Help me find a way to get my bro a new phone for Xmas !

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Annisman*

Annisman*

Golden Member
Aug 20, 2010
1,931
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Hey guys,

I've got a bit of a problem. I want to buy my bro a new phone for Christmas but I am running into some issues.

His phone screen has been badly cracked for over a year now but our upgrade date is not until March. We are both on the same plan (1 line each). I have looked into the Verizon Edge thingy but to upgrade early using the Edge plan you need to send in your old phone in 'working condition' unfortunately a cracked screen does not qualify as working condition.

I am not very phone/plan savvy so does anybody know my options here ? My guess is I have to buy the new phone at full price, is there any other way of doing this ? What about adding another line and letting his old contract expire ? Or what about straight up terminating the plan early ?

Help me get him a new phone for Christmas !!!
 
lopri

lopri

Elite Member
Jul 27, 2002
13,310
687
126
What kind of phone does he currently have? What kind of signal does he currently get where he travels? 3G, "4G", or LTE? Is he technically savvy or could not care less?

He can pick up a no-contract phone (Verizon-compatible) to bide time until upgrade becomes available. I am not qualified enough to give a confident advice (not on Verizon), but something like Moto G should be a solid choice if he is OK without LTE. Bestbuy has it for $70.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/verizon-...&skuId=3041063

For LTE, you need a phone that is LTE-ready and Verizon-compatible. It will cost more $$ but your options open up considerably. Then again, it is probably not wise to spend a lot when renewal is close. It is a dilemma and hopefully someone else can help you with better ideas. I do not know how adding a new line and transferring the number works out on Verizon. It sounds workable and rational in theory but when it comes to the U.S. carriers being rational is not always the best way to deal with them..
 
notposting

notposting

Diamond Member
Jul 22, 2005
3,498
33
91
Buying a phone? Used phone on eBay, seriously. Good buyer protection (I wouldn't sell though) and can find a perfectly reasonable phone at a decent price.

Edit: some more info on what he has (Android, iPhone, WP, BB?) would help. Get something that was yesterday's flagship and you are usually doing really good.
 
Last edited:
lopri

lopri

Elite Member
Jul 27, 2002
13,310
687
126
Oh come on, guys. The OP is talking about a Christmas present. eBay and Swappa, really?
 
KeithP

KeithP

Diamond Member
Jun 15, 2000
5,664
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See if you can put his current account on hold for January, February and March.

If you can hold/pause his account, sign up your bro on a new Verizon account with a new subsidized phone of your choice. He will be getting a new phone number in this scenario.

By the time his old account comes off the hold, your contract will be finished. Cancel your account and use his old account on your current phone until the contract terms are met. You may even be able to transfer your number to his account.

I don't know if this will work and it is a bit convoluted but it might be worth checking out.

-KeithP
 
rcpratt

rcpratt

Lifer
Jul 2, 2009
10,433
110
116
Have you talked to Verizon (phone support, not store) yet? I don't know what their policy is this season, but they will usually pull ahead upgrades a few months. Worth a shot.
 
W

Wingznut

Elite Member
Dec 28, 1999
16,968
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lopri said:
Oh come on, guys. The OP is talking about a Christmas present. eBay and Swappa, really?
Click to expand...
If someone were giving me a phone, I'd much rather have a nicer model used phone, than a lesser model new phone. Assuming the used phone is in good condition, of course.
 
NikolaeVarius

NikolaeVarius

Lifer
Oct 25, 2006
11,036
11
91
Need something resembling pricing requirements.

You could just get a refurb phone. Apparently ebay is selling refurb Note 3 and GS4 for Verizon for cheap today.
 
P

PowerYoga

Diamond Member
Nov 6, 2001
4,603
0
0
if you want to get him a nice used phone: swappa.

If you want a new phone: you missed out on some good black friday deals so you'll need to hunt for deals here and there.
 
Annisman*

Annisman*

Golden Member
Aug 20, 2010
1,931
95
91
Thanks for the replies gents :) I got forced on a double last night so I didn't have the time to respond.

I'd like to get him something like a Samsung S5, I talked to a Verizon rep via live chat and they said the best I could probably do was to buy a Verizon recertified phone like this one: http://www.verizonwireless.com/smartphones/galaxy-s-5-certified-pre-owned/

I'm guessing the cost would be 420$ I was going to pull the trigger yesterday but now I'm not sure what to do. 400 bucks seems like a lot of money to get him through the next 4 months.
 
dlock13

dlock13

Platinum Member
Oct 24, 2006
2,806
2
81
Annisman* said:
Thanks for the replies gents :) I got forced on a double last night so I didn't have the time to respond.

I'd like to get him something like a Samsung S5, I talked to a Verizon rep via live chat and they said the best I could probably do was to buy a Verizon recertified phone like this one: http://www.verizonwireless.com/smartphones/galaxy-s-5-certified-pre-owned/

I'm guessing the cost would be 420$ I was going to pull the trigger yesterday but now I'm not sure what to do. 400 bucks seems like a lot of money to get him through the next 4 months.
Click to expand...
Did you want to get him a brand new phone, or is second hand out of the question? I've purchased and sold phones on Swappa several times. They're a quality site. They'll check to see if the IMEI is blocked by any carrier. It might be worth it to check it out and see what you can find. You could probably get him a cheaper VZW phone for $200 on Swappa which will get him through those next few months.
 
Annisman*

Annisman*

Golden Member
Aug 20, 2010
1,931
95
91
dlock13 said:
Did you want to get him a brand new phone, or is second hand out of the question? I've purchased and sold phones on Swappa several times. They're a quality site. They'll check to see if the IMEI is blocked by any carrier. It might be worth it to check it out and see what you can find. You could probably get him a cheaper VZW phone for $200 on Swappa which will get him through those next few months.
Click to expand...

Hmm, stupid question here, if I find him a used Verizon compatible phone I can move the coverage from one phone to the other ? Is that easy to do ?
 
notposting

notposting

Diamond Member
Jul 22, 2005
3,498
33
91
Yeah, it's easy, if his current phone is LTE with a micro SIM (or nano SIM, I suppose), you just swap that into the new phone. Boom.

Also, as for eBay/Swappa, eBay is definitely worth considering as well, buyer protection is great on there. Seller protection is basically non-existent, but...

Just double check feedback, read auctions carefully. A nice used phone without a shattered screen for Christmas would be a lot better than another day with the broken one lol.

Do you know what he uses right now? I mean, an S5 is really nice, but if you just want something to get by for a few months, totally overkill. I assume that means he is on Android?
 
Zaap

Zaap

Diamond Member
Jun 12, 2008
7,162
424
126
Whatever you get, consider he can also sell it himself in 4 months on Swappa.

The better/newer phone you buy now, the more money you'll get back in 4 months. Selling devices on there has been painless and no-hassle for me.
 
Annisman*

Annisman*

Golden Member
Aug 20, 2010
1,931
95
91
And just to get this right, if I bought that one I just swap the SIM card to it from his DNA and viola ?
 
Annisman*

Annisman*

Golden Member
Aug 20, 2010
1,931
95
91
Well I pulled the trigger on the one from swappa. Thanks for the help guys hopefully this works out. Just swap SIM cards right ?
 
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