Forum Discussion

happypoppyseed's avatar
happypoppyseed
Network Novice
Hace 2 años

Unable to unlock Iphone 13 purchased from BB, contacted TMobile 4 Times!

Hola,

I'm running out of options to unlock my iPhone that I paid in full through Best Buy. I have contacted Tmobile 4 times and its still locked. They said it's fully unlocked but its still showing Sim locked. I don't know what else to do because every time its the same process that they will submit the request and wait for approval and then nothing happens. 

  • did you meet all the requirements needed in order for them to request the unlock from Apple?

     

     

     
    Apple iPhone
     
    • If you have a locked iPhone that's eligibleContáctanos so we can submit the unlock.
    • Cuando aparezca como desbloqueado en tu cuenta T-Mobile, inserta tu nueva tarjeta SIM o activa la eSIM.

     

     

    Requisitos de elegibilidad para un desbloqueo

    Desbloqueamos sin cargo los dispositivos móviles que cumplen con los siguientes criterios de elegibilidad.

    La elegibilidad del dispositivo se determina de la siguiente manera:

    • El dispositivo debe ser vendido por T-Mobile.
    • El dispositivo no puede estar denunciado como perdido, robado o bloqueado.
    • La cuenta asociada con el dispositivo debe estar al día.
    • The device must also satisfy all the Postpaid or Prepaid unlocking requirements outlined below.

    Elegibilidad para desbloqueo para dispositivos móviles con planes pospagados

    • El dispositivo debe haber estado activo en la red T-Mobile por al menos 40 días en la línea que solicita el desbloqueo.
    • Si el dispositivo se financió o arrendó a través de T-Mobile, deben haberse hecho todos los pagos y el dispositivo tiene que estar totalmente saldado.
    • Si el dispositivo está asociado con una cuenta cancelada, el saldo de la cuenta debe ser cero.
    • T-Mobile puede solicitar el comprobante de compra o información adicional a su criterio y es posible que se apliquen otras excepciones.

    Elegibilidad para desbloqueo para dispositivos móviles con planes prepagados

    • Deben haber pasado al menos 365 días desde la activación del dispositivo en la red T-Mobile.
    • Si el dispositivo se activó hace menos de 365 días, entonces la cuenta prepagada asociada al dispositivo debe haber tenido más de $100 en recargas durante ese período por cada línea activa en la cuenta.  Además, deben haber pasado más de 14 días desde que se compró el dispositivo.
    • No se deben haber completado más de 2 desbloqueos de dispositivos por línea de servicio en los últimos 12 meses.
    • T-Mobile puede solicitar el comprobante de compra o información adicional a su criterio y es posible que se apliquen otras excepciones.
  • Art C. wrote:
    fireguy_6364 wrote:
    Art C. wrote:

    I agree.  You should get an android phone.

    you are the one that told him to consider an Android phone.

    Yes, I did tell him to consider an Android phone.  T-Mobile is pretty awesome but the people on these forums seem to be a bit thick.

    oh im in full agreement with this one...

  • moonbot's avatar
    moonbot
    Network Novice

    Tl:Dr: Give t-mobile  2 business days, check on the status of it and if there is no update file an FCC complaint here:https://consumercomplaints.fcc.gov/hc/en-us/articles/360001201223

    meanwhile,  be kind to the customer service reps. They are not t-mobile or samsung or google etc and they don't control company policy. The situation we're all in isn't their fault. They know we're frustrated because they hear about it all day every day. I was in remote customer service for years and I would bend over backwards for nice reasonable people and make sure to follow up on their issues as soon as I could. Not so much for frustrated angry people.

    The long version:

    CTIA policy is that T-Mobile has 2 días hábiles to either unlock the device, request that the OEM unlock the device, explain why the device is ineligible to unlock or explain why the OEM needs more time to process the unlock request.

    This is under section 12 here: https://www.t-mobile.com/responsibility/consumer-info/policies/consumer-code 

    and on the FCC FAQ here: https://www.fcc.gov/general/cell-phone-unlocking

    I have had issues with carriers in the past and when you keep getting the issue kicked down the road "we'll tell you in X business days"  contacting the FCC is by far the fastest way to get a resolution. Sometimes you get in a situation where a rep can't do anything directly, and don't have a break in call volume a week later to follow up on the response from the OEM. Going through the FCC just ensures that it gets in front of someone that can make sure t-mobile and the OEM coordinate and do what needs to be done.

     

    I'm going through this now. Apple replaced my phone so in my account under unlock status it just says "unknown" and I've been paying the phone off for 30 months while living in an area with no t-mobile service.

    I contacted T-mobile about it and they said it would 5-7 business days for them to get a response from Apple regarding the unlock. There's clearly a disconnect between what T-mobile agreed to with CTIA and what it's actually able to do. They said on the chat they were making the request at that moment and didn't say it was ineligible so 2 days seems pretty reasonable for the remaining possibilities: either Apple unlocks it or Apple says it needs more time. I'll check with T-Mobile in 2 business days and if neither of those responses are on the ticket I know it's an issue that I need the  FCC to help with.

     

  • tidbits's avatar
    tidbits
    Spectrum Specialist
    moonbot wrote:

    Tl:Dr: Give t-mobile  2 business days, check on the status of it and if there is no update file an FCC complaint here:https://consumercomplaints.fcc.gov/hc/en-us/articles/360001201223

    meanwhile,  be kind to the customer service reps. They are not t-mobile or samsung or google etc and they don't control company policy. The situation we're all in isn't their fault. They know we're frustrated because they hear about it all day every day. I was in remote customer service for years and I would bend over backwards for nice reasonable people and make sure to follow up on their issues as soon as I could. Not so much for frustrated angry people.

    The long version:

    CTIA policy is that T-Mobile has 2 días hábiles to either unlock the device, request that the OEM unlock the device, explain why the device is ineligible to unlock or explain why the OEM needs more time to process the unlock request.

    This is under section 12 here: https://www.t-mobile.com/responsibility/consumer-info/policies/consumer-code 

    and on the FCC FAQ here: https://www.fcc.gov/general/cell-phone-unlocking

    I have had issues with carriers in the past and when you keep getting the issue kicked down the road "we'll tell you in X business days"  contacting the FCC is by far the fastest way to get a resolution. Sometimes you get in a situation where a rep can't do anything directly, and don't have a break in call volume a week later to follow up on the response from the OEM. Going through the FCC just ensures that it gets in front of someone that can make sure t-mobile and the OEM coordinate and do what needs to be done.

     

    I'm going through this now. Apple replaced my phone so in my account under unlock status it just says "unknown" and I've been paying the phone off for 30 months while living in an area with no t-mobile service.

    I contacted T-mobile about it and they said it would 5-7 business days for them to get a response from Apple regarding the unlock. There's clearly a disconnect between what T-mobile agreed to with CTIA and what it's actually able to do. They said on the chat they were making the request at that moment and didn't say it was ineligible so 2 days seems pretty reasonable for the remaining possibilities: either Apple unlocks it or Apple says it needs more time. I'll check with T-Mobile in 2 business days and if neither of those responses are on the ticket I know it's an issue that I need the  FCC to help with.

     

    Good Luck…  FCC will not blame T-Mobile for the problem.  This has been beaten with a dead horse since Apple made the Reseller Flex Policy or Replacement devices policies.  It's up to Apple to send the IMEI they sell using 3rd party sellers or device replacements.  Carriers due to security and legal reasons will not put an IMEI in their system for unlock unless it comes from official channels.  Since you bought it from BestBuy T-Mobile doesn't have the IMEI in their system.  You need to have your receipt contact T-Mobile Help on twitter or Facebook and they can through to the proper channels to validate the device isn't stolen and in fact locked to T-Mobile via Reseller Flex and they'll input the IMEI into the system then request unlock to where Apple will unlock the device.

  • nyc_1's avatar
    nyc_1
    Transmission Trainee

    Tor the records, apple says unlocking the phone falls squarely on T-mobile. Apple doesn't unlock phones. This is from my conversations with t-mobile and applecare conf calls.

  • gramps28's avatar
    gramps28
    Router Royalty
    nyc_1 wrote:

    Tor the records, apple says unlocking the phone falls squarely on T-mobile. Apple doesn't unlock phones. This is from my conversations with t-mobile and applecare conf calls.

    Tmobile still has to pull the unlock from Apple. Apple controls everything on their platform.

  • T-mobile reluctant to unlock my phones, I submitted several requests and talked to several employees including two supervisors 

  • Maga's avatar
    Maga
    Newbie Caller

    This is ridiculous. I have been trying to unlock my iPhone for the 5th time. I've made several calls to T-Mobile to resolve this issue. My last call I have requested a ticket number for my request of getting my device unlocked. I had purchased my iPhone originally through Apple. 
    I am literally ready to dump T-Mobile. 

  • Maga wrote:

    This is ridiculous. I have been trying to unlock my iPhone for the 5th time. I've made several calls to T-Mobile to resolve this issue. My last call I have requested a ticket number for my request of getting my device unlocked. I had purchased my iPhone originally through Apple. 
    I am literally ready to dump T-Mobile. 

    so what is it that theyre saying is holding it up? its met all the criteria needed in order to unlock it? purchased elsewhere means zip..you still must meet the criteria. pre paid or post paid?

  • Maga's avatar
    Maga
    Newbie Caller

     @fireguy_6364 

     Criteria is met on my end; Phone (iPhone 13 Pro Max) fully paid, etc. T-Mobile  has me going in circles. Ive reset my phone, pulled the SIM card out(did not work). I've talked to supervisor at T-mobile and they expressed that they will solve the problem and expect a call back from them within 24-48hrs. Didn't get a phone call back as promised. Also, they alway say that they'll escalate the request. Today 26SEP23, I have reached T-Mobile through Messenger. Here is what they said… 

    "You're welcome! Thank you again for your time and patience! It is genuinely appreciated! I've sent that email to escalate the request to unlock your device IMEI. I will follow up with you on 10/1/23! Thank you for being the best part of T-Mobile! Talk to you then! ^Lucia Andrade."

     

     

  • was it purchased from TMO? if not then the phones correct info is not in their system. contact them again preferably through Facebook or Twiter and have them double check to make sure all the phones info is correct..if it is not have them correct it to the right info..this is also something that binds up unlocking them.