Options for Verizon Non-qualified Upgraders

[randymac88]

Hello! I am reviewing my options to get my hands on the iPhone 5, despite not being eligible for upgrade. My apologies if these ideas have been debated in other threads, but i'm not necessarily getting the answers to questions I have.

I currently have a launch day 4S, white, 32GB, Verizon. My early termination fee would be $270 ($350 minus 8/mos of service@$10/month).

I would like to purchase a 16gb Black i5, and preferably keep my number and stay with Verizon. Also, I would plan on selling the 4S, and lets assume I could get at least $350 for it on the open market.

So, my options as I see it:

1) Add a line for $9.99, buy a subsidized i5 for $199, pay ETF of $270. Total cost: $479. Downside - I would lose my number, right?

2) Do the above, except instead of adding a line with Verizon, go to AT&T, buy a "free" or cheap phone, port my number, then port it back over to Verizon within 14 days and receive a new subsidized i5 from Verizon, along with my original ported number. Cost: $270 Verizon ETF / random AT&T stocking and activation fees ($50?) / $199+$36 activation i5 price on Verizon...for a total cost of $555. But I would get to keep my number.

3) Sell the phone on eBay/Craigslist/etc (est. $350), purchase unsubsidized for $649. Total cost after selling the phone: $299

Any other tricks/tips that I'm not thinking of? Many thanks for the help here!

 

[3rd Rock]

Verizon told me just about what you pointed out by going to AT&T with a dumb phone, than within the 14 days, port my number back to Verizon, and my new iPhone 5, but that is a hassle in my opinion. With me, I just went ahead, and added the new iphone 5 with a new phone number subsidized, cancel my old phone that has some time left, and pay the ETF. Than notify everyone of the new number. Another hassle, but do-able.

Cannot think of another way, and the rep tried to assist with options, but non of them was better.

 

[randymac88]

Appreciate the response. Having had the same number for 12 years now, I'm just too far out there to change now. Can't do it. So, I may need to go with the "to AT&T and back" route. We'll see. For good reason I know, they don't make it easy.

 

[measel]

You can do what I'm doing, Add a line then you can SWAP. Verizon allows that. I already confirmed this with them. You can just receive the new iphone then activate it on new number. Then, you go on MyVerizon and do the swap. And put old number on the Iphone. Then close the new line. Downslide, You pay $350 ETF. Reason I'm doing this is because I wanted to keep my unlimited data and going retail would cost me $100 more time 2 for 2 iPhones (One for me, One for my wife). So I save $200.

It's a win for me.

 

[randymac88]

You can do what I'm doing, Add a line then you can SWAP. Verizon allows that. I already confirmed this with them. You can just receive the new iphone then activate it on new number. Then, you go on MyVerizon and do the swap. And put old number on the Iphone. Then close the new line. Downslide, You pay $350 ETF. Reason I'm doing this is because I wanted to keep my unlimited data and going retail would cost me $100 more time 2 for 2 iPhones (One for me, One for my wife). So I save $200.

It's a win for me.

That sounds like an interesting option...so they get you for the ETF but there's no hassle of dealing with another carrier and potentially crazy unforeseen fees there. I do assume there is also a $36 activation fee for each new line?

 

[measel]

That sounds like an interesting option...so they get you for the ETF but there's no hassle of dealing with another carrier and potentially crazy unforeseen fees there. I do assume there is also a $36 activation fee for each new line?

Yes but I get them waived due to corporate discount I have.

 

[fibrizo]

Hello! I am reviewing my options to get my hands on the iPhone 5, despite not being eligible for upgrade. My apologies if these ideas have been debated in other threads, but i'm not necessarily getting the answers to questions I have.

I currently have a launch day 4S, white, 32GB, Verizon. My early termination fee would be $270 ($350 minus 8/mos of service@$10/month).

I would like to purchase a 16gb Black i5, and preferably keep my number and stay with Verizon. Also, I would plan on selling the 4S, and lets assume I could get at least $350 for it on the open market.

So, my options as I see it:

1) Add a line for $9.99, buy a subsidized i5 for $199, pay ETF of $270. Total cost: $479. Downside - I would lose my number, right?

2) Do the above, except instead of adding a line with Verizon, go to AT&T, buy a "free" or cheap phone, port my number, then port it back over to Verizon within 14 days and receive a new subsidized i5 from Verizon, along with my original ported number. Cost: $270 Verizon ETF / random AT&T stocking and activation fees ($50?) / $199+$36 activation i5 price on Verizon...for a total cost of $555. But I would get to keep my number.

3) Sell the phone on eBay/Craigslist/etc (est. $350), purchase unsubsidized for $649. Total cost after selling the phone: $299

Any other tricks/tips that I'm not thinking of? Many thanks for the help here!

Well there's a problem with part 2. I'm pretty sure if you terminate with verizon, you are locked out for 60-90 days, but I could be wrong.

Here's one more option.

4. Get a new 9.99 line with iphone 5 199$. Port your original number to google voice, which terminates your original contract 270$ Forward the calls and messages to your new verizon number. Sell old iPhone 4S. You can keep it like this, or you can port that number back onto the verizon phone after 90 days or so. (all calls to your old number still ring your phone due to google voice). If you keep it like that, then it doesn't matter what games you play with contracts and what not because your original number is on GV now and will forward to whatever number you want.

 

[jbromer]

What am I missing

Not sure if I am missing something, but isn't just buying the unsubsidized phone and selling the old one the simplest and cheapest option?

 

[From A Buick 8]

Just buy the phone outright, set it up on your exisiting ULD account and then sell the 4S to recoup part of the money spent on the iPH5

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Not sure if I am missing something, but isn't just buying the unsubsidized phone and selling the old one the simplest and cheapest option?

Again what jbromer said

 

[macMD]

Since I moved over the the share everything plan and have (2) 4G LTE MiFi's, (1) dumb phone (my wife's) (1) SmartPhone and (1) iPad 3 LTE 64GB I decided to add a line and do the brotherly thing and add my sisters iPad 3 LTE onto my plan which only costs me $10 a month and I have more than enough data allowance per month so it was easy.

 

[randymac88]

Not sure if I am missing something, but isn't just buying the unsubsidized phone and selling the old one the simplest and cheapest option?

That would be the simplest, but its also the most expensive, assuming a $350 resale value of the 4S. At ($649 -$350) you're at $299 total, vs $130 total for the best case above ($270 (etf) + $199 (cost of phone) +$9.99 (extra line) - $350). I intend to do this with mine and my wife's phone, so thats too big a savings to pass over.

 

[randymac88]

Well there's a problem with part 2. I'm pretty sure if you terminate with verizon, you are locked out for 60-90 days, but I could be wrong.

Here's one more option.

4. Get a new 9.99 line with iphone 5 199$. Port your original number to google voice, which terminates your original contract 270$ Forward the calls and messages to your new verizon number. Sell old iPhone 4S. You can keep it like this, or you can port that number back onto the verizon phone after 90 days or so. (all calls to your old number still ring your phone due to google voice). If you keep it like that, then it doesn't matter what games you play with contracts and what not because your original number is on GV now and will forward to whatever number you want.

What would happen when I want to port back my old number to Verizon - wouldn't I then need to cancel the "new" line and face a hefty ETF?