Best Buy Store Purchase

[jdogg836]

No unfortunately it isn't a world phone, It's a tri-band unlocked phone as I stated above. I wish I could explain it differently so you could understand that this isn't something Best Buy did to you.  It is physicallylimited by the hardware, 900 band isn't used in North America because it was reserved for things like cordless home phones.  When most manufacturers make unlocked phones here, they save a few bucks and leave out the 900 cellular band.  That makes them unlocked but incompatible with any country that uses the 900 band.

It's not the same thing as the iPhone situation from customers in this thread where customers get Universal and Unlocked mixed up on iphones.  Both Universal and Unlocked iPhones are quad-band and compatible worldwide.  Universal iPhones lock to the first US SIM inserted while Unlocked phones do not.  Again, this is informational only and does not apply to your situation.  

[bzangrandi]

So being a best buy employee what do you reccomend I should do? 

Like I mentioned, I paid for this phone and I cannot use it. I dont understand when you say best buy didnt do that to me. So I wonder who did. Because I now have a phone completely useless like you said yourself and best buy is not doing anything to help. 

[jdogg836]

"I dont understand when you say best buy didnt do that to me."

I'll try one last time:  You came in and requested an unlocked phone, Best Buy then sold you an unlocked phone.  We provided you what you asked for.  There is no malfeasance, malicious intent, or illegal misconduct in that transaction and I'm sure the employee walked away thinking they took care of your needs.

If you came into my store today and asked me for an unlocked phone, I would show you all of your choices and most (~90%) would be Tri-Band only since you were in the US.  However, if you came in and said I need a Quad-Band unlocked phone specifically for use on 900 band carriers I would show you a much smaller selection.  I think the issue is that you have a misunderstanding of what the word "Unlocked" means.  It means that you can put any compatible carrier SIM into it and it will work.  It is not the same thing as a Quad-Band or World Phone.  

[Dutchfamily]

We live in the Netherlands and are feeling so scammed and ignored and mislead by Best Buy. 1.26 hours waiting time at the phone (very expensive of you call from abroad), nobody answers mail. Best Buy is simply not reachable, so hopefully this ‘Best Buy Support’ will solve this ungoing nightmare.

In August this year we visited the beautiful Yosemite Parc. At the Best Buy store Visalia my 16 old son bought an iPhone 10.

The sales guy guaranteed us that the iPhone X is simlock free and can be used in the Netherlands.
Unfortunately, that was a lie.

There is a simlock on the iPhone and my son can not use it.

We phoned, nobody can help. We have send e-mails, nobody replies.

I tried again today at telephonenumber +1 612 291-1000. There is a waiting time of one hour and 26 minutes!!!!!!

This is a nightmare. This can not be true. My son worked so hard after schoolhours and saved so much money to end up with nothing but a locked phone.

How can I explain to my son that all his money is waisted by Best Buy?!?

Can someone please escalate this within Best Buy? We want our money back. We feel scammed.

For months we have tried to het support and to receive the unlock code.

Please help!

Kind regards,
Yvonne

[brucegoose03]

They told me the EXACT same thing. 

We asked, "Is this phone factory unlocked? This will be used in another country"

Best Buy manager and the other 2 assosciates said, "Oh yeah, all our phones are factory unlocked. They're not tied to any carrier until you put a SIM card in it"

That was not the case. When the phone was attempted to be activated with a SIM card from MCI, it would not activate. 

We find out then it was tied to T-Mobile somehow, and they will absolutely, positively not unlock this stupid phone. 

I essentially have a $1200 hunk of useless crap and no one can help me with it. 

[cbraga7]

On the 26th of September at the Best Buy store in Lynchburg (store number 444)I bought an Iphone 11 pro IMEI number {removed per forum guidelines}. This Iphone was supposed to be unlocked. After I bought the Iphone I left the country and I have the device in Brazil. When I tried to activate the phone in Brazil, the SIM card was not compatible. I have spent the last 3 months looking for ways to unlock the phone. I was instructed to activate the Iphone using a US telephone company and then ask the carrier to unlock the phone. This I did. I used a Tmobile chip, unlocked my phone and asked T-mobile to unlock the phone but I was denied this service. I have also tried various online services and spent almost $300 trying to unlock this phone but all of my attempts have failed. I have a huge problem now, Because Best Buy sold me a WRONG Locked Iphone, for the price of an unlocked phone. I have contacted Apple and they have said that as this was not a phone sold at an Apple store, I had to speak to Best Buy directly.  I have no way of taking the phone back to the US so I need you guys to help me unlock the phone. Even if I could travel to the US, I dnt have the box for the iphone anymore because when I traveled t Brazil I left the box in the states and carried the phone in my pocket because the luggage was way too full to fit the box. How should I proceed?

[HsuBayYuan]

August 2019 I bought a fully paid IphoneXR (not the phone with carrir contract) at a bestbuy store (

7090 Market Place Dr Goleta, CA 93117). However, recently when I went back to Taiwan it shows that it is a locked phone that I can not use other SIM card in Taiwan. Now I am in Taiwan and can not use my cell phone to call anyone.

Please solve this issue as soon as possiable. 

[Victo-cuky]

i bought an iphone 11 in January. It was supposed to be unlocked, but now that I'm in another country and i have to put the new sim card, it is not working, and it asks me for the QR code.

[nckhammond]

From what I understand phones sold at bestbuy are guaranteed only to work in the United States and will lock to the first US sim card installed. You would need to work the the carrier of that card to unlock it.

[sethg]

Best Buy employees lie to cell phone buyers stating that phones are unlocked. This is false. They lock to the first SIM card inserted into the phone. I will NEVER buy a cell phone again from Best Buy liars. I’ll probably never walk through their doors ever again. Anywhere.