Current best price for the Note 3?

DayThyme

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Yes and No. With the popularity of the Edge program, Next, Up and such, I think the resale market will be flooded within the next 6-12 months and the phones will become more of a commodity.
With the Edge program you have to give back the phone AND pay off 50% of the value before you can upgrade. I don't know about the other programs. Verizon won't be reselling the phones as used, but they may be sent to be refurbished and then resold.

Therefore, they will be more like selling computers and such after 6-12 months of use. The Note 1, which was first rolled out about a year ago or even the Galaxy S3 that is slightly older, is not worth anything on the resale market.
You can still get $200 for a good condition Note if it is GSM unlocked and $250 for a GS3. All Verizon 4G phones are now GSM unlocked and the older ones, Verizon will GSM unlock them for you after your contract period is up.

especially after they took away the primary line upgrade.
What does this mean?
 

tech_fan

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With the Edge program you have to give back the phone AND pay off 50% of the value before you can upgrade. I don't know about the other programs. Verizon won't be reselling the phones as used, but they may be sent to be refurbished and then resold.

You can still get $200 for a good condition Note if it is GSM unlocked and $250 for a GS3. All Verizon 4G phones are now GSM unlocked and the older ones, Verizon will GSM unlock them for you after your contract period is up.

What does this mean?

Verizon used to have a program where the primary line was able to upgrade to a new phone every 12 months. That changed. They then allowed you to upgrade to a phone after 18 months and changed that so, then it became 24 months.
 

DayThyme

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Of course everyone has their own opinion and for me, the Edge is what I have been looking for a long time especially after they took away the primary line upgrade.
I did the math on the other thread. It's twice as expensive to be on Edge than it is to get subsidized phones and sell them the next year and get a full retail phone. But that assumes that the resale value stays in line with the current used phone market and that you keep your phone in excellent condition. If either of these assumptions are not true, then the difference between Edge and subsidized phones is less. And with Edge you get the convenience of not having to sell your phone each year, which for busy professionals is huge.
 

tech_fan

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It actually should come out $70 more for the Edge program. But I am happy with the Edge program and do not want the hassle of reselling the product. The phone would have cost me $410 out the door. Instead I am making monthly payments of $29. That goes a long way against the 410 especially if the market gets flooded with old phones or technology changes so fast that devices become more like a commodity. If I choose to unwind the Edge program, I can do that after 6 months and provided that I paid off half the balance which would be $300 which is what I would have originally paid in renewing my line.

The beauty is that I have not renewed the line so, if I want to leave to go to another carrier I can. I hated being bound into another 2 year term with a carrier.


I did the math on the other thread. It's twice as expensive to be on Edge than it is to get subsidized phones and sell them the next year and get a full retail phone. But that assumes that the resale value stays in line with the current used phone market and that you keep your phone in excellent condition. If either of these assumptions are not true, then the difference between Edge and subsidized phones is less. And with Edge you get the convenience of not having to sell your phone each year, which for busy professionals is huge.
 

DayThyme

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It actually should come out $70 more for the Edge program.
If you are willing to look for sales and get your phone from the online retailers to avoid the sales tax, you can do better than that. But again, you have to be willing to spend the time to do this. The GNote3 is $200 at amazon right now, no sales tax for me but it depends on where you live whether you have to pay sales tax when you buy from amazon.

And Best Buy has the $50 gift card deal you sign up for every February.
 

MikeNY

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Best deal is buying from Verizon through the Comcast promo until 12/21 - you get it at Verizon's price of $300 (because you are buying directly from Verizon) but you get a $200 VISA prepaid card mailed to you from Comcast. So final cost to you is $300 + tax - $200 = $100 + tax on $300 since a VISA prepaid card is just as good as cash where I live. Just don't swipe them at the pump at a gas station if you want to buy gas with them - you have to go into pay.

Verizon Wireless with XFINITY® Triple Play from Comcast

You can do this online or call, but if you do it online, you will initially only see featured phones but you can click to see all phones. If you are transferring an upgrade to preserve unlimited data - do not call because the reps have screwed other people out of unlimited by not transferring the upgrade.

You do not have to be a comcast customer to take advantage of this promo. There is a thread about this offer on the Verizon forum of this site. So far, none of us has yet to receive our VISA cards because they need you to keep the phone for at least 14 days after activation. I am at 14 days now, and they said the card will be sent between 14 and 30 days of activation.

Yes, no matter where you buy from you will have to pay a $30 upgrade fee if you are using an upgrade. Also, if you buy from Amazon and downgrade the data plan on your line within 181 days, they will sock you with a $400 secondary ETF.

So this seems to be the best deal out there? Unless someone just doesn't want to fork up the initial $300 and go with the Edge plan I can't see how there is a better deal? How long did it take to receive the phone in the mail?

PS..anyone think its odd Comcast and Verizon (they are the 2 main competitors in my area for Fios vs Cable) are working together? lol
 

tech_fan

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I lost my unlimited data when I upgraded my phone to the Iphone 4 about 2 or so years ago. I do not really need it anyways. I thought I would. But I use about 2 GB data per month at the most. Most of mine is through Wifi.
I have unlimited data on Verizon so I am here until they take it away from me.
 

MikeNY

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Also on the bottom of the comcast page it says " Restrictions apply. Requires new Verizon Wireless tablet activation or new 2-year activation of a new smartphone through Comcast. " I have my s3 through verizon, got it from a local authorized retailer and I am also eligible for an upgrade...if I go with this web site is, this not considered a new 2 year-activation or it is? Also would like to know the implications of not getting it through Verizon, I get a discount for the 2 phones (my wife and mine) plus home phone and fios, would getting out through comcast change things or it has nothing to do with that
 

MikeNY

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I ordered on a sunday and had the phone on tuesday.

comcast has partnered with verizon bundle with xfinity where I live. No fios here.

I also read your post that you do not have to be a comcast customer but this says otherwise: Terms and Conditions for XFINITY/Verizon Wireless Offer

I wonder if people are ordering it and thining because the system let them order it that they are definitely getting the card.

Can you link me to the verizon forum post as I wonder what the deal is here.
 

DayThyme

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I am also eligible for an upgrade...if I go with this web site is, this not considered a new 2 year-activation or it is?
yes, using an upgrade is a new 2 year activation.


Also would like to know the implications of not getting it through Verizon, I get a discount for the 2 phones (my wife and mine) plus home phone and fios, would getting out through comcast change things or it has nothing to do with that
you are buying from verizon, not comcast. All you are doing by going through that link is getting redirected to verizon from comcast. Just be sure and click the finish button to get the popup screen confirming that you will get your $200 VISA prepaid card.



finish.JPG
confirmation page.JPG
 

DayThyme

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I also read your post that you do not have to be a comcast customer but this says otherwise: Terms and Conditions for XFINITY/Verizon Wireless Offer

I wonder if people are ordering it and thining because the system let them order it that they are definitely getting the card.

Can you link me to the verizon forum post as I wonder what the deal is here.
You had the choice of the VISA prepaid card or a bill credit on Comcast. To get the bill credit you had to be a comcast subscriber, obviously. The phone reps said to get the VISA prepaid card you did not need to be a comcast subscriber.

I don't know where you got that link from, but that is applicable to a different offer. The link you provided is for an offer that ended in March of 2013. The offer I linked to started in November of 2013. Your link is not applicable to the offer I am talking about.

It's on the verizon forum

Comcast Is Offering a 200 Visa Prepaid Card When Buying Verizon Phone or Tablet
 
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dpham00

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Verizon used to have a program where the primary line was able to upgrade to a new phone every 12 months. That changed. They then allowed you to upgrade to a phone after 18 months and changed that so, then it became 24 months.

Actually, it was the annual upgrade, and for the primary line, you could upgrade 13 months into a 2 year contract.

Optionally, there was also the one year contract, in my case, it cost me $30 more to get the Thunderbolt on one year contract. Of course one year contracts were eliminated by Verizon, citing that most people didn't want to upgrade early.

Verizon also allowed anyone (not just primary) to upgrade after 20 months, that program was also ended.

Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note 3 via Tapatalk Pro
 

dpham00

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It actually should come out $70 more for the Edge program. But I am happy with the Edge program and do not want the hassle of reselling the product. The phone would have cost me $410 out the door. Instead I am making monthly payments of $29. That goes a long way against the 410 especially if the market gets flooded with old phones or technology changes so fast that devices become more like a commodity. If I choose to unwind the Edge program, I can do that after 6 months and provided that I paid off half the balance which would be $300 which is what I would have originally paid in renewing my line.

The beauty is that I have not renewed the line so, if I want to leave to go to another carrier I can. I hated being bound into another 2 year term with a carrier.

You can leave the carrier, but the remaining balance becomes due, which may exceed $800,depending on the phone you get. Of course, if you terminate service then you would have to pay etf, up to $350.

Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note 3 via Tapatalk Pro
 

MikeNY

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Well that was smooth and painless, spoke to a Candace, did it all over the phone, they charged my current account, ships tomorrow arrives Tuesday. She assured me I will get the $200 Visa card in 6-8 weeks and there is only the $350 ETF with Verizon, not Comcast and like others said this is Verizon you are dealing with not Comcast. She was very helpful.