Carrier Am I able to sell my previous Verizon phone if I’m still making payments on it?

[eyoungren]

I will 100% be completing all of the payments. Everything is on auto-pay and we’ve never missed a payment.

Oh, I have no doubt. I'm just saying that as a general buyer who had no clue about this thread or MacRumors that would be my concern. And it is a concern because it has happened to people.

Again, not that you'd stop paying. I'm just being general here.

 

[Djones96]

Is it 90 days now? I thought it was 60 (see my post above) and a Google search says as much on Verizon's unlock policy page:

Device Unlocking Policies | Verizon

Verizon's device unlocking policy.

www.verizon.com

Ah looks like you're correct! They must've changed it not too long ago, last time I looked into it it was 90 days. Thank you for the clarification.

 

[DDustiNN]

You do not own the phone you want to sell. That could come under committing fraud on the person you sell it to, and theft and breach of contract with the carrier you made the contract for the 13 with.
Regardless, wait the 5 months then sell when it’s paid off and you legally own it.

I find this question silly.

How is it silly to ask? Device payment plan almost sounds similar to a credit card to me, rather than something like a car loan. Do you not own something you’re making credit card payments on?

 

[DDustiNN]

Why are carriers so barbaric in the US? Last year I sold my iPhone 13 Pro Max, which was bought as part of a two-year contract from my carrier with 0% financing, without problems — after all I owned the phone, I bought it from them.

If I had stopped paying the monthly payments only I would have gotten problems, not the buyer — and the phones aren't SIM locked either, at all. Sounds like companies in the US want customers to be chained to them as if they were their slaves.

That was my thought process exactly. Especially since when you reset the phone you get the option to delete the eSIM.

 

[NT1440]

You can just pay off the remaining balance in the Verizon app. That’s what I did on my phone before upgrading to a 13 mini a few months back.

 

[timeconsumer]

Technically as @eyoungren mentioned, Verizon’s phones are unlocked after 60 days of use on the Verizon network. There’s really nothing preventing you from selling this phone at this point. However, most potential buyers likely wouldn’t want to buy a phone still on a payment plan. If you were to stop paying for the device it would then be blacklisted so they wouldn’t be able to use it. So it would be a risk for any potential buyer. To avoid that just pay it off now or wait the 5 months. If you’re getting credits check with Verizon first before paying it off as it could cancel those remaining credits.

 

[AnthroMatt]

Honestly, I'd just pay the 100 bucks and forfeit the credits. Then sell your phone. You'll get more than $100, so just think of it as using the proceeds from the old phone to pay it off in full. Since it is already unlocked, you can sell it to anyone without an issue. Once you receive payment, pay off the phone at Verizon (if you haven't already) and ship the phone to the buyer.

 

[SpotOnT]

I got the iPhone 13 Pro on release and did the payment plans through Verizon since they were offering $1,000 for trade-ins. Got them for the whole family, in fact.

Fast forward 2 years, and I bought the iPhone 15 Pro outright since the trade-ins sucked.

Now this month was the last payment on everyone’s phones… except for mine, for some reason. I must’ve but paid attention to what I selected on purchase, but I have 5 more “payments” left (they charge the payment price, then discount the price to make it free).

But I’ve already been using the new iPhone 15 Pro for weeks now, so I’m ready to part with the 13 Pro.

So my question is…

If I sell it to someone, will they be able to activate it? Or is it locked to my account somehow? My Verizon account is still in good standing, of course. Or should I bite on the lowballed trade-in value? Or, lastly, should I wait 5 months and sell it once the payments have completed?

You can sell it. Verizon puts a 60 or 90 lock on the device (I don’t remember which), but after that it is completely unlocked and you are free to do whatever you want with it.

Edit: I am assuming you purchased the phone with a device payment plan…which is essentially an interest free loan/payment plan with promotional billing credits. If that is true you can sell your phone as soon as it is unlocked (60-90 days). Some commenters are assuming you are under “contract”. That could be true if you are on a very old legacy Verizon plan and that could be a problem until the device is fully paid off.

 

[mk313]

Why are carriers so barbaric in the US? Last year I sold my iPhone 13 Pro Max, which was bought as part of a two-year contract from my carrier with 0% financing, without problems — after all I owned the phone, I bought it from them.

If I had stopped paying the monthly payments only I would have gotten problems, not the buyer — and the phones aren't SIM locked either, at all. Sounds like companies in the US want customers to be chained to them as if they were their slaves.

I don't know about that. The Phone companies are extending an offer to get a discounted rate on a phone in exchange for committing to a certain length agreement. If anyone isn't comfortable with those terms, they also offer the ability to pay full price for a new phone, or bring your own phone that you can get anywhere. No one is chained to anything, unless they knowingly enter a contract for a better price.

If someone wants to get a good deal on a phone, they are free to sign up for the deal, with the understanding that they need to keep the phone on the contracted rate for the agreed upon term. If anyone isn't comfortable with that deal, they can just pay full cost upfront or bring another phone with them & pay nothing.

No one is forced/chanined to anything. It also seems unreasonable to expect a company to give you a $1,000 or greater phone with no strings attached. The buyer in that case could simply buy the phone, cancel the service on month 1, and never pay anything for it.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

Now this month was the last payment on everyone’s phones… except for mine, for some reason. I must’ve but paid attention to what I selected on purchase, but I have 5 more “payments” left (they charge the payment price, then discount the price to make it free).

As far as "Should you sell it" - sure, why not.

As far as "Should anyone buy it" - not a chance

 

[BeatCrazy]

Technically as @eyoungren mentioned, Verizon’s phones are unlocked after 60 days of use on the Verizon network. There’s really nothing preventing you from selling this phone at this point. However, most potential buyers likely wouldn’t want to buy a phone still on a payment plan. If you were to stop paying for the device it would then be blacklisted so they wouldn’t be able to use it. So it would be a risk for any potential buyer. To avoid that just pay it off now or wait the 5 months. If you’re getting credits check with Verizon first before paying it off as it could cancel those remaining credits.

Verizon won't unlock a phone that has not been paid in full.

 

[timeconsumer]

Verizon won't unlock a phone that has not been paid in full.

Do you have a source for this?

According to: https://www.verizon.com/support/device-unlocking-policy/

Postpay Device Unlocking Policy

Devices that you purchase from Verizon are locked for 60 days after purchase. Devices that you purchase from one of our authorized retailers are locked for 60 days after activation. After 60 days, we will automatically remove the lock unless the device is deemed stolen or purchased fraudulently. Following the 60 day lock period, we do not lock our phones at any time.

 

[BeatCrazy]

Do you have a source for this?

According to: https://www.verizon.com/support/device-unlocking-policy/

Postpay Device Unlocking Policy

Devices that you purchase from Verizon are locked for 60 days after purchase. Devices that you purchase from one of our authorized retailers are locked for 60 days after activation. After 60 days, we will automatically remove the lock unless the device is deemed stolen or purchased fraudulently. Following the 60 day lock period, we do not lock our phones at any time.

Key words there are “purchase”. If you’re on one of those trade in promos you haven’t purchased (paid) for the phone fully, yet.

 

[eyoungren]

Key words there are “purchase”. If you’re on one of those trade in promos you haven’t purchased (paid) for the phone fully, yet.

What you are saying makes no sense.

If you get a device on payments with Verizon without a promo it's not paid off either. Yet, up until 2019 or so, Verizon had to unlock out of the box.

If you pay in full (does Verizon allow that?) then the device is paid off and the 60 days is because Verizon wants to.

I'm not sure we are all on the same page here.

Here is a link about Verizon asking the FCC for permission to lock devices for 60 days.

FCC gives thumbs-up to Verizon to lock phones for 60 days

Verizon says the temporary lock is meant to deter phone thieves.

www.cnet.com

From the article:

Verizon is the only US wireless carrier that must seek permission to unlock its phones. The company is required under FCC rules to sell all its phones unlocked. That's the result of a deal Verizon struck with the FCC in 2008 when it licensed the "C block" of 700 megahertz spectrum, which powers its 4G LTE network.

So, are you saying that when Verizon was required to sell all it's devices unlocked that only applied to people who paid in full when they bought the phone?

 

[PaladinGuy]

Typically you can do whatever you want with the phone, as long as you keep making the payments. That’s been my experience with carriers.

 

[rui no onna]

Verizon won't unlock a phone that has not been paid in full.

Nope. The FCC requires Verizon to sell their phones unlocked as a condition for winning a spectrum bid. Google competed in the bid at the time as well and I believe they were instrumental in the FCC putting forth conditions for Verizon to open up their network and devices.

I think around a year or two ago, the policy changed to 60 days locked and automatic unlock after.

I have a backup Verizon line. The iPhone SE 2nd gen (2020) I bought with 0% APR Verizon financing was unlocked. The iPhone SE 3rd gen (2022) I bought under the same terms was locked for 60 days and unlocked automatically after the 60 day period was up.

 

[timeconsumer]

Key words there are “purchase”. If you’re on one of those trade in promos you haven’t purchased (paid) for the phone fully, yet.

According to a Verizon support rep on their official support forum it doesn’t matter if the phone is on a device payment plan as long as the payments are still being made and the phone has been on the Verizon network for at least 60 days, it’s an automatic unlock.

Unlocking policy on device payment agreements

I have an iPhone XR that is under a device agreement plan. So it's not fully paid off yet. How does the 60-day locking policy apply here? The FAQ says something like this: ============= Device purchased on a device payment agreement and paid off prior to 60 day requirement - Locked for 60 days...

community.verizon.com

 

[BeatCrazy]

Nope. The FCC requires Verizon to sell their phones unlocked as a condition for winning a spectrum bid. Google competed in the bid at the time as well and I believe they were instrumental in the FCC putting forth conditions for Verizon to open up their network and devices.

I think around a year or two ago, the policy changed to 60 days locked and automatic unlock after.

I have a backup Verizon line. The iPhone SE 2nd gen (2020) I bought with 0% APR Verizon financing was unlocked. The iPhone SE 3rd gen (2022) I bought under the same terms was locked for 60 days and unlocked automatically after the 60 day period was up.

My mistake. The other US carriers have this restriction.

 

[SpotOnT]

Verizon won't unlock a phone that has not been paid in full.

Not true. I just recently got a device from Verizon on a payment plan and after a few months I gave it to a family member on AT&T.

Devices purchased on Payment Plans with promotional credits are fully unlocked by Verizon after 60-90 days.

They claim the lock is just to prevent theft/fraudulent purchases. Not to tie the device to the specific account plan until payed off.

As long as you make your payments, Verizon doesn’t care what you do with the device.

 

[jagolden]

How is it silly to ask? Device payment plan almost sounds similar to a credit card to me, rather than something like a car loan. Do you not own something you’re making credit card payments on?

It is not the same as a credit card. As to the automobile, that’s a whole different story as they are regulated (if not bought outright) in most countries. You need the Title (proof of ownership) to the car to be able to sell it. If it was purchased on a loan, again, you don’t really own it until you’ve paid off the loan and get that title.

What the Device Payment Plan “sounds” like a credit card “”to you”, has no bearing on what it actually means. Don’t you know anything about basic purchase contracts?

In this case you are wrong, unfortunately, and I feel bad for you. But I’m done participating in a round-about conversation. You seem to simply be looking for some justification to perform a potentially illegal, or at least, morally wrong action.

 

[clerkpalmer]

You do not own the phone you want to sell. That could come under committing fraud on the person you sell it to, and theft and breach of contract with the carrier you made the contract for the 13 with.
Regardless, wait the 5 months then sell when it’s paid off and you legally own it.

I find this question silly.

Statements like this are why people shouldn’t play lawyer on the internet. Yeessch. Fraud, theft and breach of contract! Good lord. Stop. Please. When you buys goods on credit you own the goods. You of course have to make your agreed upon payments or suffer the consequences but selling a phone on contract is not fraud. When you buy a tv at Best Buy on credit you are free to sell it to someone the next day. This is exactly the same. Now ATT actually locks the phone to your account so it can’t be used by someone else effectively making it impossible to sell but that’s different altogether.

 

[clerkpalmer]

It is not the same as a credit card. As to the automobile, that’s a whole different story as they are regulated (if not bought outright) in most countries. You need the Title (proof of ownership) to the car to be able to sell it. If it was purchased on a loan, again, you don’t really own it until you’ve paid off the loan and get that title.

What the Device Payment Plan “sounds” like a credit card “”to you”, has no bearing on what it actually means. Don’t you know anything about basic purchase contracts?

In this case you are wrong, unfortunately, and I feel bad for you. But I’m done participating in a round-about conversation. You seem to simply be looking for some justification to perform a potentially illegal, or at least, morally wrong action.

Um no sorry man, you are wrong. It’s just consumer credit like anything else. Read the Verizon installment contract the only breach is failure to pay. If OP keeps paying as agreed he is free to do what he wishes with the device. Morals have nothing to do with any of this. It’s a just a phone.

 

[jagolden]

Um no sorry man, you are wrong. It’s just consumer credit like anything else. Read the Verizon installment contract the only breach is failure to pay. If OP keeps paying as agreed he is free to do what he wishes with the device. Morals have nothing to do with any of this. It’s a just a phone.

I still call wrong answer. However, the bigger problem is how does the buyer register/activate, whatever, a phone “owned” by some one else’s account.. and yes, I realize I’ve jumped my other argument.

 

[clerkpalmer]

I still call wrong answer. However, the bigger problem is how does the buyer register/activate, whatever, a phone “owned” by some one else’s account.. and yes, I realize I’ve jumped my other argument.

The phone is unlocked. It’s a non issue.

 

[davedvdy]

The phone is unlocked. It’s a non issue.

You also said "When you buys goods on credit you own the goods."

It isn't the same as purchasing on a CC! If it was purchased on a credit card, the device is paid off and STAYS unlocked. You are conflating two different scenarios. If someone defaults on a CC payment, they don't take back the goods.


The phone only stays unlocked if payments are made in the future -- so you put your trust in the hands of a complete stranger. The device isn't fully owned by the person yet, and the buyer cannot even stop the device from going down if payments default.

I don't understand how the iPhone could even be legally sold to someone else, so I totally agree with jagolden.