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I have been searching all of the forums for the last two weeks regarding the TP2 and Sprint service, which on the surface sounded good. I purchased a brand new (in the box advertised as not requiring a contract) TP2 and called Sprint to port my number and was informed that even providing my own (paid for) hardware, they will not activate service without a 2 year contract. I'm stunned! Even Verizon will allow activation of your own handset without a contract. I called the CS line and was told that they will not activate without a contract. I guess I will sell this one and go with Verizon. No wonder Sprint has been loosing customers!
IIRC its actually illegal to do that, there was a big class action suit several years ago that forced all cellular providers to allow users to buy the phones and activate without contract
FWIW i activated my TP2 without a contract, i already had sprint (my previous 2 year contract was up and i have the 30 dollar SERO plan so i didnt want to change)
bs. all of my phones have been activated without 2 year. ive been with sprint 8 years.
You can activate the phone online.
I, too, recently activated my TP2 w/Sprint after being out of contract for just over a year. You probably fell on bad luck talking to people who were out of the loop. There are some corporate Sprint stores in malls (not kiosks) that will hook you up.
I actually started with a Sprint store ( 2 hour drive) as I intended to port my number. The Sprint employee at the store is the one that first informed me of the 2 year contract requirement. I then tried CS on their toll free number. The CS person was very polite, and did put me on hold while she supposedly spoke with a supervisor, but the answer was still 'no contreact, no service'. Considering that we do not have GSM service in our area, my only option is to get rid of this phone and go with Verizon. At least I know they will activate my equipment without a contract. It will be interesting to see if the legislation currently being considered by Congress will also include regulation over some of the policies of the cell carriers...
defaultdotxbe said:
IIRC its actually illegal to do that, there was a big class action suit several years ago that forced all cellular providers to allow users to buy the phones and activate without contract
FWIW i activated my TP2 without a contract, i already had sprint (my previous 2 year contract was up and i have the 30 dollar SERO plan so i didnt want to change)
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Do you have a link to that legal decision? I have been searching all morning looking for the case, and court ruling. Thanks!
timm9 said:
Do you have a link to that legal decision? I have been searching all morning looking for the case, and court ruling. Thanks!
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this is interesting information, do u mind sharing the actual court ruling document?
i dont remember the details, it was between when i got my first and second cell phone, my first you couldnt just buy a phone, they would only sell you a phone if you got a contract, and when i got my second you could buy the phones (for like $200 more) and activate without a contract, and i was told it was because of a lawsuit
this all like 10 years ago though, so i dont know if that was even the case
http://forums.precentral.net/palm-p...-if-they-buy-phone-full-cost.html#post2231359
Sometimes to get a good deal or something usually requires a 2year contract. No big deal IMO since I have no interest in leaving Sprint anytime soon. Another plus was I was able to get ahold of the department that does discounts and such. (2 years ago I got called for a survey in exchange for a 10% discount). It disapeared from my bill and since I didn't know it was a 2 year only discount (thus the reason for the 2 year contract renewal when they first asked) I asked if there was any way to get another discount. The woman on the phone was really helpful and hooked me up with a $10 off discount for another 2 year contract. HELL YA! So now I have a 1250 Sero plan + $7 insurance - $10. On the bill for April my total after tax, fees, etc was exactly $50.00 on the dot. Love Sprint, Love their service, and their phones are getting better and better. (TP2 has been sweet and the EVO looks ever sweeter. As long as they hook it up with some dang good WM7 phones this summer I can see they have learned a lot about getting into the market with a damn good device to keep competitive.
you need a contract with sprint to get service. They dont do month to month plans.
THATS THE BIG PROBLEM WITH SPRINT THEY HIRE SOME OF THE DUMBEST CUSTOMER SERVICE PEOPLE,but when i have problems i go into the store BECOUSE I KNOW THE PEOPLE THERE HAVE THEIR BRAIN CELLS AND THEY TAKE GOOD CARE OF ME.Sprint has its drawbacks but what company doesnt overall im very satisfied with the company i mean verizon may have better service in my area but they cost more and i have free roaming so now i have better service and im content
At this point I have returned the TP2, and have gone with Verizon without a contract. On this site a post indicated that the 'contract required' is no longer legal based on litigation, but it's not worth my time and energy to fight over it. Like my wife said, "After all this, why would you want to do business with Sprint"?
That about sums it up...
Thank you all for the responses!
Existing Customer - New Customer
I read through some of the posts. I have activated several phones with Sprint, out of contract. I have 4 lines with Sprint, and I've not been on contract with them for maybe 3 years now. During this time I have activated maybe 6-8 different phones that I have bought on my own (usually on ebay), and never once been required to enter a contract.
The difference with me (and most other respondents) and yourself is we are existing Sprint customers; we have gone through our 1yr or 2yr contract with Sprint.
Verizon is obviously different in that, if you don't get a free or discounted phone from them, then you can obtain service without a contract.
Those of you sharing experiences of not signing a contract when swapping ESn's are off track here.
O.P is NOT an existing customer (*mentions porting his number to Sprint) and was wanting to join Sprint as a new customer but with his own Sprint handset. Sprint does not do month to month service (anymore, though they use to for an additional $10/month yrs ago).
Any current Sprint customer can change out hardware as much as they want and they're not required to modify their contracts. But a new customer joining Sprint whether he/she is bringing their handset is being required to sign a contract, it seems.
LordLugard said:
Those of you sharing experiences of not signing a contract when swapping ESn's are off track here.
O.P is NOT an existing customer (*mentions porting his number to Sprint) and was wanting to join Sprint as a new customer but with his own Sprint handset. Sprint does not do month to month service (anymore, though they use to for an additional $10/month yrs ago).
Any current Sprint customer can change out hardware as much as they want and they're not required to modify their contracts. But a new customer joining Sprint whether he/she is bringing their handset is being required to sign a contract, it seems.
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this is true to a certain extent....if you bring a line from a shared account into a separate (new) line but have bad credit, you only have to sign a 6 month contract and go month to month from there. (trust me, i know )
timm9 said:
I guess I will sell this one and go with Verizon. No wonder Sprint has been loosing customers!
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timm9 said:
At this point I have returned the TP2/QUOTE]
:| why didnt u just flash it to verizon..
well if u lost no money doing this then w/e.....
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This is really on how you play it out man. You can't give up like that homie. Really someone gave you bad info in the first call. You have to be in a contract to get service. But you can get out your contract really easy down the road. If you sign up you have 30 days to kill your service no questions. So if you were going to leave them someone might fix it for you spri-nt is dumb like that. But you have to keep calling you might get someone who is like F&*k my job I'm doing what ever today I'm going to quit. Talk to a female, guys their be tryin to mr tough I know everything you know.
Just wondering and thinking out loud i guess but you could goto a sprint store or online get a crappy feature phone with the cheapest plan that meets your needs then go online and activate your TP2 or whatever smartphone you want. I mean you will be stuck with sprint for 2 years but there prices are really good and if you want to switch devices again say when WP7 comes out your going to have to buy it used or pay full price again anyway idk just my 2 cents
EDIT:
sorry to revive a dead thread
sprint fan
i am more than happy with sprint.
while sprint has always bent over backwards to help me out other providers with whom i dealt to help out friends and family seem to tun around with their heads so far up their ass they need a glass stomach to keep from running into things.
go sprint
With the Arrive coming out on Sprint soon, and the Trophy coming to Verizon, allegedly on the 24th, I'm wondering if it will be possible to get an Arrive to work on Verizon? Verizon's coverage in my area is far better than Sprint's, but I don't want the bottom of the barrel WP7 device, as I've heard the Trophy called. I have used the Mogul, the Touch Pro, and now the Touch Pro 2, and really like having that slide-out keyboard.
Any idea if getting Arrive to work on Verizon, or am I doomed to deal with Trophy?
Thanks,
Rich
No idea. The only WP7 device I've heard of for Verizon is the Trophy, like you stated.
You can get the Arrive on Sprint and roam on Verizon!
I am hoping that a few more WP7 devices are announced for both carriers at CTIA (March 22-24).
Musicman247 said:
No idea. The only WP7 device I've heard of for Verizon is the Trophy, like you stated.
You can get the Arrive on Sprint and roam on Verizon!
I am hoping that a few more WP7 devices are announced for both carriers at CTIA (March 22-24).
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truth...
Sprint has agreements with Verizon, when you roam on Sprint it is through Verizon's network and there is no extra charge.
You could get on the Sprint Everything Plus Data plan for $59.99, and pay another $10 for the premium data plan, and pay $69.99 for a new HTC Arrive.
Really.... :/
I had a Sprint Mogul when I moved to GA two years ago. The reception was PATHETIC. You used to see the commercials where someone would say something then drop the call, and it was totally awkward? Well, that happened to me. I was talking to a dear friend, and said, "I love you, Patty", and the call dropped, and I WOULD have continued, "you're one of the dearest friends I have." Of course she didn't hear the last part. I drove up and down the road desperately seeking a bar. JUST ONE BAR! I switched to Verizon and that problem went away.
So, I guess the question I have now is whether the switch to CDMA on Sprint is that recent? I wasn't aware that I could use a Sprint phone on a Verizon network, and due to my past experience I didn't check. If the answer is yes, then I believe I will be cancelling my Verizon contract when the Arrive arrives!
Hmmm... Only issue is that my VZW plan is unlimited data - TRULY unlimited - because I had it on an employee plan when I got it (and I'm not an employee of that company anymore). Is Sprint's plan TRULY unlimited?
hopmedic said:
Really.... :/
I had a Sprint Mogul when I moved to GA two years ago. The reception was PATHETIC. You used to see the commercials where someone would say something then drop the call, and it was totally awkward? Well, that happened to me. I was talking to a dear friend, and said, "I love you, Patty", and the call dropped, and I WOULD have continued, "you're one of the dearest friends I have." Of course she didn't hear the last part. I drove up and down the road desperately seeking a bar. JUST ONE BAR! I switched to Verizon and that problem went away.
So, I guess the question I have now is whether the switch to CDMA on Sprint is that recent? I wasn't aware that I could use a Sprint phone on a Verizon network, and due to my past experience I didn't check. If the answer is yes, then I believe I will be cancelling my Verizon contract when the Arrive arrives!
Hmmm... Only issue is that my VZW plan is unlimited data - TRULY unlimited - because I had it on an employee plan when I got it (and I'm not an employee of that company anymore). Is Sprint's plan TRULY unlimited?
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Sprint unlimited really is unlimited, but if you read the fine print they reserve the right to terminate you if you get retarded on it, just like any other carrier. Check with a local Sprint store about the coverage/roaming issue. Most plans on Sprint now include free roaming nationwide, and I can't think of what other major carrier in the US has CDMA other than Verizon.
Don't! sign up for a plan through the store, you need to do it online through the Everythign Plus referral, and get the plan for $10 less than doing it in store. So you can bet a HTC Arrive and pay $59.99+$10 premium data = $69.99 for 500 anytime minutes to landlines, and unlimited any mobile any time, unlimited data, pictures, text, nights starting at 7pm, etc. etc. etc.
http://www.sprint.com/everythingplus
You will need a Sprint employee email address/pin. This is where Russ McGuire comes into play, he is Vice President of Strategy for Sprint. On his blog he invites everyone for the sprint offer.
http://mcguireslaw.com/
(under about on the right hand side he has his email address and pin for everyone to use freely/Legitimately)
Addendum: their fine print says they can terminate/stop service if you use too much data outside their network etc, so the roaming thing would apply here. Wouldn't hurt to check out if their coverage has improved in your area.
Very interesting - thanks so much for the info! I guess now I'm tossing up the pros and cons of going with that or going through wirefly and getting the phone for $50 - especially since my wife will get an arrive if it is $50, but she wont' get it if we have to pay $200 (after rebate). I'm looking at it like this:
From Wirefly:
2 phones $100
monthly rate $149
From Sprint:
1 phone $200 (plus whatever phone my wife ends up getting)
monthly rate $129
So, for $20 a month over 2 years, I would save a total of $480. At a $150 savings for each Arrive buying through wirefly, that takes the comparable savings down to 180. Given that my wife won't get an Arrive if we have to pay full price now (since we'll also have to pay early term fee for our current Verizon contract), She would probably go with a free phone, and I'd save more money, but she wouldn't have WP7 (which I want her to have).
You've given me much food for thought. Right now I'd say we're probably going to end up going with Wirefly, but I'm going to sit on the decision for a couple days to decide. Thank you.
hopmedic said:
Very interesting - thanks so much for the info! I guess now I'm tossing up the pros and cons of going with that or going through wirefly and getting the phone for $50 - especially since my wife will get an arrive if it is $50, but she wont' get it if we have to pay $200 (after rebate). I'm looking at it like this:
From Wirefly:
2 phones $100
monthly rate $149
From Sprint:
1 phone $200 (plus whatever phone my wife ends up getting)
monthly rate $129
So, for $20 a month over 2 years, I would save a total of $480. At a $150 savings for each Arrive buying through wirefly, that takes the comparable savings down to 180. Given that my wife won't get an Arrive if we have to pay full price now (since we'll also have to pay early term fee for our current Verizon contract), She would probably go with a free phone, and I'd save more money, but she wouldn't have WP7 (which I want her to have).
You've given me much food for thought. Right now I'd say we're probably going to end up going with Wirefly, but I'm going to sit on the decision for a couple days to decide. Thank you.
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Let me further add to your thoughts, wirefly still may not be the best option.
If you sign up with Sprint and port your current number over to them from another carrier they will give you $125 credit for each smartphone.
http://www.sprint.com/landings/portcredit/
sprint said:
Move your number to Sprint. Get $125.For a limited time only, activate a new Sprint smartphone and save.Just bring your number from another carrier to Sprint and activate a smartphone, like the Samsung Epic™ 4G, on a new line and we'll give you a $125 service credit. Not ready for a smartphone? We'll give you a $50 service credit when you port your number from another carrier and activate one of our other fabulous phones. Either way, you win.
$125 service credit per line for each smartphone
$50 service credit per line for other phones
How to get your service credit:
Find the perfect phone. Shop online now.
Transfer your eligible number to Sprint by 4/16/2011. Doing this online is easy – we'll ask you for your number when you checkout.
Within 72 hours of activating your phone and transferring your number from another carrier, register for the credit.
That's it! You can expect to see your service credit as a lump sum within the adjustment section of your invoice. The service credit will show up on the first or second invoice after you have been a Sprint customer for 60 days. It will be labeled as "Valued Customer Service Credit."
Visit this page if you have any questions about the status of your service credit and select “Where’s my credit?” Remember, the credit will not appear on your invoice until at least 60 days after activation.
Requires two-year Agreement.
This offer is available online, via Telesales and in participating Sprint Stores. Purchases from other retailers are not eligible for this credit.
Offer ends 4/16/2011. Available for consumer and individual-liable lines only. Requires port in from an active wireless line and mobile number that comes through the port process. Request for service credit must be made at www.sprint.com/switchoffer within 72 hours from the port in activation date or credit will be declined. New line must remain active with Sprint for 61 days to receive service credit. Smartphones are Blackberry, Android, Windows Mobile, Palm and Instinct Family of devices. All other phones are considered feature phones. Smartphones require activation on an Everything Plan with data with Premium Data add-on charge. Upgrades, replacements, and ports made between Sprint entities or providers associated with Sprint are excluded (i.e. Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, Common Cents Mobile and Assurance). Offers not available in all markets/retail locations. Other restrictions apply.
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Sooooo $400 for 2 Arrive's, minus $250 - $150 for 2.
Hope this further helps you.
Wow.... That's awesome.... Now I'm going to have to look and see if I can combine the everything plus with the port credit, and double check to make sure we can receive two $100 rebates if we buy two phones. Thanks!
hopmedic said:
Wow.... That's awesome.... Now I'm going to have to look and see if I can combine the everything plus with the port credit, and double check to make sure we can receive two $100 rebates if we buy two phones. Thanks!
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The port credit information was posted on the Everything Plus referral page after you logged in with the email and pin number. And the $100 refund credit is definately per phone regardless of how many you purchase.
The only thing you need to make sure of is that Sprint services your area well.
Hope I was able to help you save some money no matter what you decide, let me know what you finally end up doing. I am picking up 2 Arrives on Sunday (for wife and I).
Credit Union Discounts
For those who go/have gone through wirefly for the 50 dollar deal (which I did), since we can't sign up for the Referral Program, the next best option to still get 10% knocked off your bill is to get a discount through any affiliated credit union (of which, there are TONS). Long-term, for 1 phone, Getting the port credit and Referral discount probably works out better, but I couldn't justify spending 300 up front for the phone, waiting x number of weeks for the rebate etc..
cusaver dot com
you can always....swap esns if your willing to get your hands dirty *cough* It works great *cough*
Halabeaster, I've never put a non-standard rom on a phone, but if it's safe, I'm willing to try. For the moment, I'm on Sprint, but not sure I'm happy with the coverage... Got 3 1/2 weeks left or so to decide. I am a developer, but not very experienced. How difficult is it?
cyclical said:
Sprint unlimited really is unlimited, but if you read the fine print they reserve the right to terminate you if you get retarded on it, just like any other carrier. Check with a local Sprint store about the coverage/roaming issue. Most plans on Sprint now include free roaming nationwide, and I can't think of what other major carrier in the US has CDMA other than Verizon.
Don't! sign up for a plan through the store, you need to do it online through the Everythign Plus referral, and get the plan for $10 less than doing it in store. So you can bet a HTC Arrive and pay $59.99+$10 premium data = $69.99 for 500 anytime minutes to landlines, and unlimited any mobile any time, unlimited data, pictures, text, nights starting at 7pm, etc. etc. etc.
You will need a Sprint employee email address/pin. This is where Russ McGuire comes into play, he is Vice President of Strategy for Sprint. On his blog he invites everyone for the sprint offer.
(under about on the right hand side he has his email address and pin for everyone to use freely/Legitimately)
Addendum: their fine print says they can terminate/stop service if you use too much data outside their network etc, so the roaming thing would apply here. Wouldn't hurt to check out if their coverage has improved in your area.
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Question, can you jump on this if you're an existing customer?
I just got my HTC Arrive on the Verizon Wireless network via Page Plus Cellular thanks to this post:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=13205205&postcount=9
I replaced my well used Touch Pro 2 with an Arrive because I was waiting for Windows Phone 7 and Netflix capabilty. I'm not a heavy phone data user because I have Wi-Fi everywhere I go.
So far I was able to get the talk and text working for my unlimited plan but haven't hammered out the rest of the data settings. Might have to wait for a Verizon Trophy to come out so that I can try to mirror the settings. This method is technically on Verizon so 95% of the service is the same at a much better price. I need mainly lots and lots of Talk/Text with NO data plan fees.
I actually bought my 2 phones from Amazon Wireless. Both were upgrades for non-primary lines on a family plan (Everything Data 3000) and AW had the best deal on the devices I could find anywhere, $150. The deal got even better now though, $99 for upgraders and free for new users.
dtrush said:
I just got my HTC Arrive on the Verizon Wireless network via Page Plus Cellular thanks to this post:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=13205205&postcount=9
I replaced my well used Touch Pro 2 with an Arrive because I was waiting for Windows Phone 7 and Netflix capabilty. I'm not a heavy phone data user because I have Wi-Fi everywhere I go.
So far I was able to get the talk and text working for my unlimited plan but haven't hammered out the rest of the data settings. Might have to wait for a Verizon Trophy to come out so that I can try to mirror the settings. This method is technically on Verizon so 95% of the service is the same at a much better price. I need mainly lots and lots of Talk/Text with NO data plan fees.
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What does or does not work? Do apps go to your bill?
No one else has made progress with the Arrive on Verizon. I was looking for a replacement for my TP2, and I really do not want to change carriers.
Bottom line is I'll be joing the T-mo family, and I'm coming over because of cost.
I'm going to be picking up a Used/New Sidekick 4G off of craigslist. I'm looking at spending between 150-200. I need the Keyboard and the Touchslide is out of my cost range. I'm going on the family value plan for 99.89 for two lines. Any suggestions on this phone or anyother with a keyboard. What pitfalls could i get into with buying one off craigslist, can these phones be blacklisted like sprint(I.E. bad ESN), I know they take sim cards. Any other tips
Thx
With Tmobile, I'm pretty sure that popping in your sim card before you buy will tell you whether the esn is clean. I have always used keyboard phones, and for my taste, i'd say the other option besides the SK would be the G2... I think the SK4G has a better keyboard, but I prefer the G2 in just about every other way, the main one being the awesome development by XDA members and Cyanogen etc. that has and is being done for the device. That phone has been out for almost a year, but I am tempted to buy a new one and keep using that sucker. Lol. But I like the SK too, I think it's a great little phone, and the guys here have done some really good stuff with it.
Good luck with your switch!
I just bought my daughter a brand new SK4G for $149.00 at the local T-Mobile store at the Mall. It was an upgrade for an AT&T "pursuit" she had running on T-Mobile. Just a "heads up" for you in case you wanted to check new from a dealer than "Craig's flea market".
My bad, I am on a "classic plan". If you are a heavy texter, no better keyboard IMHO.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using xda premium
Tmobile will price match so go online and you can probably find someone giving it away free with a new contract then just show them the website. That's what I did and I used amazon wireless to show them, walked out of the store with a free sidekick
xmeatizmurderx said:
Tmobile will price match so go online and you can probably find someone giving it away free with a new contract then just show them the website. That's what I did and I used amazon wireless to show them, walked out of the store with a free sidekick
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They told me on the Value Plan I have to pay retail for the phone, and I don't even qualify for the rebates, however different rep's have told me different things on the rebates.
I want to take advantage of the Amazon black friday deal to get my wife a new contract and me a new phone. I was going to get a new contract with a samsung galaxy SII and then keep that for myself and give my wife my EVO 4g. My question is will I be able to switch the phones if I call Sprint as my EVO is a company phone on a corporate account and the new contract will not be. My company has a bit of red tape so I would rather not involve them.
OK I went to the Verizon store and got a LG spectrum. Out the door for 219. I ported my number from sprint. Just saw the phone on wirefly for free. How can I play this to get phone for free. Also I just got this phone Tuesday. Is there any othercphones I should look at besides this? I'm coming from a galaxy s2 on sprint so I'm a bit let down.......
Sent from my VS920 4G using xda premium
Help
Sent from my VS920 4G using xda premium
You can always return the phone and cancel your contract then order your the device from wirefly. You'd have to do that really quick here to avoid getting socked with the $35 activation fee thats usually not refundable after the 3rd day. You will lose your ported number though. I'm not an LG fan and I think the Spectrum is a very plain looking device with subpar quality hardware. The Galaxy Nexus would be a much better choice. I am a bit bias though. The device is going for $300 at Verizon or roughly half that on letstalk or wirefly with a new account.
Sent from CDMA V6 SC GNexus w/Liquid & Franco.kernel
OR: Order the phone you want from wirefly by adding a line to your account. Once you receive it, call VZ customer care and request the ported number from your first line be transferred to the second line. After they do that, return the VZ Spectrum and cancel that first line. If everything goes well, you will have your phone from wirefly with your original ported phone number. (Carriers can only move active lines over to new devices. Thats why the first line must not be cancelled before you transfer the number). Unfortunately, you would probably get a couple fees in the process. Like these:
$35 activation charge (original line)
$25 restocking charge (original device)
$15 phone number change
Basically, $75 in fees. But if you stick with the Spectrum, you save $144 when all is said and done by purchasing it from wirefly with these fees applied.
If this is the route you want to go, make sure everything is finished by the 14th day from the original account setup day. Otherwise you cannot cancel that original contract. You can also call VZ customer care and have them confirm certain details in this route to make sure it works perfectly for you. Not sure if you should explain everything though.....you may want to give a few calls in order not to give the whole picture to one person.
*****Also, do not set up a family plan with the second line from wirefly thinking you'd just change it when you cancel the original line. They will probably push it. Just set up the same plan you picked from the first device. These 2nd party retailers tend to charge massive amounts of money if your plan changes in the first 6 months of contract. (Their commission structure is based off of the plan you choose)
Good luck which ever way you go!
*[whispering] galaxy nexus galaxy nexus
Sent from CDMA V6 SC GNexus w/Liquid & Franco.kernel
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