Good evening!
I purchased an Apple XS Max outright from Cricket Wireless in February. About 3 weeks into service, my employer offered to move my number to our Verizon corporate account, and cover the cost of my phone service. I saw this as a monthly savings in my pocket, and would stop having to carry two different cell phones, so I jumped at the chance when my service period was over with Cricket. I paid for my device outright and was not enrolled in some sort of plan, so I assumed all was OK.
Phone number ported over to Verizon correctly, placed my new Verizon SIM in the XS Max, and was told that the XS Max was locked. Inquired with Cricket support, and was told of the policy of requiring 6 months of service before a device could be unlocked.
I thought this was odd as I paid full price for the XS Max outright. I was still told that the phone could not be unlocked, even after I offered to pre-pay for the remaining 5 months of service just so that I could not see my brand new $1,350 device sitting around as a brick.
Is there really no recourse here? Am I really forced to keep active service with Cricket for another 5 months, and I can't even get out of this by pre-paying? Seems rather spiteful towards the customer.
Thanks.