Why was I told my iPhone SE's would no longer work at the end of the year and sold "free" 6s's

[Tired-of-the-games]

Apple is still selling them for use on VZ.   The lady I mentioned in my post is using hers on VZ.  

The SE doesn't have the same quality camera as the 6s, but not an issue for me.  The SE  also weighs slightly over an ounce less.  The size and weight were the key issues for me also.  I have thought of paying off my 6ses (way too much $, but they were supposed to be free if I stay two years), selling / trading them for SE's.  If they work on VZ, fine, if not, my service has been terrible anyway (I was told it might be becasue they are installing more 5G towers in this area) so I go to a carrier that isn't going to wiseguy me around.

Still waiting on a reply back from VZ after I posted the highlights of what has turned into an absolute nightmare.  Plus they keep doing credit checks for "upgrade eligbility".   I put a freeze on my credit.

Don't know how this has gotten so crazy except that they are trying to sell the higher priced 6s and make back the money they promise people for switching back.  I don't have time for this; like I said, I'm waiting to hear back.  If not, maybe if I file with the BBB or the AG, I'll get an answer.

[vzw_customer_support]

Tired_of_the_games, we appreciate you taking the time to explain your situation, and we would be happy to help. We are moving all devices to our HD Voice LTE network, so 3G devices and non-HD Voice capable devices will not work. The iPhone SE is a 4G device that has the HD voice feature. I'm concerned to hear that we you were unable to keep the iPhone SEs on your lines. Was this transaction done at a store location?   EricaG_VZW

[Tired-of-the-games]

Thank you for a straight answer.   Maybe as someone suggested, it is ignorance (related the SE's to the i5's due to the case size) or maybe they were overzealous to meet upgrade quotas, but I seem to keep getting the same info from the on-line reps (or maybe they are just trying not to get the store in trouble).  And yes, it was a VZ company store, not just an authorized retailer  (I will include my reply to the first VZW Customer Support Manager at the end of this post.)  

I understand that one of my phones (the 64G) may not have been compatible with the VZ network even thought it was fully unlocked, but at that point, the phone was a week old and I could have returned it and got another 32G with a year warranty (I had two SE's as I have two lines).  I bought the SE's becasue of the smaller size / weight.  I didn't want 6Ses.  Now I am contracted / obligated for two 6Ses and one is a refurb (a "cleaner").  Can you clean up this mess for me???

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Original reply to the first VZW Customer Support Manager

On Friday, May 31st I went into my local VZ Corporate store with 2 SE's - a 32 and a 64, both refurbed and in perfect condition. The 32 was showing VZ compatible to switch back (after a few weeks of poor service on a competitors service), but the 64 was showing it wasn't compatible although the IMEI was showing it as fully unlocked. I was told by the store that the SE's were no longer going to be supported at the end of the year (and I have been told by more than one phone rep the same about "old phones"). I was promised money back for switching and "free" i6s phones by staying back with VZ for 2 years. I was there 3.5 hours getting my phones and still brought them home and set them up myself.

On Monday, I took the phones back to the store to return them and cancel my service due to service and billing issues (the $ amount I was told I would receive was wrong, plus other issues). I was given new SIM cards and told that if they didn't resolve the service issue, the device would need to be exchanged. The following week I took the still problematic phone back to the store with a few dozen screen shots showing "no service" on my main line and at least one or two bars and my second line positioned right beside the first phone. I had to threaten to call the AG when the rep finally agreed to exchange my phone. Only he wouldn't give me one from their stock, he told me they had to send me out one and I had to go through the return process like I did when I traded in my SEs (even though the phone had come from the store.)

Then I found out that I was sent a refurbished phone. Not a new one like I am contracted for, have spent an INSANE amount of time getting billing issues fixed (thankfully all but one person on 611 customer care has been wonderful (if I can keep them on the line - due to dropped calls...) I had better service with my OLD 4ses so I finally figured out if I disable LTE voice, I have better service here at the house.

The last rep sent me out another refurb (due to home button issues), but told me since the store sent me refurb, that it had to be replaced with a refurb. Since the phone is a refurb, an Apple Care warranty is an additional $129. (The battery life / health on this one is already down to 84% vs new.) She also sent me a network extender which I won't be able to use, but had already shipped when I watched the on-line video. (I am in a care giving situation and don't have the needed access.) So the defective refurb and the network extender are going back tomorrow evening because I am tied up all day tomorrow. I have REALLY busy days between work and care giving, but have had to spend HOURS and HOURS getting things corrected.

Now I have been looking into why I have the oversized (for me) i6s' when a woman at work bought and activated her SE a week after I exchanged my (for pennies on the $ and then they tried to take part of that back since the rep listed them both as 32's). Apple said nothing to her about the SE's not working with VZ and her phone is direct VZ. I told her what I keep getting told and that maybe she should return it and her son (a tech investor) laughed at me. I am not a tech person, but I'm not figuring out why the SE wouldn't be supported at the end of the year. It is an old (i5) small case (which is what I wanted), but the specs seem to show that it will support the 5g (LTE / voLTE).

So what is really going on here?