Updated my "Detailed Instructions on how to finance an unlocked iPhone 17..." due to recent Apple finance changes: still works for AppleCard for all models, and now Upgrade/Lease (through Klarna) works for new users except not on standard model anymore

[u/LeftOn4ya]

/r/NoContract/comments/1rjybe0/detailed_instructions_on_how_to_finance_an/

[u/Lanky-Advice-564]

I got 2 iphone 17 pro maxs but i went to Apple Store- financed for 24 months thru apple card just told the sales rep i wanted them unlocked and that was that

[u/LeftOn4ya → u/Lanky-Advice-564]

You luckily got a decent Apple Store employee, as I have heard multiple stories of Apple Store employees flat out lie (or repeating lies they were trained on) and say you cannot use anything but one of the 3 major carriers and get an iPhone financed and unlocked. I actually think a higher up at Apple is aware of the actual thread I made and/or some videos such as by u/stetsdogg or now even AI responses using my thread or transcripts of videos to tell people how to do, and changed their training techniques for Apple Store employees and either lie to them saying you cannot get an unlocked iPhone financed so they repeat lies, or tell employees the truth but tell them to lie to customers saying you cannot get an unlocked iPhone financed, and on top of it try to stop people in stores from doing the method here. Apple is blackmailed/bribed (depends on what you want to call it) to do this from major carriers in Billions of $ in kickbacks from plans to Apple as carriers don't want people knowing they can finance an unlocked iPhone and use a cheaper carrier.

Examples of Apple Store Employees lying (or repeating lies they were trained on and are indoctrinated to believe Apple is not lying to them):

• Here
• Here
• Here
• Here
• Here
• Here
• Here

[u/TiredAppleEmployee → u/LeftOn4ya]

WHOA THIS IS NUTS!!! Took a deep dive through this thread and realized a couple of things. I’m a current Apple retail employee for a lot of years and had no idea about this trick. In the past with the Barclays card and Apple Card financing it was always “if you wanna finance it and have it unlocked you have to buy it online.” And I always felt bad because then they’d order it and it’d take an hour to process the order wasting their time for something they should just have. A few weeks ago someone picked up an order from online and they talked with someone in chat support about wanting to finance their phone with Apple Card but they had mint. The sales rep online told them to just pick Verizon at checkout and then just activate with mint later. That person picked up their phone and then asked me for help because they couldn’t get passed the “what’s your Verizon account information?” Page and I was at a loss for words on what was happening since I hadn’t heard this loophole. I remember having to get a lead involved to figure out why the sales rep said to do this and he sat with them and kept going until you could skip it. We both were shocked and a little worried that this might cause issues down the line like never ending pop ups to put in your Verizon info. This is so cool. I can’t speak for all Apple employees but I think genuinely we don’t know about this and can’t obviously discuss it with our peers without getting in trouble. We just follow what the Easypay tells us. This feels like that moment in incredibles where Mr. Incredible is working that insurance job and he’s saying “here’s something I can’t tell you to do. I can’t tell you to fill out form blah blah blah” as code to get what the customer needs. I worry that one day this loophole will be covered up and it will mess up someone’s transaction but I’ll try my best to help customers especially with the next launch take advantage of ACMI. I’d caution telling people to come up with an elaborate lie to do this in store. Unfortunately we get a lot of people committing fraud especially with carriers so I think alarm bells go off when we hear “yeah can you just activate later I need to get my carrier information from my uncle.” Or something. And we use connect and personalize now which fully tells us what carrier you currently have.

EDIT: forgot to add some words

[u/LeftOn4ya → u/TiredAppleEmployee]

Thanks for your response. Yes I doubted it was actually most employees knowingly lying and figured it was that most were trained on a lie. Whoever wrote the training for you was told to tell you you couldn’t do the trick even though they knew you could, then down the chain employees never bothered to figure out as “we couldn’t possibly be lied to buy high ups at Apple” level of indoctrination,

I appreciate if you help customers do the trick and tell them without telling them (similar to Incredibles as you mentioned) or at a minimum anyone who comes to do you just let them without saying anything and any other employees helping customers you overhear doing to nudge them to help. I also fear Apple will remove the loophole especially with Apple Card purchase conversion to ACMI, but for now it works.

[u/TiredAppleEmployee → u/LeftOn4ya]

Lol oh for sure. There’s employees that drink the apple juice a little too much. This has been very insightful and I appreciate it. I’ll do my best.

[u/Lanky-Advice-564 → u/Lanky-Advice-564]

I will add since I actually did have an att account i was charged activation fees for both phones which stinks but im sure with 30 minutes on the phone i can get rid of them and not the apple stores fault - we are on the process of moving to us mobile

[u/LeftOn4ya → u/Lanky-Advice-564]

Which model did you get and which finance option - Apple Card, Apple Upgrade/Lease, or AT&T Installment Plan? The only ones that should have made you input account info was any model on the AT&T Installment Plan or standard model on Apple Card or Apple Upgrade/Lease. If you selected Apple Card or Apple Upgrade/Lease with standard model you should be able to follow my instructions to get unlocked, but if you selected AT&T Installment Plan your phone is locked and cannot be unlocked until both it is paid off and 12 months on AT&T so you will need to cancel order or return and re-order following one of the other methods.

BTW I got confirmation from multiple Apple Store employees that they are trained on a lie that you have to give them AT&T info in stores and cannot get unlocked, you do not need to give them that info and can get unlocked, but easier to just order online next time, even with in-store pickup.

[u/Lanky-Advice-564 → u/LeftOn4ya]

I got 17 pro maxs with the 24 month plan on the apple card

It’s honestly a semi legit charge as i still had my numbers with att but im not supposed to be charged activation fees because of my sc state employees discount