Is an iPhone with Activation Lock basically dead weight?

Quick question for people who know Apple stuff better than I do.

I have an iPhone that:

Turns on fine

Isn’t damaged

Was fully erased

But during setup, it stops and asks for the Apple ID of the previous owner. That’s it. No setup, no home screen, nothing.

I don’t have that Apple ID.

I don’t have the password.

I don’t have a receipt tied to my name.

And I can’t contact the original owner anymore. What I’m trying to figure out is this:

Is Activation Lock designed so that only the original Apple ID can ever unlock the phone, no matter what?

Or are there legitimate ways Apple allows this to be resolved in real life — especially for second-hand devices?

I’ve seen a lot of conflicting answers online:

Some say “contact Apple Support”

Some say “only with original proof of purchase”

Others say “there’s no solution at all”

Before I give up on this device completely, I’d really like to know:

Has anyone here actually gotten past Activation Lock without access to the original Apple ID?

Or is this iPhone effectively stuck forever?

Appreciate any real-world experience, not theory.