After a series of bad experiences with Verizon, including in a local store, I don't trust them. A family member sees the headline of $1,000 trade-in and thinks, "Free iPhone16," which is $999.
how does this work? VZ website is misleading, IMO, confusing and complicated at best.
Does the customer pay for the new phone, let's say $999, up front, then get a monthly statement credit pro-rated over 3 years?
Does VZ require that we switch to a different plan?
Would appreciate any straight talk!
We want to provide as many details as we can regarding our promotions. The amount that will be paid upfront when purchasing a phone depends on many factors such as credit rating and device credit amount. As an example, let's say you are able to purchase a device with no down payment. Our promotions will provide a credit to offset the cost of the phone every month. Our device payment plans are for a 36 month term, so you will see the monthly charge for the device, then the credit for the promotional amount right below it. Plan requirements do vary. Our site has the details when going through the process of purchasing the device, letting you know what requirements are needed to get the promotion. ~Peter
Is this the "iPhone 16 Pro. Get it on us" promo currently being shown on the website as of June 9, 2025? I looked at the fine print on that and here's how I interpret it:
-You must use Unlimited Ultimate as your service plan. If you have something else right now, will have to change it. This can be problematic if you were on one of the older plans such as "5G [something]", because then it messes with your previously free perks where they get canceled and you have to start over where you now subscribe to said perks for extra cost.
-You need to trade in a phone from one of these brands: Apple, Samsung, Google, or Motorola. Here's where I think it gets tricky...while the promo says $1000 for a trade-in, there's also verbiage saying "trade-in terms apply". Which has me thinking, if you trade in a phone which is very old, broken, or a budget model, there's no way such a phone would be worth $1000.
-You don't pay anything upfront for the iPhone 16 Pro. It will be sent to you, or you can pick it up in a store. Essentially, the new phone is collateral for the contract you're starting.
-The way it's supposed to work is, once Verizon confirms they've received your trade-in, then you will begin receiving a monthly credit on your bill for 36 months, until the total credits add up to the cost of the iPhone 16 Pro, hence it's a free phone so long as you remain a Verizon customer for the 36 months. However, if your trade-in wasn't worth $1000...then it makes me wonder what your monthly credit is going to be??? Would you NOT quite get a free iPhone 16 Pro and have to pay some part of the cost, because the monthly credits won't cover it?
-If something gets lost in the shuffle with the trade-in process, then all your credits will stop and any credits you'd received already will be charged back to you on a later bill. Plus Verizon will start billing you somehow for the cost of the iPhone 16 Pro.
-If you decide you want out of the contract before 36 months is up, all your credits will stop and you will have to pay off the entire remaining balance due on the iPhone 16 Pro by the next billing cycle.
Apologies for the long post, but hope that helps.
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