Subject: Re: Verizon refused to unlock man's phone - then he sued - and they unlocked it



shame on them.

In comp.mobile.android, on Fri, 19 Dec 2025 10:48:12 -0700, Marian <marianjones@helpfulpeople.com> wrote:

Verizon refused to unlock man's iPhone, so he sued the carrier and won ><https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/12/verizon-refused-to-unlock-mans-iphone-so-he-sued-the-carrier-and-won/>

When Verizon refused to unlock an iPhone purchased by Kansas resident
Patrick Roach, he had no intention of giving up without a fight. Roach sued >the wireless carrier in small claims court and won.

Roach bought a discounted iPhone 16e from Verizon's Straight Talk brand on >February 28, 2025, as a gift for his wife's birthday. He intended to pay
for one month of service, cancel, and then switch the phone to the US
Mobile service plan that the couple uses. Under federal rules that apply to >Verizon and a Verizon unlocking policy that was in place when Roach bought >the phone, this strategy should have worked.

Verizon, unlike other carriers, is required by the Federal Communications >Commission to unlock phones shortly after they are activated on its
network. Verizon gained significant benefits in exchange for agreeing to
the unlocking requirement, first in 2008 when it purchased licenses to use >700 MHz spectrum that came with open access requirements and then in 2021 >when it agreed to merger conditions to obtain approval for its purchase of >TracFone.

Verizon is thus required to unlock handsets 60 days after they are
activated on its network. This applies to Verizon's flagship brand and >TracFone brands such as Straight Talk.

But 60 days after Roach activated his phone, Verizon refused to unlock it. >Verizon claimed it didn't have to because of a recent policy change in
which Verizon decided to only unlock devices after "60 days of paid active >service." Roach had only paid for one month of service on the phone.

The FCC-imposed restriction says Verizon must unlock phones 60 days after >activation and doesn't say that Verizon may refuse to unlock a phone when a >customer has not maintained paid service for 60 days. Moreover, Verizon >implemented its "60 days of paid active service" policy for TracFone brands >and Verizon prepaid phones on April 1, 2025, over a month after Roach
bought the phone.

Company policy at the time Roach made the purchase was to unlock phones 60 >days after activation, with no mention of needing 60 days of paid active >service. In other words, Roach bought the phone under one policy, and
Verizon refused to unlock it based on a different policy it implemented
over a month later. Verizon's attempt to retroactively enforce its new
policy on Roach was not looked upon favorably by a magistrate judge in >District Court of Sedgwick County, Kansas.

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