iPhone X Sprint iPhone X Unlock Issues

[celo48]

Yes, I made a mistake by taking a risk but is there anyway to fix it?

So, I bought an iPhone X (A1865) from a seller who bought it from a Sprint store. Fully paid bought outright. The phone has never been activated with any carrier. It was actually purchased 10 days ago.

Do not ask me why he/she sold it since Sprint has 14 days return policy. I am not sure what people pull off from their sleeves. Though, I HIGHLY doubt the phone is stolen or anything like that.

Sprint will NOT unlock the phone to work with other carriers (unlike Verizon, their GSM part of the phone is locked) unless you have a service with them and keep your service for at least 50 days. This does not make sense because if you buy the phone from Apple Store, it is unlocked but if bought from a Sprint store it is locked. Same price, same phone.

Anyway, anybody can offer me a solution? Any logical suggestion is appreciated. Thanks!

P.S. Funny thing is, a local Sprint store sees this phone as NOT eligible and told me that this phone was NOT purchased from a Sprint store and cannot be used with Sprint??? This is another issue....

 

[Newtons Apple]

Have you tried putting another carriers SIM card in this phone to confirm it is locked?

 

[celo48]

Have you tried putting another carriers SIM card in this phone to confirm it is locked?

I put an international SIM card that is tied to an active account, it says this SIM is not supported.

 

[Shadowbech]

This does not make sense because if you buy the phone from Apple Store, it is unlocked but if bought from a Sprint store it is locked. Same price, same phone.

It's not just Sprint. If you buy AT&T Model at AT&T Store full price, I heard it's still locked and you you have to wait 60 days? then after that you can request an unlock. I heard same goes for T-mobile Model as well that it's locked if you buy directly from the carrier store.

Only exception to this is the Verizon model. Even if you buy them at Verizon store it's still unlocked.

But buying them directly from the Apple Store should be unlocked if purchased outright.

 

[celo48]

It's not just Sprint. If you buy AT&T Model at AT&T Store full price, I heard it's still locked and you you have to wait 60 days? then after that you can request an unlock. I heard same goes for T-mobile Model as well that it's locked if you buy directly from the carrier store.

Only exception to this is the Verizon model. Even if you buy them at Verizon store it's still unlocked.

But buying them directly from the Apple Store should be unlocked if purchased outright.

It is really not the way it should be. If they sell the phone at a discount, I'd totally understand. If you're going to pay full price, why would you buy it from a carrier, same price same phone. No logic whatsoever.

 

[xraydoc]

It is really not the way it should be. If they sell the phone at a discount, I'd totally understand. If you're going to pay full price, why would you buy it from a carrier, same price same phone. No logic whatsoever.

Don't expect logic from a carrier. They do things simply because they can.

 

[celo48]

Don't expect logic from a carrier. They do things simply because they can.

I really really want to be one of those people who go after this and change the way it is. At least they should be able to lock it to themselves IF they sell at a discounted price. Apple should not allow this also but I doubt they care.

 

[Createdbay]

So finally have u manage to unlock it. My bro just face the same situation as you.

 

[celo48]

No, it was never unlocked and trust me, I did everything! I finally took the phone back to the seller. It was the seller's fault anyway. He/she gave vague answers before the purchase sounding like it would work just so he/she could sell it.

 

[Newtons Apple]

No, it was never unlocked and trust me, I did everything! I finally took the phone back to the seller. It was the seller's fault anyway. He/she gave vague answers before the purchase sounding like it would work just so he/she could sell it.

You would have to know there is something funny going on if the seller selling below what he paid within the 14 day return period.

 

[celo48]

You would have to know there is something funny going on if the seller selling below what he paid within the 14 day return period.

Exactly. Lesson learned.

 

[eyoungren]

You would have to know there is something funny going on if the seller selling below what he paid within the 14 day return period.

There used to be a reason Sprint phones sold for a good deal less. For one brief period from Feb 2015 until about a year ago Sprint relented on their draconian unlock policy.

Now they have slowly been regressing back to their old habits within the last year and you are starting to see 'great' deals on Sprint phones again.

What I always find amazing is that so many people have been burned by this.

 

[celo48]

There used to be a reason Sprint phones sold for a good deal less. For one brief period from Feb 2015 until about a year ago Sprint relented on their draconian unlock policy.

Now they have slowly been regressing back to their old habits within the last year and you are starting to see 'great' deals on Sprint phones again.

What I always find amazing is that so many people have been burned by this.

Luckily I got all my money back but wasted about a week trying to have it unlocked. Probably called 20 different times, no go.

 

[eyoungren]

Luckily I got all my money back but wasted about a week trying to have it unlocked. Probably called 20 different times, no go.

Yeah, I hear you.

About a year ago Boost Mobile, which is a Sprint company that uses Sprint's network, had a deal for an iPhone SE. Loads of people were buying them and the third party unlock services were doing some good business because those people were getting the SE for that price and then unlocking and bringing it to their carrier. Very few people buying the phone actually activated it on Boost.

Then the price on the unlocking started going up until it was no longer offered. Boost had figured out what was going on.

Since that point, Sprint has cracked down internally on employees profiting from processing unlocks the third party services give them. It's also resulted in no more international unlocks. And Sprint has been very picky lately about the original owner of a device being the only one who can unlock.

 

[celo48]

Correct. I bought my 5s and 6s from Boost. Purchased unlocking for $25 from Ebay. Started to use with a different carrier. Then the unlocking service cost went up to $200-$300 which makes no sense to buy from Boost anymore. I think I paid $480 for my brand new 6s including everything at the time.