Page Plus Cellular today confirmed an additional step needed to activate an iPhone on Page Plus Cellular.
As we reported in our last article, yesterday, Verizon has not commented at all on the iPhone blockade situation, and has not offered any specifics, instead leaving all comments to the MVNOs themselves.
To activate an iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S from Verizon on a prepaid MVNO like Page Plus Cellular or H2O, the iPhone must at one point have been activated on a Verizon Wireless postpay account.
It is not clear why Verizon is requiring an iPhone to have already been activated on a previous account, and runs afoul of their testimony to the FCC regarding open device policies. An iPhone can be purchased at its full retail price, and carries no subsidy at that price-point.
Until Pageplus themselves puts out a notice that this is true I would not want to spend $600 on an iPhone just to find out it can’t be activated what so ever because this blog echoed a rumor that this was the case.
Where’s Page Plus’ official position on this? They went out of their way to email all the dealers when Verizon first got the iPhone to say it was banned so why would anyone think they wouldn’t do the same if the ban was lifted??
Carpediemnow, as we said in the preceding article’s comments, Page Plus in general does not comment on non-PP devices. It is an under-the-table offering.
They sure commented to dealers about it on March 1st in an email to dealers:
“Sorry, No iPhones!
Despite the Apple iPhone launching on Verizon Wireless, they are unfortunately not allowed to be activated on Page Plus. If an iPhone does happen to activate on Page Plus, it will be subject to suspension or deactivation. We realize this doesn’t affect a lot of customers, but it does answer the question that many are asking! “
Again, Page Plus relays memos to dealers. Did you not read my last three comments across both articles? We have confirmed they relayed another memo to dealers that iPhone is now allowed. We have validated that information subsequent to our initial report, with the “catch” that Verizon added above.
Page Plus keeps dealers up to speed. They leave customers in the dark on non-PP devices. That’s where we come in to clear the air.
Nothing that you said in your last comment contradicts what we reported initially, all the way on up to our last reply to you.
Does this mean that the iPhone 4S can be purchased outright, activated for 1 month of “regular” service with Verizon and then switched over to Page Plus?
If you had to fulfil a 2 year contract with Verizon before activating with Page Plus, you’d only be able to port out dated phones. I sure hope this is not the case.
Our understanding is that the iPhone only needs to be momentarily activated on a Verizon account… Even for just a few seconds.
I am a dealer. I did not receive any such memo and I confirmed with my master dealer that no much memo was sent to him either.
[…] is nice, since the price point on the iPhone 4 recently came down. Today, however, they’re reporting a catch: any iPhone activated on an MVNO, such as Page Plus, must have first been activated on a postpaid […]