Verizon Nightmare - Paid full price for a useless locked phone

[pedrousa45]

My nightmare with Verizon started 1 month ago, when I arrived in the US to visit the college I'm entering on fall. I wanted only a prepaid plan for data and calls, and I would purchase a new phone at an Apple Store. However, the salesperson convinced me to purchase the phone at Verizon, saying it was already unlocked. He assured me that once I was back in the country I lived - Brazil - the phone would be fully working with national carriers and so I believed in his words. Still in the US, I tried to use my phone with a T-Mobile SIM card. On doing so, my iPhone 7 showed me the typical message for locked phones, asking me to put an "authorized" SIM card to proceed. Afraid that my phone was locked, I went to many Verizon stores and called costumer service until I was again reassured that my phone was unlocked and would work fully when I was in another country. Last week I returned to Brazil, and the outcome couldn't be worse - the same phone-locked message displayed. I tried SIM cards from many carriers, hoping the problem was with a specific provider, but it wasn't. After calling Verizon more than 6 times, being transferred to many apple senior advisors and following all possible solutions Verizon provided, I still have a useless, locked phone. I had no advantages whatsoever on purchasing the phone on Verizon but now I'm left ignored by a company that is not honest with its consumers. This problem has consumed many hours of my time, and if I cannot get this issue solved I will have no options other than taking legal actions against Verizon.

[Ann154]

Verizon will temporarily lock phones to its network starting this spring | The Verge

Verizon will start locking phones to its network to prevent armed robberies | Ars Technica

https://www.whistleout.com/CellPhones/Guides/verizon-unlocking-guide

They need to update their Device Unlocking Policies. Device Unlocking Policies | About Verizon

[glitchedpixel]

The other carriers are more strict than VZW about unlocking and actually trying to take legal action will end up costing you way more than what an iPhone 7 is worth.

IPhone's 6 and above are classified as global devices which will work outside the US. Due to newer policy, your device must remain on VZW initially before it can be use elsewhere. That T-Mobile SIM test alone demonstrated that. This should have set off red flags instead of taking a comission based sales rep's word.