Switching phones between separate accounts

My friend is switching to Verizon as a new customer and pre-ordered the iPhone 5 online today. She is not sure she wants to keep it, so we discussed switching phones. I am a current Verizon customer with an iPhone 4S. Is it possible for us to switch phones, even though we have completely separate accounts? If so, would she have to activate the new phone on her account first, then we each deactivate them on our accounts online at the same time, then reactivate them one at a time? Or could I just activate the new phone on my account and have her activate mine on hers? She was told by an agent at her local Verizon store that she was not allowed to do this for a certain amount of time after purchasing the phone. I appreciate your feedback.

Accepted answers

Covet

You should be able to. But I noticed something in your original post that's sort of a catch.

You mentioned that your friends account is a new account. About a month ago I ordered an iPhone 4 + new line of service for my little sis and her phone came already activated to her account (I didn't have to go through the *228 procedure). The before mentioned pre-ordered for an existing line account wasn't already activated (otherwise his existing phone would have been dead in the meantime while waiting for it to be shipped).

In order to have the option via *228 to active your phone it has to be deactivated first. But if you deactivate either if your phones (since yours is under an existing contract and your friends is a new contract) that would count as an early cancellation. You can call Verizon and ask them to put a dummy ESN on your account (thereby deactivating your phone), activate your phone on your friends account and then activate your friends phone on your account.

Note, whenever a new device is activated on a line the previous device is automatically deactivated. But it never counts as a "cancelled line".

And I have no clue about LTE and the sim card. (all my LTE devices have 'sim cards' even if some are embedded into the mainboard or take a dremel tool to get to).

All comments

Covet

I've done something similar to this before with the 4S. I had a friend pre order the iPhone 4S for me on his Verizon account (because he had an upgrade available and I did not) then once he received the phone he handed it over to me (unopened), I dialed *228 on the new phone (the 4S) and followed the phone prompts to activate it to my account/phone number instead of his account/phone number.

To clarify when I say 'his Verizon account' I mean just that. It wasn't a shared family plan, same bill or anything like that. Completely different accounts (different account owners, billing address, payment dates, etc).

I'd imagine the procedure hasn't changed much (but it's always possible).

lindamc719

Thanks this is most helpful. I assume, then, when I give her my phone she can do the same for her account?

Covet

You should be able to. But I noticed something in your original post that's sort of a catch.

Note, whenever a new device is activated on a line the previous device is automatically deactivated. But it never counts as a "cancelled line".

And I have no clue about LTE and the sim card. (all my LTE devices have 'sim cards' even if some are embedded into the mainboard or take a dremel tool to get to).

lindamc719

Sounds like we will have call them first. I appreciate your timely respone.