Why can't I use the Verizon HTC 8X on T-Mobile?

[MitchellFN]

Cannot use Verizon HTC 8X on T-Mobile ...

I got this Verizon HTC 8X from a garage sale thinking I can use it on my T-Mobile plan. The phone works fine with a Verizon SIM card, has signal/bars, I called Verizon customer service on it. When I insert my T-Mobile SIM card the phone says "Your phone is now in GSM mode" (note here that if I put back the Verizon card the phone says "Your phone is now in global (CDMA or GSM) mode"). There is no message that the SIM card is bad/not accepted, but there is no signal/bars. Verizon customer service told me the phone is listed lost/stolen. Can that be the reason it won't work on T-Mobile or something else. Anybody has a solution to make it work on T-Mobile?
Thanks...

 

[sinime]

Re: Cannot use Verizon HTC 8X on T-Mobile ...

I'm not sure that there is anything that can be done to get a phone working that is flagged as "lost/stolen"... If it is still working on Verizon, is it possible it is just locked to Verizon?

 

[MitchellFN]

Re: Cannot use Verizon HTC 8X on T-Mobile ...

I don't think the phone is locked to Verizon. I have had other phones from other carriers and I know that, if they are locked, there is a message when insert a SIM card from another carrier that says "bad SIM card" or something like that. That is not the case here.

 

[dorelse]

Well...there are a few reasons, but in the end...it won't work on T-Mobile (in the US) or AT&T. The 8X (on Verizon) is a World phone, meaning that the GSM SIM will work on GSM towers overseas...not in the US. In the US, it will only connect and work on CDMA towers, and its been blacklisted from Verizon (marked with a Bad ESN, so it isn't going to work here either...and the phone companies are supposed to be sharing their Bad ESN #'s across all US/Canadian networks...so it will likely be marked bad everywhere.

Now, granted, I haven't been a Verizon customer in a few years, but that's how it has always been...so I believe its 'Country Code' locked which, regardless of the SIM...won't work on any network in the US.