What Conditions Cause Re-Locking For An Unlocked Smartphone When It Was Previously Locked?

[montecarlo1987]

Hello. Nice to meet you all! Yes, I am new to this forum. I have a question to ask all of you.

First, I am a Tracfone Wireless subscriber for years and I wish to remain so indefinitely until something like cost or service negatively affect me seriously, then I may switch. Until then, I will remain with Tracfone Wireless. Also to inform you, at this time, I am taking my first step from a dumb phone (traditional cell phone only) to a smartphone. I am looking at the LG and Samsung brands; I really like the LG versions.

A week ago, I just purchased an LG K7 unlocked phone that was sold at Target. I have not even used it yet -- no activations on it yet! It has the GSM network unlocked capability. This particular phone was unlocked AT THE FACTORY as it was packaged by LG as unlocked. It was not a previously locked smartphone that was unlocked by the carrier AT&T and now sold to me as an unlocked phone.

Now, just the other day online on eBay I saw the LG K8 unlocked GSM smartphone (K371) that is significantly better in every stat than the LG K7 model I bought. For one, K7 has Android Lollipop where K8 has Marshmallow. I was then and even now; I am more excited to get the LG K8 instead. I have figured that the LG K8 was previously locked by AT&T and the eBay seller got access to a mess of these LG K8s now unlocked by AT&T and now selling them on eBay as an unlocked GSM smartphone and selling them as new. I read on the LG website the K371 version is sold by AT&T as a locked LG K8. There has been a lot sold so far and all pleased eBay buyers for LG K8.

So it got me thinking when you buy an unlocked smartphone when the smartphone was unlocked by the carrier instead of being made by the factory as unlocked. So, I asked Tracfone if there is ever a possibility that the LG K8 that was previously locked by AT&T and now unlocked, by some random chance return to a locked or re-locked status? They told me it is always possible and does happen often that is all they said to me. They could not tell me how or why an unlocked phone could return to a locked status. So I am asking you I would like to know under what circumstances or conditions would an LG K8 (K371) return to a locked or re-locked status?

Also, how easy would it be in the event the LG K8 were to re-lock, for AT&T to unlock it for me when I am NOT an AT&T customer? Am I in store for some random chances of difficulty with the LG8?

Please reply.

Thanks!

 

[Unforgiven]

An unlocked phone could be relocked (or blacklisted) if it is reported stolen or there is an unpaid balance on the account to which the phone was associated. AFAIK that only applies if it was carrier locked in the first place (so the used phones on ebay). If it was never carrier locked the I don't think the carrier can lock it after the fact.

I don't know fully how ebay works, but I'd be leery of someone getting "a bunch of unlocked phones." That statement sounds my "too good to be true" alarm.

All of my current phones are factory unlocked and I just switched carriers with no problem. Tranferred my number to a new sim, popped it an and it worked like a charm.