Anyone use an online retailer for cell phone purchase?

[MustangDan74]

Hey there, I have been doing lots of reading here on the forums but didnt really find what I'm looking for. Here's my story, I'm done with my AT&T contract next week and I will not be renewing with them because their signal sucks alot of places I need it. I am going with Verizon after talking to a few people in my area, but there is a problem. Apparently there is some sort of contract that exists only in my county that states there can only be 3 cellular providers, and we have Sprint, AT&T and Cellcom. If I want to go to Verizon the closest Verizon store is in Green Bay which is 100 miles. There are a couple of those "independent" retailers selling Verizon but they haven't been very helpful so far and they don't have the phone I want anyway.

I have found a few places online such as Amazon Wireless and Wirefly.com that have great prices, much better than the Verizon website, ($50-$100 less). The plan is to get my phone now and for the wife to come over in 6 weeks when her contract is up, at that point we would switch my plan to a Family Plan.

My question is, has anyone dealt with any of these online places instead of going right to the carrier? It would be nice to save myself the afternoon road trip to get the phone.

Thanks for reading--Dan

 

[Sax1031]

I got my Rezound through Amazon Wireless.

It was really easy. Just followed purchasing the phone step by step. It will ask if you are a new customer or existing. I was new. Then it ask what kind of base phone service you want(ie minutes). Then you pick data. Then you finalize the purchase.

It will say that Verizon has to verify the new contract. Once they do you will get an update/email.

I ordered the phone then 2 days later it arrived. All I had to do was turn the phone on and it was activated.

It was a very very easy process.

 

[PetuniaCarlyle]

Apparently there is some sort of contract that exists only in my county that states there can only be 3 cellular providers

Um, no. That's an area where there is federal preemption of the states and local governments. Only the FCC can do that.

 

[PetuniaCarlyle]

I have found a few places online such as Amazon Wireless and Wirefly.com that have great prices, much better than the Verizon website, ($50-$100 less).

Lot's of people use amazon wireless and are happy. The only downside is if you want to do an exchange or get a defective phone. You have to mail the phone back to get a new one.

Have you gone to their site and put the phone in your cart and then put your zip code in? The reason I am asking is because if there are no VZW towers in your area, VZW may not write contracts in your area. Put your zip code in and see what happens.

The plan is to get my phone now and for the wife to come over in 6 weeks when her contract is up, at that point we would switch my plan to a Family Plan.

That will cause you to have to pay the $250 fee to Amazon. If you get an individual plan from Amazon and then go into a Verizon store and convert your individual plan to a family plan in 6 weeks, that triggers the $250 fee. I know I called about this several times because it was what I wanted to do. And there is no way to convert an individual plan to a family plan through Amazon. I know again because this was what I wanted to do and they told me I couldn't do it. Plus, on the Amazon site you can see there is no way to add a line to an individual plan with VZW.

The better option is to just start with the family plan with Amazon now and get 2 devices from them. I know that would mean paying for 6 weeks for an extra line you don't need, but it is better than the $250 fee or paying full price at VZW store.

 

[MustangDan74]

Um, no. That's an area where there is federal preemption of the states and local governments. Only the FCC can do that.

I don't follow you, I was told about this "3 cell contract" by a buddy who runs a cellphone store?

 

[MustangDan74]

Have you gone to their site and put the phone in your cart and then put your zip code in? The reason I am asking is because if there are no VZW towers in your area, VZW may not write contracts in your area. Put your zip code in and see what happens.

I have done that, it says not available, however I do have friends in the area that are using Verizon cell with no complaints. How are they doing it?

That will cause you to have to pay the $250 fee to Amazon. If you get an individual plan from Amazon and then go into a Verizon store and convert your individual plan to a family plan in 6 weeks, that triggers the $250 fee. I know I called about this several times because it was what I wanted to do. And there is no way to convert an individual plan to a family plan through Amazon. I know again because this was what I wanted to do and they told me I couldn't do it. Plus, on the Amazon site you can see there is no way to add a line to an individual plan with VZW.

The better option is to just start with the family plan with Amazon now and get 2 devices from them. I know that would mean paying for 6 weeks for an extra line you don't need, but it is better than the $250 fee or paying full price at VZW store.

That's good to know, thanks for that heads-up, I would have made the mistake.

 

[PetuniaCarlyle]

Another reason you might want to buy a family line right now is the double the data promotion going on right now. It is available through Amazon, but no guarantee how long it will last. It may be gone 6 weeks from now, who knows.

 

[PetuniaCarlyle]

I don't follow you, I was told about this "3 cell contract" by a buddy who runs a cellphone store?

I am not trying to be rude here, so hopefully it won't come across that way, but I really doubt someone who runs a cell phone store is qualified to discuss federal preemption of the public airwaves.

In a nutshell, the federal government can preempt areas of the law that the constitution allows the federal government to preempt. What that means is that the state and local governments are barred from interfering with the federal government's jurisdiction of preempted areas of law. Who can transmit on the so-called public airwaves and how they can transmit is one area of the law that the federal government has preempted. States and local governments can't dictate this, only the federal government can and it does so through the FCC.

The specific preemption statute was first enacted in the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993.

 

[PetuniaCarlyle]

I have done that, it says not available, however I do have friends in the area that are using Verizon cell with no complaints. How are they doing it?

All you need is a billing address in a zip code that VZW writes contracts in. So maybe they have relatives in those zip codes and have their bills sent there? Or a work address in those zip codes?

One thing you can do is use a relative's address in an area that VZW services and then go to paperless billing.

 

[PetuniaCarlyle]

Although, now that I think about it, they have to do a credit check so I am not sure how that would work if your driver's license has a different address than your billing address. I don't know, but it is worth a try.

 

[Postoid]

Another reason you might want to buy a family line right now is the double the data promotion going on right now. It is available through Amazon, but no guarantee how long it will last. It may be gone 6 weeks from now, who knows.

Just looked on VZW's site and the double the data offer ends January 15...oh that's today

 

[PetuniaCarlyle]

Just looked on VZW's site and the double the data offer ends January 15...oh that's today

Well there is always the Mobile Hotspot feature that can get you converted to unlimited data. Search the boards for "loophole" and you will see the posts about it.

After you get your plan, call the Orderings and Activations line 1-877-807-4646 then ask to add feature code #76153. If they add it, you get bumped to unlimited data and then can go in and remove the mobile hotspot feature.

However, downgrading a data plan within the first 6 months is another thing that will get you the $250 fee from Amazon. Theoretically, going from the $30 2GB plan to the $29.99 unlimited plan shouldn't but I wouldn't take the chance. If you want to try for unlimited data, I would go to a VZW store and then do as above.

 

[dpham00]

I bought the Rezound for $ 50 from Costco wireless and had no problems getting a new replacement, they charge you a core charge, send out the replacement, then when they receive the replacement, they refund the core charge. Costco wireless has a 90 day return policy, others may have different return policy.

 

[benny3]

Hey there, I have been doing lots of reading here on the forums but didnt really find what I'm looking for. Here's my story, I'm done with my AT&T contract next week and I will not be renewing with them because their signal sucks alot of places I need it. I am going with Verizon after talking to a few people in my area, but there is a problem. Apparently there is some sort of contract that exists only in my county that states there can only be 3 cellular providers, and we have Sprint, AT&T and Cellcom. If I want to go to Verizon the closest Verizon store is in Green Bay which is 100 miles. There are a couple of those "independent" retailers selling Verizon but they haven't been very helpful so far and they don't have the phone I want anyway.

I have found a few places online such as Amazon Wireless and Wirefly.com that have great prices, much better than the Verizon website, ($50-$100 less). The plan is to get my phone now and for the wife to come over in 6 weeks when her contract is up, at that point we would switch my plan to a Family Plan.

My question is, has anyone dealt with any of these online places instead of going right to the carrier? It would be nice to save myself the afternoon road trip to get the phone.

Thanks for reading--Dan

Amazon wireless is painfree that would be my choice

 

[pappy53]

". The only downside is if you want to do an exchange or get a defective phone. You have to mail the phone back to get a new one."
Not true. I got a phone exchanged with Amazon, and sent my phone to them when I received the replacement. BTW, the replacement was a NEW phone.