Verizon sent customer refurbished phone with remote control, then wiped data

Key facts

• Verizon sent a customer a refurbished phone with an active Mobile Device Management (MDM) profile.
• The device was a former store demo unit that had not been properly wiped.
• The MDM profile allowed Verizon to remotely control and eventually wipe the customer's data.
• The customer lost personal data including contacts, messages, videos, and documents.
• Verizon acknowledged the error to the FCC, stating the customer received a demo unit by mistake.
• Verizon provided the customer with a credit and a different, properly configured phone.

Verizon sent a customer, Tom Collery, a refurbished phone that was equipped with a Mobile Device Management (MDM) profile, effectively giving the company remote control over the device. The incident, which occurred after Collery contacted Verizon about network problems, raises significant concerns about the carrier's procedures for preparing refurbished phones for new users.

Collery received a Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 as a replacement. He used the device for approximately two weeks before all his data was remotely erased. The phone displayed messages indicating it was managed by Verizon and protected by BricTECH, a device management system. This unexpected factory reset resulted in the loss of personal data, including contacts, messages, videos, and documents.