Apple Event: May 7th at 7 am PT

Newsroom Update

Apple is introducing a new Apple Watch Pride Edition Braided Solo Loop, matching watch face, and dynamic iOS and iPadOS wallpapers as a way to champion global movements to protect and advance equality for LGBTQ+ communities. Learn more >

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

unlocked iphone replaced with a locked one

Last year in October I bought an unlocked iphone 5s in Thailand, I live in Croatia and had some issues with the screen and yesterday apple gave me a new replacement iphone, and the replacement iphone is locked. Been talking with Apple support yesterday for over an hour, and they suspect its locked to US AT&T (but not 100 % sure if its AT&T), they can see the store info where I bought it in Thailand but they say they can't do anything to unlock it, so they gave me phone number of AT&T and said they would unlock it wihout problem.


Anyway then I started talking to AT&T support then and been talking to a couple of managers for over 2 hours, they just keep passing me to another higher level person and in the end they said they couldn't do anything, their best suggestion was that I go from Croatia to the store in Thailand where I bought to iphone so they unlock it.


I did a online check of my Iphone over IME numberI and this is the info I got:


Model: SVC,IPHONE 5S,GSM,16GB,GRAY,CI/AR
MAC: 78FD94CB1455
ICCID:
iOS Version: 8.0.2
Unbricked: false
Unlocked: false
Activation Status: No
First Unbricked Date:
Last Unbricked Date:
Initial Activation Policy: 52 - US GSM Service Policy
Applied Activation Policy: -
Next Tether Policy (Carrier): 52 - US GSM Service Policy
Status: Locked


Please help, what should I do?

iPhone 5s, iOS 8

Posted on Oct 9, 2014 11:44 PM

Reply
25 replies

Apr 24, 2015 9:38 AM in response to AiRava

That's because the original phone had been hacked or jailbroken to unlock it. The replacement is locked in the same way the original was and would have been had it not been modified.


If you don't know who the carrier is, then call Apple and give them the serial number of the phone. They can tell you. Unfortunately, since you were not the original owner of the original phone, which has now been replaced, it is highly unlikely that you will be able to get it unlocked at all.

Apr 24, 2015 10:48 AM in response to AiRava

Then you are out of luck. Ask whoever you bought the original phone from before it was replaced, though as I've already said, at this point, you're probably hosed. The replacement will not be in the original carriers database. The best case scenario is you figure out who the carrier is, either from whoever bought the phone originally, or by trying different SIM cards until you find the one that works, and sign up for service with them. After some period of time, you may be eligible to have it unlocked.

Apr 24, 2015 12:28 PM in response to AiRava

The one you have now isn't. The one you originally had was.

If you had purchased it from a legitimate source to begin with, you wouldn't be asking how to find out what carrier it was locked to.


We can't help you. We are users. We don't have access to Apple's database and neither does any third party. Only Apple could look it up. Odds are the phone came from a different country, which it why when you asked Apple, they couldn't tell you what carrier it is locked to.

Apr 24, 2015 2:11 PM in response to KiltedTim

I ask it becouse my problem is same as Boris. Look at first his message, he bought sim-free, after replace it go lock. After chatting it sim-free again. That is the point! Thats why i ask about carrier becouse i wish findout it and maybe call to support to tell him unlock or help me with my problem.


And i make order to check IMEI of my iPhone and all info about it look very same like Boris.

unlocked iphone replaced with a locked one

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple ID.