Where to buy a cell phone?

[Getting short]

Well, I seem to have lost my cell phone and need to buy another one within a day or two if it doesn't show up. My carrier is Verizon and I just need a basic no frills phone. I can get a free one from Verizon but that means another 2 year contract extentsion which I'd like to avoid if possible. I see on eBay that you can buy phones that are compatible with your carrier and geographic area. Has anyone had experience with this? What are the pitfalls that I should be aware of?

Thanks!

 

[REWahoo]

If you live in an area with an active Craigslist, I'd shop there first. Lots of relatively new phones show up for sale on ours.

Before you pay for it, stick your SIM card in and make a call, then have someone call you to be sure it works.

 

[haha]

Before you pay for it, stick your SIM card in and make a call, then have someone call you to be sure it works.

This brings up another question. Lose the phone, you obviously also lose the SIM card. Do you just go to your carrier and get another? What do these cost?

Ha

 

[saluki9]

This brings up another question. Lose the phone, you obviously also lose the SIM card. Do you just go to your carrier and get another? What do these cost?

Ha

You can get them from your carrier. I'm with AT&T and they charge $20 for a new SIM

 

[Getting short]

REWahoo, thanks, I checked out craigslist and unfortunately there isn't much in my immediate area.

haha, good point. I just called Verizon and the people at both their 800 number and the local store told me that Verizon phones don't use a SIM card. The woman at the local store said that the only options are Verizon or eBay, so I guess I'll try that next. The cheapest retail phone through Verizon is $160, I might go with the extended contract with a free phone if it comes down to that.

 

[WanderALot]

REWahoo, thanks, I checked out craigslist and unfortunately there isn't much in my immediate area.

haha, good point. I just called Verizon and the people at both their 800 number and the local store told me that Verizon phones don't use a SIM card. The woman at the local store said that the only options are Verizon or eBay, so I guess I'll try that next. The cheapest retail phone through Verizon is $160, I might go with the extended contract with a free phone if it comes down to that.

SIM cards only apply to GSM phones. I believe Verizon uses CDMA so they don't use SIM cards. I'm not sure about this, but you might be able to buy a Sprint phone as well since they use CDMA provided they use the same frequency (although there might be some sort of "unlocking" you have to do like with GSM phones).

You could buy a prepaid phone from Verizon. No contract here although you might have to buy a prepaid plan for a minimal amount of time. Confirm with the Verizon people that you can move the phone over to your plan before you do this.

Enter your location

This is usually cheaper than paying the retail price, but you often don't get a good selection of phones.

 

[Janet H]

Ebay!

I have purchased several phones new and unlocked from ebay vendors. I never had any trouble. Get one that is compatible with verizon.

 

[Goonie]

The "new" AT&T ticked me off a few months ago by dropping the basic $9.95 'corporate' pay-as-you-go rate on my 2nd cellphone that I gave my Mom, and told me I could just switch to their 'cheap' $39.99 plan. BS!!! I bought her a Motorola Tracfone for $18.95 and paid for 12 months/400 minutes.....figures out to $8.33/month (plus the original $18.95 for the phone).

The "new" AT&T ticked me off again last week about some more of their BS, this time about the cellphone I use. Tried to work out the details to no avail, so I hopped in the car and headed out to Radio Shack and I purchased my 2nd Tracfone! I splurged and bought the Motorola W370 and 400 minutes plus double minutes for life. Figures out to $11.67/month for the first year, and $8.33/month after that (plus the original $49.99 for the phone).

I now get 5 months of cellphone service for 2 phones for less than I used to pay for 1 month with Cingular/AT&T for 2 phones.

I'm happy with Tracfone so far....I can make and receive calls for CHEAP!

So, Getting short, if you don't HAVE to have Verizon, I'd recommend checking out the Tracfone....and they can 'port' your current phone # over too.

(BTW, I found out they use the AT&T/Cingular network.....the network has always worked fine for me.....I only have a problem with the business end of the company itself not the network.)

 

[ERD50]

Goonie, AT&T has a pay-as-you-go' plan also. $100 gets you a year of service, so also $8.33/month which provides 400 minutes.

Wa the old phone analog? Maybe that is why they dropped her - but when my old TDMA unit was being phased out last year, they gave a 'deal' on a new GSM phone - free when I pre-paid for the $100/year, which is what I do anyhow for the lowest rate.

Nice to have a SIM card - I should be able to drop it in any GSM phone if needed.

Tracfone might be better for customer service? I don't know.

-ERD50

 

[youbet]

REWahoo said...."Before you pay for it, stick your SIM card in and make a call, then have someone call you to be sure it works."

Hey, some of you techies help me out here......

I thought SIM cards were part of GSM phones. And I thought Verizon is CDMA. So, for Verizon service, how do you stick your SIM card into the phone to be sure it works

 

[Goonie]

Was the old phone analog? Maybe that is why they dropped her....

It was a GSM, the 'new' AT&T dropped the $9.95 corp rate plan we had, and then the lowest price plan became $39.95/mo. I had given it to her so she'd have it for emergencies and things like that.....she doesn't really like to use cellphones. A $30 a month hike was just way too steep for her needs, so I dropped them. The Tracfone works quite well for her now.

As for switching my phone over to a Tracfone, it was just time to cut ties to the 'new' AT&T....they and I had some 'issues'. Back in my pre-ER days I used my phone a LOT.....many calls per day....and it was my 'life-line' when I had to go on call-outs, especially in the middle of the night. Now that I'm ER'd I'm in about the same boat as my Mom....I just need it mostly for emergencies and the rare times I need to call someone or when someone needs to contact me, when I'm not at home.

All's well that ends well!

 

[boots]

Call the lost phone

Idea !! before you buy a new phone try calling the lost phone. Listen for the ring if lost around the home or office or someone may answer it if they found it might work tis the season

 

[ERD50]

It was a GSM, the 'new' AT&T dropped the $9.95 corp rate plan we had, and then the lowest price plan became $39.95/mo.

yes, but I think they didn't mention the AT&T pre-paid plan, which is available for $8.33/month. They were probably only talking about their post-pay plans.

As for switching my phone over to a Tracfone, it was just time to cut ties to the 'new' AT&T....

Trust me, I understand the frustration over the carriers - but let us know if Tracfone treats you any better than ATT. As far as I can tell, they all stink. I am hoping that Google getting in and buying spectrum and throwing their weight around is going to change things for the better.

-ERD50

 

[ERD50]

Hey, some of you techies help me out here......

I thought SIM cards were part of GSM phones. And I thought Verizon is CDMA. So, for Verizon service, how do you stick your SIM card into the phone to be sure it works

Well, SIM cards are GSM things, but CDMA has picked up on the technology and use one that includes GSM compatibility:

from wiki:

Removable User Identity Module

Removable User Identity Module (R-UIM) or a CSIM [CDMA Subscriber Identity Module] is a card developed for CDMA handsets that is equivalent to the GSM SIM and 3G USIM except that it is capable of working in both CDMA and GSM phones and networks. It is physically compatible with GSM SIMs and can fit into existing GSM phones as it is an extension of the GSM 11.11 standard [1].

The card brings one of the main advantages of GSM to CDMA network phones. By having a removable identity card, CDMA users can change phones while keeping their phone numbers by simply swapping the cards. This simplifies many situations such as phone upgrades, phone replacements due to damage, or using the same phone on a different provider's CDMA network.

From that, it looks like an R-UIM will work in a GSM phone, but I don't think that means a GSM SIM will necessarily work in a CDMA phone - they may have some added data for R-UIM (a super-set of SIM?). But going from GSM>CDMA, I suppose all you get is to move your phonebook - obviously an ATT or T-Mobile GSM phone with a Verizon R-UIM is not going to work on the verizon CDMA network. So, moving the SIM to test it is fine if both phones are of the same technology.

-ERD50

 

[Getting short]

Thanks for all your replies!

I do need to stay with Verizon as I just started a new 2 yr contract in the fall. My oldest went off to college and so we've gone from a cheapo ($20/mon) plan for my 'emergency' and weekend long distance phone to a three phone family with extended text messaging for the kids ($100/mo). I can think of other things I'd rather do with my money, but having good means of communication is important for us right now.

boots, yes I tried calling myself several times, but to no avail. I'll keep looking for a couple of days and then buy something.

 

[cantlogin]

You can't hear the phone ringing because it's between the seats in your car.

 

[Getting short]

Checked there, no go unfortunately.

 

[yakers]

I have bought new phones off Amazon & ebay and used them with my Cingular/AT&T card, no problems and no two year contracts.

Another solution that is not a cheap solution and it is not Verizon but worth considering. Get an iphone. Remarkable additional capability.

 

[Martha]

So, I read the posts and I am still not clear regarding Verizon. If I want a new phone, and don't want to buy one from Verizon or a Verizon authorized store, what would I have to do? I will need a new phone at some point and I do not want to change our contract because it has favorable terms that they don't offer anymore.

 

[Moemg]

I'd talk to Verizon .Since you just signed a two year contract a few months ago the worst that will happen ( I Think ) is that they will extend your contract a few months and give you a free phone .

 

[youbet]

Well, SIM cards are GSM things, but CDMA has picked up on the technology and use one that includes GSM compatibility:

Thanks!

 

[Danny]

"I went to school in rural Illinois. It's not the end of the world, but you can see it from there..." - Danny Tien

 

[Getting short]

Martha,
As far as I can figure, your only option for buying a new phone NOT through Verizon is eBay. But you have to be very careful as some of the phones they show require a 2-year contract, others are display dummies (who wants these??) and some are prepay phones which when I asked Verizon, they said they can't be switched to a postpay phone. However, there is hope in sight, a recent article in CNET says that Verizon is going to start accepting CDMA phones sometime next year:

Verizon opens up – CNET On Call - CNET reviews