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Help satisfy my "Incredible" craving

I currently have the Imagio and have been waiting (im)patiently for the Incredible to become available. Now that it is here I have a dilemma I hope you guys can help me with.

My current contract doesn't end until May 2011 but I am eligible for an early upgrade in October 2010. So, to get the Incredible now, I think I only have two options:

(a) get the Incredible at the full price with no contract or

(b) add another line for an additional $10/month and get it on a new contract ($200). My current contract would still run through May 2010.

Option (a) will let me get another phone at any time but requires a huge outlay of cash on the front end. Option (b) was suggested by a Verizon store employee today but there is something about it I don't understand. Once my current contract runs out, I will have two secondary lines but no primary line, correct? Will one of the them automatically convert to a primary?

I am trying to get my financials straight so I don't make a major mistake.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

As a side note, I would love to hear early impressions of the phone from those who have received them already.

Comments

thunderbucks

I'll answer your question, then give my best advice. Each phone number has its own contract dates. Adding another line for $10 more a month has no effect whatsoever on the line that is currently the primary. The primary line will stay primary for as long as you have service with Verizon (or contact them to change this otherwise). If you were to cancel your current primary line phone number, then another would become the primary.

While adding another line for $10 is certainly a reasonable option, I would take note of a couple things. First, the salesperson is likely to make more commission from adding a line to your account than just selling the Incredible out-right. Second, this is one more line of service for which you will still be obligated to Verizon.

The extra $10 per month means $240 through the length of the contract; plus the $200 for the cost of the phone puts your total at $440. Instead, you could purchase the Incredible at its full price, likely $500-$600 and sell your Imagio on eBay or by some other means from $200-$300. Assuming the higher price of $600, with the lower receipt of $200, you are still left with a $400 cost at most; this is $40 cheaper than to get the Incredible by adding another line, as well as keeping you free from an additional obligation. My preference lies towards the out-right purchase!

reallyniceguy

I say buy it full price, an sell your current phone on ebay or craigslist. Im sure it will sell for a descent price. This of it like if it was the nexus one that we are not getting, you would have had to pay full retail price anyway from google direct.

tubemonkey

thunderbucks wrote:

I'll answer your question, then give my best advice. Each phone number has its own contract dates. Adding another line for $10 more a month has no effect whatsoever on the line that is currently the primary. The primary line will stay primary for as long as you have service with Verizon (or contact them to change this otherwise). If you were to cancel your current primary line phone number, then another would become the primary.

While adding another line for $10 is certainly a reasonable option, I would take note of a couple things. First, the salesperson is likely to make more commission from adding a line to your account than just selling the Incredible out-right. Second, this is one more line of service for which you will still be obligated to Verizon.

The extra $10 per month means $240 through the length of the contract; plus the $200 for the cost of the phone puts your total at $440. Instead, you could purchase the Incredible at its full price, likely $500-$600 and sell your Imagio on eBay or by some other means from $200-$300. Assuming the higher price of $600, with the lower receipt of $200, you are still left with a $400 cost at most; this is $40 cheaper than to get the Incredible by adding another line, as well as keeping you free from an additional obligation. My preference lies towards the out-right purchase!

Don't forget the additional data plan required for that second line:

New Line @ $10/ mo + Data Plan @ $30/ mo = $40/ mo x 24 mo = $960 + Second Phone @ $200 = $1,160

That makes selling the current phone and paying full price for a new one an even cheaper option. That means about a $600 savings on the plan plus whatever he gets for his current phone. If it's $200, then his total savings would be about $800.

kenyu73

tubemonkey wrote:
Don't forget the additional data plan required for that second line:

New Line @ $10/ mo + Data Plan @ $30/ mo = $40/ mo x 24 mo = $960 + Second Phone @ $200 = $1,160

That makes selling the current phone and paying full price for a new one an even cheaper option. That means about a $600 savings on the plan plus whatever he gets for his current phone. If it's $200, then his total savings would be about $800.

* OR - get the 2nd line then cancel the Imago line our-right. Since the TermFee is prorated down from $175, It's prob less then $100 to cancel it ($100 + $200 = $300)... sell your Imago for say $200 and your out of pocket costs is only $100.

Make sure your ESN is clear before you sell it.. I'm not sure if Verizon will lock it until the TermFee is paid.

tubemonkey - you cant really add the data plan to the equation. That's the lifetime cost of owning the Smartphone, not the 1st cost of getting the Incredible.

tubemonkey

kenyu73 wrote:

tubemonkey - you cant really add the data plan to the equation. That's the lifetime cost of owning the Smartphone, not the 1st cost of getting the Incredible.

Adding an additional line was one of his options; therefore you have to factor it in. He'd be adding an additional data plan he currently doesn't have, ending up with two plans instead of one.

GbMedusa

Well, this is interesting...

Went to the store today to purchase the phone at full price. Sales dude checks my account, goes back to talk to his manager, then returns to tell me I can't purchase the phone at full price because my contract is not available for upgrade. I have to add a new line with a contract.

To get it at full price. Not the discounted price. Full price.

Severely disappointed, I came home and went online to see how much it would cost for a third line. While doing this, a chat window popped open and "Michael" offered to assist. I asked him about what salesdude said. "Michael" said he did not know what they were talking about. I would have to be upgradeable to get the $199 price (which I already knew).

So, if the reason ETFs are so high is to ensure the retrurn on the phone subsidy, why is Verizon turning down cash up front? Are they so hellbent on making contracts that they are willing to lose an out-and-out sale?

I am so confused.

Anyway, here I sit, still un-Incredible-ed.

[Edited to add: if I get the third line, how long should I wait before cancelling the current primary line?]

kenyu73

Anyone can buy at retail. They gave you a line of crap for the only reason I can think is to get people to buy the incredible under a new/refresh contract. Since they're runnning low on Incredibles, they gave you crap because they want to save the phones for upgrade tools. A+ for the stores to make that marketing call... haha

I've bought many phones directly from the store at retail.

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