SIM Not Valid

Question

Level 1

8 points

SIM Not Valid

What is happening with a SIM Not Valid error???

I live in Europe. I went to the US and got a T-Mobile 21-Day PrePaid Tourist Plan. I did this a year ago and it worked fine. This time the activation was difficult. I had to call them several times and they did all sorts of stuff to get it to finally work. I returned home today and I put my local SIM card back in the phone. It said it has to be activated and once it started the process it said:

I tried multiple times and got the same results. I went to an office of my mobile provider and they checked my SIM card. They said all was fine, which makes sense since it works in other phones. They tried other SIM cards in my phone and got the same results.

I downloaded and installed the latest version of iOS.

Same result.

I called T-Mobile in the US. I spoke to three different people, all of whom had different stories. One said that they locked my phone and would put in an unlock request, which could take up to 14 days. He said any time a T-Mobile SIM is activated in a phone the phone is automatically locked. This was not true in the past and doesn't seem true now for a pre-paid tourist plan. But as I mentioned, the activation process was not smooth so maybe it somehow happened.

Another person at T-Mobile said they had no idea, but they saw nothing in their system indicating that they locked my phone.

Yet another person at T-Mobile said to do a factory reset. I did this.

Same result.

I tried multiple times to have Apple Support call me back to discuss this, but they never do. They say they will call within 2 minutes, but I get no calls. Instead I get an email that they tried to call and couldn't reach me. I've tried with a US number (my US number is through Skype) and with a number from my country. Neither ever ring. I just get a email that they tried to call, but couldn't reach me.

My phone is useless. I can't activate any SIM cards for reasons no one has been able to explain. I've tried all the fixes that were suggested (other than connecting through iTunes). But nothing has worked.

WHAT CAN I DO?!?!

Thanks!

iPhone XS

Posted on Jul 24, 2019 3:35 PM

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Answer 1

5014736 Author

Level 1

8 points

Jul 25, 2019 5:24 PM in response to ChrisJ4203

Yes, I'm speaking to T-Mobile in the US.

I am also sure that they have no right to lock a phone not from their network purchase. However, three different people from their tech support confirmed that with iPhone X and up this automatically happens when activating any T-Mobile SIM in them - even a prepaid 21-day tourist plan SIM card!

I just got off the phone with another person at T-Mobile. Same story. She checked my IMEI number and said that the phone has definitely been locked by T-Mobile. However, she said they are "escalating" the issue and put in a request that my phone be added to their "white list." She said within 24-72 hours I should get an email confirming this has been done and giving instructions how to reset it (which she said would just be to do yet another factory reset).

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Answer 2

5014736 Author

Level 1

8 points

Jul 28, 2019 1:09 PM in response to ChrisJ4203

The saga continues...

T-Mobile fully admits they locked my phone. They refused to send me their BYOD and Tourist Plan documentation. They said they are internal documents that can't be shared.

They denied the first formally submitted request to unlock my phone saying that I didn't meet the criteria because I hadn't reloaded the account with at least $100 in the past 12 months. Keep in mind that it was a 21-day Tourist Plan that cannot be refilled!

They have "escalated" the issue and made a request of another department to "white list" my phone. They told me to wait a few more days for an answer on that.

Moral of the story - if you do not live in the US and ever travel there DO NOT use a T-Mobile Tourist Plan!

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Answer 3

5014736 Author

Level 1

8 points

Jul 25, 2019 4:33 PM in response to ChrisJ4203

The phone was bought in Russia, where I live. It was unlocked for use with any carrier. I used it for a few months with a Russian provider.

T-Mobile support confirmed to me that when activating any of their SIM cards in a previously unlocked phone that it is automatically locked by T-Mobile. That is truly crazy, but they confirmed this is what happened. However, because it isn't a "T-Mobile phone" they said they cannot unlock it. They said doing a factory reset would unlock it again. It does not though.

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Answer 4

5014736 Author

Level 1

8 points

Jul 25, 2019 4:14 PM in response to SravanKrA

I spoke to Apple today. They confirmed that my phone has been locked and said to call the provider again.

So I spoke to T-Mobile again today. The confirmed that they locked the phone when I activated the prepaid 21-day Tourist Plan on it. That in itself is ridiculous. However, they said they cannot unlock it. They said it was an unlocked phone to begin with and they can only unlock a T-Mobile phone. They said the only way to unlock it was to do a factory reset. I already did this though. They asked if I did it through the phone or through iTunes. I did it though the phone and they said it should be done through iTunes. I had asked this earlier on the phone with Apple and they said it wouldn't make a difference.

Desperate, I tried another factory reset through iTunes. T-Mobile insisted that this would work. It did not.

My phone is still locked!!!

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Answer 5

ChrisJ4203

Level 10

236,297 points

Jul 25, 2019 4:54 PM in response to 5014736

I would take that up with someone else at T-Mobile. Are you referencing T-Mobile in the US that you spoke to? They cannot lock a phone that is not from their network purchase. They do not have the right to lock a previously unlocked phone, especially if it is an unlocked phone from Apple.

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Answer 6

ChrisJ4203

Level 10

236,297 points

Jul 25, 2019 4:29 PM in response to 5014736

Where did you originally purchase this phone? If you purchased this phone in Europe, was this originally an unlocked phone and what carrier have you been using in the past? I'm not aware of a US carrier having the ability to lock a phone that is not purchased from them for their network.

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Answer 7

KiltedTim

Level 10

225,558 points

Jul 25, 2019 4:37 PM in response to 5014736

5014736 wrote:

T-Mobile support confirmed to me that when activating any of their SIM cards in a previously unlocked phone that it is automatically locked by T-Mobile.

Whoever told you that was wrong.

Call AppleCare. If it was a legitimately unlocked phone, they should be able to help you.

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Answer 8

ChrisJ4203

Level 10

236,297 points

Jul 25, 2019 5:44 PM in response to 5014736

All unlocks require a factory restore, but you can restore your latest backup after that. This may be something you could bring up to the FCC in the US, but since you live in Russia, that could be difficult for you to do. I'm not sure if this is something that T-Mobile does as part of their BYOD, or Bring Your Own Device policy or what. I would ask then to send you a copy of such requirement that they lock phones. I know what would happen if they did that to my unlocked phone!

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Answer 9

ChrisJ4203

Level 10

236,297 points

Jul 28, 2019 1:24 PM in response to 5014736

The more I hear about T-Mobile here in the US, the less I like them. And the US Justice department just approved a merger between them and Sprint, so you can bet the whole bunch will be a mess soon. Including how their MVNOs work. Both these carriers have some of the most restrictive unlock policies there are.

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Answer 10

SravanKrA

Level 10

431,160 points

Jul 24, 2019 3:37 PM in response to 5014736

How to unlock your iPhone for use with a different carrier

Unlocking your iPhone means that you can use it with different carriers.

Your iPhone might be locked to your carrier. Unlocking your iPhone means that you can use it with different carriers. To contact your carrier and unlock your iPhone, use these steps.

If you don’t want to switch carriers and your device is locked because you forgot the passcode, then you don’t need to use the steps in this article. Learn how to reset your passcode.

Apple can't unlock your iPhone for use with a different carrier. Only your carrier can unlock your iPhone.

Contact your carrier

See if your carrier offers unlocking. Only your carrier can unlock your iPhone.
Contact your carrier and request an unlock. Your account might need to meet requirements for unlocking. After you submit the request, it might take a few days to complete. To get your request's status, contact your carrier.
After your carrier confirms that they unlocked your iPhone, follow the steps below.

If you have a SIM card from a carrier other than your current carrier

Use these steps to finish unlocking your iPhone:

Remove your SIM card and insert the new one.
Set up your iPhone again.

If you don't have another SIM card to use

Use these steps to finish unlocking your iPhone:

Back up your iPhone.
After you make a backup, erase your iPhone.
Restore your iPhone from the backup you just made.

Get help

You might see this message in iTunes or on your device: "The SIM card inserted in this iPhone does not appear to be supported. Only compatible SIM cards from a supported carrier may be used to activate iPhone. Please insert the SIM card that came with your iPhone or visit a supported carrier store."

If you see this message, use these steps:

Restore your iPhone to factory settings.
Contact your carrier to make sure that they applied the unlock in their system.
Restore your iPhone from a backup.

How to unlock your iPhone for use with a different carrier - Apple Support

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201328

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Answer 11

5014736 Author

Level 1

8 points

Jul 31, 2019 8:30 AM in response to ChrisJ4203

After a week, still no resolution!

They promised that the "white list" request would be done within 72 hours. That was over 120 hours ago.

Yesterday a guy promised to look into it and call me back. He did not.

Today a tech support rep said the department that handles the white list requests was only contactable by email and he would send another email. I said I din't believe that and asked to speak to someone with more authority. I got his supervisor, who promised me that it would be done by the end of the week. I politely said that I've been promised many things and none of them have happened. I said that I wanted something more than a promise. She said that I would just have to put some trust in her. I replied that while she seemed like a lovely person, I trust nothing related to T-Mobile any longer and I wanted us to find another solution other than just her sending an email to someone and waiting. She responded that if I didn't like what she was saying that she would have to disconnect the call. I pointed out that I had no been rude in anyway and I simply do not accept being told to wait. She then hung up! Not another word. She just hung up.

What do I do now???

Do I tr to find a lawyer in the US to start a lawsuit against T-Mobile? I need compensation at a minimum of a refund of the plan purchase price and the cost of a new iPhone to replace the one they have now made useless!

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Answer 12

ChrisJ4203

Level 10

236,297 points

Jul 31, 2019 8:36 PM in response to 5014736

How you decide to do it is up to you. I cannot give you any recommendations. Try writing a letter to T-Mobile Headquarters in the US and plead your case. No one here can do anything for you. This entire thing is in the hands of the carrier. Remember, we are users like you and have no say. And Apple does not unlock phones.

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