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US Reseller Flex Policy

Hi there,


I have a very big problem. So I bought an iPhone at Walmart in Miami. I asked for an unblocked iPhone to use it with a foreign carrier and they sold me said phone.


After arriving overseas, I put a SIM card in the phone but the iPhone tells me the SIM Card is not valid.


After some research, I realized that the phone is not activated yet but comes with a "US Reseller Flex Policy". How I understood it, the iPhone needs to see an American SIM card first, then it blocks itself to this provider. I could then go to this provider and get it unlocked for international use.


Walmart is little helpful with this issue and told me that I need to bring the phone back to the store to as they can't do this over the phone. I am already overseas and flying back to the USA is out of question.


Is there anything I can do to get this sorted?

Thanks,

Bernhard

Posted on Feb 10, 2016 12:04 PM

Reply
Question marked as Best reply

Posted on Oct 10, 2017 10:36 AM

Hello,

The same probem just happened to me. I'm from the Netherlands. My girlfriend bought me an Iphone 7 from best buy in Utah and they told her it would work totally fine in the Netherlands. Well, it didn't. I called Apple, Verizon, AT&T and Best Buy multiple times and not anybody was able to help me solve this anoying issue. I've tried everything with the phone like resets, different simcards, etc.. Nothing worked. Until i read somebody ordered an Verizon Sim card from ebay and activated his/her Iphone. So, desperate I was, ordered one as well. Over Ebay. It was, with shipping to the Netherlands, in total: 12€. It took 6 days of waiting and today it reached my doormat and i can tell you it works! I just activated my phone with the Verizon Sim Card, activated the Iphone and inserted my dutch Vodafone Sima Card. If somebody has this problem: order a Verizon Sim Card and you'll be using you phone within a week.


Good luck and enjoy your phone!

64 replies
Question marked as Best reply

Oct 10, 2017 10:36 AM in response to Bernhard Walzl

Hello,

The same probem just happened to me. I'm from the Netherlands. My girlfriend bought me an Iphone 7 from best buy in Utah and they told her it would work totally fine in the Netherlands. Well, it didn't. I called Apple, Verizon, AT&T and Best Buy multiple times and not anybody was able to help me solve this anoying issue. I've tried everything with the phone like resets, different simcards, etc.. Nothing worked. Until i read somebody ordered an Verizon Sim card from ebay and activated his/her Iphone. So, desperate I was, ordered one as well. Over Ebay. It was, with shipping to the Netherlands, in total: 12€. It took 6 days of waiting and today it reached my doormat and i can tell you it works! I just activated my phone with the Verizon Sim Card, activated the Iphone and inserted my dutch Vodafone Sima Card. If somebody has this problem: order a Verizon Sim Card and you'll be using you phone within a week.


Good luck and enjoy your phone!

Apr 25, 2017 1:18 PM in response to Lawrence Finch

thanks man i am going to do the same if it not worked out. I just wanted to know one thing that I have activated one iPhone out of 5 with sprint sim over wifi now it is activated but when I am trying to use with local sim it is showing activation required again. so if it is already attached to sprint in the process of first activation I can call them to unlock it for me or can unlock with any unlock sites or best is to send it back because I am in a African country and shipping cost more than the unlock sites

if Verizon sim can work for the remaining one I can try that too any advice

Sep 11, 2017 1:43 PM in response to artemvv

First, no one can help you in this user-to-user technical support forum.


Second, this is a public forum visible to anyone with a web browser, anywhere in the world. So posting your email address is a big mistake. I've asked the hosts to blank it out.


Finally, your phone can only be used in the US, not anywhere else in the world. And it will lock to the first carrier in the US that it is used with. If you are not in the US and it has never been activated it is useless to you. If you are in the US you can activate it with a carrier, then ask the carrier to unlock it.


Everything I have said has already been posted in this thread, so you might want to read it over. There are some additional details in the thread.

Oct 2, 2017 8:06 PM in response to TomyMatu

Your best bet would be to purchase a Verizon sim off of ebay. Put it in and activate it over wifi. As long as the phone has a internet connection to reach the apple activation server to send the iccid info from the sim card you should be fine. Once the phone reaches the server and continues with setup, it should technically accept any sim because Verizon unlock policy states that they do not lock any of their phones.

Oct 3, 2017 6:33 AM in response to Lawrence Finch

It might actually. I work at a retailer that sells them. Verizon service is spotty at best in the store... But activation goes through without issue over WiFi. Once it sees a Verizon sim for the first time, it unlocks... Better to give it a shot than to have a $900 paperweight. The sim doesn't even need to be active with service. Just make sure it is one for postpaid not their prepaid service. Worth a shot

Oct 16, 2017 8:39 AM in response to Boaboss

Did you order The Verizon Sim And it didnt work?


Verstuurd vanaf mijn iPhone


Op 16 okt. 2017 om 17:34 heeft Apple Support Communities Updates <discussions-updates@apple.com<mailto:discussions-updates@apple.com>> het volgende geschreven:



https://www.apple.com/support/assets/images/external/emails/logo_2x.gif



Apple Support Communities


Boaboss<https://discussions.apple.com/profile/Boaboss?ac_cid=tw123456> has posted in the Using iPhone community.




US Reseller Flex Policy<https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7456984?answerId=32404277022#32404277022&ac_cid=tw123456#32404277>


I have same problem with my new iPhone 8plus and is it a postpaid or prepaid sim you bought






To post a reply, go to the discussion<https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7456984?answerId=32404277022#32404277022&ac_cid=tw123456#32404277> in Communities.



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Oct 16, 2017 8:47 AM in response to Boaboss

Yes Its a prepaid. I bought it over eBay from Sierra mobile.



Verstuurd vanaf mijn iPhone


Op 16 okt. 2017 om 17:42 heeft Apple Support Communities Updates <discussions-updates@apple.com<mailto:discussions-updates@apple.com>> het volgende geschreven:



https://www.apple.com/support/assets/images/external/emails/logo_2x.gif



Apple Support Communities


Boaboss<https://discussions.apple.com/profile/Boaboss?ac_cid=tw123456> has posted in the Using iPhone community.




US Reseller Flex Policy<https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7456984?answerId=32404373022#32404373022&ac_cid=tw123456#32404373>


Just want to order it at Amazon that's where I do buy things and is it postpaid or prepaid sim






To post a reply, go to the discussion<https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7456984?answerId=32404373022#32404373022&ac_cid=tw123456#32404373> in Communities.



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Oct 16, 2017 9:07 AM in response to Boaboss

I don’t have a clue. I bought it on eBay.

“VERIZON NANO SIM Card 4FF • CDMA 4GLTE • Genuine OEM • Prepaid or Contract • NEW” it called.



Verstuurd vanaf mijn iPhone


Op 16 okt. 2017 om 18:03 heeft Apple Support Communities Updates <discussions-updates@apple.com<mailto:discussions-updates@apple.com>> het volgende geschreven:



https://www.apple.com/support/assets/images/external/emails/logo_2x.gif



Apple Support Communities


Boaboss<https://discussions.apple.com/profile/Boaboss?ac_cid=tw123456> has posted in the Using iPhone community.




US Reseller Flex Policy<https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7456984?answerId=32404547022#32404547022&ac_cid=tw123456#32404547>


Can I buy it on Amazon then ???






To post a reply, go to the discussion<https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7456984?answerId=32404547022#32404547022&ac_cid=tw123456#32404547> in Communities.



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TM and copyright © 2017 Apple Inc. 1 Infinite Loop, MS 96-DM. Cupertino, CA 95014.

All Rights Reserved<http://www.apple.com/legal/> | Privacy Policy<http://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/> | Terms of Use<https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-5952> | Apple Support<https://www.apple.com/support/>

US Reseller Flex Policy

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