Does Verizon activates your iphone?

Does Verizon unboxes and activates it or just hands you the box when you buy it?

Some places open it up some places just hand you the box. It depends on how much the employee wants to see the phone.

They can do it, or you can do it, your choice.

For me, the only reason in having them do it, is if I have returned a phone with dead pixels, I want them to check the next one to make sure that the screen is fine first. Or to have them transfer data from and old phone that I no longer have a data cable for, to the new one.

I have gotten "NIB" from carrier stores in the past, that has been opened and items removed to replace an item to another customer, only to find it was not in the box when I got home. So I had to make a trip back to the store to get the item or have them ship it to me, once I found out that in fact it should have been in the box, chargers or the wrong style charge, missing ear buds, promo items or promo case, have been MIA in some cases.

If you want you can just get the phone without activating it in case you're only buying the phone mid-contract. If you're getting the phone with contract, the phone will be activated.

If you buy it directly from verizon store they can help you activate your device provided you have some proof of ID