Should I Buy a Locked iPhone That is Still on Installment Plan - Not Paid Entirely?

Auri-ElXx wrote:

They really didn't told me that the phone was not paid. They told me that "I should be able to unlock the iPhone by going to the carrier". I had to look to see if it was really possible to unlock it (it's not).

Yes that was my point. It’s concerning that they were not upfront knowing that they still owed money on the installments and that AT&T will NOT unlock the device for you at all. They will not unlock it until the original account owner completes the payments or pays the balance of the installments off early. If the seller was someone you personally knew and they were willing to pay the balance off first before you buy it (and verify they did) I would consider. Otherwise, the lack of honesty upfront lets you know to walk away.

Legally they are not able to sell the phone because they haven’t completed the terms (unless they opt to pay the balance off). I would be concerned that the seller was not completely upfront about the device still being on device payments and that being the true reason it was still locked to AT&T. It might be best to pass on the sell or contact AT&T to find out what may happen if you buy it and the seller never finishes paying off the installment. If the seller is only asking for what remains owed in the device then get them to pay off the balance before you buy it. They would be reimbursed by the sell. Otherwise you risk the phone becoming activation locked and/or black balled

Hello~You are asking for trouble. Someone has to pay for the iPhone and likely you are being scammed. Walk away….if it’s not paid for AT&T will black list the iPhone and you will be out of your money and iPhone.

~Katana-San~

I think you shouldn't buy the phone since it's locked. There is a reason why it's cheaper, so consider the fact that it's locked as a red flag. What if this phone is a stolen iPhone? This will complicate things for you. The best thing to do is to wait until you have all the money. Then you ask them to unlock it before buying it.

Well said...🎯 Anything that sounds too good to be true, one should not react to it before you think-- one can't say more than that to him. I've been there... you won't like the sight of a clean brick phone with you.

Nothing but pain and suffering if you buy that phone.