Re-activate old cell phone, or keep new phone?

[thefed]

Okay...I'm torn. I dropped my 1 yr and 10 day old phone (an LG Wave that's out of warranty by 10 days...no execeptions) on accident and got it wet this morning. After several calls, I determined that the phone wasn't picking up my voice; nobody could hear me! So I tried to dry it out, but no luck. I went to Alltel and bought a phone that was comparable for 110 bucks. It's a motorola VE20. I've never been fond of motorola due to problems in the past, but it seemed like the best option. It seems to be hit or miss whether you get a 'buggy' ve20 that freezes and has bad reception. It'll take some getting used to, but doesnt it always?

Well, low and behold, my old phone is now working; it picks up my voice fine now. I know because I tested it using the 'record voice' feature. It works now but didnt this morning when nobody could hear me.

Should I keep the new phone? My ultimate goal is to never be stuck without a working phone. I use my cell for business and personal use...right around 3500 mins/month. So any amount of time without it costs me greatly. Do I risk keeping the old phone and it 'flaking out' on me due to the water damage. It's been rock solid up to this point with great battery life.


It's not the biggest decsion in my life, but I'm leaving it up to you...poll winner by tomorrow evening is what I'll do!

 

[kumquat]

Should I keep the new phone? My ultimate goal is to never be stuck without a working phone.

I voted keep the new one.

If you mean what you say about the ultimate goal, and gave me the option, I'd have voted "keep the new one and get the old one activated as a backup (however one would do that)".

 

[calmloki]

Good time to mention that PenFed has a *free* cellphone insurance policy on their webpage. $50 deductible, $200 limit. Ok, so it's maybe not much for insurance, but it's freee. For PenFed members. I like PenFed.

 

[Rustic23]

I'm no cell phone expert. But can't you just switch the simm card from one phone to another? I don't know if the simm card differs by manufactures. We had Motorola phones and switched to Sony Erickson. The old simm card worked in the new ones. However, as the new simm cards had to be activted to ge the refund we used the new cards.

 

[freebird5825]

Easy answer - you know the new phone works. You have to use it for business. Time is money.
Hang onto the older one as hardware-in-hand backup just in case you have another accident.
This will prevent you having to run out and pay the "I need it now price" again.

 

[Sue J]

Good time to mention that PenFed has a *free* cellphone insurance policy on their webpage. $50 deductible, $200 limit. Ok, so it's maybe not much for insurance, but it's freee. For PenFed members. I like PenFed.

I've been with PenFed for over 2 years and never noticed this on their web page. I just checked it out. Unfortunately, they don't cover pre-paid phones. But thanks for pointing it out.

 

[two4theroad]

I voted keep the new one. The same sort of thing happened to me, phone got wet and would not dial out. It was only a few months old but water is not covered under warantee. Hubby took it apart according to a very detailed article on internet, dried it out and rebuilt it. Hurrah! it worked. For a month it was perfect. Then when I was rushing cross country to my ill mother's bedside, it went out! Stranded in Phoenix airport, no phone,no plane, you get the picture. Absolutely not worth saving $110 dollars, no way, no how. Not if your phone is important to your daily functioning.
2fer

 

[samclem]

Keep the new one. Charge the old one up periodically so that the battery doesn't stay at an uncharged state and die prematurely and you'll have backup hardware if you need it--just run in to Verizon and tell them to activate it.

 

[Westernskies]

Okay...I'm torn. I dropped my 1 yr and 10 day old phone (an LG Wave that's out of warranty by 10 days...no execeptions) on accident and got it wet this morning.

... do do tell us exactly where you dropped it.

This might be a call for Nords, he has the most experience with electronics underwater.

 

[thefed]

... do do tell us exactly where you dropped it.

This might be a call for Nords, he has the most experience with electronics underwater.

haha...contrary to your suspicions, it was the classic "on my lap in the car...then onto the pavement"....and i didnt notice for 20 mins during rains


my big complaint so far about thsi motorola is the battery BITES... 1 hr, 20 mins of talk time and it's at one bar. my old one, even after a year, gets charged every other night and i use it for about 3 hrs talk time over those 2 days

 

[thefed]

Well, 16 days after buying the Motorola I returned it because it randomly restarts itself. Of course Alltel's policy is 15 days and you can choose any phone in the store, or cancel all together. NO leniancy. So I got stuck with another one of these turds. FOUR days later and it is shutting itself off as well....more frequently. Tech support says its a common problem and the fix is to remove the battery. HA. I'll be in the store tomorrow, not leaving til I get a different model of phone.