6 Months to Unlock AT&T iPhone?

[blairh]

I don’t think you even understand it yet. In short, yes the seller may have paid the subsidized price for the phone. For example, full cost for SE is $350. AT&T may have it for $150 which the seller may have he paid that amount as in he paid it off. However, the reason why AT&T offer $150 is because they can recoop the cost of the device by having you stayed on their network by paying 6 months of service. Thus, this owner owes AT&T 6 months of service because he paid the subsidized price and not the full price. Thus, AT&T don’t care how much you paid the owner even if you paid him full cost $350 then the seller made $150 profit from AT&T.

Look man, I don't know how much the Swappa seller purchased the SE for. I bought the phone on Swappa in I believe April of 2017. Was the SE even available for $150 at a pre-paid price then? I have no idea. I think I paid something like $225 for the SE then.

Anyways, my original post was in late June. For some reason this thread was brought back from the dead on Wednesday after the last post was made in July. And for some reason people on here are acting like I'm lying or not understanding things.

If the issue was the method in which the seller bought the SE, so be it. I'd like to think AT&T could have told me that when I called originally and asked why the unlock did not go through initially. Would have saved me a forum post.

Also I think there is a great deal of confusion over at AT&T. While forum members like to boast that it's foolproof regarding their unlocking methods and whatnot, that has not been my experience with them and I've been a customer for 10 years with their wireless service. There have been instances when I purchased directly from AT&T, paid the phone off, and still had hangups with their online locking services requiring me to call them to hash things out.

So with that said, if you guys want to continue this convo, go ahead, but please stop quoting me. I'm talking about something completely irrelevant at this point in my life and I no longer care quite frankly.

 

[C DM]

It's unfortunate this thread that was basically done with close to a year ago got dug up by a spammer (which got removed a bit later) just to have others needlessly jump into it.

 

[rui no onna]

Look man, I don't know how much the Swappa seller purchased the SE for. I bought the phone on Swappa in I believe April of 2017. Was the SE even available for $150 at a pre-paid price then? I have no idea. I think I paid something like $225 for the SE then.

Yes, it was. Lots of people buy discounted from Best Buy then resell on Swappa or ebay at higher prices to those who don't follow deal sites. At that time, Verizon prepaid was $199 already unlocked. Verizon changed that policy and started locking their prepaid kits around July 2017.

If the issue was the method in which the seller bought the SE, so be it. I'd like to think AT&T could have told me that when I called originally and asked why the unlock did not go through initially. Would have saved me a forum post.

Also I think there is a great deal of confusion over at AT&T. While forum members like to boast that it's foolproof regarding their unlocking methods and whatnot, that has not been my experience with them and I've been a customer for 10 years with their wireless service. There have been instances when I purchased directly from AT&T, paid the phone off, and still had hangups with their online locking services requiring me to call them to hash things out.

They did tell you. It needs 6 months service in order to be unlock eligible. In any case, I doubt phone CSR from India or the Philippines were aware of the exact circumstances as to why exactly it needs 6 months at the time since that's around when they started getting deep discounted. You're likely the first to call them with that particular issue.

 

[aneftp]

Yes, it was. Lots of people buy discounted from Best Buy then resell on Swappa or ebay at higher prices to those who don't follow deal sites. At that time, Verizon prepaid was $199 already unlocked. Verizon changed that policy and started locking their prepaid kits around July 2017.


They did tell you. It needs 6 months service in order to be unlock eligible. In any case, I doubt phone CSR from India or the Philippines were aware of the exact circumstances as to why exactly it needs 6 months at the time since that's around when they started getting deep discounted. You're likely the first to call them with that particular issue.

Yes!

Those guys on slickdeals know all the deals for electronics.

The OP just needs to type in the search term “iPhone SE $150 att prepaid slickdeals” and will see the links to $150 att prepaid iPhone se.

Once they get to the searches. They need to read all the post about people trying to get the att prepaid iPhone SE $150 unlocked. And the posters have to remind people att requires 6 months of service.

AND yes. Even Verizon changed their their prepaid iPhone se ($199 full price prepaid at Best Buy) policy and locked their iPhone. We on macrumors know previously all Verizon iPhones were sold unlocked regardless if was subsidized or not.

So sorry to the OP. They were likely sold a prepaid iPhone SE on swappa. And the swappa guy made a profit off them plus sold them a locked iPhone

 

[blairh]

Yes, it was. Lots of people buy discounted from Best Buy then resell on Swappa or ebay at higher prices to those who don't follow deal sites. At that time, Verizon prepaid was $199 already unlocked. Verizon changed that policy and started locking their prepaid kits around July 2017.


They did tell you. It needs 6 months service in order to be unlock eligible. In any case, I doubt phone CSR from India or the Philippines were aware of the exact circumstances as to why exactly it needs 6 months at the time since that's around when they started getting deep discounted. You're likely the first to call them with that particular issue.

I literally just wrote in my last message please stop quoting me.

The CSR rep was American.

Yes they told me but never explained the SE was pre-paid device I purchase. If that was the case. They just said you need 6 months service with the phone. You’d think once I provide the IMEI they can see the purchase history and clearly explain the issue.

 

[Newtons Apple]

No doubt ATT will try to get by with as much as they can.

 

[aneftp]

No doubt ATT will try to get by with as much as they can.

Get away with what? While it’s true the OP didn’t understand what was going on.

It’s always a word of caution when buying locked devices on 3rd party sites like eBay Craigslist swappa.

People just don’t understand that prepaid iPhone SE were being sold “full price” $200 cheaper than the $350 msrp price at Apple retail stores. Because the prepaid iPhone low price is is being locked and the reason it’s $200 cheaper is cause att wants u to have 6 months service with them in order to get it unlocked. They want to recoup the money via monthly fees.

Verizon locked prepaid iPhone se also