How to best get a cell phone (physically GET) for the wife....

[redgtxdi]

OK, here's the deal...

Verizon says if I buy a phone in the store, unless I want to change my wife's phone #, they can't turn it on on Christmas morning. It'll be turned on whenever I actually do the "deal". I'm like...."WTF?? 2009 and we still can't do shit like this? Are they fsckin' serious?"

Someone at work told me I can just order phones online (I'll probably do a new one for me since there's a lot of BOGO deals going on right now) and the phones will come w/ instructions on how to turn them on and get rolling on Christmas morning.

Is this true??? Suggestions???

TIA!

 

[dlock13]

OK, here's the deal...

Verizon says if I buy a phone in the store, unless I want to change my wife's phone #, they can't turn it on on Christmas morning. It'll be turned on whenever I actually do the "deal". I'm like...."WTF?? 2009 and we still can't do shit like this? Are they fsckin' serious?"

Someone at work told me I can just order phones online (I'll probably do a new one for me since there's a lot of BOGO deals going on right now) and the phones will come w/ instructions on how to turn them on and get rolling on Christmas morning.

Is this true??? Suggestions???

TIA!

That's true. That's what happens everytime I upgrade my phone. I've never purchased it at a store. My sister is an employee, and I'm on her account and when I upgrade, they get sent to me, then there are instructions that tell you exactly what to do to migrate to that phone and use the new one immediately.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

i suppose you can order a phone online. not really sure how CDMA providers work exactly, but I'm a GSM guy so it's a matter of swapping cards out.

I would probably talk to someone instore about changing #. Why is it Christmas morning? I don't see how hard this is....

 

[ChAoTiCpInOy]

What are you trying to do?

 

[zerocool84]

i suppose you can order a phone online. not really sure how CDMA providers work exactly, but I'm a GSM guy so it's a matter of swapping cards out.

I would probably talk to someone instore about changing #. Why is it Christmas morning? I don't see how hard this is....

With CDMA usually either the first time you turn on the phone it'll activate or you'll have to go into some options in the phone to activate it.

 

[boomhower]

Can you not activate online with Verizon. With Sprint you can order it online, ebay, or wherever and just activate on their webpage. It's not as quick as just swapping a SIM card but your talking five minutes.

 

[basslover1]

OK, here's the deal...

Verizon says if I buy a phone in the store, unless I want to change my wife's phone #, they can't turn it on on Christmas morning. It'll be turned on whenever I actually do the "deal". I'm like...."WTF?? 2009 and we still can't do shit like this? Are they fsckin' serious?"

Someone at work told me I can just order phones online (I'll probably do a new one for me since there's a lot of BOGO deals going on right now) and the phones will come w/ instructions on how to turn them on and get rolling on Christmas morning.

Is this true??? Suggestions???

TIA!

I don't know if this will work since you're currently on Verizon, and are getting a new phone, but here's what happened when I recently purchased my Droid.

I had an iPhone 3GS, and wanted to switch to the Droid. I've had the same phone # for 7 years so I ported my number over. I purchased the Droid online and had it mailed to me, all the while my iPhone still worked like normal for the two days my Droid was in transit. It wasn't until I activated my Droid (by dialing some number) that my iPhone stopped working.

It's possible it would work the same way in your situation, I don't think they would deactivate your old phone until the new one is activated, otherwise I'd be a bit annoyed if they shut off my phone for two days.

 

[redgtxdi]

Ya, I dunno what to do. There's one more large VZstore in my area (I went to the one inside Costco yesterday) so I'm gonna try them and see if I can find someone in there who knows how to do a workaround.

(Was thinking that I'd do a couple of LG Env3's and maybe get the wife's in maroon but hilariously enough........the website says "out of stock"). Yet another thing I can't believe........

This world's economy is in the toilet and they're running out of cell phones! (enter facepalm emoticon here)

I figure worst-case scenario, I'll go the day before Christmas Eve and buy a couple phones, hers will turn off, she'll freak, I'll give her the new one that night as a "Christmas Eve" present, and then she can decide if she even likes the fsckin' thing.

 

[dlock13]

I don't know if this will work since you're currently on Verizon, and are getting a new phone, but here's what happened when I recently purchased my Droid.

I had an iPhone 3GS, and wanted to switch to the Droid. I've had the same phone # for 7 years so I ported my number over. I purchased the Droid online and had it mailed to me, all the while my iPhone still worked like normal for the two days my Droid was in transit. It wasn't until I activated my Droid (by dialing some number) that my iPhone stopped working.

It's possible it would work the same way in your situation, I don't think they would deactivate your old phone until the new one is activated, otherwise I'd be a bit annoyed if they shut off my phone for two days.

This is exactly what you do. You have to go online, then it will ask you to switch phones, then you proceed to put in the ESN number, then it will tell you to dial #228 from your phone, then you hit 1 to upgrade your phone... Viola! However, you can't really upgrade her number since you can't really purchase the phone/plan.

You'll have to buy the phone either a) Full retail price b) another plan in which you'll have to pay for as well c) if you actually have an upgrade, you can buy it for the discounted price and have it sent to you and the same details I posted here will be included in the box.


It's really a simple process, but the fact is if you're trying to purchase the phone and then replace her old one, you simply can't unless you disconnect her line and buy another plan that you have her number ported to already. The only way it will be completely smooth is if you have an upgrade.

 

[bucwylde23]

I don't think you have to go online to activate that phone even. I've upgraded before by ordering a phone off the website and in the instructions you can dial *228 and activate the phone instead of using the website. It is very easy and takes just a few minutes.
Just order the phone on the website and you will have no problems assuming you have an upgrade available??? If you don't have an upgrade available you can still purchase the phone at full price and it will be called an "upgrade" i think so it should still work.

 

[redgtxdi]

It's really a simple process, but the fact is if you're trying to purchase the phone and then replace her old one, you simply can't unless you disconnect her line and buy another plan that you have her number ported to already. The only way it will be completely smooth is if you have an upgrade.

Ya, it's just sad that both methods basically accomplish the same thing.......(they ship it to me in a box, I carry it home in a box)........yet only the "ship" method works.

I just think at this point it'd be better to do my Christmas Eve-Eve scenario so I'm not gambling on the phones showing up in the mail before Christmas morning.