Iphone 5 activation/unlock

[Nevod]

Hi!I just bought iPhone 5 from ebay. The seller posted phone as No Contract ATT phone. But now he told me that he has made an upgrade and sold it to me. What you'll recommend me to do. How I can activate or use this phone? I can't open ATT account because I am a foreigner. Or maybe it'll be better to sell this phone unopened through eBay with some money loss? 

[cornflake_girl]

If you bought an iphone 5 from someone on ebay who classified it as a "NO CONTRACT iphone" and then told you something DIFFERENTLY AFTERWARD you purchased it, I would make a complaint to ebay and have your charges reversed from your purchase since that was NOT WHAT THE DESCRIPTION SAID of said item. You will NOT be a able to do anything with this phone... it will just be a very expensive paper weight in your country.

[Planet-Ed ACE - Expert]

The seller should refund your money as he lied about the status of the merchandise.  If not file a claim against him with eBay.  There is no reason you should be the one taking the loss (except for missing the ATT part).

Foreigners can have an ATT account.  But you'll probably have to pay a large deposit.

Good luck if you try to sell it.  you'll probably have to take a loss as you stated.

[Nevod]

Here what it was in lot description:

Selling a BRAND NEW white 16GB iPhone 5 for AT&T, no contract!

As I understand, it means NO CONTRACT phone. But the seller is trying to tell me that 

eBay is not AT&T and neither am I. Did you purchase this phone from me with a contract? No. Therefore it is a no contract phone. Can you find a truly no contract/unlocked iPhone 5 on eBay, AT&T, Apple, or anywhere else? No. Everyone selling an iPhone 5 "without a contract" are doing the exact same thing I did. They purchased the phone with their upgrade and are selling it to the buyer "without a contract". There are currently only 2 ways to purchase an iPhone 5 right now, this way (through Craigslist or eBay) and with contract.

So, I don't know what to do when I'll receive this paperweight.

I can open case at the eBay but it will be hard to do something about it. So, at the moment I see only one way is to try to sell it via eBay with some losses.

Another idea is to ask my friend to open ATT account and activate this phone for me. But, it doesn't seem to be the easiest and cheapest way to do it.

BTW, is it possible to activate this phone with ATT prepaid sim card?

[dwill05]

The unlock requirements are here:

https://www.att.com/deviceunlock/client/en_US/

Since you are not a current or former AT&T customer, and you didn't buy the phone from an authorized location (eBay isn't an authorized location), the person selling the phone is the one who has to request the unlock.

However, if someone says they got the phone in an upgrade, then they are under contract as phones bought at a discount come with a contract. They can sell the new phone and use their older phone to fulfill the contract for the service, but technically that new phone is still under contract, and until the seller meets his contract obligation, it won't be unlocked by AT&T.

I'm sure there are a lot of people selling their phones on eBay to make a quick buck, but I'm also sure that there are going to be a lot of disappointed buyers who will find that their phone is locked to AT&T and won't be unlocked.

[wingrider01 ACE - Expert]

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Nevod wrote:

Here what it was in lot description:

Selling a BRAND NEW white 16GB iPhone 5 for AT&T, no contract!

As I understand, it means NO CONTRACT phone. But the seller is trying to tell me that 

eBay is not AT&T and neither am I. Did you purchase this phone from me with a contract? No. Therefore it is a no contract phone. Can you find a truly no contract/unlocked iPhone 5 on eBay, AT&T, Apple, or anywhere else? No. Everyone selling an iPhone 5 "without a contract" are doing the exact same thing I did. They purchased the phone with their upgrade and are selling it to the buyer "without a contract". There are currently only 2 ways to purchase an iPhone 5 right now, this way (through Craigslist or eBay) and with contract.

So, I don't know what to do when I'll receive this paperweight.

I can open case at the eBay but it will be hard to do something about it. So, at the moment I see only one way is to try to sell it via eBay with some losses.

Another idea is to ask my friend to open ATT account and activate this phone for me. But, it doesn't seem to be the easiest and cheapest way to do it.

BTW, is it possible to activate this phone with ATT prepaid sim card?

---

would suggest that you get ebay officials involved, the person is so full of it his eyes must be brown. If the devices where in stock you can purchase a no contract phone from att or apple just buy paying the full retail price, the ones from Apple that are unlocked will be delayed for awhile.

[youngjm ACE - Master]

File a complaint with eBay and get 100% of your money back. This is a scam by the seller and they should pay.  Even after the seller fullfils their contract in 2 years, you would not be able to unlock your iPhone as you are not the buyer from an official retailer.

[sandblaster]

Sorry for your troubles but I don't see where the seller misrepresented anything. No contact does not mean unlocked and I don't see anywhere in your post where the seller said it was unlocked.  You do have a no contact phone. The seller is the one who got a new 2 year contract. 

[Nevod]

I don't want unlocked phone, since there is no one yet. I want "no contract" phone.

So, you admit that the Phone has a contract. It doesn't matter who got the phone. This is not a "no contract" phone. This is the phone with the contract. Anyway there is no point the seller on eBay could sell the phone with Contract. Because the Contract agreement is between him and ATT and the Contract could not be sold to another person. But the phone is with obligations (or with Contract) and the phone is a part of agreement between seller and ATT. In this case I just hold this phone on the sellers behalf. That is why he shouldn't mention "no contract" because there is one. 

Phones without obligations (or no contract phones) have being selling widelly all across the States and that's what've been said in previos posts by other community members.

If there was no mentioning "no contract" in the bid description I would have never bought it.

[sandblaster]

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Nevod wrote:

I don't want unlocked phone, since there is no one yet. I want "no contract" phone.

So, you admit that the Phone has a contract. It doesn't matter who got the phone. This is not a "no contract" phone. This is the phone with the contract. Anyway there is no point the seller on eBay could sell the phone with Contract. Because the Contract agreement is between him and ATT and the Contract could not be sold to another person. But the phone is with obligations (or with Contract) and the phone is a part of agreement between seller and ATT. In this case I just hold this phone on the sellers behalf. That is why he shouldn't mention "no contract" because there is one. 

Phones without obligations (or no contract phones) have being selling widelly all across the States and that's what've been said in previos posts by other community members.

If there was no mentioning "no contract" in the bid description I would have never bought it.

---

No, the phone does not have a contract. Phones do not have contracts. The contract is on the line that the seller used to get the upgrade and that contract stays with the line, not with the phone. You can establish service using that phone on a month to month basis. In other words, no commitment or no contract. 

[wingrider01 ACE - Expert]

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Nevod wrote:

I don't want unlocked phone, since there is no one yet. I want "no contract" phone.

So, you admit that the Phone has a contract. It doesn't matter who got the phone. This is not a "no contract" phone. This is the phone with the contract. Anyway there is no point the seller on eBay could sell the phone with Contract. Because the Contract agreement is between him and ATT and the Contract could not be sold to another person. But the phone is with obligations (or with Contract) and the phone is a part of agreement between seller and ATT. In this case I just hold this phone on the sellers behalf. That is why he shouldn't mention "no contract" because there is one. 

Phones without obligations (or no contract phones) have being selling widelly all across the States and that's what've been said in previos posts by other community members.

If there was no mentioning "no contract" in the bid description I would have never bought it.

---

the original sellor is still responsible for the commitment on the phone not you, as far as you are concerned the phone is free and clear of any ties to ATT except that it will only work on ATT's network and no other carrier - so to you the phone is "no contract", you have no responsiblity to it, but by that point you will not be able to request a unlock from att to use it on any other carrier you want to - t-mobile, orange, rogers as a example, if you are happy with using it on att's network then you are fine

[Nevod]

So, the best solution is to sell it via ebay as ATT phone?
Actualy, I was asking for any solution. Is there any way to activate/unlock that phone?
So you say that I could use prepaid att sim card and it will work?
Is there any solution to activate phone without original sim, using other att sim card?
Or it is better not to open it and sell via eBay loosing couple of hundred $$?

[sandblaster]

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Nevod wrote:
So, the best solution is to sell it via ebay as ATT phone?
Actualy, I was asking for any solution. Is there any way to activate/unlock that phone?
So you say that I could use prepaid att sim card and it will work?
Is there any solution to activate phone without original sim, using other att sim card?
Or it is better not to open it and sell via eBay loosing couple of hundred $$?

---

The seller should have activated the phone before he sold it to you. If he didn't, I believe he is going to have a problem. He will either be expected to return it or he will get charged the full price. In any event, if he activated it you should be able to use it with any AT&T sim. If he did not activate the phone, I think you should be able to activate it with any AT&T sim. I do not believe the original sim is required to activate it. 

[dwill05]

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Nevod wrote:
So, the best solution is to sell it via ebay as ATT phone?
Actualy, I was asking for any solution. Is there any way to activate/unlock that phone?
So you say that I could use prepaid att sim card and it will work?
Is there any solution to activate phone without original sim, using other att sim card?
Or it is better not to open it and sell via eBay loosing couple of hundred $$?

---

I'm confused.  What did you believe you were buying and what were you intending to do with the phone?  The seller sold you a no-contract iPhone 5.  As far as you are concenred, you got a no-contract phone.  You can take that phone, sign up with AT&T, and pay month to month with no contract.  The seller is stuck with a contract on his line and won't be eligible for another upgrade for 20 months or so, and has to pay an ETF if he drops his service, but that has nothing to do with you.  If you wanted a phone you could use on AT&T and not be liable for a contract, that's exactly what you got.

If you were looking for an unlocked phone, from what you've said the seller never mentioned the word unlocked, so there was no reason to assume on your part that you would be getting an unlocked phone, or even one that could be unlocked.  Even if the seller had bought the phone without a contract, he would have had to be the one requesting the unlock since he's the one who has the account and the one who bought it from an authorized retailer.

[Nevod]

If it would be no contract phone there is no obligation and I can use any sim card with this phone. (but the phone will be ATT phone with no contract) And as you know this option does not mean that phone is unlocked.
With 2 year contract phone I can use only ATT sim anywhere in the world. Without possibility to unlock it. (Except for some questionable sites offering factory unlock for 50 bucks. But I don't trust them)
I am not even sure about activation. As I understand he did not open the phone, so I have to activate it somehow. And I am not sure that the phone could be activated with ATT pay-as-you-go sim card.
That's the difference between No contract phone and Phone with the contract.

[wingrider01 ACE - Expert]

---

Nevod wrote:
If it would be no contract phone there is no obligation and I can use any sim card with this phone. (but the phone will be ATT phone with no contract) And as you know this option does not mean that phone is unlocked.
With 2 year contract phone I can use only ATT sim anywhere in the world. Without possibility to unlock it. (Except for some questionable sites offering factory unlock for 50 bucks. But I don't trust them)
I am not even sure about activation. As I understand he did not open the phone, so I have to activate it somehow. And I am not sure that the phone could be activated with ATT pay-as-you-go sim card.
That's the difference between No contract phone and Phone with the contract.

---

No - no contract does not mean unlocked, they are two completely different things. Apple sells both - no contract and unlocked under two different skews, att only sells locked. If  the phone is no contract then it is still locked to att's network and you cannot use any sim card with it, it just plain will not work.

[Nevod]

But, Is it possible to activate iPhone5 with ATT's pay-as-you-go sim card? Or with any other ATT sim card?

Anyway, at the moment I have 2 options:

1. Try to sell it through eBay again.

2. Try to unlock it through the questionable site and pay extra 50-80 USD for unlocking it.

IMO 1st way is better and I hope I will be able to take my 720 USD (or 650 after all) for this phone.

What do you think?

[Planet-Ed ACE - Expert]

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Nevod wrote:

But, Is it possible to activate iPhone5 with ATT's pay-as-you-go sim card? Or with any other ATT sim card?

---

ATT does not authorize the iPhone to be used on their prepaid plans anymore.

[cousintim]

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youngjm wrote:

File a complaint with eBay and get 100% of your money back. This is a scam by the seller and they should pay.  Even after the seller fullfils their contract in 2 years, you would not be able to unlock your iPhone as you are not the buyer from an official retailer.

---

Absolutely do this.  You have a good chance of getting your money back.

Also, don't buy newly-released iPhones on eBay and if you do, be certain they are FACTORY UNLOCKED.  They may not be available in the US yet, but they are available in other countries.

[dwill05]

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Nevod wrote:
If it would be no contract phone there is no obligation and I can use any sim card with this phone. (but the phone will be ATT phone with no contract) And as you know this option does not mean that phone is unlocked.
With 2 year contract phone I can use only ATT sim anywhere in the world. Without possibility to unlock it. (Except for some questionable sites offering factory unlock for 50 bucks. But I don't trust them)
I am not even sure about activation. As I understand he did not open the phone, so I have to activate it somehow. And I am not sure that the phone could be activated with ATT pay-as-you-go sim card.
That's the difference between No contract phone and Phone with the contract.

---

I think you are confused.  Unlocked means you can use any sim card in the phone, nothing to do with no contract.  If it's not unlocked, it's locked to AT&T and only an AT&T SIM will work in it.  A phone can be contract free or out of a contract and still be locked to AT&T.

If you want an unlocked iPhone 5 at this time, you need to buy the phone that is specifically sold as being unlocked by Apple.

[dwill05]

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cousintim wrote:

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youngjm wrote:

File a complaint with eBay and get 100% of your money back. This is a scam by the seller and they should pay.  Even after the seller fullfils their contract in 2 years, you would not be able to unlock your iPhone as you are not the buyer from an official retailer.

---

Absolutely do this.  You have a good chance of getting your money back.

Also, don't buy newly-released iPhones on eBay and if you do, be certain they are FACTORY UNLOCKED.  They may not be available in the US yet, but they are available in other countries.

---

How is this a scam by the seller?  From what has been said here, the seller never claimed the phone was unlocked or capable of being unlocked.  All he said was it was no contract, which is true for the buyer as the buyer is not under any contract.  It seems that the buyer made an incorrect assumption that no contact means unlocked and bought on the basis of that assumption without checking into it before buying.

[cousintim]

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dwill05 wrote:

How is this a scam by the seller?  From what has been said here, the seller never claimed the phone was unlocked or capable of being unlocked.  All he said was it was no contract, which is true for the buyer as the buyer is not under any contract.  It seems that the buyer made an incorrect assumption that no contact means unlocked and bought on the basis of that assumption without checking into it before buying.

---

The seller knowing sold a locked AT&T phone to a person outside the US.  At the very least, he should take it back.

[dwill05]

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cousintim wrote:

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dwill05 wrote:

How is this a scam by the seller?  From what has been said here, the seller never claimed the phone was unlocked or capable of being unlocked.  All he said was it was no contract, which is true for the buyer as the buyer is not under any contract.  It seems that the buyer made an incorrect assumption that no contact means unlocked and bought on the basis of that assumption without checking into it before buying.

---

The seller knowing sold a locked AT&T phone to a person outside the US.  At the very least, he should take it back.

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Sorry, I disagree.  The buyer should have know what he was buying.  Besides, what if a buyer outside the US was a student or something who was planning to come to the US for an extended sray and wanted an AT&T compatible phone?  There could be a legitimate reason for someone outside the US to want a locked iPhone.  It's not a seller's responsibility to know what someone wants to buy something for.  The seller never said the phone was unlocked.  Where's the buyer's responsibility to know what they are buying, or to ask questions if they are unsure?

[cousintim]

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dwill05 wrote:

 Where's the buyer's responsibility to know what they are buying, or to ask questions if they are unsure?

---

Responsibilty is required by both buyer and seller.  Most sellers allow retuns.  If this one, didn't, I still suggest pursuing it through eBay.  YMMV.

[Nevod · Accepted solution]

Thanks everyone for help! I will wait for the phone to come and then I will put it back to eBay. I hope I will not loose much. Next time I will be more careful with eBay lots and I will ask the seller is it Really Really Really no contract phone and what does he mean by No contract.
I agree that this is responsibility of both sides and it was partially my fault but the seller should be more specific about No contract part.
I still think that No contract = No obligation phone And I will not put "No Contract" into my description.
Thanks again.

[zubair_b]

Hi,

 just got an AT&T iphone and i got this link which promises to unlock my iPhone 5 permanently. is this legit and of AT&T???

{commercial link removed}

[dwill05]

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Nevod wrote:
Thanks everyone for help! I will wait for the phone to come and then I will put it back to eBay. I hope I will not loose much. Next time I will be more careful with eBay lots and I will ask the seller is it Really Really Really no contract phone and what does he mean by No contract.
I agree that this is responsibility of both sides and it was partially my fault but the seller should be more specific about No contract part.
I still think that No contract = No obligation phone And I will not put "No Contract" into my description.
Thanks again.

---

I hope it works out for you.  If what you really want is an unlocked phone, you shold ask specifically for an unlocked phone.  "No contract" has nothing to do with the phone being unlocked or not.  Even if someone is out of contract, it doesn't mean that the phone is unlocked, or that someone who buys the phone later on will be able to unlock it.

Not sure why the hangup on "no contract".  If you buy a phone from an individual (as opposed to a carrier), the buyer won't have any contract or obligation to any carrier at all.  Any contract that exists would be the responsibility of the seller.

[dwill05]

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zubair_b wrote:

Hi,

 just got an AT&T iphone and i got this link which promises to unlock my iPhone 5 permanently. is this legit and of AT&T???

{commercial link removed}

---

It's not AT&T.  Only AT&T factory unlocks iPhones and the vast majority of iPhone 5s out there are contract phones and aren't eligible for factory unlocking yet anyway.  Plus the service if free from AT&T.  By the text, it appears that the company selling the unlock has some access to Apple's servers, perhaps for legal unlocking of another carrier's phones, and is using it to perform unauthorized locking for AT&T phones.  Whether they'll get caught, or whether they'll get shutdown by Apple, who knows?  Are you willing to take the risk?

[wingrider01 ACE - Expert]

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Nevod wrote:
Thanks everyone for help! I will wait for the phone to come and then I will put it back to eBay. I hope I will not loose much. Next time I will be more careful with eBay lots and I will ask the seller is it Really Really Really no contract phone and what does he mean by No contract.
I agree that this is responsibility of both sides and it was partially my fault but the seller should be more specific about No contract part.
I still think that No contract = No obligation phone And I will not put "No Contract" into my description.
Thanks again.

---

It looks like you are still mixing up the terms

No Contract = end user is not required by the carrier to fulfull a two year commitment becasue they either paid full retail price for the phone or bought it used through a 3rd party sellor

Unlocked - phone can be used with any compatible SIM card, att, t-mobile, o2, rogers as a example

Make sure you put verbage to the affect that the device can only be used on ATT's network and is not eligible for a unlock through att. This is the key sentence

[Nevod]

Well, I recieved iPhone. It was not activated and during activation with other sim card it askes me to confirm my identity since this phone is attached to anonother phone number. 

So, you were not right. As I suspected, I need to activate it with original sim card or confirm identity of seller. (last 4 numers of ssn)