I was actually considering contacting their chief communications officer to see if their executive team can resolve this once and for all. I'll give tech support one more shot on Monday using your advice.
If you file a complaint with the FCC, someone from executive relations will get back to you. It is the quickest way to get someone from executive relations to get back to you. You can try it your way first if you want, but if you don't get a quick ,cooperative response, I would complain to the FCC.
If you file a complaint with the FCC, you should cite to the open access provisions of 47 CFR 27.16. By treating an iPhone 7 sold for/by Sprint (which is identical hardware/firmware wise to an iPhone 7 sold for/by Verizon) differently than one sold for/by Verizon, they are in violation of the Block C open access provisions of their licenses.
I don't have time to explain the extensive litigation that has gone on b/t Verizon, the FCC and various entities including customers on this topic, but suffice it to say that the FCC has interpreted the open access provisions broadly. For sure they are applicable to the situation where there is no difference at all hardware or firmware wise b/t the Sprint sold iP7 and the Verizon sold iP7. The only difference is the SIM card that was originally sold with the device.
§ 27.16 Network access requirements for Block C in the 746-757 and 776-787 MHz bands.
(a) Applicability. This section shall apply only to the authorizations for Block C in the 746-757 and 776-787 MHz bands assigned and only if the results of the first auction in which licenses for such authorizations are offered satisfied the applicable reserve price.
(b) Use of devices and applications.
Licensees offering service on spectrum subject to this section shall not deny, limit, or restrict the ability of their customers to use the devices and applications of their choice on the licensee's C Block network, except:
(1) Insofar as such use would not be compliant with published technical standards reasonably necessary for the management or protection of the licensee's network, or
(2) As required to comply with statute or applicable government regulation.
(c) Technical standards. For purposes of
paragraph (b)(1) of this section:
(1) Standards shall include technical requirements reasonably necessary for third parties to access a licensee's network via devices or applications without causing objectionable interference to other spectrum users or jeopardizing network security. The potential for excessive bandwidth demand alone shall not constitute grounds for denying, limiting or restricting access to the network.
(2) To the extent a licensee relies on standards established by an independent standards-setting body which is open to participation by representatives of service providers, equipment manufacturers, application developers, consumer organizations, and other interested parties, the standards will carry a presumption of reasonableness.
(3) A licensee shall publish its technical standards, which shall be non-proprietary, no later than the time at which it makes such standards available to any preferred vendors, so that the standards are readily available to customers, equipment manufacturers, application developers, and other parties interested in using or developing products for use on a licensee's networks.
(d) Access requests.
(1) Licensees shall establish and publish clear and reasonable procedures for parties to seek approval to use devices or applications on the licensees' networks.
A licensee must also provide to potential customers notice of the customers' rights to request the attachment of a device or application to the licensee's network, and notice of the licensee's process for customers to make such requests, including the relevant network criteria.
(2) If a licensee determines that a request for access would violate its technical standards or regulatory requirements, the licensee shall expeditiously provide a written response to the requester specifying the basis for denying access and providing an opportunity for the requester to modify its request to satisfy the licensee's concerns.
(e) Handset locking prohibited. No licensee may disable features on handsets it provides to customers, to the extent such features are compliant with the licensee's standards pursuant to paragraph (b)of this section, nor configure handsets it provides to prohibit use of such handsets on other providers' networks.
(f) Burden of proof. Once a complainant sets forth a prima facie case that the C Block licensee has refused to attach a device or application in violation of the requirements adopted in this section, the licensee shall have the burden of proof to demonstrate that it has adopted reasonable network standards and reasonably applied those standards in the complainant's case. Where the licensee bases its network restrictions on industry-wide consensus standards, such restrictions would be presumed reasonable.
https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2011-title47-vol2/pdf/CFR-2011-title47-vol2-sec27-16.pdf
