How do I get a new phone w/o a contract (Verizon)?

sevenoneeighty · February 2008

Srsly,

I don't want to spend $200 and I don't want a new contract.
I just want a new phone to last me through the summer and then get an iphone 2nd Gen when my contract is up....

in the need, it may be cheaper to just buy out my remaining contract.
I don't think I am the only verizon customer thinking of this...they need to change their business model if they want to keep me.

I was also looking at the pay per use phones...
Any suggestions? websites? Remember, I have verizon - no sim card...

alafairnadia · February 2008

wait. is your current phone broken? get on CL - I'm sure someone is selling an old verizon phone.

homeowner · February 2008

I have to admit that I'm not at all up on the cell phone stuff, but what about those stupid GO phones? Aren't those prepaid cells where you basically just pay for hours of usage? It seems like that would get you a basic phone without a contract for a few months. You'd just have to purchase additional hours as you ran low.

Anyone know any details as to how those work?

ETA:: Nevermind...I just googled them and it seems like they are only AT&T/Cingular phones.

sevenoneeighty · February 2008

alafairnadia wrote: wait. is your current phone broken? get on CL - I'm sure someone is selling an old verizon phone.

Yea,

The issue is Verizon: They will not activate used phones.
And forget about porting your number using this method....

I went to this place in NoHo:
Cex Phone Exchange
657 Broadway (betw bleeker + 3rd)

Great selection ( except for Verizon - all of their phones sucked) and they warned me about trying to get them activated - Verizon wont do it. It will cost me $175 to get out of my current contract and since I am paying $55 a month for service ending in mid summer, it may be cheaper to pay the fee and move on.

GO phones look like my best bet now and yes, you CAN port the number.
The latest rumor I heard is that Apple will release a 2nd gen, 3G iphone in 1Q 2009 (in more than a year). And that is ultimately what I want anyway.
If I could get an iphone on Verizon, I would stick around...

The US cell phone industry is a hot mess.
You should be ale to use a 3G phone (or any phone) on any network - end of story. This is ultimately an example of lawyers and greed getting in the way of technology, progress and service. What else is new.

alafairnadia · February 2008

I'm a huge fan of go phones. of course, I'm on AT&T/Cingular myself, so if you get a go phone, you can call me for free!!!!! (uh. no one but my mom cares about that part. anyway.)

sucks that verizon is so weird. I'd pay out my contract if I were you. I hate places that are obnoxious about stuff like that. and verizon users are kinda weird -one told me last night that my krzr phone was too big. uh.

How do I get a new phone w/o a contract (Verizon)?

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