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G2x for $149 or less as an upgrade

This forum helped me a lot answering my question so now it's time for me to contribute a little to it.
I don't know about new activations, I'm just talking about my case which is an upgrade and I've been with T-mobile for 5 years already.
My contract has ended for a while so now it's time for an upgrade and I waited for this fone as the GS2 takes too long to come out. So I did a little research online and found out that I can match the price of this phone (currently $199 after mail in rebate on Tmobile website or store) with Wirefly's price at $149 using a promotion code "courtesy" when calling them.
First, don't talk to a regular representative, they have no power to reduce the price, ask to talk to Customer Loyalty, and insist on it if they refuse to transfer u to them. Then just tell them that a friend or other people can match the price with Wirefly. In my case, they even lowered the price to $103 after taxes and shipping, no rebate watsoever. I have a 3 lines family plan with them, I don't know if it helps, but for the price, it's great compared to other people that have to buy them at $149+tax. I'm pretty sure some of u got the fone for free, I don't know how u guys did it, please tell us how.

I got it free Cuz they. Screwed me over on data for 3 months... and they sent me two broken vibrants as refurbished ones..... I was in the process of canceling when the manager came on and offered two new phones I got this one and saving my next free one for sgs2 if it comes to T-Mobile. I have two lines and only been a customer for 11 months. Just gotta know how to talk to them
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Wow, that's a great deal u've got. But ur case is very special cuz they screw u up. At least u got a really good deal on the phones. I guess because I'm not born here in the USA or else I'd get a better deal than that, lol

sorry to bump this but it sort of goes along with my question
on october 27 i'll be eligible for my 22 month upgrade, but can i upgrade earlier and still get the phone for $149? when i'm logged into mytmobile account it shows that the g2x is $149 after rebates but since i'm not exactly eligible to upgrade, would i still get the rebate?
basically i can't stand my current phone anymore and i don't think i can wait a month and a half haha

Go through the checkout and see. You probably will only get a partial discount. I suggest waiting it out to see what the nexus prime is all about...
Sent from my LG-P999 using Tapatalk

If you were looking online a couple weeks ago, you would've gotten them free with a 2-year contract or add-on line.

tzbigworm said:
If you were looking online a couple weeks ago, you would've gotten them free with a 2-year contract or add-on line.
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nope i tried it, it still said $149 for me when new customers were getting them for free
---------- Post added at 08:59 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:57 PM ----------
r4d14n7 said:
Go through the checkout and see. You probably will only get a partial discount. I suggest waiting it out to see what the nexus prime is all about...
Sent from my LG-P999 using Tapatalk
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i'm going to try it, i'm just not sure if upgrading early will affect my contract price in any way. and i just looked up the nexus prime a little bit and found this "It’s said that the Nexus Prime’s screen could be as big as 4.65-inches." that is way too big for me

tokimaromi said:
i'm going to try it, i'm just not sure if upgrading early will affect my contract price in any way. and i just looked up the nexus prime a little bit and found this "It’s said that the Nexus Prime’s screen could be as big as 4.65-inches." that is way too big for me
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Ouch... Good point. I like 4" and would settle for 4.3" but no higher.
As far as upgrading early, it will just start your new 2-year contract from the date that you actually upgrade, not an extension onto the end. At least that's how my partial upgrade was a few years back. If you have 2 or more lines and can stick it out a while longer, T-Mobile's new $99/mo unlimited for 2 lines is awesome if they're still running the promotion. Unlimited calls, texts, and 2GB data for each line (throttled after 2GB). But it requires that you're not under a contract when you sign the new plan or there are some pretty hefty migration fees. Just food for thought.

Got mine at CostCo as a 2year contract upgrade for $149, then they sent me a $50 gift card, so $99 out of my pocket. Later they had it for $79 out of pocket.

i'm about to order it soon... it will be $149 with mail in rebate so i'm happy with that my g1 was more than that when i bought it haha

tokimaromi said:
i'm about to order it soon... it will be $149 with mail in rebate so i'm happy with that my g1 was more than that when i bought it haha
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I paid $199.00 for my G1.
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KRAZYADROIDMASTER said:
I paid $199.00 for my G1.
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i think i paid like 179 for mine and was promised a $50 rebate but never got it in the mail

namklak said:
Got mine at CostCo as a 2year contract upgrade for $149, then they sent me a $50 gift card, so $99 out of my pocket. Later they had it for $79 out of pocket.
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+1
Get it at costco, they give free accessories and will price match their own prices within 30 days.

If you bought the Skyrocket at $249.99 I got GREAT NEWS!

I just called the Customer Service of AT&T with the argument that I pay $100 bucks extra for the SGSII Skyrocket aditional from other customers that bought it from $149.99 only. After a little talk with the rep. guess what? They refound me $100 dollars to my account as a credit ... I have to say that I'm more than happy! For you guys that try this, good luck!

I hope more people can take advantage of this. I happen to live in a market that won't see LTE until the 1st or 2nd quarter next year and only paid $149.99 from a local corp. store. They should price it the same everywhere (corp stores that is) imho...

Just picked mine up for $149 @ best buy...told them about the att store and online then they price matched. And no $35 restocking fee
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bacuy82 said:
Just picked mine up for $149 @ best buy...told them about the att store and online then they price matched. And no $35 restocking fee
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using xda premium
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I would pay the 35$ restocking fee only if the Galaxy Note arrives to AT&T!

I've called 3 times now and gone back in the store. I've been denied this every time. Any tips on what I should say? I am a 20 year customer with 7 lines and internet. You would think that they would treat all their customers the same.

decimusmaximus7 said:
I've called 3 times now and gone back in the store. I've been denied this every time. Any tips on what I should say? I am a 20 year customer with 7 lines and internet. You would think that they would treat all their customers the same.
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Well, She was very negative with my position so I said, can you transfer me to the contract cancelation department please? Then she tells me, its no necessary Sir 'cuz I can help you with this unic call... so... there is the tip

bacuy82 where do live

decimusmaximus7 said:
I've called 3 times now and gone back in the store. I've been denied this every time. Any tips on what I should say? I am a 20 year customer with 7 lines and internet. You would think that they would treat all their customers the same.
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Strange... I called At&t on Monday and asked if I could upgrade early (I wasn't eligible for an upgrade until January 15th). Not only was I told yes, but I was given the $150 price for the Skyrocket. And in my zipcode it was coming up as 250 online.
Plus, I was told they will waive the upgrade fee. (I still have to call now that I have the phone to make sure that happens).
All I did was just ask nicely for the upgrade and the rest just happened. Now I've got my phone and I couldn't be happier.

jmreed97 said:
Strange... I called At&t on Monday and asked if I could upgrade early (I wasn't eligible for an upgrade until January 15th).
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i want to early upgrade too! how many months do i have left on current contract to be eligible?

I bought mine for $149.99 also. I called AT&T and complained about the fact that I had to pay $249 when others in CA or NY have only to pay $149.
After 30min on the phone the answer was still "no we can't do anythinbg the best price I can offer you is $239" When I told her that I could buy the same phone for $199 at walmart or Radioshack she said she was sorry but could do more.
I told her it was sad because at least Verizon and T-Mobile are not changing their price depending of the city and then I asked to talk to a manager.
The manager was "not available" but I got the promise he will call me asap. One our later, I got a phone call, the price was accepted, $149.
It was worth the time

Am I the only one who would rather pay the $100 than spend 30+ minutes on the phone with an ATT CSR?

Hmm my local ATT store asked me what area code showed 149.99, but ones I knew that should have showed 149 seemed 250 and he said he cant bring down the price.
What area code shows 149 still from ATT website.

If you bought it from Bestbuy, just print out a screen shot of the AT&T website showing $149 and they will refund you the $100. I attempted only 1 time and had no problem.

jonathanhtc said:
Well, She was very negative with my position so I said, can you transfer me to the contract cancelation department please? Then she tells me, its no necessary Sir 'cuz I can help you with this unic call... so... there is the tip
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I just called and got the difference credited also, and he added 1000 rollover minutes! Thanks for the tip I owe you a beer!
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sketchturner said:
bacuy82 where do live
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Oklahoma city 73162 Bought phone in Midwest city (73110) because close to work.
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digitalnrg said:
If you bought it from Bestbuy, just print out a screen shot of the AT&T website showing $149 and they will refund you the $100. I attempted only 1 time and had no problem.
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I don't see it for $149 on the AT&T site. It's $249.

Not cool..
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Whenever I get home I am going to do this.... Those extra $135 will definitely help!! ($100 for phone + $35 restocking)
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Tried this with 2 different reps.... no dice.
Before my upgrade, my account expires next month. Told them ill return the phone, and move to verizon as "it seems your company has a $100 mark up" on this device.
Was pretty much told good luck with verizon. LOL
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I just went to Bestbuy and showed them the price on my phone. So he looked on their computers and it said $250 and that it was because my zip was in Oklahoma City on my phone(I used the zipcode a few posts back). I just said my parents moved out there, and after this semester of school I would be moving too. I just said I didn't want to return it and have to have my parents buy it and ship it to me.
He asked a manager and they approved it. Probably didn't want to lose store numbers on contract renewals and bit the hundred bucks.
I would advise saying you didn't want to have to return it and buy it there if your zip is different, they want to keep their numbers up.

Top tier Verizon customer service

Does anyone have a top tier customer service phone number for VZW?
I just signed up and my first bill is a staggering 300$ for share everything 6GB and I didn't even go over minutes. I need to see if there is something they can do to help me.
Sure, granted my corporate discount hasn't gone into effect yet, but there has to be something they can do to help me out.
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Call billing dept. How many lines you have? Yoy have to be insane or filthy rich to get into those share everything ropoff plans.
VERIZON GALAXY S 3

2 but my wife doesn't use any data. I do so I just eat her share.
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That plan is unlimited talk/text with some data. I don't know if $300 is right or not, because I would never sign up for that. But nope there is not. You can call 611 and go from there, but from what I have herd. It's a real pain to get them to fix any thing with billing. I wish at lest two times I knew about a better # for CS, but I don't.
I don't think this plan works with corporate discount's and that may be one of the issue's as well.
Edit: I looked it up and you should only be paying 160+tax+some small fees. They do bill you a one time fee for signing up as well (40-50 per line), So this bill seem's about right even if I do think it's high.
Sorry

Are you a first time Verizon customer? I remember when I got my first smartphone I was charged double for my data plan for the first bill and that was because they charge you a month in advance pretty much to keep their buts safe in case you decide to stop paying your bill.
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Keep in mind, depending on when you sign up, your first bill will have part of the month prorated...
So I have the 2 GB plan, with my SG3 and wifi jetpack, my first bill was $198.
So that broke down with 10 days prorated plus $35 to activate the SG3 (Jetpack I already had) and then the $130 or so for the monthly charge, plus taxes...
Adds up quick...

You guys think I could get them to drop the activation fee or manually put in my discount for the month?
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I was able to do that, so give it a shot.

Beemer533 said:
Keep in mind, depending on when you sign up, your first bill will have part of the month prorated...
So I have the 2 GB plan, with my SG3 and wifi jetpack, my first bill was $198.
So that broke down with 10 days prorated plus $35 to activate the SG3 (Jetpack I already had) and then the $130 or so for the monthly charge, plus taxes...
Adds up quick...
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This.
When you switch phones they look at it as new contract/plan.
I got billed in advance and my $90 bill was about $150.

4ktvs said:
I was able to do that, so give it a shot.
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What part and what did you say?
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pyrostic said:
What part and what did you say?
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The 2nd part: manually put in my discount for the month
I really did not have to try that hard. But I know some one who works for them and he was able to do it.
You could say you were not told about the fee or some thing like that.

Mark930 said:
Are you a first time Verizon customer? I remember when I got my first smartphone I was charged double for my data plan for the first bill and that was because they charge you a month in advance pretty much to keep their buts safe in case you decide to stop paying your bill.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2
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^^^

4ktvs said:
The 2nd part: manually put in my discount for the month
I really did not have to try that hard. But I know some one who works for them and he was able to do it.
You could say you were not told about the fee or some thing like that.
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I'll give it a try
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Samsung Galaxy S4 for $574..?

I'm curious of what you guys/gals think about this:
Currently I'm an AT&T subscriber and I'm planning to switch to T-Mobile.
If I buy the phone from AT&T, it'll equate to: $199 + $14.88 (tax) + $36 (activation fee) = $249
The ETF for AT&T is $325.
$249 +$325 = $574.
Is this something I should pursuit? I know AT&T will unlock the phone if you pay the ETF. Are there any hidden fees or anything else that should stop be from this?

Tax will not be of the 200, that is the subsidized price but taxes have nothing to do with subsidization.
Taxes are applied to the full price of the phone.
Also I don't think Lte will work. I would not pursue it.
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SlimJ87D said:
Tax will not be of the 200, that is the subsidized price but taxes have nothing to do with subsidization.
Taxes are applied to the full price of the phone.
Also I don't think Lte will work. I would not pursue it.
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I think taxes on the full price only apply in California and Rhode Island.

2 other people confirmed their states did too although I don't remember their states.
I would still not recommend it. To save a few bucks you might sacrifice network compatability.
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kenshi1023 said:
I think taxes on the full price only apply in California and Rhode Island.
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Live in Cali and a few miles away from NV. NV = tax on $199, not crazy California subsidized prices lol.
SlimJ87D said:
2 other people confirmed their states did too although I don't remember their states.
I would still not recommend it. To save a few bucks you might sacrifice network compatability.
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Isn't an unlocked 19505 compatible with T-Mobile and AT&T?

Nephilim-Giant said:
Live in Cali and a few miles away from NV. NV = tax on $199, not crazy California subsidized prices lol.
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Awesome work around. My mother lives in Georgia. How do you think it would work renewing my contract online? It probably depends on my credit card zip code right?
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SlimJ87D said:
Awesome work around. My mother lives in Georgia. How do you think it would work renewing my contract online? It probably depends on my credit card zip code right?
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If you renew your contract online, they either do by billing address and/or shipping address. I'm pretty sure they go by your billing address that is listed on your carrier contract.
I bypassed the CA taxes with my iPhone 4 by just going to Reno NV and buying the iPhone 4 from the Apple store. Taxed on $199.

Nephilim-Giant said:
If you renew your contract online, they either do by billing address and/or shipping address. I'm pretty sure they go by your billing address that is listed on your carrier contract.
I bypassed the CA taxes with my iPhone 4 by just going to Reno NV and buying the iPhone 4 from the Apple store. Taxed on $199.
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You can eliminate all the work by just ordering from Walmart online like I did! $189 will be charged to my card upon shipping! I also did this with the gs3. I also live in the blood sucking state of California!
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Nephilim-Giant said:
Live in Cali and a few miles away from NV. NV = tax on $199, not crazy California subsidized prices lol.
Isn't an unlocked 19505 compatible with T-Mobile and AT&T?
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I live in NV and have always been taxed on the FULL price of the phone, however I've always made my upgrades through AT&T online never in store. Going in store to upgrade to the S4 today so we'll see what the tax is.

eroracing said:
You can eliminate all the work by just ordering from Walmart online like I did! $189 will be charged to my card upon shipping! I also did this with the gs3. I also live in the blood sucking state of California!
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really? So you just have to pay a renewal fee and no taxes at all? Can you please double check your statement for me when you get the chance? I'm going to give that a try in June.

Nephilim-Giant said:
I'm curious of what you guys/gals think about this:
Currently I'm an AT&T subscriber and I'm planning to switch to T-Mobile.
If I buy the phone from AT&T, it'll equate to: $199 + $14.88 (tax) + $36 (activation fee) = $249
The ETF for AT&T is $325.
$249 +$325 = $574.
Is this something I should pursuit? I know AT&T will unlock the phone if you pay the ETF. Are there any hidden fees or anything else that should stop be from this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You will have to pay the first month of service as well which will be around $90+ taxes. If you return it too soon (14 days I believe) they will just take back the phone with a 10% restocking fee and not charge the ETF so you must keep it AT LEAST 2 weeks.

SlimJ87D said:
really? So you just have to pay a renewal fee and no taxes at all? Can you please double check your statement for me when you get the chance? I'm going to give that a try in June.
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I'm positive.... As a matter of fact Walmart has lowered there price to $168 now! No tax no shipping just $168 otd. You will be charged the renewal fee on your bill but if you are a premier member like me(I am an at&t employee) you can call in after its billed and have it refunded.
Total cost of a brand new gs4
$168
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I am also getting $168 from Walmart online here in California. No tax, no shipping fee.

eroracing said:
I'm positive.... As a matter of fact Walmart has lowered there price to $168 now! No tax no shipping just $168 otd. You will be charged the renewal fee on your bill but if you are a premier member like me(I am an at&t employee) you can call in after its billed and have it refunded.
Total cost of a brand new gs4
$168
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda premium
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Are there any other charges than the ETF bill when you cancel a contract from AT&T?

Nephilim-Giant said:
Are there any other charges than the ETF bill when you cancel a contract from AT&T?
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Honestly I don't know the answer to that. When I said I worked for at&t what i meant was i am a cable maintenance splicer for outside network on at&t core side! So basically I work on all outside network plant including pots, uverse, cell towers.....and everything else basically. So mobility questions like that i would have to ask!
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Nephilim-Giant said:
I'm curious of what you guys/gals think about this:
Currently I'm an AT&T subscriber and I'm planning to switch to T-Mobile.
If I buy the phone from AT&T, it'll equate to: $199 + $14.88 (tax) + $36 (activation fee) = $249
The ETF for AT&T is $325.
$249 +$325 = $574.
Is this something I should pursuit? I know AT&T will unlock the phone if you pay the ETF. Are there any hidden fees or anything else that should stop be from this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Also add 1/2 month of service & I believe you have to pay tax on the ETF fee.
I don't think they will allow you to terminate your contract without returning the phone unless its after the 14 day return period.

Dimeezy said:
Also add 1/2 month of service & I believe you have to pay tax on the ETF fee.
I don't think they will allow you to terminate your contract without returning the phone unless its after the 14 day return period.
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You are correct. I also think their current terms state they no longer prorate, they charge you for the whole first month (plus all the BS fees and taxes). In the end, you can't beat the system.

Dimeezy said:
Also add 1/2 month of service & I believe you have to pay tax on the ETF fee.
I don't think they will allow you to terminate your contract without returning the phone unless its after the 14 day return period.
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Ewwww. That half a month service and tax on ETF really killed the party. :'(
Thanks for the info though! Much obliged :highfive:
Now where oh where shall I get a non taxed S4? (aside form eBay) :silly:

Nephilim-Giant said:
Ewwww. That half a month service and tax on ETF really killed the party. :'(
Thanks for the info though! Much obliged :highfive:
Now where oh where shall I get a non taxed S4? (aside form eBay) :silly:
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Uhhhhhh.... Walmart! I've mentioned it many times already!
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How about people quit trying to scam the system and just either get an upgrade, OR buy the phone outright?
Honestly threads that discuss ways to scam the telcos should be closed by the mods.
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bogo plus etf less than 2?

I need to get 2 off contract phones for both me and the wife. Instead of paying full price for both what if I got a new account with the bogo and then immediately cancelled them paying the etf?
Is there anything rule or fine print that I'm missing here?
Sounds like this way it's 950 vs the 1200 straight up.

k.electron said:
I need to get 2 off contract phones for both me and the wife. Instead of paying full price for both what if I got a new account with the bogo and then immediately cancelled them paying the etf?
Is there anything rule or fine print that I'm missing here?
Sounds like this way it's 950 vs the 1200 straight up.
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I actually did that but with the S5, i have the M8 already, but I am getting the S5 so I'm using the BOGOF deal so if anything depends which one i stay with, I can sell them for good amount where i pay off the etf of those 2 added lines and still have money left in my pocket
sounds stupid but only way i can decide which device i will stay with

Hmm.. so you have done this already? How soon after opening the new account can I etf because I can't have any more lines on my current.

i did this through newegg. if you haven't owned the device for more than 90 days they will add on a device fee to the etf. I can't remember the exact amount but its a good chunk of the phone cost
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k.electron said:
Hmm.. so you have done this already? How soon after opening the new account can I etf because I can't have any more lines on my current.
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14 days because that's when the Buyers Remorse period ends and the ETF goes into effect.

Dropbox
Dropbox is a great place to store files that you need on the go. Android apps like TiBu can leverage Dropbox

agentdevan said:
i did this through newegg. if you haven't owned the device for more than 90 days they will add on a device fee to the etf. I can't remember the exact amount but its a good chunk of the phone cost
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but thats because newegg charges a fee on top of verizon. im planning on going straight with verizon.
bloodiedwraith said:
14 days because that's when the Buyers Remorse period ends and the ETF goes into effect.
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http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/support/return-policy
according to that i can return anytime and if i dont return the devices i pay 350 per even if it is in the 14 day period.. sounds like i can cancel within 24 hours as soon as the account is active.

why do you need to cancel the contract right away, why not wait till you change providers? why the rush, what is the benefit?

droidmarc said:
why do you need to cancel the contract right away, why not wait till you change providers? why the rush, what is the benefit?
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to explain my situation. im already with verizon. i have 5 plans on a family plan with no upgrades and unlimited data.
i was planning to open a new account, get 2 m8s with the bogof deal. so thats 200. cancel the plan, so thats 700 and then use the m8s on my original plan. this way i spend 900 as opposed to 1200 buying 2 m8s outright.