Phone won't carrier unlock. Boost Mobile claims it is already unlocked!

[wickedjayt]

But it isn't actually done automatically, it's still a matter where, "... after certain conditions are met ....' have to be taken into account. It's a vague conditional phrase but carriers don't just unlock phones 'automatically', the phone owner has to request it and go through a process.

Both of my phones with Tmobile were automatically unlocked after 180 days, I didn't do anything. One day the Unlock App on the phone popped up and said it was unlocked and restarted it with no issues, no contact to the carrier at all.

 

[LeodC]

I am having similar issues with Boost. I purchased a phone outright from them 2019 Galaxy A20. Requested they unlock phone and they state they can't find my account info because I'm with another carrier TMobile but only since a year ago. I want give old phone to a relative and the new carrier is compatible. When system I updated it got to a point and it said contact Sprint. Sprint people don't know what to do. How can this vicious circle be halted. I have a complaint into FCC. In meantime we're not able to use a phone I rightfully own. I wasn't aware of this unlocking situation. I had since purchased another phone outright from Boost before I knew all this.When I found I couldn't use my phone with new carrier Tmobile I had to get another phone from them.

 

[svim]

..... When system I updated it got to a point and it said contact Sprint. Sprint people don't know what to do. How can this vicious circle be halted. I have a complaint into FCC. In meantime we're not able to use a phone I rightfully own.....

Stop buying carrier-locked phones, since you're not restricting yourself to always use the same carrier year after year this isn't some kind of FCC matter, it's your responsibility. When you continue buying carrier-locked phones, that can create problems switching carriers. A carrier-locked phone will be running firmware that's branded and customized to meet the needs of a specific carrier's cellular network. The issue being each carrier has its own cellular network that rarely is compatible with other carriers.
Buy carrier-unlocked models instead. You'll likely pay more for a carrier unlocked phone but that also results in you having a lot more options to use different carriers without having to buy a new phone.
(... and that is a debatable issue in that you might pay more for a carrier-unlocked phone up front but in the long term that cost difference isn't a factor. Carrier branded phones may be free or at a nominal price but that's not some kind of charitable PR, you do pay for that phone but its cost is spread throughout the entire contract time period you are 'locked' into paying each month.)