Yesterday, like soooo many others, I finally hit my limit with Verizon Wireless (NYSE:VZ). I mean with rampant dropped calls, wretched customer service and way above market prices, what’s not to love? I spent several hours on the phone being bounced from one number to another number trying to unlock my Kyocera DuraXV phone. I checked with the manufacturer’s site and it was GSM capable so it should work just fine on Consumer Cellular’s network. All I needed to do was unlock the SIM card and I would be good to go.
I searched and I searched. I had multiple English speaking people show me their lack of training and the complete worthlessness of Verizon’s technical support database. I mean this phone is less than a year old, the documentation should not have been purged from the system. Finally in frustration I drove to Target.
The Target Mobile guy made a valiant effort. He even called all of his support people and came up empty. Too late we finally stumbled onto a Web search which had the information. You see, once the number has been transfered there is no method of unlocking the SIM.
So, to the millions of you who will be leaving Verizon this year and wish to take your 3G phone which has a SIM card with you here are the details. It is too late for me, but you can save yourselves hours and hours of needless frustration.
- Log into your Verizon Wireless account.
- Navigate to My Device -> My Device Overview
- Click “My PIN and Unblocking Key (PUK)” under the “Manage My Device” heading
That is where you get your second key to unlock.
- Turn on your phone.
- Click the menu button.
- Navigate to Settings & Tools
- Select “Phone Settings”
- Select SIM Security
If you haven’t changed anything on your phone system wise, the first security code you need will be the last 4 digits of your phone number. Enter it.
- Select SIM Lock
- Select Unlocked
This is where you need the PUK. If you don’t have it you cannot tell your phone to unlock the SIM and the SIM from your new carrier will not work.
I really hate to say this, but it is true. If Verizon off-shored its technical and customer support to a non-English speaking part of India the quality would improve 10,000%. At least when you hear someone on the other end of the line mangling the English language you don’t expect them to actually know anything or be able to help.
I’m not the only one talking about Verizon losing customers hand over fist. You know you have become the industry bottom feeder when T-mobile with its barely anywhere in America network is waxing your back side in new customers quarter after quarter.
