sprinted

When a cell carrier holds your phone hostage because of a "Financial Eligibility Check" under the guise of "protecting" you, in case your phone was stolen. This makes it impossible to bring your phone to a new carrier until you pay off any outstanding charges. This brings you into a cycle of owing them into perpetuity if you wish to port your phone number AND device. If you buy a new phone, you lose the number. If you port the number, you can't use the phone for at least 30 days, even if there's no outstanding balances.