unlocking inactive prepaid phone

[erothoff]

I have a Prepaid Samsung Galaxy J3 Mission, and on the back the amount is $50 in payments received. I used it for 2-3 months at I believe $60 a month, so I am over the amount needed, but I have been told I can not get it unlocked because I no longer have active service. (I bought the phone for use while hunting, because my ATT wireless didn't have service there, and Verizon wireless does not have good service at my house. I didn't realize that I might be able to use the J3 on ATT (thinking GSM/CDMA incompatibility, not realizing that with LTE the technology is merging.) and would like to use the J3 with ATT until we go back up North for hunting. (We hunt for 3 months out of the year and during that time, I need to use Verizon.)

Is there any way to unlock the phone so I can use it this summer, or am I stuck until fall before I can get it unlocked?

[Ann154]

Device Unlocking Policies | About Verizon

[vzw_customer_support]

We are committed to assist you as much as possible, erothoff. We do not have access to prepaid accounts and we cannot assist you personally with prepaid service concerns. Only our prepaid customer service team will be able to access your account and only they have the resources to assist you further with any unlock options. You can call our prepaid customer service team at 888-294-6804 (or *611 from your Verizon Wireless phone) at your convenience for assistance.

You can also review the unlock policy for prepaid devices at this link (http://spr.ly/6189Biiib) under section “Prepaid Device Unlocking Policy”.

AntonioC_VZW
Follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport
If my response answered your question please click the "Correct Answer" button under my response. This ensures others can benefit from our conversation. Thanks in advance for your help with this!!

[erothoff]

Thanks for the link Ann154, but I have already been there. While the policy does say anything about having to be a CURRENT Verizon Prepaid customer, the only way to talk to someone at the number is to have a current account. I spent a day being passed around, and was told that it could only be unlocked if I was a CURRENT customer, and that I would have to sign back up for a month before I could get my phone unlocked. I don't think that is right or fair, so I am trying to find out if that policy is correct or not.

[erothoff]

They will only talk to you if you are an existing customer.... I have tried calling.

[vzw_customer_support]

erothoff, I know how important it is to have a working device. Help is here as I can clarify. Ann154, thank you for providing Device Unlock Policy. erothoff, the policy does state that any 4G prepaid device must be active for 12 months on the Verizon Wireless network before it can be used on a different network. Please review the policy in full for more information. http://spr.ly/6587Dn3vb

NatashaA_VZW
Follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport
If my response answered your question please click the �Correct Answer� button under my response. This ensures others can benefit from our conversation. Thanks in advance for your help with this!!

[erothoff]

NatashaA_VZW, I have read the the policy in full at the link you gave, (and that I got from the Verizon website.) What you state is not complete:

Our 4G Phone-in-a-Box phones may only be used with Verizon Prepaid service for 1 year from original activation date or until payments in the amount specified on the back of the Phone-in-a-Box package are added to the Prepaid account.

Please note the "OR" in the statement.  I HAVE made payments in the amount specified ($50) as I had service where I made 2 payments, the first for $75.15 (Which included $31.98 for the phone, and $43.17 for the first month.) and a second month of $43.17.  Therefore the phone should be eligible to be unlocked.

Sincerely,

Eric

[vzw_customer_support]

We appreciate the breakdown, Erothoff. From your calculations, it appears that you have paid $168.00 toward the Prepaid Account, which is the equivalent. So if this is the case and you have been unsuccessful in getting in touch with our Prepaid Team, we would need you to stop at one of our store locations for additional assistance: https://www.verizonwireless.com/stores/?intcmp=INT-SITESEARCH-REDIRECT-STORE 

TakendraW_VZW
Follow us on TWITTER @VZWSupport
If my response answered your question please click the _Correct Answer_ button under my response. This ensures others can benefit from our conversation. Thanks in advance for your help with this!!

[erothoff]

I went to a Verizon store and a Verizon Reseller, but neither could help.  They have nothing to unlock phones in the store because the post paid phones supposedly are unlocked.

[BAHawkeye]

I am having similar problem. I have iphone 4G LTE prepaid phone. If it is a "phone in a box", no requirement to pay a certain amount or maintain service for 12 months before unlocking was ever disclosed.  Both my husband and I called Verizon (when our phones were still active) to request SIM unlock. When my husband called they said it would be 24-48 hours. When I called they said they could see the request was already there for both phones, but that they are already unlocked. However in checking again, they still show up as locked. We went to the Verizon store and they insisted that no phone, pre-paid or other with 4G LTE is locked and they cannot help us. Today I ran another paid check and the IMEI comes back as locked. Now, our pre-paid term has expired and I cannot reach any human ay Verizon by phone. All it wants is a payment.