Purchased iPhone 16e is carrier locked and unavailable

There was a reason that the iPhone 16 looked like a "good deal".

The iPhone needs to be completely reset and set up again to clear the locks, but you will be able to do this only if you know the Apple Account name and Password of the original owner.

Since you do not have this information and will not be able to learn this information, the phone is going to remain useless to you.

Drop it off at the recycle center.

Amps13 wrote:

I bought a iphone16e at auction site, it is carrier locked, but it is also locked by the original user pass code, it says iPhone unavailable . It was never on my account because I can not get into it. Help

Starting another thread on the same topic simply won't change reality. You've purchased a used brick you can never use. Either get your money back if you can or recycle the phone responsibly if you can't get your money back.

And for reference, here is your other thread --> Can you trade in a locked by user iPhone … - Apple Community

Buying a used phone at an auction site is unlikely to end well. Even when such phones are not stolen, they often are phones that have not been properly prepared for resale.

The All Too Common SAD Reality of Buying a Used iPad/iPhone – Apple Community

There seem to be at least three types of locks at play here:

• Carrier lock - Only the carrier to whom the phone is locked can release the lock – if they choose to do so. If you are not their customer, or if there is money owed on a contract associated with the phone, they will very probably refuse to do so.
• Passcode lock - If you enter the wrong passcode too many times, an iPhone will become Unavailable. Once the iPhone says that it is Unavailable and (a) no longer shows a waiting period until you can try again, or (b) shows an option to reset the passcode using the previous passcode, the only way back in is to reset and erase it. This may require the use of a Mac or Windows PC.
• Activation lock - If the phone is associated with the previous owner's account, and has Find My turned on, it will be protected by the anti-theft mechanism Activation Lock. You won't be able to reset the phone unless you know the Apple Account ID and password it is asking for. Or have an original sales receipt that Apple will accept as the basis for removing Activation Lock - a receipt that you will almost never have in the case of an auction sale.

It sounds like you have purchased a "brick".

Start a refund request if the phone was not advertised as locked and useless.