Verizon is making it even harder to unlock your paid-off phone

One common requirement for unlocking a phone bought via a carrier on a postpaid plan is that it should be paid off. Unfortunately, Verizon is now making subscribers jump through hoops to unlock their paid-off devices in a timely fashion.

Ars Technica reports that Verizon has updated its postpaid device unlocking policy, now mandating a 35-day waiting period for people who pay via the Verizon app or Verizon-authorized retailers. This waiting period previously applied to payments made via Verizon gift cards.

The company outlined the changes via its Device Unlocking Policies webpage:

If you payoff a device payment agreement balance online or in the My Verizon App, or if a Verizon Gift Card is used to purchase a smartphone or pay off a remaining balance, the unlocking process will be delayed by 35 days. This window allows for the verification of the gift card’s funds to ensure they were not obtained through fraudulent or illegal means.

This updated section explains why the waiting period is necessary for payments made via gift cards, but it doesn’t explain why this is necessary for payments via authorized retailers and the Verizon app.

The support page was only updated with this tweaked policy around February 11, but it also notes that the updated policy went into effect from January 27. In other words, it sounds like Verizon is retroactively applying these changes. That’s pretty poor form if confirmed, and means some subscribers are subject to changes they didn’t explicitly agree to when signing their contract in the first place.

Verizon also explains on its device unlocking FAQ page that it automatically unlocks your device when you use a “secure” payment type at a Verizon store. The company defines secure payment types as cash, a credit card with an EMV chip, or contactless payment.

Verizon’s change an “anti-consumer” move

The updated policy clearly isn’t a hit online, as users in the r/verizon and r/technology subreddits have largely expressed dissatisfaction with the changes.

“This is so anti-consumer, it’s upsetting. If there is a lot of fraud with gift cards, sure, maybe I can understand a delay for that method. But if you pay off your phone with your credit card online? You should not be held hostage for another 35 days,” noted user stetsdogg.

“If I paid off my device, it’s mine. Not yours. If I want to move to a different carrier, it should be allowed without delay. In fact, as soon as the last payment is made, unlocking should be automatically enabled. These greedy, bottom feeding companies can all burn in hell,” wrote user Jamizon1.

In any event, we’ve asked Verizon for comment regarding these changes. We’ll update the article as soon as the carrier responds to us. This isn’t a great look either way, especially when the likes of T-Mobile and AT&T seem to have more straightforward device unlock policies.

This policy change also follows another controversial Verizon change in January. Last month, it announced that Verizon Value-branded phones had to be used on its network for 365 days before they could be unlocked. This was a massive U-turn from its previous policy, which allowed these prepaid phones to be unlocked after 60 days.