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lbhskier37

macrumors regular
Original poster
Mar 11, 2011
105
12
Best Buy has the iPhone X unlocked for $649 “with qualifying activation”. I have straight talk and was wondering if I could buy the phone for the $650 then cancel sprint right away and just use it with my straight talk sim? If you buy it without activation it’s $750, so I would be saving $70 (after paying the $30 sprint activation). Would this work?
 

DevinNj

macrumors 68000
Apr 27, 2016
1,761
1,780
New Jersey
Best Buy has the iPhone X unlocked for $649 “with qualifying activation”. I have straight talk and was wondering if I could buy the phone for the $650 then cancel sprint right away and just use it with my straight talk sim? If you buy it without activation it’s $750, so I would be saving $70 (after paying the $30 sprint activation). Would this work?

Read the fine print. Most of the time there's some caveat to the deal, like you're responsible for full retail if you cancel service before the specified time frame. At least that's how Verizon works with their "deals". If not everyone would be doing what you want to do.
 

tim.engen

macrumors member
Feb 27, 2017
44
17
Best Buy has the iPhone X unlocked for $649 “with qualifying activation”. I have straight talk and was wondering if I could buy the phone for the $650 then cancel sprint right away and just use it with my straight talk sim? If you buy it without activation it’s $750, so I would be saving $70 (after paying the $30 sprint activation). Would this work?
You have to pay for Sprint service before your can activate
 

eyoungren

macrumors Penryn
Aug 31, 2011
29,626
28,399
Best Buy has the iPhone X unlocked for $649 “with qualifying activation”. I have straight talk and was wondering if I could buy the phone for the $650 then cancel sprint right away and just use it with my straight talk sim? If you buy it without activation it’s $750, so I would be saving $70 (after paying the $30 sprint activation). Would this work?
A number of issues here.

1. Best Buy is subject to the Apple Retail Flex Policy. What that means to you is that it doesn't matter if you buy unlocked because the device will lock to the carrier of the first SIM you insert. So…if you insert a Sprint SIM and activate, guess which carrier your 'unlocked' iPhone gets locked to?

2. Sprint requires a minimum of 50 days active service and the device to be paid off before they will unlock.

3. It's tough finding someone at Sprint who even knows what you are talking about (unlock), much less anyone capable of actually sending Apple the unlock request.

4. Assuming you finally find someone after a multitude of phone calls, frustration and outright rage, you'll have to wait 48-72 hours before the unlock goes through. Unless of course it doesn't, because Sprint's been known to tell you it's unlocked three or four times before they actually get it unlocked.

5. Refund. Ha. Sprint does not prorate. They charge you the entire month. Whether you do one day or 30 days, you will be charged the entire month. Oh, and they don't refund for service, only devices.

6. So what about third party retail unlocks? Right. Forget it. If you actually find someone that can do it (Sprint relentlessly seeks out employees who submit unauthorized unlocks for profit) then it's going to cost you way more than you believe it's worth.

All of this because you first inserted a Sprint SIM and Apple's stupid policy caused the device to lock to Sprint.

I highly, highly suggest that if you go after this phone, the first SIM you insert be an active Verizon SIM.
 

lbhskier37

macrumors regular
Original poster
Mar 11, 2011
105
12
Thanks that more/less answered it. The phone is listed unlocked on Best Buy’s site and it would be paid for in full, it’s not a subsidized or financed through the carrier phone. Best Buy has the X unlocked on sale for $750 with “activation later” and $650 with “activation today”. Since I would be paying for the phone I assumed it should stay unlocked, but if Sprint doesn’t prorate their service, the $30 activation plus the $50 monthly service eats enough of the $100 savings to make it not worth it. I guess this just reinforces why I switched to straight talk years ago....the carriers have not gotten better, seems like worse.

Guess I will probably just pick up an Apple refurb.

A number of issues here.

1. Best Buy is subject to the Apple Retail Flex Policy. What that means to you is that it doesn't matter if you buy unlocked because the device will lock to the carrier of the first SIM you insert. So…if you insert a Sprint SIM and activate, guess which carrier your 'unlocked' iPhone gets locked to?

2. Sprint requires a minimum of 50 days active service and the device to be paid off before they will unlock.

3. It's tough finding someone at Sprint who even knows what you are talking about (unlock), much less anyone capable of actually sending Apple the unlock request.

4. Assuming you finally find someone after a multitude of phone calls, frustration and outright rage, you'll have to wait 48-72 hours before the unlock goes through. Unless of course it doesn't, because Sprint's been known to tell you it's unlocked three or four times before they actually get it unlocked.

5. Refund. Ha. Sprint does not prorate. They charge you the entire month. Whether you do one day or 30 days, you will be charged the entire month. Oh, and they don't refund for service, only devices.

6. So what about third party retail unlocks? Right. Forget it. If you actually find someone that can do it (Sprint relentlessly seeks out employees who submit unauthorized unlocks for profit) then it's going to cost you way more than you believe it's worth.

All of this because you first inserted a Sprint SIM and Apple's stupid policy caused the device to lock to Sprint.

I highly, highly suggest that if you go after this phone, the first SIM you insert be an active Verizon SIM.
 
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Newtons Apple

Suspended
Mar 12, 2014
22,757
15,254
Jacksonville, Florida
Thanks that more/less answered it. The phone is listed unlocked on Best Buy’s site and it would be paid for in full, it’s not a subsidized or financed through the carrier phone. Best Buy has the X unlocked on sale for $750 with “activation later” and $650 with “activation today”. Since I would be paying for the phone I assumed it should stay unlocked, but if Sprint doesn’t prorate their service, the $30 activation plus the $50 monthly service eats enough of the $100 savings to make it not worth it. I guess this just reinforces why I switched to straight talk years ago....the carriers have not gotten better, seems like worse.

Guess I will probably just pick up an Apple refurb.

The carriers are in it to sell their service. They use the phone for enticement. They have rooms filled with lawyers to make sure their contracts are ALWAYS in their favor. No way to get around them.
 

eyoungren

macrumors Penryn
Aug 31, 2011
29,626
28,399
The carriers are in it to sell their service. They use the phone for enticement. They have rooms filled with lawyers to make sure their contracts are ALWAYS in their favor. No way to get around them.
In my time using cell service, I've heard of at least two people who have beaten Sprint in court. The boilerplate contract legalese is ******** and doesn't hold up in court.

The problem is that those lawyers you mention are paid to enforce it and they are paid to go the longhaul towards doing it. Most people don't even try because the expense is astronomical. Both of the people that beat Sprint in court were rich, had well paid lawyers of their own and were willing to go the distance 'for the principal'.

But that's two people out of how many millions of wireless customers? No, the carriers have no incentive to change their legal terms because a minuscule amount of people challenge them and even less win.
 

now i see it

macrumors G4
Jan 2, 2002
11,246
24,263
Last thing anyone wants to do is get involved with SPRINT billing issues. Unless they love confrontation, paying excessive fees and basically living a miserable life.
 

tim.engen

macrumors member
Feb 27, 2017
44
17
Last thing anyone wants to do is get involved with SPRINT billing issues. Unless they love confrontation, paying excessive fees and basically living a miserable life.
I've never had issues with billing on Sprint. I signed up with the 25 dollar Kickstarter after tax and fees it was 29 dollars and stayed there every month
 

Newtons Apple

Suspended
Mar 12, 2014
22,757
15,254
Jacksonville, Florida
In my time using cell service, I've heard of at least two people who have beaten Sprint in court. The boilerplate contract legalese is ******** and doesn't hold up in court.

The problem is that those lawyers you mention are paid to enforce it and they are paid to go the longhaul towards doing it. Most people don't even try because the expense is astronomical. Both of the people that beat Sprint in court were rich, had well paid lawyers of their own and were willing to go the distance 'for the principal'.

But that's two people out of how many millions of wireless customers? No, the carriers have no incentive to change their legal terms because a minuscule amount of people challenge them and even less win.

The cost, like you say, is the great decider and most will not fight due to the cost. I and my company keep a lawyer on retainer and he would laugh at my wish to beat a company like Sprint, while he took my money.
 
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kevink2

macrumors 68000
Nov 2, 2008
1,856
303
Best Buy has the iPhone X unlocked for $649 “with qualifying activation”. I have straight talk and was wondering if I could buy the phone for the $650 then cancel sprint right away and just use it with my straight talk sim? If you buy it without activation it’s $750, so I would be saving $70 (after paying the $30 sprint activation). Would this work?

I just went and looked. The phone can be bought "unlocked", with the details saying it won't lock to the carrier of the SIM on activation.

How happy are you with Straight Talk? If happy (and show more commitment than I've shown the last few years), ST has the iPhone X for $699. You just have to use it for 12 months on ST to unlock it. But if you may switch, or want to use phone internationally, not worth the savings.
 
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