BUYER BEWARE - Costco "unlocked phones"
I had this problem today... I bought an *AHEM* "unlocked" phone from Costco -- The Samsung Galaxy J1 (2016 edition)
Here's the Product-card, just so there's no confusion about it's description:
Attachment 312878
OK, but here's the *REAL* scoop on it. It's not "really" an "unlocked" phone. Here's my story...
I bought this phone on my lunch break from work.
The phone takes a NANO SIM (despite specs found online) -- and my Work phone (on BELL) has a Nano-SIM so I tested it out with that first. I wanted to be sure it picked up a decent signal, that the call quality was good, etc... before I went out and bought a Nano-SIM for my personal service (Telus) to use in this new phone.
I was content with the way it worked with my work SIM (again, using BELL)... I figured where this is an unlocked phone, I could switch carriers at-will. Apparently not. When I got home and tried to put my newly purchased Telus SIM in it... no dice.
Once you insert a SIM card for the first time, the phone LOCKS TO THAT CARRIER.
So now I have a phone that's NOT UNLOCKED anymore... and is otherwise useless to me now. And I have a $15 SIM I just bought from Telus that's ALSO useless to me.
Sure it's 'technically' unlocked at the point-of-purchase... but it quickly becomes locked the first time you put a SIM in it.
So BUYER BEWARE.
Luckily, this is Costco, and although I havent been back to the store yet, i KNOW I wont have any problem returning it.
But I also plan to have a good discussion with someone at the store who can be responsible to realize that the product card is severely misleading.
Hopefully someone will come good for the $15 I also had to pay for the new Telus SIM which is now of no use.
--- UPDATE June 8 ---
My plea has been answered. Costco has corrected the sign. See lower post for deets...
So-called UNLOCKED phones at Costco.