hyperlink9 Can anyone offer any suggestions? I've been without a properly functioning phone for over a month now, and was hoping this would be a straightforward process once I got an 'unlocked' Pixel phone. The seller on Swappa (bigger seller on the site) said "Yes, the bootloader will not be unlocked when you receive it, but it should be able to be unlocked if you choose to do so." when asked about the bootloader status.
That is not a very auspicious response, especially the "should" part.
I have never bought on Swappa, but on eBay buying from a large-volume seller who advertises "factory unlocked" Pixels has worked twice for me. It doesn't appear that "factory unlocked" is a feature on Swappa, which is worrisome, because OEM-locked phones that are carrier-unlocked might completely qualify as "unlocked" by Swappa's terms (I don't know).
hyperlink9 Curious if this means I will have to contact the original carrier, or what this will entail if this has to be done beyond the phone's settings.
You could try that, but honestly it might take a long time and end up nowhere. Perhaps the person who sold the phone to the dealer on Swappa still owes money on it, in which case the carrier might never unlock it.
If a seller (on any platform) is unwilling to promise that a phone can be OEM unlocked, and is unwilling to offer free or low-cost returns, that might be a reason to look elsewhere.