Can I join the inner circle plan with an iphone I bought somewhere else?

Virgin's system is all messed up on unlocked phones & inner circle.

I bought a iPhone SE from www.virginmobileusa.com and activated it. No issues.

However I also purchased a 7+ & 6+ unlocked from Apple Store.

Would now like to swap SE with the better phone 6+/7+.

The swap application doesn't like the IMEI I enter even though the phones were purchased at Apple Store & company unlocked.

@vimathur. We don't have a BYOD program available for the Inner Circle promotion. Please make sure your devices are VM certified prior to purchasing them.

-EdwinRG.

Thanks Edwin.

The problem is not BYOD - becuase when I buy from Apple Store -it is kind-of like BYOD (from Apple).

When I put the Virgin SIM - the phone recognises it (but not operational).

The issue is that My phone is not registered with Virgin Mobile.

You have to call Apple and have them release the MEID # to Virgin Mobile.

This has been done for other customers of Virgin Mobile.

But not all Customer service agents appear to know this.

And this is my frustration..

Thanks for your prompt response.

Case# 68099945 has been logged.

Hello, vimathur. Virgin Mobile doesn't activate unlocked phones in the Inner Circle. You'd have to purchase the phone on www.virginmobileusa.com or at an Apple store where they should insert the SIM card right away, no unlocked involved.

We remain at your service. If you have any question, just let us know.

Thanks.

The irony is that if I loose my iPhone purchased from Virgin - I am being forced to buy anoter iPhone when I already may have a iPhone sitting at home (Compatible & Unlocked). 

Anyway - there has to be some catch for $1/year deal - this is the only CATCH I have found so far.

We understand, FrenchFrey24. But not being able to activate an unlocked cellphone is not a catch, but a legal, fair and common practice between carriers. You can find more information about unlocking phones in this link: https://goo.gl/qinynA

We remain at your service. If you have any question, just let us know.

Yes, but what you're proposing is the opposite. You can unlock a Virgin Mobile phone, but you cannot activate a non Virgin Mobile phone with Virgin in the Inner Circle.

Thanks - It just makes no sense to me.

I can Buy a phone from Apple Store - they will then insert a VM SIM.

I can then turn around the next day and cancel my VM service and I can retain this phone that will be unlocked.

Next time I can/should be able to use the same phone to re-actiate at Virgin/GSM/AT&T or any other carrier.

Anyway - thanks for your response.

It appears my understanding of unlocked phones is much different from the USA mobile industry.

I can take an unlock phone to any other part of the world and make it work with any carrier (including UK Virgin Mobile).

Samething happens to me. I bought two iphone SE from virgin mobile and activate both with no problem. On day one, I called to change my wife's SE to her old unlocked Iphone 6s plus, no problem. After several weeks, I de-activated an iphone 6s Plus from my wife's inner circle account but now cannot activate it to my inner circle account.

It sounds like: if you lose you current active phone, you have to buy a new one even you have an old compatible iphone at home; otherwise, you will lose $1 plan. 

Be careful!