Lost phone. What next?

[tangled]

I lost my phone yesterday. It's just a basic phone, and all I really needed. It was a pretty good phone, and lasted quite some time. I'm not impressed with the current crop of basic phones, and while it would be great to have a smart phone and data plan, it's just not in the budget.

I'm not having an easy time finding the answers to some of my questions about getting a new phone, or, more likely, a used phone. Possibly the same model I just lost. How is it done once I acquire a phone? Are there fees? Can I do it online or from the phone itself?

Thanks for any help.

[NuDroidUsrr]

tangled wrote:

I lost my phone yesterday. It's just a basic phone, and all I really needed. It was a pretty good phone, and lasted quite some time. I'm not impressed with the current crop of basic phones, and while it would be great to have a smart phone and data plan, it's just not in the budget.

I'm not having an easy time finding the answers to some of my questions about getting a new phone, or, more likely, a used phone. Possibly the same model I just lost. How is it done once I acquire a phone? Are there fees? Can I do it online or from the phone itself?

Thanks for any help.

I have bought and sold phones on eBay, just make sure the ESN is clear and that it can be activated on the Verizon Network.

[tangled]

I just bought a phone off ebay, same model as my old one (an LG VX8300). Supposedly it has not been used, and I'm hoping it's not really a refurb. It is a Verizon phone, but I did not know about the ESN. What is that? I'm assuming serial number....? The seller has good ratings and seems reputable, so I've got my fingers crossed.

Now, does anyone know 1) if I deactivate my old phone to prevent someone from using it if I can still access my voicemail? and 2) how much lag time is there in usage reports? I checked my usage on the phone to see if it was being used and the last date any calls were made or received was the 5th. Now, I have been calling the phone from home and those calls are not listed.

[lewisr13]

you can suspend service, but you cannot "deactivate" the phone until you have a replacement. Voice mail is independent of your phone. You can retrieve voice mail from another phone by following these directions:

To access your voice mailbox outside the Verizon Wireless network or from any phone: 

1. Call your 10-digit wireless number.
2. Press # to interrupt your greeting.
3. Enter your password and press #.

[tangled]

thanks, I already knew how to get the voice mail from another phone, but if I suspend service does that mean I'm suspending everything, including voicemail?

[lewisr13]

If you suspend with billing, I would expect your voice mail would continue to work. A quick call to Verizon would give you an answer.

[vzw_customer_support]

Thank you everyone for your help in this issue! Tangled, I'm glad you were able to find another phone to replace your lost one! To activate your new phone, you can login to My Verizon as the account owner and choose Activate or Switch Device. The ESN (electronic serial number) can be found on the back of the phone underneath the battery. You can also just dial *228 option 1 from that cell phone and follow the prompts to activate. To answer your question about suspending a phone, once your line is suspended, you are not able to call or retrieve voicemails. Once you activate your replacement, any voicemails that you received before suspending your phone will be accessible on the new device. Lastly, #MIN is updated normally within a few hours.

I hope that helps!

MarquiaF_VZW
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