How to unlock iPhone locked to Consumer Cellular?

According to the CTIA, Consumer Cellular, Inc. is one of their members. According to the FCC and the CTIA, CTIA members have agreed to follow certain guidelines with respect to unlocking. You may want to review these links, to see if you think Consumer Cellular is following these guidelines.

https://www.fcc.gov/general/cell-phone-unlocking

https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/cell-phone-unlocking-faqs

https://www.ctia.org/the-wireless-industry/industry-commitments/consumer-code-for-wireless-service

https://www.ctia.org/about-ctia/our-members

You could also consider contacting your state's Attorney General – and letting Consumer Cellular know that you're doing it.

But if you used it with Consumer Cellular and it was purchased new then Consumer Cellular are the ones that locked it. Not AT&T.

The requirements for unlocking your phone with Consumer Cellular are as follows:

1. The phone must have been purchased from Consumer Cellular.
2. The phone must have been paid in full.
3. The account associated with the phone must not be past due.
4. For Android devices, there must be continuous use for 30 days.
5. For iPhone devices, there must be continuous use for 180 days.

https://www.consumercellular.com/content/dam/consumercellularincprogram/web/pages/agreement/Wireless%20Customer%20Agreement%20(APR%202023).pdf

Look at page 12 of Consumer Cellulars Customer Agreement. It discusses their locking process and requirements to remove the lock. Because you bought it from Target for use with Consumer Cellular it couldn’t have been an AT&T device or locked by AT&T. Some carriers don’t like to unlock devices if they can avoid it and will make the process a hassle…that may be what’s going on here.

I purchased the phone through Target and they immediately set it up for Consumer Cellular. I just changed carriers only to find out the Iphone is carrier locked to Consumer Cellular. They (CC) tried to unlock it and they claim that the phone is not theirs as far as the IME # is concerned although I have been using it with them for 18 months

Consumer Cellular is lying to you. The Target phone will lock to the first carrier to which it is connected....CC in your case. You are going to be stuck with CC, probably permanently.

Unfortunately, unless you have paperwork that indicates otherwise, CC is under no obligation at all to unlock the phone, so you should expect zero help in that regard.

If you do not want to use CC, then your best bet is to try to sell the phone to another CC customer and then buy a new phone directly from Apple.....which will be fully unlocked unless you choose otherwise.

This iPhone is going to remain unusable (although can’t you use it with Consumer Cellular if you choose to do that?) without Consumer Cellular’s assistance.

The chances are slim, but perhaps Target can offer some further guidance.

So did you purchase the phone as part of a Consumer Cellular package deal? That’s why the phone is locked to Consumer Cellular. They are not going to unlock the phone until you have completed the terms of the deal. Unless you paid full price for the phone you are definitely part of a package deal, usually two years so the carrier can recoup the cost of the subsidized phone.

The thing with cell phones you purchase at Target, Wal•Mart, Best Buy, etc., is they're unlocked only in the sense they haven't been connected to a carrier yet. Once a carrier has been set up, the phone becomes locked to that carrier.

This unlike an unlocked phone you purchase directly from Apple, which will always be unlocked.

I found a discussion elsewhere about a person who could not get their phone unlocked by CC. They received this email:

From the Consumer Cellular Terms

"If you bought a Device from us, it may have been programmed with a SIM lock that will

prevent it from operating with other compatible wireless telephone carriers’ services.

If you wish to use this Device with the service of another wireless telephone carrier, you

must enter an unlock code. We will provide the unlock code upon request, provided that you meet certain criteria including, but not limited to the following:

(a) you have paid for your Device in full;

(b) the equipment has been active on Consumer Cellular’s service for at least six

months and the account is in good standing (i.e., it has no past due amount or unpaid

balance owed to Consumer Cellular);

(c) your Device has not been reported lost or stolen; and

(d) Consumer Cellular has the unlock code or can reasonably obtain it from the

manufacturer.

We may allow you to pay a fee in lieu of the above criteria. The fee will be set by us

in our sole discretion. For further details on eligibility requirements and for assistance

on obtaining the unlock code for your Device, please call 1 (800) 686-4460."

You can at least use this as a starting point to possibly figure out why they can't, or won't unlock it.

Devices sold at retailers like target will lock to the first carrier used to activate them. Unfortunately, what you've run into now is CC will refuse to unlock a phone locked to their network that they did not sell.

CC is under no legal obligation to unlock the phone. If you want to switch carriers, you will have to buy a new phone.

Tip: If you want an unlocked phone, but it directly from Apple.

Actually not true. Because Target is an authorized retailer for their services they can and will when pushed follow their unlocking policy. My Aunt and Uncle had to have their devices purchased from Target for Consumer Cellular unlocked. Just asked my cousin because I knew they had an issue when they moved to Oklahoma and couldn’t get good service with CC where they lived he had to go through the process. He said they (CC) tried to refuse to do it apparently also claiming it wasn’t their phone and they couldn’t unlock it until he provided proof of purchase showing they were both CC devices. They then attempted to charge a fee to unlock the devices but when he pointed out that they initially tried to claim that the devices were never theirs trying to prevent the phones to be used elsewhere they conceded and immediately provided the unlock codes. Consumer Cellular seems to be much like Boost Mobile when it comes to trying to get your device unlocked even if you meet all of the requirements. They will make it extremely difficult with the hopes that you will give up. Maybe my cousin was just lucky in getting it done for my aunt and uncle but i doubt it was just luck. Just a persistent person that they couldn’t frustrate.

Their system ( according to them) says it’s not there phone

Then using the information that CC has provided to you.......you are entitled to a full refund of everything that you have paid them.

If you have the time, you could pursue that argument, (which will go nowhere of course).

The phone is locked to CC. Only CC can unlock it.

Unfortunately, the device was purchased from Target, meaning it fails point 1 of the requirements for unlocking.