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Full price IP6Plus at Best Buy-do you have to be a VZW subscriber?

T

technopimp

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Aug 12, 2009
645
220
I'm planning on buying a full price iPhone 6+ (Verizon) so I can use it on my current AT&T plan, and then switch to T-mobile when my contract is up in a few months. I odn't have an Apple store nearby, but Best Buy has them in stock. They offer the "replacement device" at full price, but from what I've read on here, you have to be a subscriber even to buy at full price.

It doesn't say that on their site that I can see, and it lets me add it to my cart for in-store pickup. But I'd rather not go through the whole process if it's going to be a problem when I get to the store, and calling them is useless. The main problem is I have some gift cards I want to use, and it would be a hassle if I have to cancel/return/etc. I'd rather just not buy it in the first place if it's not going to work.

Was just curious if anyone who does not have an existing VZW contract has been able to do this.
 
Typically when a customer comes to my store and is like "I want to buy an iPhone full price" me or whoever is in the department simply sells them the phone. There's no hassle or "well you have to be a verizon customer to get the phone" or any crap like that. Now, that's at my store. Of course some stores are probably different...just like when it comes to price matching full price of a phone.
 
Go to BB store ask for Verizon iPhone and tell them you're going to activate it on Verizon prepaid plan when you get home. Also call the store before going there and ask to speak to someone from wireless department.
 
+1 to call prior to going just to be sure, but it shouldn't be a problem.

Back in September, I saw someone buy a phone at Best Buy with no problems. He just had to pay the $50 premium. I was surprised he was allowed to do so because the phones were so scarce then. BB was getting random shipments of a handful of phones and was mainly taking pre-orders in-store at the time.

What I did notice is that the standalone Best Buy Mobiles (not common, but typically in a mall location and not in the full brick and mortar BB with all the other departments) were more likely to require you to either be a subscriber or at least open a new account with the purchase. Although they are fully BB, they seem to operate differently. DH ran into this when he was getting his phone during the same time period.

However, supply is plentiful now (at least in the Midwest region) for Verizon phones and Black Friday weekend is about sell-sell-sell, so give a call. Good Luck!
 
technopimp said:
I'm planning on buying a full price iPhone 6+ (Verizon) so I can use it on my current AT&T plan, and then switch to T-mobile when my contract is up in a few months. I odn't have an Apple store nearby, but Best Buy has them in stock. They offer the "replacement device" at full price, but from what I've read on here, you have to be a subscriber even to buy at full price.

It doesn't say that on their site that I can see, and it lets me add it to my cart for in-store pickup. But I'd rather not go through the whole process if it's going to be a problem when I get to the store, and calling them is useless. The main problem is I have some gift cards I want to use, and it would be a hassle if I have to cancel/return/etc. I'd rather just not buy it in the first place if it's not going to work.

Was just curious if anyone who does not have an existing VZW contract has been able to do this.
Click to expand...

If you are interested, there is a method to buying the iPhone directly from Verizon's website without being a subscriber, and without doing any sort of credit check, or adding a line. Perhaps you prefer buying from Best Buy, though.
 
Well there other option buying one used I guess prices had came down.
Or get a line with Verizon than port to tmobile andhave them pay your eft off.
 
So I ended up buying online for in store pick up to see what happened. Got there and told the guy I had ordered online for pickup. He asked if they were setting it up /etc for me, I told him no I was just getting the phone . He looked very confused and has to go ask somebody. I could hear the other guy and hd said "do NOT give him that phone, he can only have it inactivated if he paid full price!". I said I did pay full price. The guy got a very smart-alecky look and asked "well, if you did, then how much did it cost?" He looked like he was asking me a riddle and had a dumb grin as if I wouldn't answer correctly. I told him it was $899. He then lost his grin and told the first guy I could have it. He handed me the phone and said "ok you're all set" without even asking me who I was, for any sort of identification, didn't ask to see my order number, etc.

I kind of looked at him and asked if he didn't think he should check to make sure there wasn't something he had to do to "release" it from the system. As it turns out, yes he did and had to process my pickup. Except, he still didn't asked for any identification, he asked if I was (name on the box) and I said yes.

Good thing I'm an honest kind of guy and didn't take this one, then go in later and do it again since the system would have shown I hadn't picked it up yet.
 
Applejuiced said:
I see.
I never get why they would charge more than everyone else for full priced devices?
Maybe they want to sell on contract to get the commission's instead.
Click to expand...

I think this.

Interestingly, when you buy a phone through them on next, it still rings up as $899. SO if you;re paying tax you pay it on the $899 (I bought tax free NH so it didn't matter to me).
 
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