$100 back from Verizon for upgrading from basic to smartphone

**KillerG** · 09-01-2011, 11:14 PM

So I saw that Verizon has a deal for trading in a basic phone if you buy a smartphone. Obviously, as long as the deal lasts, it should work for the Bionic next week. Just want to point that out to anyone like me that has a crappy basic phone and is finally jumping to a smartphone (which I should've done 2 years ago lol). And hopefully what they're saying is true and they'll give me $100 for my old Chocolate, that means I'd just go ahead and buy it from Verizon direct and get that $100 towards my next purchase, the Bionic. So I'd get the Bionic at $200 rather than $300 on a two year contract.

**Frankie15** · 09-01-2011, 11:25 PM

Unfortunately, I don't think it works like that. You need to upgrade to the smartphone first and then Verizon will give you a PIN/promo code which you type into this website.

I'm assumung the PIN/promo code is what will bypass your phones initial value in order to give you $100. It says you would receive your gift card within 3-4 weeks.

**Brownsfan88** · 09-01-2011, 11:25 PM

I believe its a $100 gift card AFTER you buy your Bionic and sign the 2 year deal. So its effectively a $300 phone with $100 of free accessories.

**kca2000** · 09-01-2011, 11:26 PM

They had something similar back in the day as well. I remember getting 100$ credit on my Treo 650 back when that came out because i was coming from a flip. Good to see they are offering it again.

I never noticed you had a chocolate till now. The Bionic is going to change your life. Lol

**KillerG** · 09-01-2011, 11:28 PM

Originally Posted by kca2000

They had something similar back in the day as well. I remember getting 100$ credit on my Treo 650 back when that came out because i was coming from a flip. Good to see they are offering it again.

I never noticed you had a chocolate till now. The Bionic is going to change your life. Lol

You have no clue lol.

Originally Posted by Brownsfan88

I believe its a $100 gift card AFTER you buy your Bionic and sign the 2 year deal. So its effectively a $300 phone with $100 of free accessories.

Does this mean I could still trade my phone in if I don't buy it at Verizon though? I might just send in my phone just get rid of it, but without a PIN number or something I'd end up getting $1.

**Frankie15** · 09-01-2011, 11:29 PM

Originally Posted by KillerG

You have no clue lol.

Some people are saying it will be towards accessories, does this mean I could still trade my phone in if I don't buy it at Verizon though? I might just send in my phone just get rid of it, if I ever need a backup phone I have an even older Chocolate lol.

Can you use a basic phone as a backup if you have a smartphone? I don't believe you can, but I could be wrong.

**KillerG** · 09-01-2011, 11:38 PM

Originally Posted by Frankie15

Can you use a basic phone as a backup if you have a smartphone? I don't believe you can, but I could be wrong.

I think I personally can because I wouldn't lose anything. The only reason you can't fall back on a basic phone is you'll lose your data plan, which I will have the 2GB plan anyways, I can just reset it.

**kca2000** · 09-01-2011, 11:39 PM

Originally Posted by Frankie15

Can you use a basic phone as a backup if you have a smartphone? I don't believe you can, but I could be wrong.

In my experience you can use any modern phone as a backup. But ive only used 3 so i could be wrong as well. Maybe there are limitations?

**kca2000** · 09-01-2011, 11:41 PM

Originally Posted by KillerG

You have no clue lol.

Some people are saying it will be towards accessories, does this mean I could still trade my phone in if I don't buy it at Verizon though? I might just send in my phone just get rid of it, if I ever need a backup phone I have an even older Chocolate lol.

If this is a deal Verizon itself is running you might be limited to the Corporate stores.

**KillerG** · 09-01-2011, 11:47 PM

Originally Posted by kca2000

If this is a deal Verizon itself is running you might be limited to the Corporate stores.

That's what I'm afraid of. But getting $50-80 off the actual price at Verizon WITH an awesome warranty sounds like a good trade-off for a $100 gift card from Verizon that I could really only use on accessories. Plus I could go and get all those accessories for cheaper at Costco for the same price as just buying the phone.

**Tyyyy** · 09-02-2011, 12:19 AM

Yea but usually Verizon rebate cards are in the form of credit cards that are accepted anywhere. So it would be 100 dollars back to use anywhere on anything. You wouldn't be stuck having to use it at Verizon on accessories.

**KillerG** · 09-02-2011, 12:21 AM

Originally Posted by Tyyyy

Yea but usually Verizon rebate cards are in the form of credit cards that are accepted anywhere. So it would be 100 dollars back to use anywhere on anything. You wouldn't be stuck having to use it at Verizon on accessories.

That would make it a little more interesting, but we all know I'd spend it on my new toy anyways ahaha.

**dash813** · 09-02-2011, 07:45 AM

Originally Posted by Tyyyy

Yea but usually Verizon rebate cards are in the form of credit cards that are accepted anywhere. So it would be 100 dollars back to use anywhere on anything. You wouldn't be stuck having to use it at Verizon on accessories.

yaaaaa, noo......

its not a rebate card, its a gift card, I can't find the page right now but i read the fine print. says u can only use it at corporate stores and vzw online

**Aioka** · 09-02-2011, 08:20 AM

Originally Posted by dash813

yaaaaa, noo......

its not a rebate card, its a gift card, I can't find the page right now but i read the fine print. says u can only use it at corporate stores and vzw online

When i got mine (be it a few years ago now) it was a VZW only card however you could put the amount towards your monthly bill if you wanted to.

**rattler21** · 09-02-2011, 09:16 AM

The value of the gift card for returning my RAZR is all of $1.00.

**slvrdrgn123** · 09-02-2011, 12:00 PM

Quick question on this. Can I upgrade a line on my plan that isn't a smartphone to get the $100 then use the phone on my line afterwards?

**Issemann** · 09-02-2011, 02:31 PM

Originally Posted by slvrdrgn123

Quick question on this. Can I upgrade a line on my plan that isn't a smartphone to get the $100 then use the phone on my line afterwards?

I don't see why not. Just a word of caution... I just called Verizon to see if I can jump on this promotion for my wife. (Her contract ends on 5/22/12). They said the promo is only valid for customers whose contract ends before 12/31/11.

**slvrdrgn123** · 09-02-2011, 03:14 PM

Cool, sounds good. All our contracts have ended so that should be no problem. I just hope they don't make me activate it right away on the line I don't want it on since it doesn't have a data plan.

**A4Y6U9E5H** · 09-03-2011, 01:04 PM

So this deal won't apply if I'm upgrading my basic phone to a smart phone at costco?

**KillerG** · 09-03-2011, 01:09 PM

Originally Posted by A4Y6U9E5H

So this deal won't apply if I'm upgrading my basic phone to a smart phone at costco?

I don't think so...I'm doing that and I'm a little pissed that I don't get that $100 for having this thing for 3 years.

**nimazahir** · 09-03-2011, 01:59 PM

I talked to the workers online at verizon and they said you could use the gift card to pay your bills from them. Or you can just wait and use it on your next phone.

**suchashorttime** · 09-03-2011, 02:47 PM

is there any sort of contingency or variant of this promotion if you are upgrading from a smartphone?

**fireplug** · 09-03-2011, 03:39 PM

Originally Posted by suchashorttime

is there any sort of contingency or variant of this promotion if you are upgrading from a smartphone?

I read through all the fine print I could find and it doesn't even say you have to send them the phone you are using right now. As far as I can tell, you buy a new phone on the 2 year plan, a few days later they send you a promo code, you go to the normal trade-in page and put in any phone that they would normally allow as a trade -in and then type in the promo code, hit enter, and that phone now shows up as worth $100 no matter what it normally would have been worth.

Pretty much just another convoluted way that Verizon is giving us a "rebate"

**King Howie** · 09-03-2011, 04:16 PM

Originally Posted by fireplug

I read through all the fine print I could find and it doesn't even say you have to send them the phone you are using right now. As far as I can tell, you buy a new phone on the 2 year plan, a few days later they send you a promo code, you go to the normal trade-in page and put in any phone that they would normally allow as a trade -in and then type in the promo code, hit enter, and that phone now shows up as worth $100 no matter what it normally would have been worth.

Pretty much just another convoluted way that Verizon is giving us a "rebate"

i read up on this a day or two ago, and iirc, once you enter your code, they send an envelope in which you are to send your phone.

i hope they have this deal when the bionic is released. $100 might be enough for me to not see how many .41 holes i can put in my enV Touch, which is my current plan...

**KillerG** · 09-03-2011, 11:51 PM

Originally Posted by King Howie

i read up on this a day or two ago, and iirc, once you enter your code, they send an envelope in which you are to send your phone.

i hope they have this deal when the bionic is released. $100 might be enough for me to not see how many .41 holes i can put in my enV Touch, which is my current plan...

I'm thinking of doing something insane with my old Chocolate, I need to find something more interesting than target practice though. Maybe I'll like glue it to someone's car or something, or to the office door at school. THAT would be funny, get some super glue.