Need help purchasing a new phone

T

Tim Haveron Jones

New member
Hi all -

I currently have the Samsung Sway (which I hate) and want to switch. My contract is until Oct of next year so I'm looking into buying online.

Is it safe to buy cell phones from eBay and/or Craigslist?

What is a phone without a contract? How does it work?
...and what is an unlocked phone?

If I do end up buying from eBay/Craigslist, all I have to do to activate the phone is do *228, right?

I'm seriously confused about how all this works so any help is appreciated!!

Thanks in advance -
 
I have never bought a phone off of eBay or Cragslist, although a lot of people do. Be sure to check customer evaluations to make sure the seller is reliable, and make sure you can return the phone if it doesn't work.

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but you cannot simply activate a phone by dialing *228. You need to contact Verizon in order to activate a phone first ... they would need to set up your account based on the phone's MEID (which would be unique for each phone). An "unlocked" phone is one that is available for activation because it is not set up for any particular carrier. But be advised: Verizon will not activate any other carrier's phone, so if you do decide to buy an "unlocked" phone from a source like eBay, you might want to check with Verizon first
 
The above poster is correct. You have to call Verizon to get up and running.

I would not buy a phone off Craigslist, unless the person wants to make a transaction in person, and that's probably an inconvenience for both of you. You'd probably want to call Verizon to make sure that the phone is unencumbered for service (unlocked, bill is aid on your specific headset, etc.), while all the while waiting uncomfortably for the process to take place. You don't have to do these things, but you're taking your chances.

Ebay is also a gamble, but at least there are some assurances in place if a problem arises. I have bought probably 10 phones off Ebay and only got burned once by a guy who had good feedback (but only about 10 transactions). I should have known something was wrong when he was selling a RAZR (albeit a V3a) for $30. Anyway...

With Ebay, you have to look at the seller's feedback. Personally, I don't generally deal with people who have less than 98% feedback (and usually no lower than 99%). Now of course sometimes a person may have one negative that skews his/her stats, and that's why you have to peruse the negative responses to see if there is a pattern. I also don't deal with sellers who don't take the time to respond to their negative responses. But that's me. I have bought phones as expensive as $150 off Ebay. In regards to the phones that you purchase, just make sure that the phone is either truly unlocked (whereby it can be activated on any carrier), or make sure that you are buying a carrier-specific phone (i.e., a model that is branded for that carrier with that carrier's logo).

If you have any questions, contact the seller for answers. Sometimes sellers will provide ESN numbers within the body of the auction whereby you can call your service provider to make sure that everything is OK to go, once you buy it. Moreover, keep in mind that at many times the seller will provide a refund if the phone doesn't work, but ONLY for the purchase price of the phone (and not the shipping charges).

All-in all, just check out the feedback, ask your questions (if any), do the transaction, wait for your phone, and activate by calling your service provider once it arrives.
 
I recommend buying the phone from a store. I have had trouble buying phones from eBay. I got one once and I couldnt get the phone to find the mobile network. I think the phone was messed up. It could have been an isolated incident, but I would never buy one off the internet again...Goodluck!
 
Back
Top