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Until today’s waiver order, Verizon faced strict unlocking requirements that didn’t apply to other carriers. But that was by choice, as Verizon gained significant benefits in exchange for agreeing to unlocking requirements in 2008 when it purchased licenses to use 700 MHz spectrum, and again in 2021 when it agreed to merger conditions to obtain approval for its purchase of TracFone.
Businesses getting handouts. Consumers get shafted.
Oh, good timing. I am trying to switch phone service and bring my unlocked phone to a new carrier, thanks for the heads up! I'll be sure to add Verizon to my shit list.
This doesn't affect unlocked devices, just devices purchased through vzw.
Never buy devices through the carrier. And never get postpaid service unless there is a very specific reason (I used to have AT&Ts highest business plan, to get the top tier data priority; it also cost me $100 a month). Buy the device through the manufacturer, then shop around for prepaid options.
Yep, that's what I did too. A few years ago I bought my phone straight from the manufacturers website already unlocked. Tmobile is ripping me off big time now, so I'm looking into prepaid options right now. I'm kinda unsure how the process will go, do you happen to know if I could keep my old T-mobile number when switching to these prepaid options? Because that's is the only thing that makes me feel stuck with Tmobile. It is an absolute pain in the ass switching over all your online accounts that are tied to your old phone number. They treat that like it's your social security number lol
Yes, it is a process known as 'porting'. You will need your account number (usually your phone number, but verify that), your port(ing) pin which could be preset by you or a random time-sensitive number set by the (old) carrier, and to make sure the account is unlocked for porting. You then give these details (and your name, address, etc that they verify with the old carrier) and then begin the process. As fast as 60 seconds, as long as a couple of hours. You'll lose service on the old sim when the new one takes control of the number.
It sounds complex but it's not - I've done it several times with the big 3, their wholly-owned MVNOs, and third parties too. My main concern is a carrier fighting me, trying to retain me as a customer, by withholding my port pin. It's never happened but I'm always anxious.
If you need more info just let me know =)
E: do NOT CANCEL SERVICE - that is done automatically at the completion of the porting process
I always buy an unlocked refurbished device from a retailer like target or Walmart.
You can usually pick out a newer phone for a good price
gonna call those turds tomorrow to make sure the one phone we got from one of their retailers is unlocked. and then bitch (again) about us purposefully paying full retail for it to avoid payments and a contract, and having the agent forge (!) a contract for it anyway after-the-fact (for a dollar) so they could get the commission.
I don't get it. If the contract is only for a dollar, wouldn't the sales person not make any commission? Wouldn't you have a receipt for the full retail purchase? Seems like this wouldn't take anything to get corrected. Even if it couldn't be corrected, anyone internally should be able to look up this $1 Contract order and the full retail order in the account notes. Why wouldn't you go back to the store that did this and address it with them?
And if it's a device payment agreement for $1 split over 2 or 3 years, and you have no one helping you, you could still just pay the dollar and be out of contract immediately. If it's an actual 2 or 3 year contract with an ETF, how'd you even get one of those anymore? Everywhere I shop they only offer full retail or installment plans.
Yay freedom!
My latest phone I bought refurbished and unlocked, and I switched to an MVNO called Tello. Couldn't be happier.
Honestly...buying phones through the carrier is one way to stay poor (or at least get stuck in an overly-expensive cycle). So more accurately, it's a case where "having more money available makes it cheaper".
Almost always, carrier subsidized phones do so with statement credit that keeps you tied to that carrier/plan for 2 years or more.
You could pay off early, or you could switch carriers...but then you're missing out on that subsidy.
Alternatively, if you buy through OEMs, especially for flagships, they often have trade-in deals for previous phones, and often times they are quite good.
Sometimes you can even find a model phone that's allowed to trade...that fetches he's a trade-in credit 2-5x more than what the phone goes for on swappa. Do with that knowledge what you will...
And not to mention, like you said, lots of deals to be had out there on last-years models and manufacturer-refurbished phones. Buying used phones can be dangerous unless you know for sure it's unlocked and not stolen.
I'd be weary buying a used phone on eBay or at a flea market or even FB Marketplace...but I think swappa protects for that exact circumstance.
And if you aren't looking for a plan with phone subsidies, you can find much less expensive service.
But for it to work, you usually have to buy the phone outright.
Would I be able to keep my old phone number if I switch to them?
Yep - all service providers support porting. The process for tello is very straightforward and self-service. And if tello doesn't work for you, porting out to somewhere else is also stupid simple and fully self-service on tello.
Tello is solid, assuming you don't need support beyond 'how do I make phone calls' tier 1 support, and that you don't regularly get connected to an oversubscribed tower.
I've had tello as my second line for years and it's fine, $6. But I tried to move my folks to it, and the tower we connect to at home is so badly saturated, data literally stops working during the day. Tello uses tmo, and tmo gives MVNOs qci8 (lower is better, 6 is 'priority' data for tmo). It's the only downside to tello (but any tmo mvno will have the same issue).
E: excluding a couple metro by tmo plans, and one specific fi plan
Revolution of all consumers needs to start now.
We only have upon request unlocking in Canada too.
That’s not true at all. Phones have to be sold unlocked and have been since 2017. Any devices sold before then can be unlocked for free upon request, but that is almost 9 years ago which essentially means that all phones in active use in Canada are unlocked.
Here’s a more recent ruling by the CRTC blasting Bell for violating the rule as they were locking and then auto-unlocking after 60 days, which was also found to be a violation: