iPhone wont' see Verizon towers to activate.

**zachpenguin** · 01-21-2013, 08:34 PM

I have recently purchased an iPhone 4 for Verizon. The ESN is clean according to several different Verizon reps. After many phone calls and escalations through different departments, the phone is still not able to be activated. The "techs" at Verizon say that according the information from the phone, it is indeed a Verizon phone, but only seems to be picking up Sprint towers. Also, a master reset has done nothing to help. Is there any way to get this phone to recognize the Verizon towers? If it can be done, I am completely comfortable flashing, jailbreaking, and hacking my way through as I have done with many other iPhones. I just wanted to ask before I started hacking and slashing my way through.

Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thank you all so much.

**JustMe'D** · 01-21-2013, 08:43 PM

Originally Posted by zachpenguin

I have recently purchased an iPhone 4 for Verizon. The ESN is clean according to several different Verizon reps. After many phone calls and escalations through different departments, the phone is still not able to be activated. The "techs" at Verizon say that according the information from the phone, it is indeed a Verizon phone, but only seems to be picking up Sprint towers. Also, a master reset has done nothing to help. Is there any way to get this phone to recognize the Verizon towers? If it can be done, I am completely comfortable flashing, jailbreaking, and hacking my way through as I have done with many other iPhones. I just wanted to ask before I started hacking and slashing my way through.

Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thank you all so much.

What do you mean by "Master reset"? Anyway, I suggest you do the following, if you haven't already. Connect your iPhone 4 to your computer via the USB cable, fire up the computer's iTunes app (hopefully, the latest version) and after iTunes recognize your iPhone, select "restore". By the way, make sure your computer is connected to the Internet. This procedure will allow iTunes to download and install the latest iOS version onto your iPhone. When it is finished, I recommend you set it up as new. It will go through the activation process and hopefully, the process will be successful.

**hondakorn** · 01-21-2013, 08:45 PM

Maybe it was a sprint iphone that was added to a verizon mvno like pageplus. I believe I read somewhere that once it has been added to Verizon's system that it becomes a verizon iphone. Pageplus is byod.

**zachpenguin** · 01-21-2013, 08:54 PM

By "Master Reset" I mean the Erase All Content and Settings and Reset Network Settings under Settings < General < Reset.

**JustMe'D** · 01-21-2013, 09:02 PM

Originally Posted by zachpenguin

By "Master Reset" I mean the Erase All Content and Settings and Reset Network Settings under Settings < General < Reset.

Oh okay. Still, my recommendation remains the same. You might as well start completely fresh.

**zachpenguin** · 01-21-2013, 09:06 PM

I will definitely try your recommendation. Anything to try and get this problem solved.

**JustMe'D** · 01-21-2013, 09:13 PM

Originally Posted by zachpenguin

I will definitely try your recommendation. Anything to try and get this problem solved.

You can try dialing *228 and if it mentions Verizon, press option 2 to update your roaming capabilities. Doing so *may* help, but it is not guaranteed.

**3cit** · 01-23-2013, 06:14 PM

all the time on the phone with verizon techs and escalations and they never asked you to plug your phone into itunes and restore as new???
this is why its so easy to hate on verizon

**kch50428** · 01-23-2013, 06:21 PM

Originally Posted by JustMe'D

You can try dialing *228 and if it mentions Verizon, press option 2 to update your roaming capabilities. Doing so *may* help, but it is not guaranteed.

Or failing that, try dialing *22801 - then do the *228 and select option 2.

And what 3cit said - hook up to iTunes and restore as new...

**zachpenguin** · 01-24-2013, 03:53 PM

Yeah, verizon placed a call to apple and they came back with the plug into iTunes and restore. I just haven't had a chance yet due to work as remodeling my house.

**zachpenguin** · 01-25-2013, 07:21 AM

So I plugged the phone into iTunes last night, restore, setup as new...and nothing. Same problem. Manually installed the ipsw, same problem. I then checked under settings > general > about and under network see not available, under carrier it reads Sprint 13.0. At this point I am guessing that I am completely SOL on this phone. Very frustrating.

**kch50428** · 01-25-2013, 07:31 AM

Originally Posted by zachpenguin

So I plugged the phone into iTunes last night, restore, setup as new...and nothing. Same problem. Manually installed the ipsw, same problem. I then checked under settings > general > about and under network see not available, under carrier it reads Sprint 13.0. At this point I am guessing that I am completely SOL on this phone. Very frustrating.

SOL for using it on Verizon, yes... it has value in that it can be unlocked for GSM use outside the USA.

**3cit** · 01-25-2013, 03:01 PM

Where did you purchase the phone? Did you use PayPal? Or any r service that offers buyer protection?
As you were lied to, it would be an easy claim for you

**zachpenguin** · 01-25-2013, 03:16 PM

No it was paid cash. I only paid though after I checked the numbers with Verizon. Apple tech called back again today and conference called with sprint and verizon both. Sprint has no information on this phone at all and Verizon is working with Apple to figure out what the problem is.

I can say though that through all of this Apple customer service is still the main reason I continue to use an iPhone. You couldn't ask for better people and they and doing all the calling and arguing for me.

**3cit** · 01-25-2013, 03:55 PM

Originally Posted by zachpenguin

No it was paid cash. I only paid though after I checked the numbers with Verizon. Apple tech called back again today and conference called with sprint and verizon both. Sprint has no information on this phone at all and Verizon is working with Apple to figure out what the problem is.

I can say though that through all of this Apple customer service is still the main reason I continue to use an iPhone. You couldn't ask for better people and they and doing all the calling and arguing for me.

Good luck bro
Hope it turns out ok when all is said and done!

**kch50428** · 01-25-2013, 04:10 PM

Originally Posted by zachpenguin

No it was paid cash. I only paid though after I checked the numbers with Verizon. Apple tech called back again today and conference called with sprint and verizon both. Sprint has no information on this phone at all and Verizon is working with Apple to figure out what the problem is.

I can say though that through all of this Apple customer service is still the main reason I continue to use an iPhone. You couldn't ask for better people and they and doing all the calling and arguing for me.

The Verizon folks telling you it's "clean" only means the CDMA ESN is not in their "Deny" database - My guess is they're not going the next step and assuring that it is/was on the list of ESNs Apple OEM'ed for Verizon. It needs to be on that list in order for Verizon to be able to activate it. Seeing as how restoring as new gets you a Sprint indication under Settings>> General>> About>> Carrier -- The Sprint people should know about the device - in fact, Sprint should know if the CDMA ESN is/was on their list as OEM'ed for them by Apple and is in their "allowed device" database - just like Verizon.

Sorry you're stuck with these hassles - hope all comes out well for you.