What should I do if my Boost iPhone is carrier locked?

OK. Let's try this again. You bought the phone 4 months ago. Boost's policy is that they will not unlock until and unless you maintain service with them for one full year. You have not met that requirement. it doesn't matter whether the phone is paid for or you otherwise owe them money. They are not going to unlock it because you have not met their requirements.

They "own" the lock. Apple does not have the legal right to remove the carrier lock from your phone.

Sell the phone to someone who wants to use Boost and move on.

You're not going to win this battle.

I wonder why Apple doesn’t have the ability to override the carrier lock coding?

Apple is not a carrier. You don't pay Apple each month for phone service.

Only the carrier that locked the phone can unlock it.

Boost won't unlock the phone because they know they will be losing a customer and revenue.....or.....you have not met the terms of your agreement.

If you have met the terms and they really won't unlock the phone and you really want to push it, according to the FCC, carriers are required to unlock your phone for free once you've fully paid off the device and met the terms of your contract. So, you could look into filing a complaint with the FCC......if they still exist.

If you buy a phone through a carrier......AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, etc.....the carrier will not unlock the phone until it is paid off and the user has used the phone for 2 years or more. You have to read the fine print.

Re: "I bought a prepaid Boost iphone 13 4 months ago"

Sounds to me like one of the reasons that they are refusing to unlock your phone is that you have had it for only 4 months. You say that your account is closed and that they deleted it without your authorization. In that case, you might also be dealing with a carrier who claims that your account is not "in good standing."

Boost Mobile – Unlocking Policy

"For current and former customers in good standing and individual owners of eligible Prepaid Devices on prepaid Boost plans, we will unlock your Prepaid Device one (1) year after initial activation, after a reasonable time, and after you have met all payment or usage requirements. We will automatically unlock such Prepaid Devices remotely within two (2) business days of a Prepaid Device becoming eligible for unlocking. However, if you meet the requirements and it’s not technically possible to unlock your Prepaid Device remotely, we will instead immediately notify you that your Prepaid Device is eligible to be unlocked.

With respect to Prepaid Devices, “reasonable time” and “payment or usage requirements” means:

• • No Prepaid Device balance: If you have financed your Prepaid Device, the Prepaid Device balance must be paid off in full before it is eligible for unlocking.
  • Account must be active: If your account is in “suspended” status one-year post initial activation, your Prepaid Device will not be eligible for unlocking until it is out of “suspended” status.
  • Not already unlocked: If your Prepaid Device is already unlocked because of a customer request (i.e. unlocked for international travel), it will not be automatically unlocked at the one-year mark."

archangeloo wrote:

Now I have no further choice than to contact the FcC and AG and request that someone advise me as to my personal property that has some very bad Carriers’ junky old locks installed and noone can seem to get keys for it

FCC – Carrier Unlocking

"What is the CTIA Commitment?

…

Prepaid Unlocking Policy.  Carriers, upon request, will unlock mobile wireless devices no later than one year after initial activation, consistent with reasonable time, payment, or usage requirements."

CTIA is an industry group – not a government body. I did not see Boost Mobile on the membership list - thus, it isn't clear to me whether they are a signatory or not. Even if they are, that "no later than one year …" might give them enough wiggle room that they could claim that their policy complies with the "CTIA Commitment."

They claimed apple has the lock

All they are doing is trying to get rid or you or get you off the phone.

The carrier locked the phone. Only the carrier can unlock the phone. This has nothing at all to do with Apple.

archangeloo wrote:

Thank you. So just to clarify again. I did buy it in store outright and signed up for the no contract pre paid service offered. There was no written, nor oral agreement as to agreement to pay for a one years service agreement.

Let me see if I understand what you are trying to say.

You are telling us that

• You paid for the phone, in full, up front, receiving no price break.
• You signed up for "no contract" prepaid service.
• Because you signed up for "no contract" service, you could cancel the service before a year – and you did.
• However, since the phone is locked to Boost Mobile (as per their policy), and you failed to make sure that the phone would be unlocked, they are refusing to unlock it.
• You are in a "no man's land" where they cannot force you to continue being their customer – but you cannot force them to release their lock on your phone. Unless one of you "blinks", you have a phone that's now only useful as an iPod touch (unless you want to sell it to another Boost Mobile customer).
• They're not "blinking"; so now you are an ex-customer with a locked phone.

Is that an accurate summary of what you are trying to say?

If it is, I still don't see what we, or Apple, can do about it.

Apple cannot lock iPhones. Only the carrier can lock and unlock your iPhone.

You have posted on an Apple user-to-user site. The bottom line here is that this is not an Apple issue. Your issue is with Boost.

archangeloo wrote:

I wonder why Apple doesn’t have the ability to override the carrier lock coding?

It's because Apple is a separate company from any carrier. Apple has no control over another company's actions.

Did you read the article I linked to? It’s really only one of two things and Apple can’t help with either.

You're either the victim of SIM swap or the carrier is enforcing their rights under the terms and conditions you agreed to when you purchased the device and established service.

But why port a number on a valid prepaid account? The accounts not passed due. I’ve never heard of a carrier doing that. That’s why I’m suggesting we’re not getting the full story. It could still be SIM jacking, but the number gets ported on a valid account.

I see how you’re interpreting it. I read “they deleted the whole thing.” Then next sentence “my number ported out,” lead me to think the number was part of the “whole thing.” I see what you’re saying and the OP’s lack of response or even acknowledgment, just leaves me wondering.

I find the whole number porting statement very suspicious.