Switching/selling/trading phones on Sprint

[Cchs229]

Hello,
I'm fairly new to the Sprint CDMA world. Coming from AT&T where you simply pop in a SIM card into a phone and go, I'm not quite sure how it works on Sprint.
How do I go about selling my phone or trading it with someone else? I'm currently under contract and I have a iPhone 5. Am I able to even do this or do I have to end my contract to be able to sell my device and use another?
Thank you.

 

[eyoungren]

Hello,
I'm fairly new to the Sprint CDMA world. Coming from AT&T where you simply pop in a SIM card into a phone and go, I'm not quite sure how it works on Sprint.
How do I go about selling my phone or trading it with someone else? I'm currently under contract and I have a iPhone 5. Am I able to even do this or do I have to end my contract to be able to sell my device and use another?
Thank you.

Generally with contracts Sprint is subsidizing your phone. So, to get out of your contract you'd need to pay ETF. To sell the phone and have the buyer activate it on their plan would mean you'd have to pay ETF, because you're still under contract. I imagine the same would probably work with a trade. Then there would be a fee for the new activation.

Now, just some other facts. Sprint is NOT like the other carriers when it comes to SIMs. You can't just put a different SIM in and go. That's because each SIM has an ICCID on it. Sprint pairs the ICCID with the MEID on the phone. Anytime you access the network, your phone compares those numbers. If they do not match (like they wouldn't with a different SIM) then the phone will not give you service.

Sprint won't unlock the phone either. You can get an international unlock, but that's it. Domestic unlock will never happen.

If you sell your phone, make sure that the buyer is a Sprint user or understands VERY CLEARLY that they cannot unlock the phone for domestic use.

 

[ValerieDurden]

Generally with contracts Sprint is subsidizing your phone. So, to get out of your contract you'd need to pay ETF. To sell the phone and have the buyer activate it on their plan would mean you'd have to pay ETF, because you're still under contract. I imagine the same would probably work with a trade. Then there would be a fee for the new activation.

Now, just some other facts. Sprint is NOT like the other carriers when it comes to SIMs. You can't just put a different SIM in and go. That's because each SIM has an ICCID on it. Sprint pairs the ICCID with the MEID on the phone. Anytime you access the network, your phone compares those numbers. If they do not match (like they wouldn't with a different SIM) then the phone will not give you service.

Sprint won't unlock the phone either. You can get an international unlock, but that's it. Domestic unlock will never happen.

If you sell your phone, make sure that the buyer is a Sprint user or understands VERY CLEARLY that they cannot unlock the phone for domestic use.

Starting 2015 they will.

 

[eyoungren]

Starting 2015 they will.

Which helps him now how?

And which will help all of us who bought a Sprint iPhone or other Sprint phone pre-2015 how?

Sprint's already laid the groundwork to make it look like it's a manufacturer problem and not Sprint's obstinacy in refusing to unlock.