iPhone 6(S)/Plus Why would AT&T unlock my iPhone 6s+?

[LLL1424]

So I put in a request for AT&T to unlock my iPhone 6s Plus and it worked. It was approved in seconds.

My question is why? It's on a Next plan and I haven't made a payment on it yet. I'm not complaining but is this about luck? Do you have to meet certain criteria?

I'm so excited to have in unlocked, honestly!

 

[Cuniac]

someone must have dropped the ball, or they don't care. Carrier usually wont allow you to unlock the phone until you pay it off but maybe they figure if your going to go to another carrier they are going to have to pay us in full in they leave anyway. Its cool they unlocked it but its not really going to do anything for you until its paid and only if you decided to move to another carrier. still pretty cool

 

[Atomic Walrus]

You're off-contract, maybe they have to unlock it? Or at least that's what I'm getting from this:
https://www.fcc.gov/device-unlocking-faq

Next isn't a service contract, it's just a financing program (hence the "zero down with approved credit" or however they say it). That FAQ just says that you have to be out of contract and in good standing.

 

[LLL1424]

You're off-contract, maybe they have to unlock it? Or at least that's what I'm getting from this:
https://www.fcc.gov/device-unlocking-faq

Next isn't a service contract, it's just a financing program (hence the "zero down with approved credit" or however they say it). That FAQ just says that you have to be out of contract and in good standing.

I'd imagine that too but there's some folks on here who also got tried to unlock their iPhone 6s or 6s+ to get denied because Att states they still owe money on the device.

 

[Cuniac]

I'd imagine that too but there's some folks on here who also got tried to unlock their iPhone 6s or 6s+ to get denied because Att states they still owe money on the device.

Sometimes you will get someone at AT&T who just does what you ask lol. When I was with AT&T I heard they were letting people swtich back to the unlimited plan if there were ever on it before. I had just started with them a month before but I called them and asked if they would switch me back and they did lol. I guess it just never hurts to ask

 

[Ludatyk]

I'd imagine that too but there's some folks on here who also got tried to unlock their iPhone 6s or 6s+ to get denied because Att states they still owe money on the device.

I think it's just a glitch in the system. The system isn't perfect... They get thousands of request everyday. Some mistakes are bound to happen...

I remember they had a thread going with people on the Next program having success getting their unlock request granted while some were unsuccessful. So, there's no need to question why... I'd just chalk it up as a glitch.

 

[Atomic Walrus]

Sorry, apparently they do specifically mention installment plans. "...completed the device installment plan..." It basically has the same "question" twice, and the first time it only mentions contracts.

So you got lucky and found a rep who would hit the button, I guess? I've always wondered if the reps are allowed to grant a certain number of rule-bending customer requests per some time period as a way of keeping people happy with CS, or if it's just that the rules are so complicated that no one has any idea what's going on.

 

[Applejuiced]

I wouldn't ask why.
Id just jump up and down

 

[neile45]

I unlocked all my iPhone 5c's (3 of them) on my ATT account that still have 1 year left on the contracts. It looks like the only requirements are that you have 3 months of payments on time.

 

[tivoboy]

I've tried this several times with several phones, never happens for me.. ;-(