Hot deal but YMMV; How to keep your number and get a new phone with your current service.

[MustangSVT]

I use T-mobile. Have been pretty happy with the service and price.

We have 3 phones under contract and one of the phones died.

I was planning to upgrade all three phones but was lazy and kept on putting it off until that happened.

Well they are all personal phones and didnt care much if the numbers got changed, so I ordered 3 phones from amazon and made a new contract with T-mobile.

I received them a week before the monthly term on the old contract ended. I called them and told them to cancel the old one. on 6th.

today , it was cancelled about noon. My old phones said invalid sim and were not usable.

I called T-mobile and asked them if we can change the number, and gave them the old numbers. He took all three numbers and said they would be changed within 48 hours.

I know there is a risk of losing the number if someone takes it before you have a chance to swap, so I dont suggest this method if you have a business number.

But I was able to get 3 brand new phones with same company and kept all three numbers.

^^; well hope this helps some ppl.

 

[fatdragondzc]

HUGE YMMV. too much to risk. FYI brother lost his number....

 

[thephatp]

Did you cancel a current contract, or was your contract expiring? Whenever you cancel a contract, you pay a hefty penalty for it. So, if you contract expires, you can get new phones anyway (with a new contract, which is what you did anyway). I don't see how this is anything new.

Maybe I'm missing something??

 

[Jeraden]

T-mobile lets you get "new customer" phone pricing when you are out of contract or in your last month of your current contract. You just have to extend your contract another 2 years, but you get cheap phones. Works on family plans too - so if you have 3 phones on a family plan, you can get cheaper-than-list-price replacements for all 3. No need to completely cancel your account.
I just upgraded mine recently with this.

 

[thephatp]

Originally posted by: Jeraden
T-mobile lets you get "new customer" phone pricing when you are out of contract or in your last month of your current contract. You just have to extend your contract another 2 years, but you get cheap phones. Works on family plans too - so if you have 3 phones on a family plan, you can get cheaper-than-list-price replacements for all 3. No need to completely cancel your account.
I just upgraded mine recently with this.

From my understanding, that's how it is with all of the carries. At least, that's how Sprint used to be (when I was with them), and how Verizon is right now.

??

 

[LuNoTiCK]

What about using someone elses name for the account and porting the numbers over? Would that work?

 

[javamart]

MustangSVT, the contract term to buy Tmobile cell phones from Amazon states you should not import existing numbers to these new lines; otherwise you are subject to $250 charge for each phone. I know you can do it anyway, but please let us know if you have any trouble from Amazon later on.

Important Information Regarding Your Equipment Discount
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your price paid includes an Equipment Discount of $250 that has been provided to you by this T-Mobile authorized agent for activating a new non-substitute line of service with T-Mobile, and maintaining this new line of service with the selected rate plan in good standing for a minimum of 181 consecutive days.

By accepting this Equipment Discount, you agree that for a period of 181 days after your new line of service is activated, you


1. Will pay your balance due to T-Mobile each month
2. Will not disconnect this T-Mobile line of service
3. Will not transfer this equipment to another T-Mobile line of service
4. Will not port an existing phone number from another T-Mobile account to this new line of service
5. Will not change your T-Mobile service rate plan to a lower monthly service rate
6. Will not use this new line of service to replace an existing account with T-Mobile

If these conditions are not met, you herein agree to a $250 reimbursement to be paid to this T-Mobile-authorized agent. This reimbursement of the $250 Equipment Discount will only be charged if the above conditions are not met.