Who buys a brand new phone but also has no internet connection for weeks? Do they have all the apps they need pre-downloaded? I don't think that's a big group.
Never tried a return because I'd have to pay through the nose on shipping.
That's very unfortunate if you'd have to pay a return for a promised feature not working.
If it's a normal gift, then the recipient won't have any roms or bootloaders they need to install. To get those they will need internet, at which point they can unlock the phone.
> or the even more exotic “person in a foreign country”
What's the problem? Are they buying a phone they won't get a plan for, and can't find anywhere with wifi, and they have no home internet? But they still want to unlock the boot loader because... why?
If that ultra-niche scenario is not what you have in mind, then please explain.