Do I have to switch carriers in order to get any kind of discount on a new iPhone?

[ig88vz]

With Black Friday coming up, a lot of carriers are offering deals on iPhones.  The problem is that I have Verizon, and all of the good deals at Verizon require a new line activation.  It seems that in order to upgrade my phone at a good price, I have to switch carriers!

Am I missing something?  I'd rather keep VZ, but for the amount of money we're talking about, switching to AT&T or T-Mobile is a no-brainer.

Or is there a simple workaround?

[mama23dogs]

Yes

if Verizon service isn't enough to keep you, bye bye.  Someone will switch from another carrier to fill your spot

[vzw_customer_support]

ig88vz, 

We understand wanting to get the best deal. We would never want you to leave our wireless family. Our deals https://www.verizonwireless.com/deals/ consistently change and does not always require a new line of service. 

JenelleR_VZW

[Tigerstep]

If you want to get a cheap phone with a cheap carrier, you do you.

[DEC007]

No there is not a simple work around. VZW no longer cares about their customer base and would gladly see you leave and save money somewhere else for pratically the same service but half the price than offer their customers even a slight deal.  Ive been looking to upgrade my phone and plan and it seems like everything they find a new way to add even more money.  Todays BF deal going on today says "trade in any phone from this list and recieve $400 credit" when i asked a rep about it he said i was wrong and would only offer my $300.  But a new customer with the same phone would get the $400 and would also be able to recieve a $400 card in the mail. 

Best bet is to switch providers every 2 years and take advantage of the deals they all off to only new customers. 

[vzw_customer_support]

Dec007,

It hurts to hear you feel this way. We value your loyalty and we definitely don't want to see you leave us. We absolutely care about our customers and we're here to help you find a phone you'll enjoy. Our Black Friday trade in offer advertised up to $400.00, but the exact amount did depend on a few factors. What phone were you looking to upgrade to? What phone are you looking to trade? 

AndrewT_VZW

[froggerSJC]

What options are currently available for current VZW customers to upgrade their phones if the current phones are paid off?  Like others I don't see anything that matches the new customer offers which is disappointing.  With 4 or 5 lines, it seems I would lose thousands of dollars in phone offers if I stay with Verizon which is too bad. 

[vzw_customer_support]

We would never want to lose your preference, froggerSJC. Receiving the best value for your money is essential, and we definitely want to make sure you're able to take advantage of the best deals. Please keep in mind that you can see all of our current deals here: https://www.verizonwireless.com/deals/ 

We would also encourage you to sign up for e-mail updates, this way you can be the first to know when we launch new deals that may align with your needs: http://vz.to/1m2tKLh Please let us know if this helps. 

LauraF_VZW