I just had a chat online with a Verizon rep about buying a Droid turbo 64gb with no plan or contract and here is the transcript
Please hold for a Verizon Wireless sales representative
You are now chatting with 'Joe C.'
Joe C.: at 10:39:42
Hello, welcome to Verizon Wireless sales chat! My name is Joe C.
You:
I just had a chat with melissa that went as follows----Can I purchase a 64gb
droid turbo at full price with NO PLAN or contract as a gift for someone?*
Melissa: at 10:21:32 Yes you can, you will have to choose a
plan in the order, but it does not have to be activated with this plan or
even on our network.
Joe C.: at 10:41:00
Yes that is correct you can do that however you would have to select the
plan for the order.
You: at 10:41:43
I tried that but i cannot check out without a plan!!
Joe C.: at 10:42:08
I do understand you would have to select a plan.
Joe C.: at 10:42:50
But it don't have to be activated with the plan.
You: at 10:42:58
I do not want a plan right now I just want the phone (no plan no contract)
Joe C.: at 10:43:40
I do understand you wouldn't have to get the plan it just would have to be
selected when ordering to have it
completed.
You: at 10:44:47
I did that but when i went to checkout it wouldn't let me without a plan
Joe C.: at 10:45:33
Did you select a plan?
You: at 10:47:16
yes during the order then i went to cart and deleted the plan and then
selected checkout but when i did that it said i had to have a plan
Joe C.: at 10:48:09
You would have to checkout with the plan in order for it to be completed. I
understand that you do not want a plan however it must be ordered for the
order to be complete.
Joe C.: at 10:49:30
Then once you received the phone you can call to have the plan taken off so
it wouldn't be activated with us.
You: at 10:50:12
Thanks anyway. I'll just wait until i can buy one directly from Motorola
Joe C.: at 10:50:18
Thank you for your business and for choosing Verizon Wireless!
Has anybody done this?
Will Verizon sell you a phone without a plan? I have no idea.
Will Verizon sell you a phone on their website without a plan on the Verizon website? As systems analyst having been involved in the design of these types of systems for 30+ years, I would almost bet dollars to doughnuts that you can not do that because of the technical design. Verizon is primary selling phone service [not customer service] and the phones necessary to use the service. To them if you are paying a phone it requires service hence the checkout process is coded to require you to have service. Think of the mess if the checkout allowed Joe Public to buy a phone or service separately. Thousands of people requiring customer service to get them the missing part and hook them together to use their wonderful new Verizon network phone. Much easier and many fewer of the intelligent Verizon customer service personnel needed if a joint purchase is required. If course, you already know all of this information.
The only way to get around this would be for a human override of the system. What they are telling you is "trust us". Sign up for a plan to get your phone. Call us and we will remove the plan. The key is trust. There is an old saying that I will not include about the translation of the phrase "Trust Me".
IMHO, you are better served looking for a different source.
Of course having expressed this opinion, the next post will be from some one telling us how great the process works.