Activating Used 4G Phone on Family Plan

[ben7337]

I recently ordered a used HTC thunderbolt on ebay, and it should be here by Tuesday. I've tried to read up on activating a used 4g phone with Verizon but just want to double check that things will work, with people who know the system.

So I'm planning to check online on some site if the esn is clear, and call the verizon customer service and ask them if it is clean as well. Then I'm figuring I can just go down to the store and get a free 4g sim card and have them activate the phone.

However some people claim verizon charges for the sim card, and I'm unsure if that's all verizon stores, or just bad customer service, or if it was just that non-corporate stores charge for them? Also since I'm not the primary account holder, can I still change the phone on my line, or if I can't do it alone, what can I do given that I'm a college student living over 300 miles away from the primary account holder currently. Would calling my dad who is the primary line and asking him to give them his ssn and approve the switch be enough? Would it be easier to just get his ssn and give that over the phone and have them mail me a sim card? What does everyone think or recommend. I really want the fastest easiest method that is guaranteed to work, but it seems to unclear.

[ShortSxit]

I recently ordered a used HTC thunderbolt on ebay, and it should be here by Tuesday. I've tried to read up on activating a used 4g phone with Verizon but just want to double check that things will work, with people who know the system.

So I'm planning to check online on some site if the esn is clear, and call the verizon customer service and ask them if it is clean as well. Then I'm figuring I can just go down to the store and get a free 4g sim card and have them activate the phone.

However some people claim verizon charges for the sim card, and I'm unsure if that's all verizon stores, or just bad customer service, or if it was just that non-corporate stores charge for them? Also since I'm not the primary account holder, can I still change the phone on my line, or if I can't do it alone, what can I do given that I'm a college student living over 300 miles away from the primary account holder currently. Would calling my dad who is the primary line and asking him to give them his ssn and approve the switch be enough? Would it be easier to just get his ssn and give that over the phone and have them mail me a sim card? What does everyone think or recommend. I really want the fastest easiest method that is guaranteed to work, but it seems to unclear.

SIM cards are free at corporate Verizon stores. You should be able to just insert the SIM into the phone and enter your info to have the account switched over.

If for some reason that doesn't work and you have to go to a corporate store, they could ask for your dad's SSN. They should accept it over the phone, but in the future to simplify things, your dad could have you added on to the account as an account manager to grant you permission to make account/phone changes.

[ben7337]

Okay, so most likely they will be willing to just give me a sim card and let me activate it myself the same as if I got one in the mail after calling the customer service line? That would be ideal.

[ShortSxit]

Okay, so most likely they will be willing to just give me a sim card and let me activate it myself the same as if I got one in the mail after calling the customer service line? That would be ideal.

They should be. If you go to a corporate store, they might want to just do it themselves; so, I don't know if they'll want to get your dad involved.

[ben7337]

Thanks, at this rate I think I might just call in to the store to see what they say, before I go down there tomorrow. However I'm still hoping someone has done something similar to this and has some experience to tell me what to avoid or not do.

[Vatothe0]

They're going to need to talk to an account manager whether it's you or your dad or whomever. They have to attach the SIM to your number when they hand it to you and that's an open ticket to use your number in any 4G device.

[ReallyNeatGirl]

PS. It would have been a smart move to check the ESN before you bought the phone.

[WaltA]

So I'm planning to check online on some site if the esn is clear, and call the verizon customer service and ask them if it is clean as well. Then I'm figuring I can just go down to the store and get a free 4g sim card and have them activate the phone.

Remember, there are two independent lists. One for lost/stolen phones, and the other for unpaid balance. Make sure that both are checked.

There have been reports here by people who bought a used phone, it appeared to have a clean ESN, but then minutes later, the account goes into default and the ESN gets blocked.

[ben7337]

PS. It would have been a smart move to check the ESN before you bought the phone.

The seller was one of those over 100,000 sales stores. I doubt they respond to emails with esn's like that. Besides shipping was free and they guaranteed a clean esn and had 30 day free return shipping. There was no risk in this case. Ebay is very good about protecting customers, so long as shipping there and back is covered I don't worry.

Also the phone esn checked clear online, which I believe checks both lists. However either way it's activated now, and if the tales I've heard of phones being taken off an account and then finding the esn was blocked like a year ago are true, the phone should be fine at least for the time I am using it. One of the risks of buying used though I suppose.

[WaltA]

I doubt they respond to emails with esn's like that.

I would question any such "store" what would not gladly give out the esn to a potential buyer of a used phone.

There was no risk in this case. Ebay is very good about protecting customers, so long as shipping there and back is covered I don't worry.

Talking about tales, that is a pretty big whopper right there. And I speak from my own personal experience.

[ben7337]

I would question any such "store" what would not gladly give out the esn to a potential buyer of a used phone.




Talking about tales, that is a pretty big whopper right there. And I speak from my own personal experience.

Good luck getting any store or phone to reply to your email about an auction that ends in a few hours then, you'll end up paying way more than an item is worth to get it at a price that others aren't willing to pay because you can't be competitive in an auction and wait til after an auction ends to bid.

As for ebay, they protect buyers like no other from what I've seen. Buyers can lie, steal, never return products, and despite ebay's policies they get away with it. Ebay doesn't give a crap about sellers, but they treat buyers like blessed innocent cherubs in my experience. Plus with my credit card, paypal, and ebay's protections you can't tell me that none of them has my back if a giant store that has over 100,000 ratings of which almost all are positive happened to renege on their clearly stated return policy.

[WaltA]

As for ebay, they protect buyers like no other from what I've seen. Buyers can lie, steal, never return products, and despite ebay's policies they get away with it. Ebay doesn't give a crap about sellers, but they treat buyers like blessed innocent cherubs in my experience.

I only wish that was true.

From my own experience, I attempted to make a claim. I spent an hour or so putting it all together. I includes copies of everything to prove my case.

I sent it in, and about 5 seconds later, I got an email back from eBay stating my claim has been officially denied. Denied! Cased closed.

Sorry, but in just 5 seconds, I doubt any human at eBay had time to read even my cover letter/email, let alone review all the evidence I included to back up my claim.

EBay protects is customers, which are the sellers, 100%. IMHO, only a fool would think eBay would protect the buyers.

[ben7337]

As a seller who had a buyer basically steal money from me, I can say ebay doesn't protect sellers. Ebay told me to refund immediately, and their policy states the buyer must return the item. However the buyer never returned the item, never responded to my messages, and ebay didn't even respond when I filed a complaint about it. They didn't even have the courtesy to send me that auto response that you got, in the end the buyer got my product which they claimed didn't work after claiming it did, and they paid nothing for it. So trust me, ebay loves its buyers most of the time. I have never once heard of a claim being denied until you mentioned it happened to you. Did you have a brand new account with no history or something? Also why did you have to make a claim in the first place, please explain.

[wilcel1]

Verizon has made a change with dealing with sim cards. The cards use to be able to be used only once. If you changed to a different phone and then went back to the 4G phone you would have to get a new sim card. Verizon was losing alot of money, because of this. They was having to hand out sim cards. Also people was having to get a lot of sim cards because they was activating on other prepaid carriers. So getting the sim card for free may not last, also to get it they may start turning on in the store so it will not be used on a different phone. Like they may start doing this, they just put this in play.

[aneftp]

Verizon has made a change with dealing with sim cards. The cards use to be able to be used only once. If you changed to a different phone and then went back to the 4G phone you would have to get a new sim card. Verizon was losing alot of money, because of this. They was having to hand out sim cards. Also people was having to get a lot of sim cards because they was activating on other prepaid carriers. So getting the sim card for free may not last, also to get it they may start turning on in the store so it will not be used on a different phone. Like they may start doing this, they just put this in play.

Seriously. Sim cards cost pennies. Cingular/AT&T corp stores have always given replacement sims for free for ages (10 plus years). If a sim card is required for phone use and the customer is replacing old sim card. Carrier must replace. Charging for it is simply poor service.

It's not like someone is hoarding sim cards. They need the sim card to use the service.