One More Reason

"TheRealBicycleBuck" (therealbicyclebuck) 12/22/2018 at 14:54 • Filed to: None

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Verizon policies suck.

All I want to do is buy a flip phone and drop a currently activated Verizon sim into it. Nope. To buy a phone from them, you must establish a new line, get a new phone to go with the new line, pay 2/3rds of the phone off, wait 14 days, pay the other 1/3rd off, then drop the line. Then you can drop your old sim into the new phone. Let’s not forget the fees that go along with that new line.

They also have blocks in place to keep you from buying a cheap compatible phone from Walmart and swapping sims. At least the guy warned me before I tried it

It’s better to find a used or refurbished  compatible phone. 

interstate366, now In The Industry > TheRealBicycleBuck 12/22/2018 at 15:08

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Swappa is a good site for buying phones.

CB > TheRealBicycleBuck 12/22/2018 at 15:19

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That’s garbage.

TheRealBicycleBuck > interstate366, now In The Industry 12/22/2018 at 15:21

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I just looked. No Verizon-compatible flip phones to be found. 

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > TheRealBicycleBuck 12/22/2018 at 17:39

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US mobile systems seem odd to me. I can buy an unlocked phone of almost any type (smart or dumb) and use it on any one of the three different mobile networks across Oz through a variety of different retailers. In some cases, the network’s have reciprocal agreements with the other networks if their own network is not in a customer’s current location...

My current arrangement sees me paying $15 in advance in a pay as you go arrangement. I think it was $45 up front for the Sim and I own the phone outright . I’m a light user in terms of calls and data so I only spend $60-75 per annum...

TheRealBicycleBuck > SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media 12/22/2018 at 18:24

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Over here they want to make the most expensive phones available to everyone, so they will only sell you a phone with a plan. You can always bring your own phone to a carrier, but finding an inexpensive flip phone is a chore. It’s not about the phones, it’s getting you locked into a long-term contract. 

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > TheRealBicycleBuck 12/22/2018 at 20:30

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Hmmm...I can buy unlocked 3g and 4g flip phones at the local post office for between 50 and 100 bucks. And then a choice of pay as you go Sim cards...

Can you source an Aspera F 24 or F28 or a Konka U3? Or do you need a 2G phone?

Nick Has an Exocet > TheRealBicycleBuck 12/22/2018 at 20:57

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I would recommend a (slightly pricier) but cheap alternative: transfer that line out of Verizon and onto a cheap MVNO like RedPocket or MintSIM where you can swap sims to your heart’s content. I’m living my best life doing this.

TheRealBicycleBuck > Nick Has an Exocet 12/22/2018 at 21:37

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Thanks for the suggestion. We’re on a family plan with shared data. It helps us keep track of what everyone is doing with their phones and the insurance cost is distributed over all of the phones. 

TheRealBicycleBuck > SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media 12/22/2018 at 21:39

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It’s best if it’s an LTE phone. I  tracked down a couple of sources this evening.

Nick Has an Exocet > TheRealBicycleBuck 12/22/2018 at 22:46

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Ah, gotcha. They’ve got you stuck then! Sorry!