[READ] Before you pre-order a Thunderbolt from Wirefly

[Cyber Warrior]

Wirefly.com? Safe or not?
Buying a cell phone through Wirefly vs an official Verizon store

Wirefly is a subsidary of Simplexity.com.... Its just another national retailer.... They must comply will all policys from the carriers they sell... like ATT, Verizon, Altell, Sprint, T-mobile... etc....

So, if Verzion says you MUST have a data plan on a smartphone, then Wirefly WILL add a data plan regardless if you want it or not, just like if you were ordering it on vzw.com, or Bestbuy.com, or whatever...

Its safe to purchase from wirefly... but read the fine print!!!!!! By purchasing from wirefly, you auto-accept a 6 month contract in addition to your Verizon contract... READ THE FINE PRINT! 1 Term states that if you exchange the phone outside normal Carrier policy (Verizon Policy in this case), you will be charged $250.00... It will be auto debitted directly from the credit/debit card used to make the purchase. Its legal, due to the contract.. People dont read the fine print or ask when they are placing an order becuase they are all caught up in excitement over their new phone...

The long version of this is:
When you sign up for wireless carrier service through Wirefly, they discount your phone purchase price by an Equipment Discount amount ranging from $200 to $300. By ordering through Wirefly, you agree to repay this discount if, during the 181 days after your new equipment is activated, if you:
* Fail to pay your balance due to your carrier each month
* Disconnect this line of service
* Transfer this equipment to another line of service
* Change your carrier service rate plan to a lower monthly service rate plan
* Deactivate the email/data feature if one was required at the point of purchase
* Transfer/port an existing phone number from another account if this is a new line of service
* Replace an existing account with this account if this is a new line of service
* Return or exchange your phone and it is not in its original, new condition with no more than 30 minutes of usage.

If you break any of these contract provisions, except as a result of a documented service quality issue related to the carrier service, you authorize Wirefly to charge your credit card in repayment of the Equipment Discount.

Safe places to buy from outside of the carrier itself would include: Best Buy, Radio Shack, Wal-mart, Costco and Sam's Club. These resellers/authorized agents do NOT add an additional contract on you.

 

[racedog]

Wow, that's some seriously good information to know. Thanks for putting this information out there for people!

R

 

[gunmetalgr3g]

I wish I could give you 10 thanks for that info, I was going to go corporate anyway but this gives the info to other people

 

[withravenoushunger]

Thanks. I'm not gonna buy from them now. I refuse to sign another contract

 

[blackberryconvert2011]

$50 is $50, but I am wary of another contract...this is GREAT info...I just need to decide what to DO about it

 

[Sploinkin]

This is only a problem if you are a flake and don't plan on keeping your contract or paying your bill. It doesn't add onto your contract with your carrier, it is a separate contract that is only 6 months.

 

[racedog]

This is only a problem if you are a flake and don't plan on keeping your contract or paying your bill. It doesn't add onto your contract with your carrier, it is a separate contract that is only 6 months.

There are a lot of reasons why things may change for people and most of them have nothing to do with people being flakes. Why would anyone in their right mind sign an additional contract with such draconian features in it!! That doesn't make any sense at all.

R

 

[muzhik]

just order it from BB - $100

http://forum.androidcentral.com/722473-post20.html

 

[Sploinkin]

For those who are stable, 6 months added into a 2-year contract is meaningless.

I agree, it is good information for someone who switches devices constantly or those looking for ways to play the system (I've seen some posters thinking about getting this and switching to a business account or cancelling their old lines to start a new line). I've been with Verizon since 2000 on a family plan, there is no reason for me to switch to another carrier. Nor would there be a good enough reason to switch to a new phone within six months.

 

[blackberryconvert2011]

They took it down - but I saw it before they did!

 

[paulmike3]

No disrespect to Bob, but I don't think I could ever purchase from WireFly because his ThunderBolt "reviews" were so darn boring.

 

[gunmetalgr3g]

So I wonder if they will agree to it, I will print it anyway get my tbolt on thursday and if they honor it will have that one of friday

 

[Fefe]

Guess I'll stay away from WireFy cause I do plan on porting a different number onto my acct.

 

[Cyber Warrior]

Other differences would be the warranty period. VZW would still honor a 1 year warranty as long as you could show proof of purchase that the phone was brand new. So keep the receipt. Vzw has a 30 day policy; if your phone is within 30 days and is defective they will give you a Brand New phone and new battery as long as there is no damage. If you buy from a 3rd party you will not qualify for this program. Also all returns will have to go through Wirefly if you decide you want a different device or are not happy with the device.

 

[racedog]

For those who are stable, 6 months added into a 2-year contract is meaningless.

I agree, it is good information for someone who switches devices constantly or those looking for ways to play the system (I've seen some posters thinking about getting this and switching to a business account or cancelling their old lines to start a new line). I've been with Verizon since 2000 on a family plan, there is no reason for me to switch to another carrier. Nor would there be a good enough reason to switch to a new phone within six months.

I can point out a few things from personal experience that things can change beyond people's control.

Two and a half years ago my mother-in-law passed away leaving a large estate. The IRS presented us with a 1.8 million dollar Federal Estate Tax that needed to be paid. In September of that year the economy crashed and we no longer had the money to pay that bill and we had to pay a 10 percent interest on the tax until it was paid. Then in January of 2009 my wife was hit broadside by a driver who went through an intersection illegally and she was severely injured and we incurred medical bills that are almost $100,000. The crumbled economy had a severe negative impact on my business and our income has dropped dramatically.

None of those things were anything over which we had any control over but our lives have been changed. People can lose their jobs through no fault of their own, they can be transferred to places where they are forced to change their provider because of coverage issues. People can have medical issues which can have dramatic effect over their lives and incomes and ability to spend money.

That Wirefly contract is a load of crap, pure and simple. If anyone wishes to take on those contractual elements in order to save a measly $50, then they should have their heads examined.

R

 

[DolfanCole]

For those who are stable, 6 months added into a 2-year contract is meaningless.

I agree, it is good information for someone who switches devices constantly or those looking for ways to play the system (I've seen some posters thinking about getting this and switching to a business account or cancelling their old lines to start a new line). I've been with Verizon since 2000 on a family plan, there is no reason for me to switch to another carrier. Nor would there be a good enough reason to switch to a new phone within six months.

The way I read it, it's not 6-months added to your contract. It states 181-days from activation, which would mean a 6-month term that runs simultaneously with your Verizon contract. I would suspect that almost everyone would be fine with these conditions.

 

[jsandgren10]

I don't see a problem with what Wirefly offers. They are giving you basically $100 in savings over buying from Verizon directly after tax. Plus the insurance is better, no deductible and a new phone vs. a refurbished one.

To be honest if you can't pay your bill for 6 months straight after buying a smartphone then you shouldn't be getting one. And if you are unsure if you will have a job or have some circumstance that you can't fork out $300 if you don't hold up your end for 6 months then go pay the extra for the phone up front at a Verizon store.

 

[gunmetalgr3g]

So to clear everything up you just need to hold onto your contract for 6 months, and you owe no extra money?

 

[Cyber Warrior]

So to clear everything up you just need to hold onto your contract for 6 months, and you owe no extra money?

Hold and not break any of the conditions. I myself am still undecided. I'll be paying full price so I don't need to worry about the contract. I'll be saving probably $50-100 if I go through wirefly... but I'm not gauranteed a shipping date of when I will receive the phone and if for some reason I need to return the phone or swap it for a new one... I'm nowhere near a Verizon store. What to do... what to do?

 

[66dude]

I thought about getting the TB through Wirefly, but when i went there to pre-order, many red flags came up for me, and I decided to just back out and wait until I can purchase the TB through VZW or BB on Thursday. I will be paying the sales tax on the phone, but that's only because I am unable to get the package from VZW if I order online or from Wirefly.