Question about buying a used iPhone 5 (Verizon)

[CiccioAtSea]

Hello everybody,

I have the chance to buy a used iPhone 5 from a guy that got it under contract with Verizon.

I was wondering what would happen if he will just stop paying the monthly bill or just cut the contract without paying the 350 usd fee to keep the phone...

Do you think that verizon may lock the phone? Any chance that they brick it? I would use it with my Italian provider (supposedly compatible) but I do not want to pay a lot of money for a phone and then find that the original carrier simply bricked it just because the original owner did not pay the bill...

Any idea? Suggestions?? Would you buy the phone ??
Thank for your answers, I ask because in Italy we do not use contract so much, most of people goes prepaid so I really have not idea about how this kind of things works...

Thanks again

 

[gsugolfer]

Hello everybody,

I have the chance to buy a used iPhone 5 from a guy that got it under contract with Verizon.

I was wondering what would happen if he will just stop paying the monthly bill or just cut the contract without paying the 350 usd fee to keep the phone...

Do you think that verizon may lock the phone? Any chance that they brick it? I would use it with my Italian provider (supposedly compatible) but I do not want to pay a lot of money for a phone and then find that the original carrier simply bricked it just because the original owner did not pay the bill...

Any idea? Suggestions?? Would you buy the phone ??
Thank for your answers, I ask because in Italy we do not use contract so much, most of people goes prepaid so I really have not idea about how this kind of things works...

Thanks again

Whether he pays the bill or not will have nothing to do with you.

Verizon CAN blacklist the device, and will if he reports it stolen or lost.

 

[CiccioAtSea]

Ok, thank you,
But would verizon be able to black list the device also on other carriers? I would actually use it wit my Italian SIM card...

Thanks for your answer

 

[gsugolfer]

Ok, thank you,
But would verizon be able to black list the device also on other carriers? I would actually use it wit my Italian SIM card...

Thanks for your answer

Blacklisting it would prevent it from being used on any CDMA carrier.

 

[CiccioAtSea]

But gsm would still work... Is it correct??

 

[darster]

It's unlocked. You wouldn't be able to use it on Verizon, but that's about it. You would be able to use elsewhere.

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But gsm would still work... Is it correct??

yes