Flanker brand Virgin Mobile is following parent company Bell’s lead, and will selectively stock carrier-locked devices at retail locations.
According to internal documents obtained by MobileSyrup, “select Virgin Mobile smartphone inventory will remain locked until activation.”
In order to comply with the unlocking fee ban component of the Wireless Code, locked Virgin Mobile devices will be “automatically unlocked during an activation or hardware upgrade.”
Bell first announced plans to stock locked devices at retail locations in response to a series of questions from the Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) regarding carrier-noted trends as a result of the December 2017 unlocking fee ban.
According to Bell, “multiple instances of armed robberies” at retail locations contributed to the carrier’s decision to return to its former policy of only stocking locked devices at retail stores.
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