Our Community Forums will be closing on June 27, 2024. Please visit att.com/support for all your support needs.
Need help understanding your bill?
iamcasey's profile

Tutor

 • 

4 Messages

Friday, January 5th, 2018 3:49 PM

Bought VZW iPhone X w/ VZW carrier billing, put ATT sim card in before VZW, now locked to ATT

So just like the title states, I have an odd problem that nobody can seem to solve. I have called both carriers to no avail, completed the unlock form (nothing yet), and am at my wits end as far as knowing what to do next.

 

I bought this device under a carrier financing agreement through Verizon, but the sim wasn't provisioned yet. I slapped my ATT sim card in (no device payment plan/contract) to finish out the billing cycle and port my number out. I put my VZW sim back in to initiate that process only to get the Sim Card Not Supported error when trying to activate. 

 

What does a person need to do to resolve this? None of the CS reps know what to do short of submitting the unlock request form. 

Accepted Solution

Official Solution

ACE - Expert

 • 

64.7K Messages

7 years ago

It does not matter where you buy the X, it locks to the first carrier SIM card used unless it is a Verizon SIM card, in which case it stays unlocked. You should not have put the ATT SIM card in first. Your only recourse is to put in the unlock request but it should get approved. 

ACE - Expert

 • 

23.9K Messages

7 years ago


@iamcasey wrote:

So just like the title states, I have an odd problem that nobody can seem to solve. I have called both carriers to no avail, completed the unlock form (nothing yet), and am at my wits end as far as knowing what to do next.

 

I bought this device under a carrier financing agreement through Verizon, but the sim wasn't provisioned yet. I slapped my ATT sim card in (no device payment plan/contract) to finish out the billing cycle and port my number out. I put my VZW sim back in to initiate that process only to get the Sim Card Not Supported error when trying to activate. 

 

What does a person need to do to resolve this? None of the CS reps know what to do short of submitting the unlock request form. 


Submit a unlock request...  These carriers need to tell folks if a iphone is unactivated and you stick a carrier like ATT or Tmobiles sim in the phone it will lock the device to said carrier....  This is apples fault if you ask me since they are the ones controlling the activation server.

Tutor

 • 

4 Messages

7 years ago

Yeah, which is annoying because there is no reason for ATT/TMO/any carrier to lock a device if it isn't theirs. I did submit the unlock request, I am just afraid based on what I have read that they will decline for some dumb reason. I have all receipts and everything showing that it is mine, on my VZW account, with my VZW sim.  

ACE - Expert

 • 

64.7K Messages

7 years ago

You can blame Apple for that. Rather than producing different models for each carrier, they came up with this lock to first carrier thing. 

ACE - Expert

 • 

23.9K Messages

7 years ago


@sandblaster wrote:

You can blame Apple for that. Rather than producing different models for each carrier, they came up with this lock to first carrier thing. 


@sandblaster

 

They did produce 2 models of every iphone the last 2 years....  The GSM versions have a Intel radio and the CDMA us a Qualcom radio(all done to save apple about 22 bucks a phone in royalty fees per phone) .  I dont think apple should lock a CDMA iphone to a GSM carrier since ATT does not even sell that model number.

ACE - Expert

 • 

23.9K Messages

7 years ago


@iamcasey wrote:

Yeah, which is annoying because there is no reason for ATT/TMO/any carrier to lock a device if it isn't theirs. I did submit the unlock request, I am just afraid based on what I have read that they will decline for some dumb reason. I have all receipts and everything showing that it is mine, on my VZW account, with my VZW sim.  


@iamcasey

 

you were not pre paid before right?

Tutor

 • 

4 Messages

7 years ago

@GLIMMERMAN76 negative, standard BYOD plan from the start (not prepaid), never purchased a device through ATT, always had unlocked.

ACE - Expert

 • 

23.9K Messages

7 years ago


@iamcasey wrote:

@GLIMMERMAN76 negative, standard BYOD plan from the start (not prepaid), never purchased a device through ATT, always had unlocked.


@iamcasey

 

Then the unlock should go thru...  I say should something stupid could happen...  pm @ATTMobilityCare and let them know whats going on.  They maybe able to speed things up....  But they are behind so it could take up to a week for them to respond.

Tutor

 • 

4 Messages

7 years ago

Got it, thank you @sandblaster and @GLIMMERMAN76 for the help. I shall wait and see what happens! 

ACE - Expert

 • 

64.7K Messages

7 years ago


@GLIMMERMAN76 wrote:

@sandblaster wrote:

You can blame Apple for that. Rather than producing different models for each carrier, they came up with this lock to first carrier thing. 


@sandblaster

 

They did produce 2 models of every iphone the last 2 years....  The GSM versions have a Intel radio and the CDMA us a Qualcom radio(all done to save apple about 22 bucks a phone in royalty fees per phone) .  I dont think apple should lock a CDMA iphone to a GSM carrier since ATT does not even sell that model number.


@GLIMMERMAN76 I knew that was true of the 7, wasn’t sure about the 8 and X. 

Not finding what you're looking for?
New to AT&T Community?
New to the AT&T Community? Start by visiting the Community How-To.
New to the AT&T Community?
Visit the Community How-To.