How can I add my iPad to my Verizon service if it was not purchased from Verizon?

I purchased my new iPad air from Apple. I purchased a Verizon iPad. The first thing the verizon rep asked me when I called to add the iPad to my Share Everything plan was if the iPad was a Verizon iPad. If your IPad is not a Verizon iPad I doubt there's anything verizon will do to activate a cellular plan.

Instead of calling Verizon did you attempt to start a data plan using the Account Setup section of the Settings app?

Settings > Cellular Data > Account

It gets worse. I bought my iPad Air with a T-Mobile SIM. It activated fine on T-Mobile. Then I took the Verizon SIM from my iPad 3 (cut to nano). The Air recognized the Verizon Network and asked me to sign into my account but would not activate. I called Verizon. The tech asked for the MEID, which is available in Settings/General/About. After some time trying different things he suggested, the bottom line is that as this was not a Verizon iPad, the MEID is not in its data base and they can't--or won't--add it. I verified this with a Verizon tech at a store and a second one by phhone.

Kicker: I inserted the SIM from my iPhone 5s (Verizon) and the iPad recognized it and worked perfectly on LTE. So clearly the iPad is capable of working on all networks, as Apple claims. Verizon is the bad guy here.

From what I understand, if one starts with a Verizon iPad Air it will work on all the other carriers with their SIMs.

My understanding is Verizon iPad Air can be authorized by verizon to work on NON-US gsm networks. They will NEVER authorize this device for ATT for life of the machine.

ATT iPad Airs work on GSMs out of the box and will never be authorized to work on Verizon, even though both machines have all the antennae.

The Device ID is listed by carrier when bought.

Well, here's an odd twist on a related issue.

In March 2012, I purchased the 3rd generation iPad as soon as it came out. I added Apple care plus when I did it.

Lately, the battery on the iPad has been kind of sketchy, so I took it back to the Apple store today to get check out the battery. The Genius there tested the device and agreed that something was wrong with the battery. He checked and said they had a single 3rd generation device in stock. After about 20 minutes, he came back with the new iPad. He had already put my sim card in the new device.

I took it home and restored it from backup. When I tried accessing the cellular data account section in settings, it wouldn't let me log in and suggested I call Verizon customer support.

I did and after speaking with a very nice rep who spend about 20 minutes on the phone with me, she asked me for my EMEI number in Settings:About. I gave it to her and she said, "that's odd, that number isn't there. Let me try to add it."

She had me test if I had network connectivity. I did. I was able to surf the web on the Verizon LTE network. (yes, I had WiFi turned off) But I still couldn't access the cellular data account section in settings. The rep tried a bunch of things to try to fix that, but she didn't have any success. She escalated the problem to one of their technicians.

This person came on the phone and I described the problem. She said she had seen it before. She told me that based on what she could see, the device isn't a Verizon device. She says it happens all the time where a salesperson at Apple provides the wrong device.

She told me she could prove it and asked me if I could surf anywhere (with wifi turned off). I told her I could. At that she said, "well that is kind of freaking me out. Because this is definitely not a Verizon device." I didn't mention that the previous rep said she had added my EMEI number to the account.

My only question is how is this possible? I thought that Verizon was using a different portion of the 700 MHz band for LTE than AT&T. I definitely have LTE speeds. I just tested it with a couple of network speed test apps and this is not AT&T "4g."

I know that Apple is now selling iDevices via other providers. Is there some smaller provider that is iPad compability using the same part of the 700 MHz LTE band as Verizon? (If so, I'm wondering if I actually got one of their iPad versions)

The only downside is that I still can't manage my account from the cellular network section of the iPad's settings. I have to call them if I every want to cancel or make change to the account. (so if I exceed my 1GB of data, I have to call instead of just adding more data from the iPad).

Anyone have any thoughts on this?

Your iPad is fully (hardware) functional but your EMEI is not listed in the central Verizon database as it was not purchased as a Verizon unit. GSM providers don't lock the device EMEI, only Verizon and Sprint. For that reason, I bought a Verizon iPad Air, verified it worked and immediately put in a T-Mobile phone SIM card. works fine on both SIM card/networks.

Check out Meg St._Clair.

Thanks for the response. But I don't think you were actually replying to my post.

I know the device works. I noted I have LTE connectivity.

But here are the issues.

1) I too own a Verizon iPad. I had to return it after two years (I have apple care plus warranty). Apple replaced it. But apparently mistakenly gave me the wrong version.

2) I can connect to Verizon's LTE network. But this should be physically impossible. Verizon uses a different part of the 700 MHz band than does AT&T. Verizon confirms that this isn't one of their devices. But I am definitely on the LTE network.

3) yes, these iPads can work across 3G (or At&T's questionably named 4G (which many argue is actually 3.5G). If your iDevice says 4G, you are NOT using LTE.

But the main carriers are NOT supposed to be exchangeable across different LTE infrastructures.

So my question boils down to this, are there small carriers using the same portion of the 700 MHz LTE band as Verizon which are also authorized iPad retailers?

I believe your question is assuming your ipad Air has different hardware than a Verizon-issued iPad Air. It does not.

All iPad Airs have the same hardware and same Band capabilities for ATT, Verizon, Europe, etc. If you put in a Verizon Simm card, you will use their network. You are on Verizon LTE network because you have a Verizon Simm card in (correct?) The iPad uses the band authorized by the simm card.

If you put in an ATT simm card you will use their network. If you put in an Orange simm card in France you will use their network.

It sounds as if the iPad Air you received in replacement was not initially registered with Verizon. "a salesperson at Apple provides the wrong device" only means your device EMEI was not registered. The only thing "burned" into the device at packaging is the EMEI registration, which now is incomplete in some way.

Yes. And I believe your answer assumes that I am using an iPad Air.

As I noted in my original post, I have a 3rd generation iPad (originally released in March 2012). The iPad Air didn't exist when the 3rd Generation iPad was released.

Just to add, the 3rd generation iPads are NOT identical hardware. The LTE radios in Verizon's device differs from that used by AT&T, for instance.

In other words, they use different LTE bands that are, for the major carriers at least, incompatible.

Since this is a refurbished ipad they probably took it apart and put a Verizon chipset in it w/o adding that chipset to Verizon's central database of devices which is why the device isn't showing on their end but you have LTE connectivity with a chip that was already activated.

I've got the same issue. I have perfectly good iPad2 that I've had AT&T and T-Mobile service on. My phones are on Verizon and I wanted to add it. No dice, they want you to buy a new iPad period. That's just not cricket.

Not necessarily;. There's a device called a Mifi, which is a cellular portable wifi hotspot

Buy the hotspot on your verizon account, turn it on and connect your iPad to the wifi hotspot and you get a at&t device on a verizon network....by taking the network out of it and simply using the wifi side. (And it doesn't have to be a mifi, they have plenty of different hotspots to choose from)

Contact your Verizon dealer to inform them you have a new device.

Well then the answer is clearly that you don't have A Verizon compatible iPad. Find out from Apple which model you have and contact that operator.