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ASE84 Author

Level 1

47 points

''Sim Not Valid'' on activation screen! PLEASE HELP

I have purchased the iPhone 6 64GB Silver from Verizon Wireless. I purchased it on November 18th 2014 and i was able to use the phone under the Verizon Network for 2 days I asked Verizon as ALWAYS to have to Unlocked because i was leaving the country in business trip for a week and therefor i wanted to use my iPhone with the Vodafone Network as i have always done this with the previous iPhone's under Verizon network. When i had my iPhone 5 & iPhone 5S i have called Verizon to have it unlocked and therefor they have done it, but now with the new iPhone 6 they tell me that its a 4G Phone and its already unlocked sir, there is nothing they can do to unlock it any further but in reality the iPhone 6 its Lock to Verizon Wireless Network, according to Apple, and Vodafone they both say that its Locked to Verizon Wireless, that's what it shows in their system. Now i have called Verizon and asked them again to unlock my iPhone which they insist and tell me the same thing over and over even their Manager and Global Team Support including the Supervisors they all say the same thing that the iPhone is Unlocked!!!! Now i have contacted Apple again this time Apple said that it is locked to Verizon is what they see on their computer that this IME#354409063763754 is showing Locked to Verizon once again and again and AGAIN! so who is lying here Apple or Verizon?!? Interesting! one of the Apple costumer care could not believe my story after speaking to 5 different one from Apple and 38 different from Verizon, and there for she decided to call Verizon and find out why aren't they unlocking my device. now, after being on the phone 3 way me Apple care and Verizon for 15min Verizon hangs up the phone on Apples face and tells me I can Not Believe they hang up on my face! interesting huh? Well Apple care then said ill transfer you to Seignior Adviser for further help there is nothing that she could do, but transfer me to much higher grade in helping the costumers. Now the Seignior Adviser couldn't believe that i had to go through all this and said I'm here to help and i will help, i said sure you will, will see how much you can. Then he tries and tries and in the end NOTHING! since he couldn't do anything he said let me transfer you to much higher which is their Consumer Relations. Now they couldn't believe that i had to go through all this and that they have never heard such story that this had happen to anyone before, there for he was going to help me resolve my issue. Now they have contacted Verizon and Verizon keeps saying the same thing mean while on the Apple system it still shows Locked to Verizon Wireless.

Now what they Verizon and Apple did to try and resolve this issue is Connecting my iPhone 6 to iTunes and have it Factory Restore! ok! so i did as i was told,

now after 30 min of restoring the iPhone to factory settings im back to Activation Screen from beginning.

1. Choose Language - English

2. Choose Region - United States

3. Choose Wi-Fi

4. Sim Not Valid!

there is no other options, either go back or retry, and none has worked. I have done the Restore 5 times with and with out sim card and still same error,

With out the sim card, after choose the Wi-Fi, it says Sim Required, there is no other options only go back and retry.

I put the sim back in and its still says the same

<Back

SIM NOT VALID

The SIM card that you currently have installed in this iPhone s from a carrier that is not Supported under the activation policy that is currently assigned by the activation server. This is not a hardware issue with the iPhone. Please insert another SIM card from a supported carrier or request that this iPhone be unlocked by your carrier. Please contact Apple for more information.

Try Again

Now i cant even go to my home screen what do i do? PLEASE HEP!

I really need to get this iPhone 6 to work, I need help please someone help, they both companies have lied to me Verizon and Apple, and they both not doing a **** thing about it, its been almost 2 months and i haven't been able to enjoy my iPhone, they have got my hard earned $$$$ and they don't send me a new device to have it replaced, I have requested a NEW one since i have paid for new and they Sorry we cant under their Policy and my 14 money back is expired, well its expired because of them not me. they keep on pushing and putting me to wait here and there so time went out and me still without a working device yet they have got my money $$$ 😢

I really need Help Please any suggestions?

I thank you all very much from the bottom of my heart for taking the time to read and respond to my need.

THANK YOU ALL

iPhone 6 64GB Silver

Setting - General - About:

Version> 8.1.2 (12B440)

Model> MG642LL/A

Serial Number> DN*********5MH

IMEI> ***********

MEID> 35440906376375

Modem Firmware> 1.04.00

iPhone 6, iOS 8.1.2, null

Posted on Jan 7, 2015 12:05 AM

Top-ranking reply

Ethmoid

Level 6

11,482 points

Posted on Jan 7, 2015 1:29 AM

If you purchase a phone from Verizon, then if you are in the US, then you can only ever use this phone in the US on Verizon and no other operator because Verizon is a CDMA carrier and in the US, then it is locked to Verizon and if in the US, then you need to have a contract with Verizon to be able to use the phone.

However, the Verizon phone does have a GSM sim card tray and this is unlocked and intended for international travel, so that you can use local sim cards in your phone whilst travelling and no incur international roaming charges.

The problem may be that if you are in the US and you are trying to insert a sim card into the phone to activate it that is a GSM sim card, then this will not work because in the US you will only be able to use the Verizon phone on the Verizon CDMA network and no other. If you put a sim card in, this will be local sim cards that are intended to be used whilst travelling.

Also, don't post personal information on this forum - it is a user to user technical support forum and you are NOT talking to Apple here.

View in context

183 replies

Jun 2, 2015 10:38 AM in response to Lawrence Finch

That thread is all rumor and no real info. And the site recommended is a scam. For a real test call Verizon. Their provisioning database lists all phones sold as Verizon, and ONLY Verizon. So if they don't know the IMEI it was never a Verizon phone.

Jun 2, 2015 10:51 AM in response to compscibabs

Mine was a original Verizon phone and later on I used it with ATT in the USA (as it was unlocked for all carriers in USA),

Thanks compscibabs , would be great to get the Service engineer name. I am pretty sure this is a Verizon lock issue, same as yours.

Jun 2, 2015 10:50 AM in response to Lawrence Finch

Lawrence, I already talked to all 3 - Verizon, ATT and Apple. Verizon confirmed that the phone was originally with Verizon. Apple said phone was originally with Verizon and was unlocked, but later on ATT locked it. Not sure why ATT locked it as I was already out of contract with them and did not buy the phone with them.

Jun 2, 2015 11:58 AM in response to KrazyPalms

Sometimes a phone will lock to a specific provider as soon as the SIM is inserted into the phone. If Apple said it's locked to AT&T, then call AT&T, give them the IMEI, and tell them you want it unlocked.

Jun 2, 2015 1:06 PM in response to ASE84

HI I have the exact same problem and up till now it's not solved and I can't use my iPhone ... Any help please or how was ur problem solved ??? Thanks in advance for trying to help

Jun 2, 2015 6:32 PM in response to compscibabs

Hi compscibabs - yes, calling AT/T to deal with this, but its a nightmare. Submitted unlock request to them 3 days back, no progress yet. In addition, I see this strange message in the device unlock status website:

Error: We’re sorry, but we’re having technical difficulties with our network at the moment. Please try again later. If this problem persists, try clearing the cache and cookies from your device. Questions? Call us at 800.331.0500, or dial 611 from your AT&T wireless phone. (errorCode.ULS3001)

Never seen this before, so not sure what the heck is going on with ATT.

Jun 13, 2015 7:33 AM in response to KrazyPalms

Update - after trying very hard, still no luck.

AT/T - AT/T is saying they have not locked the phone, the IMEI does not belong to them (which is correct, its originally a VZW phone). They say they cannot even relock a device originally locked by someone else.

Apple - Apple continues to say that phone is locked to AT/T according to their database (which is not accurate information IMHO). They are not willing to do anything unless carrier (AT/T) asks them to do something. (which is perplexing)

VZW - wont talk much to me as I dont have an active account with them.

Looks like I am totally screwed at this point without any fix in sight. IF anyone can figure out a way to unblock me, please let me know, it would be of tremendous help. One poster suggested above that they could get a senior AppleCare support engineer to revert the activation policy back to normal, if you can help on whom you talked to and how you explained the issue, would be great. I tried explaining the situation to the AppleCare engineer I spoke to, but they could not understand this at all :-((

Jun 16, 2015 9:58 PM in response to KrazyPalms

I'm the same exact boat as you! I bought the phone brand new Verizon Iphone 6, obviously it's a replacement. I activated it with a AT&T sim card, it works fine on all US carriers. I paid for a Verizon unlock online, it didn't work. I called Apple they said it was locked by AT&T. So i did an AT&T unlock request online, but it failed. It said the phone is active under someone else's account. So I just paid to try an AT&T unlock which should unlock all IMEI, including blacklisted, though mine isn't.

Model: SVC,IPHONE 6,MM,64GB,GOLD,CI/AR

Firmware Version: 8.3

First Activation Date: 2015-06-04

Last Activation Date: 2015-06-16

Next Tether: US GSM/VZW N61/N56 Service Policy

Lock Status: Locked

deggie

Level 10

167,327 points

Jun 17, 2015 5:37 AM in response to Shekie2000

Verizon doesn't charge for unlocking their phones nor is it required on an iPhone 6, the GSM side is unlocked anyway. Who did you pay and where did you buy this phone?

Jun 17, 2015 6:48 AM in response to deggie

From an ad on Craigslist. I was able to lock my iPhone 5 that way, so I'm just waiting now for a response.

Model: SVC,IPHONE 6,MM,64GB,GOLD,CI/AR

Firmware Version: 8.3

First Activation Date: 2015-06-04

Last Activation Date: 2015-06-16

iccID: 89014102234240090222

Next Tether: US GSM/VZW N61/N56 Service Policy

Lock Status: Locked

Jun 17, 2015 8:18 AM in response to Shekie2000

It looks like you got that information from one of the many scam sites. I hope you didn't give them any money.

Jun 17, 2015 8:50 AM in response to Shekie2000

Thanks Shekie2000 - are you saying your problem is now solved ?

I do not understand what you mean by that last line - "So I just paid to try an AT&T unlock which should unlock all IMEI, including blacklisted, though mine isn't." - are you saying,we should go for a regular AT&T unlock (from outside vendor) and that should help fix the problem ??

Thx

Jun 17, 2015 11:32 AM in response to KrazyPalms

KrazyPalms wrote:

Thanks Shekie2000 - are you saying your problem is now solved ?

I do not understand what you mean by that last line - "So I just paid to try an AT&T unlock which should unlock all IMEI, including blacklisted, though mine isn't." - are you saying,we should go for a regular AT&T unlock (from outside vendor) and that should help fix the problem ??

Thx

AT&T does not charge to unlock a phone. If someone paid to have it unlocked, they were scammed. There is no legitimate way to unlock any iPhone from any carrier other than to ask the carrier. An unlock done any other way will at best be temporary, and at worst will not work at all.

Jun 17, 2015 1:55 PM in response to Lawrence Finch

@KrazyPalms @deggie

I'm in the middle of using a 3rd party source to unlock my Iphone 6, they said 3-5 days or my money back, so we'll see.. I'm waiting, today is day 3.

The reason I opted this way was because I called up Apple and they told me only AT&T can do this. Before that I went to the AT&T site and did a request, but was denied to unlock my Iphone 5 (AT&T) & Iphone 6 (Dom unlocked/Int locked). So I paid a 3rd party and they were able to factory unlock my Iphone 5. Now, I'm waiting to see if they're able to do unlock my 6.

Jun 17, 2015 1:59 PM in response to Shekie2000

If a 3rd party unlocked it they either bribed an AT&T employee or hacked the phone. Either way, the unlock is not permanent, and will eventually lock again. But most of them just take your money and don't do anything. And also don't refund your money.

''Sim Not Valid'' on activation screen! *PLEASE HELP*