iPad Verizon won't activate iPad Air 2

[Pjrufus]

I picked up my iPad at Best Buy this morning. Since I was there, I asked the mobile guy if I could just buy a Verizon sim and pop it in. He couldn't figure out how to activate it for the iPad. Okay, went to Verizon. It took her a half hour to activate the sim, she tried 3 different ones, and the iPad didn't recognize it. She ended up going online (which I never had to do, didn't even know it was an option,) and following the same steps below.

I just went to Verizon website and selected swap device.

It first asked for device id. Then it asked for SIM. After restarting it works fine. It also shows the device fine on the website.

NOTE: I used an extra SIM card I got when I swapped my iphone 6+ 64 for 128. This is why I did the steps on the website. The SIM I used was never activated as an iPad.

One thing I didn't understand, is she said the Verizon nano sim from BB was the wrong sim. She wasn't too forthcoming about answering my questions, but either the sim I went in with, or the one she put in was something like an "MVC"?? card. I'm not sure if I heard the letters MVC correctly, and she wouldn't repeat or explain much, but I got the impression the Verizon sims are coded differently for plans and prepaid, so the wrong one wasn't recognized.

I was lucky the store was empty. I don't think she would have spent the time to help me if there were potential commission-earning customers. I'm not saying they are all like that, just the impression I got.

 

[hpman247]

This thread is infuriating. I have had similar issues with Verizon reps not knowing a damn thing.

Drives me crazy, and at all my local stores it's IMPOSSIBLE to get a SIM.

 

[mtneer]

I had an interesting time activating my iPad Air 2 with verizon today. It went something like this

Me: Hi, I'd like to activate this new iPad with verizon on a prepaid data plan.

Manager: Is it a verizon specific model?

Me: Its brand new, the iPads are now carrier agnostic, I just need a SIM.

Manager: Thats not possible.

Me: Of course it is, I just need a Verizon SIM.

Manager: That won't work with Verizon's CDMA network.

Me: Listen, I know what I'm talking about. I know about CDMA networks but as I'm sure you know LTE is completely SIM based. There are no more carrier specific iPads. Just give me a SIM.

Manager: We can't do it, we just lost a 50 line deal with a local company because we can't activate iPads from other carriers.

Me: There are no such thing as carrier specific devices with the new iPads. They come with an Apple SIM which will automatically work with the other carriers. This iPad has not been activated by any cellular provider. I just need a Verizon SIM.

Manager: Well, if you don't mind waiting and possibly wasting your time, I can add you to the queue.

Had one of the associates create a new account for me in the system, scan the sim, popped it in my iPad, reset my network settings via Settings -> General -> Reset -> Reset Network Settings. Worked like a charm. It is honestly pathetic how clueless these people can be. So excited about this iPad though.

These guys are plebs - high school kids scraping some cash together with some bozo online college degree guy as their manager. The store personnel aren't network engineers.

 

[chanesworth]

I had an interesting time activating my iPad Air 2 with verizon today. It went something like this

Me: Hi, I'd like to activate this new iPad with verizon on a prepaid data plan.

Manager: Is it a verizon specific model?

Me: Its brand new, the iPads are now carrier agnostic, I just need a SIM.

Manager: Thats not possible.

Me: Of course it is, I just need a Verizon SIM.

Manager: That won't work with Verizon's CDMA network.

Me: Listen, I know what I'm talking about. I know about CDMA networks but as I'm sure you know LTE is completely SIM based. There are no more carrier specific iPads. Just give me a SIM.

Manager: We can't do it, we just lost a 50 line deal with a local company because we can't activate iPads from other carriers.

Me: There are no such thing as carrier specific devices with the new iPads. They come with an Apple SIM which will automatically work with the other carriers. This iPad has not been activated by any cellular provider. I just need a Verizon SIM.

Manager: Well, if you don't mind waiting and possibly wasting your time, I can add you to the queue.

Had one of the associates create a new account for me in the system, scan the sim, popped it in my iPad, reset my network settings via Settings -> General -> Reset -> Reset Network Settings. Worked like a charm. It is honestly pathetic how clueless these people can be. So excited about this iPad though.

I had this SAME THING happen to me at my local Verizon Store. I told the manger that the IPAD AIR 2 is not carrier specific. He told me that they are and that I needed to take my Ipad back to Best Buy and get the Verizon version. Ughhh!!! I just left the store frustrated. He wouldn't even attempt to put a Verizon sim in. I will go to a different Verizon corporate store tomorrow.

 

[Drew888]

I had an interesting time activating my iPad Air 2 with verizon today. It went something like this

Me: Hi, I'd like to activate this new iPad with verizon on a prepaid data plan.

Manager: Is it a verizon specific model?

Me: Its brand new, the iPads are now carrier agnostic, I just need a SIM.

Manager: Thats not possible.

Me: Of course it is, I just need a Verizon SIM.

Manager: That won't work with Verizon's CDMA network.

Me: Listen, I know what I'm talking about. I know about CDMA networks but as I'm sure you know LTE is completely SIM based. There are no more carrier specific iPads. Just give me a SIM.

Manager: We can't do it, we just lost a 50 line deal with a local company because we can't activate iPads from other carriers.

Me: There are no such thing as carrier specific devices with the new iPads. They come with an Apple SIM which will automatically work with the other carriers. This iPad has not been activated by any cellular provider. I just need a Verizon SIM.

Manager: Well, if you don't mind waiting and possibly wasting your time, I can add you to the queue.

Had one of the associates create a new account for me in the system, scan the sim, popped it in my iPad, reset my network settings via Settings -> General -> Reset -> Reset Network Settings. Worked like a charm. It is honestly pathetic how clueless these people can be. So excited about this iPad though.

This doesn't surprise me at all.

 

[scaredpoet]

These guys are plebs - high school kids scraping some cash together with some bozo online college degree guy as their manager. The store personnel aren't network engineers.

There's one other element to this: Those people working at the Verizon store (or any carrier store) get the majority of their income from new device sales (preferably Verizon EDGE, or contract subsidy) and postpaid line activations. If you are not purchasing a device directly from them, or adding a new postpaid line, they have no incentive to go out of their way to help you, and often see you as wasting their time when they could be getting commission off someone else wanting to buy something from them, like an Verizon branded phone or tablet.

Getting a blank SIM for use in an iPad doesn't count towards their sales goals and commissions if you're just planning on using the casual iPad data packs. Nor does it benefit them to give you a SIM for an already-activated line.

For that reason, they have no reason or motivation to educate themselves about carrier agnostic iPads, and might even be willing to knowingly feed you some BS, if it gets you out of their hair.

Verizon structures their commissions that way on purpose: They don't really see casual iPad data users as worth their time, unless the device is bought via EDGE or on some contract. EDGE/contract customers are stable sources of revenue for a year or two, on regular monthly data plans. Educated, casual iPad data customers aren't.

 

[sboychuck]

My solution to getting data on my iPad Air 2 was a bit different.

I have four UDP lines from a long time ago on Verizon. At the Apple website I was still able to add a line to my existing account. Believe it or not, they offered me another UDP line and I took it with a 16GB iPhone 6 SG. Adding the line to my Nationwide 1400 Family Plan is $9.99 and the data is $29.99 for unlimited. I picked it up at the store and they activated the phone before I left. Out the door the subsidized price was about $244 and I had to agree to a two year agreement. I brought the phone home and turned on the phone. It was up and running. I pulled the SIM out of the phone and put it in my iPad Air 2 and I now have unlimited data on my iPad Air 2. Verizon was going to charge me $30 a month for 2GB of data, and that was not going to cut it with our family using it on cellular data. So, I have unlimited data for about $42 per month. I can sell the phone for about $600 on Swappa. The profit on the sale would pay for about 10 months of my contract. I may just keep it for a while in case a family member breaks their phone. I did not get AppleCare and I now have a back-up phone. If anyone still has a Nationwide Family Plan, think about doing this. It is only available if you buy the phone on the Apple website. Verizon cannot deny you from putting the SIM into the iPad, as the Fed's have told them the owner can use the SIM in whatever 4G device they want.

 

[RLesko]

These guys are plebs - high school kids scraping some cash together with some bozo online college degree guy as their manager. The store personnel aren't network engineers.

Oh, I know we aren't dealing with tech people here. But you don't need to be an engineer. Verizon just needs to send a corporate email "We can activate all new iPad Air 2's which haven't been previously activated on another carrier's network", and boom, done.

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I had this SAME THING happen to me at my local Verizon Store. I told the manger that the IPAD AIR 2 is not carrier specific. He told me that they are and that I needed to take my Ipad back to Best Buy and get the Verizon version. Ughhh!!! I just left the store frustrated. He wouldn't even attempt to put a Verizon sim in. I will go to a different Verizon corporate store tomorrow.

Unbelievable. You have to insist on getting a SIM! they should have tons on hand. Worst case, point them to this thread

 

[mtneer]

Oh, I know we aren't dealing with tech people here. But you don't need to be an engineer. Verizon just needs to send a corporate email "We can activate all new iPad Air 2's which haven't been previously activated on another carrier's network", and boom, done.

Well, when dealing with non technical people, the next question would be "How?" Verizon would then not only have to create a technical solution but also invest in training and upkeep for that know how. Think of all the office drones who are completely stumped whenever Microsoft moves a menu option or changes an icon? 30 seconds of using Google or even looking around for themselves may help - but millions of users are completely flummoxed and require companies to invest significantly in teaching and retraining.

 

[rigormortis]

once you bring an iPad and into the carriers store and ask them to activate it, all hell breaks lose. your supposed to just put a blank verizon sim in the iPad and use the iPad itself to activate the sim.

this is what happened with t-mobile's free data. you got free data if you activated the sim card with the actual iPad but if you took it to the store, they made you pay $10 a month to get your free data

but you intend to add the iPad to your existing plan and share your data with it. there in lies the trouble.

 

[RLesko]

Well, when dealing with non technical people, the next question would be "How?" Verizon would then not only have to create a technical solution but also invest in training and upkeep for that know how. Think of all the office drones who are completely stumped whenever Microsoft moves a menu option or changes an icon? 30 seconds of using Google or even looking around for themselves may help - but millions of users are completely flummoxed and require companies to invest significantly in teaching and retraining.

As a Verizon employee - you should know how to activate a prepaid data SIM. This is not model specific - you do it the same way for all tablets.

EDIT: From the network side, I'm referring to.

 

[littleredwagen]

I guess I took the easy way out, and got my ipad 2 air from VZW directly and it came fast. Helps when you got FIOS and had a 200 credit towards any tablet and 100 dollar discount on the spot. Added it to my share everything plan. Manager of the store even upgraded my data from 6gb to 10gb for the same price I pay

 

[bwsteg]

Got my iPad air 2 directly from Verizon today. Was very surprised to see that the sim eject tool was included...I was under the impression that these were no longer included with the iPad's...