eventually they said that they had put my device in some sort of "safety mode" to "protect my information." The tech submitted a form internally to have the "safety mode" lifted from my device. Later that day, I received an email from Verizon saying that my "request to have my device unlocked has been approved." So yes, they had locked my device. The people at the Verizon store, however, were very helpful!

I have made tons of call to verizon and all they say is my phone is unlocked , but upon checking of the web and even making factory reset ,its still locked. Am very frustrated and dissapointed now. My phone is over 60days and fully paid for

Verizon, my phone is having the same issue. I own the phone, and it is locked. Can this be resolved within 24 hours?

Verizon_Support

We're here to help. Where did you purchase the device? ~Peter

Verizon_Support

Thank you for reaching out to us on this platform. To better assist you, please tell us a little more. Is the device still active with Verizon Wireless? Where did you purchase the device?

~Maria

Same problem here. Phone purchased over 2 years ago. Went to a Verizon store and they got account access and said now it would be unlocked. It wasn’t. Next I spoke to someone through their chat service online and after 2 hours was told that my unlock request had been prioritized. Days later and still locked. What does it take to get a phone unlocked with Verizon?? I’m about to waste time on the phone with customer service again. Has anybody found a solution to this problem?

Verizon_Support

We can help with your device unlock situation. Where did you purchase this device? ~Peter

Verizon Support by phone says they’ve checked and my iPhone isn’t carrier locked, but the screen still says it is and my new eSIM isn’t working. So now I have no service!

Tried network reset & hard reset, no change. Is Verizon so bad that even trying to leave them breaks the service?

Verizon_Support

@Rparkdoob
wrote: Verizon Support by phone says they’ve checked and my iPhone isn’t carrier locked, but the screen still says it is and my new eSIM isn’t working. So now I have no service! Tried network reset & hard reset, no change. Is Verizon so bad that even trying to leave them breaks the service?

Rparkdoob, I'm sorry that you're having some trouble. If we've reported the device is unlocked, I'd recommend doing a factory reset before trying to activate service with another provider. In my experince that's helped with those issues. There is also a chance, even when unlocked a device made to work for Verizon service may not work fully or function on another carrier's network. We do share that warning on our Unlocking Page: https://www.verizon.com/about/consumer-safety/device-unlocking-policy

I'd recommend trying the factory reset on your device, along with working with your new provider to troubleshoot their activation process.

-John

Thanks. But none of that would explain why the About screen literally says “Carrier Lock: SIM locked” when it apparently shouldn’t. The new provider won't do much troubleshooting when that’s sitting there explaining the problem. (But they use the Verizon network, so there’s no compatibility issue.)

For anyone with a similar problem: That entry on my iPhone ended up being a non-issue. Don’t know why it was showing up, and the new provider didn’t know what to make of things either. But when I had them reprovision my activation (new eSIM) everything that was supposed to happen the first time seems to have worked. Verizon plan/info was removed automatically from the phone and replaced with the new stuff, and the phone services associated with the ported number started working.

Having the same issue. Called support 2 days ago to unlock my iPhone. Was told to wait 24 hours and reboot. Waited and rebooted my iPhone but it’s still showing SIM Locked. I will be going out of country and need to unlock my phone.

Verizon_Support

Hello! We are truly sorry to see you in this equipment dilemma. Our goal is to offer the support you need. Let's gather more details.

Where exactly was the phone purchased? Where are you trying to use it? What happens when you attempt to utilize it?

~Gilbert

My iPhone 11 is stuck in Carrier Lock. Tried resetting. Still locked. Verizon tech support told me it was an Apple problem. Apple says it’s a carrier problem and sent me back to Verizon. Device is long ago paid in full—many years ago. it is on a business account so maybe this is the problem?

Verizon_Support

Hello, Ouyy. Help is here as you definitely deserve some answers and a resolution. Thanks so much for this info as you are correct. When a device is connected to a business account, it may still show a locked status. Have you contacted our Business Support team for assistance? To speak with them, simply call 800-922-0204 and when prompted, input the phone number that was connected to the business account as this will route you to our Business Support team.

-Natasha

Same problem. Multiple vzw reps have told me my phone is now unlocked, but the phone itself is telling me it is locked to vzw and to contact them to resolve. I've done multiple factory resets and am tired of terminal hold with their chat bots.

Originally was looking to carrier onlock just the one phone but between this and their widespread outage yesterday, am now seriously thinking of taking my 8 lines elsewhere

I have dealt with few Verizon agents with no luck. I bought a new iPhone SE from Apple Store in Japan (not attached to any carriers there) and can’t transfer services from iPhone 13. First agent said “appropriate department is making three way call with Apple Japan and Apple here after he verified that there is no restrictions on the new phone. He even reassured that the new phone will be activated within [phone number removed per the Verizon Terms of Service] hours. This was a month ago. They all toss it another “appropriate department”when they can’t figure out what the issues are.

Verizon_Support

Hello, dewmanchew. Help is here as we can provide some clarification regarding your locked device. We sent you a Private Message. Please be sure to check it.

-Natasha

same issue, maybe someone from verizon can help me. the store is useless and when I call it basically hangs up on me no matter what i do. please take the byod lock off my phone.

Verizon_Support

Hello niblea. We're sorry to learn you're having issues with a locked device. You can see our unlock device policy here: https://www.verizon.com/support/device-locking-faqs/

~Ivone

Hello, I have this issue as well - the device was not purchased from Verizon (and already unlocked) but I cannot activate a second eSIM.

Customer service reassured me the phone is unlocked yesterday morning but nothing has changed. I am leaving the country, THIS IS URGENT.

Verizon_Support

Hello, HelpIamOnFire. Thank you so much for this info. Let's work together to ensure we provide you the assistance you are looking for. May I ask, for the second eSIM, are you attempting to activate it with Verizon service or a different provider? Where did you purchase the device from?

-Natasha

Hello Natasha, thank you for your reply. It is for an international carrier, purchased from Icelandair. The device was purchased from a non-Verizon seller.

Verizon_Support

@HelpIamOnFire
wrote: Hello Natasha, thank you for your reply. It is for an international carrier, purchased from Icelandair.

Thanks for clarifying that with us. I'm sorry to hear that your device is currently locked. Based on what you shared, if you bought from a third party and the device is showing as locked with VZ, you’ll need to reach out to the original seller you purchased from. You can view our device unlocking policy for post pay and prepaid devices here: https://www.verizon.com/about/consumer-safety/device-unlocking-policy

-John

Hi, I have a trip in two weeks. I have an Iphone 11 Pro bought in 2020 and it was unlock. Since day one, it has been with Verizon and still is Sim Locked.

Thousands of calls and chats......... they said it cant be solve because it is locked from another company which is wrong because it has been always used with Verizon. I need to find a solution before 2 weeks. Please, help me here.

I dont need or want to buy another phone now.

I just got to Europe and phone is locked. Can only use if on wifi. They told me at the store that I could switch the sim and would be fine but not true. Same issue as the rest….they told me it was unlocked at the store but it is not. Definitely planning to switch carriers.

Verizon_Support

Staying connected when traveling is vital. When did you purchase this device? How long was it activated on your account?

~Freddy

I’m having the same issue with an IPad I purchased from apple. I canceled the Verizon plan in 2019 and already tried calling in to fix with no result.

I am having same problem. Bought a Moto G Power 2021 in full when new in Las Vegas, Nevada. We have now moved out of Nevada and switched from Verizon. Two other phones switched with no problem. However, the Moto will not accept the new SIM. Verizon says phone is unlocked, but it is clearly still locked. I have even done a factory reset to no avail. Please help.

In the same boat now, paid my phone off in full and tried to have it unlocked 4 times and still saying locked sim. Their resolution was to factory reset which I want to avoid because it does not need to be done. Pretty much at a stone wall right now and have no way to pass. After chatting with 4 different people they all do the same thing and have no result and don’t even seem to care. This “text with a real person” feels very ai generated and am pretty confident is not a real human. As of right now wasted $900 unlocking a phone so I would be able to use it during my international trip next week but I guess not. Complete joke

Verizon_Support

Hello Prk12,

I know how important it is to be able to use your phone the way you need to. What is the make and model of the device? What day was it purchased?

-Christopher

Having the same issue right now. Very frustrating! I'm traveling to Japan tomorrow and need to install a Japanese eSIM to use there. I've had my iPhone 13 for over 3 years, so it should have been unlocked long time ago. And Verizon says that it shows as unlocked on their end (and says so in my VZW Profile). But the physical phone still shows that the SIM is Locked under "Carrier Lock" and tells me to contact the carrier. I called Verizon Customer Service several days ago and they said it will be unlocked within 24 hours. It wasn't. I called back today and just spent 2 hours(!!) with Tech Assistance -- they were useless and we're not able to unlock it. I pray that a knowledgeable Verizon Customer Service rep here can help me get this resolved? PLEASE HELP!!

Verizon_Support

Hello NOSik, we want to make sure we help you with your iPhone. So we can better assist, we will be reaching out via Private Message. -Dee

Need help with the same problem. Please help

Verizon_Support

Hey there, Nikkijot, sorry to hear you're running into an issue with your phone being locked! Can you let us know how your phone was purchased? Do you currently have a Verizon account?

-Lauren

Thank you. Phone purchased through Verizon and yes current account

Same issue with iPhone 10. Ive talked with 3 customer service reps, received an email with verification and spoken to my sork business verizon rep. All are telling me that the phone is unlocked but it isnt. Carrier lock shows "Sim Lock." The only sims that will work in this phone are Verizon sims. Next step will be filing a complaint with the FCC.

Verizon_Support

I'm so sorry to see that you're still experiencing issues with unlocking your device. Do you remember where you purchased the device initially? Was it a corporate store, National Retailer such as Best Buy or Walmart, etc?

-Necia

Verizon_Support

We want to help and look more into this with you. A private note has been sent so that we can discuss in more detail.

-Bryan

Verizon_Support

We are still with you, and wanted to see if you still needed assistance. If so, please let us know, we would love to help.

~Pam

Verizon_Support

We are still with you, and wanted to see if you still needed assistance. If so, please let us know, we would love to help.

~Pam

My phone number was ported into Visible with the understanding that it was unlocked. When turned on it says, "Change carrier: Sorry, your device can't be activated on another carrier's network right now. For help, contact Verizon at (800)922-0204 or (888)294-6804 (prepaid plans). The Supervisor said, when I called the 800 number, that it should have been unlocked in January and that it was something wrong with Verizon's "back-end".

I've talked with customer service (Ticket #: INC014451023), had a Tier 2 support escalate the ticket, filed an FCC Complaint (Ticket #: 7822041) and an FTC Complaint (Report #: 186965358), Division of Consumer Protection Complaint, reached out here on the community forums and Reddit, and my phone is still carrier locked 100 days after it was supposed to "automatically" unlock. The back-end system error says it will unlock on Dec 31, 9999. It was paid off to begin with, not reported stolen or suspicious, and account is paid. Samsung said only Verizon can do anything and the tech staff are all gone for the weekend apparently.

Samsung Galaxy A53 5G (SM-A536V)

Verizon_Support

Thank you for reaching out to us on this platform. We understand the importance of being able to use your device as needed. Please tell us, what is the exact message you are getting when you attempt to activate it? Is your service plan for this device with another carrier?

~Maria

It was ported into Visible from Verizon (after being on Verizon for 160+ days) with the understanding that it was unlocked. When turned on it says, "Change carrier: Sorry, your device can't be activated on another carrier's network right now. For help, contact Verizon at (800)922-0204 or (888)294-6804 (prepaid plans).

The Supervisor said, when I called the 800 number, that it should have been unlocked in January and that it was something wrong with Verizon's "back-end". There were no number or SIM locks on the account.

Verizon_Support

Hello cart1443, just checking to see if you still need assistance with unlocking your phone. Let us know when you are available to take a look!

-Joe

I have the same issue - I switched to a different carrier over a year ago, but my S21 Ultra still says it's carrier-locked to Verizon. The phone was a BYOD (so it wasn't purchased through Verizon), and when I called support or went into a store, they said the phone was unlocked on their end. But the phone is still locked. It shouldn't have even been locked in the first place since it was a BYOD.

Same problem here. Verizon app shows unlocked but phone settings shows sim locked. Been on live chat for 3 hours now with no resolution. Still in chat just waiting…Verizon shouldn’t lock phones if they don’t know how to unlock it

Verizon_Support

We hate to see you are having any issues with getting the phone unlocked and want to help. We are sending over a private message to get additional details so we can check on the device status together.

-Meg

Verizon_Support

Three hours without a resolution is far too long, Kramhit9227. I am here to help. That is indeed odd that the My Verizon app is indicating that the device is unlocked, but that the phone is indicating that it is not. I'll need account access to assist, so please be on the lookout for a private message from me.

-Joseph

I have this issue now too. been a week and i keep being told that device is unlocked but it is not. i keep getting that Change carrier message. spoke to 20 different reps in 20 different departments, they claim they submitted all sorts of fraud intake forms.. etc.. I filed FCC complaint too and everyone keep saying device IS unlocked but its NOT.

Verizon_Support

Hello th43, we'd like an opportunity to look at your devices status and ensure that the correct process is completed to unlock your device. Please look out for a private message.

-Luis

thisissomeabsolutebull

This is also my problem. Verizon claims it is unlocked but it is not.

I am so genuinely disappointed in this that I cannot even put it into words. I have filed an FCC complaint, not that I think that will get me anywhere.

I was advised by support that this could be fixed remotely. It wasn't. I was told to go to a store and they could help me, but spent an hour on the line IN THE VERIZON STORE ON YOUR HORRIBLE CHAIRS.

I was then told I can update my phone. Didn't work. Then reset my phone to factory settings. Didn't work.

What was the last option? BUY ANOTHER UNLOCKED PHONE. So I am supposed to lose a perfectly good phone because of this and pay to replace something that is broken through no fault of my own? This is Verizon's mistake, not mine, and I have to pay for it. It's insane.

I truly cannot believe what a nightmare this has been and all because of your absurd corporate greed. I doubt anyone feels the appropriate amount of shame over this.

Same here what do I need to do to get Verizon to release my phone that is and has been paid off

That’s what the problem is. They don’t want you to go anywhere else

Verizon_Support

We want to ensure you get the support you need. We will send you a private message so we can assist further with your device.

-Toni

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