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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.
I was looking to buy a GS3 from craigslist. But, my friend just bought a GS3 with verizon on a 2 year contract. He is switching to AT&T with an international GS3. He offered to sell me his verizon GS3, even though he is tied to a 2-year contract on it with verizon. I assume he is not going to fulfill his contract with verizon and jump ship to AT&T. My question is, can I just put my SIM into the phone and keep it for myself, or will the phone not work because I did not transfer the ESN to my account? And finally, will verizon allow me to transfer the phone to my account even though it is tied to a 2-year contract on another account. I guess I want to know all this because he wants to sell it to me at his cost, which is the $148 he paid at Walmart, and I won't be tied to a contract extension and get a great deal on the phone. Thanks for your input.
if you already have an account with verizon, then your friend will just have to pay his early termination fee and you can buy his phone and put your SIM in it. If you do not have Verizon or a SIM card, his plan can be transferred to you
I don't think he has the intention to pay the early termination fee. He just wants to sell me the phone and leave verizon. I already have verizon, so I wondering if I can just take the phone with no issues on my end, even if he defaults on his account.
ms2knights said:
I don't think he has the intention to pay the early termination fee. He just wants to sell me the phone and leave verizon. I already have verizon, so I wondering if I can just take the phone with no issues on my end, even if he defaults on his account.
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No, verizon will blacklist the imei until the amount is paid up.
ms2knights said:
I don't think he has the intention to pay the early termination fee. He just wants to sell me the phone and leave verizon. I already have verizon, so I wondering if I can just take the phone with no issues on my end, even if he defaults on his account.
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That's not good for his credit
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2
xXJay_RXx said:
That's not good for his credit
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2
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I guess he doesn't really care about it, lol. I was hoping this could work out in my favor, but it seems that it will not. I thought that I could just pop my sim in the phone and use it as my own. I guess I can't get that deal.
Not at all, but if it's in nice shape you could pay his 300 or so termination fee and still be ahead, it's an expensive phone
I appreciate everyone's input. I think I may steer away from this, to avoid any problems.
People like your friend are the reason why verizon has a 350.00 early termination fee.
All he has to do is activate another phone on his line. Like an old flip phone. The SG3 will be taken off his line. And the you can add it to yours with no probelm.
Then he has to deal with ending his contract. The phones are separate from the contracts.
Rocking T2 on the S3 (V)
so if your friend wants to cancel its gonna be $350 no matter what phone he currently has (feature or smart) there might be activation fees also when switching phone on top of that
This just popped up in my news feed. androidcommunity.com/psa-unlocking-your-phone-is-illegal-starting-today-20130126/ WTF?!? What gives them the right to say what I can, or can not do with my own property? They get money for the purchase, regardless of which carrier I wish to use. I know this won't affect much, but just the notion alone grinds my gears. Please weigh in your opinion, I'd like to see what others think/feel about this.
This is not a surprise. Itbis not locking down the OS just the SIM lock and nice you pay off the contract you will be able to unlock it. Or if you pay full retail price for it. Either way they have the right until you pay for it in full. Most Americans think they own the device when they get a new contract but this is not true. They don't own it till the contract is up.
Sent from Batcom-SIII
zelendel said:
This is not a surprise. Itbis not locking down the OS just the SIM lock and nice you pay off the contract you will be able to unlock it. Or if you pay full retail price for it. Either way they have the right until you pay for it in full. Most Americans think they own the device when they get a new contract but this is not true. They don't own it till the contract is up.
Sent from Batcom-SIII
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This I do understand, but whenever I upgrade through T-Mobile, I never actually use the phone I upgrade to. IE: I upgraded to a HTC Marvel I never took out of the box and currently use a SGS2 T989 which I rooted and unlocked. I only unlocked it for resale value. Anyone who thinks they 'bought' a phone for $1 with a two year service agreement is a fool, yet just the prospect of criminal charges for someone who bought an unlocked phone from Ebay worth $400+ for only $150 aggravates me to no end...
Just another reason I should consider going contract free. Unless you are grandfathered into some unlimited plan, you can get Straight Talk (GSM on At&t/T-Mobile) with unlimited text calls and ~2GB data for $45 a month. I am currently with Verizon but am growing tired of how carriers think they own your device and lock it down. Hopefully the Nexus 4 will set a trend of making more phones available without a contract at an affordable price.
I have what I think may be a complicated question which I can't seem to find the answer to regarding T-Mobile's promo with paying your previous carrier's Early Termination Fee. I'm thinking of switching from Verizon to T-Mobile and currently have a Galaxy S4. I understand in order to qualify for the promotional phone prices you need to trade-in your old device.
Here's the Question of the day...
Before switching over to T-Mobile, can I just swap/activate my (Verizon) Samsung Galaxy S4 with my old (Verizon) Samsung Stratosphere, so THAT'S the phone they take from me? Because I would love to keep my Galaxy S4 to sell or even for just play!
So, in other words...
Does the phone you trade in to T-Mobile NEED to be the exact same model that you had when starting/renewing your most recent 2 year contract with Verizon you think?
calebcabob said:
IDoes the phone you trade in to T-Mobile NEED to be the exact same model that you had when starting/renewing your most recent 2 year contract with Verizon you think?
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I recently made the switch from Verizon to T-Mobile (best decision I've made in my life). I didn't do the ETF promotion, since I made the switch the day after my contract was over and was bringing my own device. I don't remember exactly what was involved, but I remember that they needed access to my Verizon account info (not just my phone number). I remember having to go to VZW's website on my phone, looking for a previous bill that had my full account number on it, so they could put it in their computer and port everything over to their service.
Seeing as how the Stratosphere is 4 years old, and they'll have at least some access to your account information, I really doubt that they'll take your old phone instead of your S4. I can't say for certain, obviously, but I really, really doubt it. I would venture to guess that when you grant them at least some access to your account, they can also see what phone you're on contract with. While the way to "sway/activate" your device is simply swap which phone your SIM card is in, I think they'll still know that you're on contract for the S4, and not the 4 year old Stratosphere.
FWIW, paying the ETF fees for Verizon might be better than simply turning over your S4, but that depends on how much you have left on your contract. If it costs, say, $250 to break your contract, and your phone is in good condition, it might be prudent to pay the ETF and sell the phone after making the switch. But I don't think you'll be able to pull one over on T-Mobile and give them your dinosaur phone. Either you'll have to finish your contract or pay the ETF to keep your phone, or you'll have to turn in in to T-Mobile to have them pay the ETF.
I happily stuck it to "Big Red" when I switched. I needed a warranty replacement on my Droid Razr Maxx (the battery was about to explode). So I went to the store, but the entire country was out, so they had to send me a Razr Maxx HD instead. The day I received the replacement was the day my contract was up, so I switched to T-Mobile, sent back my Razr Maxx, and sold the Maxx HD on eBay for $275. Speeds and coverage in Tucson with T-Mo is better than Verizon, it's cheaper, and I have UNLIMITED EVERYTYING. Best decision of my life.