Need Help Understand the 40 days activate rule to unlock

Thank you for answering my question. If I keep the new sim on the phone, does that count as active or should I take it with me making phone calls from it every day?

magenta1549326 wrote:
Thank you for answering my question. If I keep the new sim on the phone,
 does that count as active or should I take it with me making phone calls from it every day? 

Hi  @magenta1549326​

As @gramps28  said ,  you just need to " turn on the phone with the sim." 

Once it is turned on you don't  actually have to use it . You just have to pay the bill for the line. Paying the bill, keeps the line active, you don't actually have to make any calls, or use it in any way. You could leave it in the box.

The main point I was trying to make is that I wouldn't use that sim in any other phone until the gift phone is actually unlocked. Using that particular sim in a different phone could indicate to the T-Mobile system that the phone line (sim) is no longer active on the phone to be gifted. That could possibly be treated as an interruption of the 40 day service requirement. I don't for a fact know, if using the sim on a different phone during the 40 day period really matters. I just wouldn't do it myself.

Here is what I have read posted by a person selling a BOGO phone online.

He said he was classifying the phone as "mint", not as "new in the box", That was because he had (activated) turned the phone on, to verify that the phone was working properly. He then did a factory reset to return the phone to the original state that it was in, before he had turned it on.

In your case, you could explain to your gift recipient, that the phone was never used. You, turned the phone on and kept it active for over a month, 40 days to be precise, during which time you periodically checked it to make sure everything was working ok.  😊

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Following are some additional thoughts and musings.   

These are answers to questions you didn't ask.  If you hadn't asked your

original question, I might not ever have thought of these additional ways

for T-Mobile customers to get extra benefits from BOGO offers,.

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Frankly I myself would actually keep the gift phone charged up

and compare it's operation periodically to the sister phone that I was using every day. I would probably, with stopwatch in hand, be comparing the speed at which certain functions operated. It would be a fantastic opportunity for me to immediately determine how much (if any) negative impact a newly installed app might be causing on the phone I was using every day. Of course you might not care to do that. You can however, after you unlock the gift phone, before you take the sim card out, still  compare its operating speeds with that of your own "keeper" phone. You would then have a good idea of how nice all of your installed apps are playing together.

Treating the 40 day activation requirement as a shake down cruise

for both phones, is a win, win, win situation.

Win: If either phone turns out to be a lemon you will know for sure sooner rather than later.

Win: You have the assurance that your phone is running  "like a new phone"

even after installing a bunch of apps, music, and photos.

Win: The recipiant of the gift, doesnt just get a "New Phone" in the box.

The phone in the box is also verified by you as "Problem Free"

Final Thoughts:

The man I have mentioned who was selling the phone online, made sure to emphasize that all accessories and paperwork were still in their unopened packages. The first impression is most important when presenting a gift to a friend or selling a phone to a stranger. It is the moment the recipient lays eyes on his new best friend. Hopefully you still have the packaging in tact for one of the phones. If you must repackage everything to look the same as it did when you received the phones, you can search  "unboxing " videos of your phone on You Tube to help remember how to make everything fit.

Art

stevetjr wrote:
Aren't the BOGO phones actually on an EIP and the payment is just offset with a bill credit for 2 years?? If that is the case then the 40 days is irrelavant because the device technically won't be paid off for 2 years. 

Hi @stevetjr

You made me double check

since the "rebates" have always been provided via prepaid Mastercard in the past.

At least this current promotion still seems to providing the credit via mastercard.

The traditional procedure was to pay off the free phone EIP with the Mastercard,

and unlock the phone since the 40 days would have expired by the, time the

Mastercard arrived. The phone could then be either sold of or gifted any tim

after that. The new line currently seems to be required to be active for three

months before it may be canceled without a charge back for the second phone.

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Art

Hi @magenta1549326  and thanks for coming to support.

I'm just checking in to see if you got your phone unlocked. That's an awesome gift for someone and I do you were able to get the help you need. Please let us know. Thanks!

Does this line have to be under same account where EIP is?

If I give EIP phone to my friend and he uses it with his t-mobile sim
Will it count?

This is own made policy  from the provider to  in order to keep in the house even if you pay it in FULL.

Unlock eligibility for monthly phones and tablets

• The device must have been active on the T‑Mobile network for at least 40 days on the requesting line.
• If the device was financed using T‑Mobile's Equipment Installment Plan (EIP), then all payments must be satisfied and the device must be paid in full, unless otherwise specified.
•  

Devices that you purchase from V** are locked for 60 days after purchase. Devices that you purchase from one of our authorized retailers are locked for 60 days after activation. After 60 days, we will automatically remove the lock .
 

This is really need to be challenge by  Bureau of Consumer Protection, the phone should unlock automatic after the full payment . This is happen only in Poor Americans and does not exist in Europe  or Some African countries ..

You can spent  few  dollars outside to unlock phone.   This is just software man made .

The highest wealth is the absence of greed

To gain that which is worth having, it may be necessary to lose  everything else

I have a T-Mobile magneta plan, Can i be on international roaming during the 40 days period required to unlock the iphone 13 pro?