T-Mobile, AT&T oppose unlocking rule, claim locked phones are good for users

If they hadn't abused this feature, they wouldn't be in this situation. I can totally understand carrier-locking a phone until the loan is paid off. But that's not what they used it for and now they're suffering hilarious regulatory attention.

tsk tsk. I almost feel bad for them.

I was already an existing TMobile customer. I bought myself and my wife an iPhone 11 in cash when the phones were brand new. Never had a contract. Already had an LTE plan, didn't change that plan at all. Just bought two new phones from TMobile and had them slap the sims in.

Fast forward to a couple months ago, I happened to notice while browsing my TMobile account that my phone was being reported as "Carrier Locked" with subtext that said "This phone is not eligible to be unlocked". Not my wife's though, hers was listed as "Unlocked". It took over a month of being yanked around by TMobile reps telling me they had to "escalate but the issue will be fixed within a week". It never was.

They would ask me why I wanted it unlocked. I would just respond something respectful but firm along the lines of "Because it's my phone. I paid for it. You have no business locking my device"

The way I see it, it was either theft or false advertising, plain and simple. Either they stole the phone from me after I bought it. Or, they sold me a device as unlocked but never realized that promise. It should have NEVER been locked. It makes me mad just thinking about it. I don't understand why a carrier even has the power to remotely lock a phone that was never theirs to lock in the first place.

This is all to say: I agree with your observation. They deserve heavy handed regulation because they have proven they will abuse any inch you give them.