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PSA: 60 unlock policy may come to an end on Verizon and its MVNO
Yesterday at
02:50 PM
Deal Details
https://www.reuters.com/business/...026-01-12/
"The FCC said Verizon is the only major provider that the FCC requires to unlock its mobile phones 60 days after activation, which is earlier than standard industry practice. Verizon said that it "saw a spike in fraud of approximately 55% after TracFone moved from its earlier policy of a one-year lock to Verizon's 60-day lock" as a condition of the FCC's approval of the transaction.
FCC Chair Brendan Carr said that sophisticated criminal networks have exploited the FCC's handset unlocking policies to carry out criminal acts—including drug running and human smuggling."
So FCC is hinting that Verizon no need to do the 60 day unlock policy anymore. It may mean that the currently 60-day unlock policy applied by Verizon, Total Wireless and some Tracfone may all end. Go get a Total wireless phone deal while it's still available.
"The FCC said Verizon is the only major provider that the FCC requires to unlock its mobile phones 60 days after activation, which is earlier than standard industry practice. Verizon said that it "saw a spike in fraud of approximately 55% after TracFone moved from its earlier policy of a one-year lock to Verizon's 60-day lock" as a condition of the FCC's approval of the transaction.
FCC Chair Brendan Carr said that sophisticated criminal networks have exploited the FCC's handset unlocking policies to carry out criminal acts—including drug running and human smuggling."
So FCC is hinting that Verizon no need to do the 60 day unlock policy anymore. It may mean that the currently 60-day unlock policy applied by Verizon, Total Wireless and some Tracfone may all end. Go get a Total wireless phone deal while it's still available.
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For context, My iPhone 16e $199 StraightTalk BF Nov 2025 deal and with 60 day paid service is almost coming to an end. Hope this PSA not is not effective immediately.
It was a loophole. MVNOs sold devices at a huge loss with the expectation they would repay with service over the long term.
Nobody is entitled to buy things at a huge loss to the seller, get real.
The loophole is closed and I will likely lose out on 2 devices waiting to unlock next month so Im pretty bummed, but it was always a risk and Im not crying about it, and least of all trying to turn it into some political nonsense. Take that garbage to Reddit.
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For context, My iPhone 16e $199 StraightTalk BF Nov 2025 deal and with 60 day paid service is almost coming to an end. Hope this PSA not is not effective immediately.
Let us know if yours unlocks.
I have 2 devices that will hit their 60 days early next month and Im not very optimistic.
When you abuse the system good things go away. It's just a fact of life.
It was a loophole. MVNOs sold devices at a huge loss with the expectation they would repay with service over the long term.
They also choose to sell devices at a loss, no one forced them.
As a person who actually uses Total Wireless for my cell service for the past 7 years I'm glad this is happening!
Every time I want to get a "deal" handset they are scooped up by resellers and scalpers so I have a hard time to legitimately get a new handset at a subsidized price for being a loyal customer who would keep it on their network!!
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They also choose to sell devices at a loss, no one forced them.
Either way, the almost-free unlocked phone gravy train was going away. The MVNO unlocked phone deals had become so popular (SD helped!) it wasn't a rounding error in their bottom line anymore.
Either they close the loophole or they charge normal phone prices like some of the other MVNOs do now. The end result is the same.