Verizon has announced a major change to its policy on unlocking phones purchased through its TracFone division. As of recently, the company is now requiring customers to provide at least 365 days of paid service before their phone can be unlocked.
This new policy comes after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) waived a requirement that Verizon unlock handsets 60 days after they are activated on its network. The original rule was put in place due to restrictions on Verizon's spectrum licenses and merger conditions, which helped the company secure approval of its purchase of TracFone.
Under the new policy, customers will no longer receive automatic unlocks after 60 days. Instead, they must request an unlock by providing proof of paid service for at least a year. If a customer fails to maintain active service for the entire 12 months, their unlocking eligibility date will be delayed.
This change applies not only to TracFone but also to other Verizon-owned prepaid brands such as Straight Talk, Net10 Wireless, Clearway, Total Wireless, Simple Mobile, SafeLink Wireless, and Walmart Family Mobile. Customers who purchased phones before today are still eligible for unlocks after 60 days.
The new policy has sparked criticism from consumer advocacy groups, which argue that longer locking periods will hurt consumers and small carriers by limiting their ability to compete on a level playing field. The groups also point out that automatic unlocking facilitates the resale and reuse of mobile devices, reduces e-waste, and enables low-cost carriers to operate more competitively.
Verizon's decision to adopt this policy is seen as part of an effort to deter fraud, with the company citing the need for longer locking periods to prevent scammers from stealing handsets. However, critics argue that Verizon can already detect and respond to fraud within 60 days of a phone's activation.
The FCC rejected a request to limit Verizon's locking period to 180 days and has instead allowed the company's waiver to remain in effect until an industry-wide standard is established.
This new policy comes after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) waived a requirement that Verizon unlock handsets 60 days after they are activated on its network. The original rule was put in place due to restrictions on Verizon's spectrum licenses and merger conditions, which helped the company secure approval of its purchase of TracFone.
Under the new policy, customers will no longer receive automatic unlocks after 60 days. Instead, they must request an unlock by providing proof of paid service for at least a year. If a customer fails to maintain active service for the entire 12 months, their unlocking eligibility date will be delayed.
This change applies not only to TracFone but also to other Verizon-owned prepaid brands such as Straight Talk, Net10 Wireless, Clearway, Total Wireless, Simple Mobile, SafeLink Wireless, and Walmart Family Mobile. Customers who purchased phones before today are still eligible for unlocks after 60 days.
The new policy has sparked criticism from consumer advocacy groups, which argue that longer locking periods will hurt consumers and small carriers by limiting their ability to compete on a level playing field. The groups also point out that automatic unlocking facilitates the resale and reuse of mobile devices, reduces e-waste, and enables low-cost carriers to operate more competitively.
Verizon's decision to adopt this policy is seen as part of an effort to deter fraud, with the company citing the need for longer locking periods to prevent scammers from stealing handsets. However, critics argue that Verizon can already detect and respond to fraud within 60 days of a phone's activation.
The FCC rejected a request to limit Verizon's locking period to 180 days and has instead allowed the company's waiver to remain in effect until an industry-wide standard is established.
Anyway, I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that they're trying to squeeze more cash out of people. 12 months of paid service? That's a pretty steep price to pay for an unlocked phone... and what happens if you miss just one month? Forget about it. It's like they want us to be trapped in this cycle of debt forever. And don't even get me started on the resale market... who's gonna buy your old phone when you can't unlock it for months at a time? 
this new policy by Verizon is definitely gonna affect a lot of people who use their prepaid plans 
I mean, think about it, if you don't have a reliable way to get your phone unlocked after 60 days, it's like being stuck in limbo 
and can't sell or transfer the phone when you want to. And yeah, the whole thing about preventing scammers is cool, but I feel like they could've just made the system better instead of messing with existing customers 
I'm not sure about this new policy from Verizon... it seems like they're trying to help prevent scams, but at what cost? 
It's not like Verizon can't already detect fraud, right? 
I'm also kinda worried about e-waste and stuff... automatic unlocks were supposed to help with that. 
Can't we find a better balance here? 
, it's like they're trying to lock us down 
. The FCC should be looking out for us, not Verizon 
. This is gonna hurt small carriers and consumers like me 
. We need automatic unlocks back 
#VerizonUnlocksTooSlow #FCC Fail #ConsumerRightsMatter
! Can't believe Verizon just changed their policy like that. I mean, what's next? They're gonna start charging us extra for unlocks or something 
. I remember when you could get your phone unlocked after 60 days, it was like a normal thing. Now they're making you wait a whole year just to be able to sell or give your phone to someone else. It's just not fair, especially for small carriers and people who want to switch plans often 
. I get that they wanna prevent fraud, but can't they find other ways to do it? This new policy is just a money grab in my opinion 
. I mean, who expects to be locked into a phone contract for almost 3 years just 'cause of some new rule? It's like, we get it, scammers are bad news, but can't we find other ways to stop them without hurting innocent customers?
. I mean, I understand the whole fraud thing, but can't they just monitor the accounts more closely? And what about customers who upgrade or buy a new phone? Shouldnt they be able to keep their old number and use it on a different device? 
. Can't we just have a one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to phone unlocking? 
Some consumers also see this as a way to prevent scammers from stealing handsets, but I'm not sure if it's worth the cost.
