Getting a new phone from a Verizon store
Theodore
Newbie

Ok I need someone to clear this up for me please. I am a Verizon prepaid customer and I went to a Verizon Wireless store to buy a new Verizon prepaid cell phone because my old one is starting to fall apart. I was told at the store that if I wanted to get a new phone that I would have to get a new account and a new #. And that if I don't want to change my account or # then to go to a store like walmart or radio shack to buy a Verizon prepaid phonr and switch my account and # to the new phone my self. Has anyone heard of this? Is this really true? Thanks!

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Minniehaha
Specialist - Level 2

Suzy Q is right in her response and Thank You Suzy for the compliment.  The Verizon Stores get paid to sell contract phones so thats the last place a prepaid person should go for help.  So you can buy a new phone as long as its a prepaid and call customer service at 1-888-294-6804 or you can activate the phone from your new phone or online. There will be a activation fee $25 or $35 and like suzy said your balance will be moved over to the new phone.

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SuzyQ
Community Leader
Community Leader

Theodore wrote:

Ok I need someone to clear this up for me please. I am a Verizon prepaid customer and I went to a Verizon Wireless store to buy a new Verizon prepaid cell phone because my old one is starting to fall apart. I was told at the store that if I wanted to get a new phone that I would have to get a new account and a new #. That store was only dealing with post-paid accounts then, not pre-paid.

 

And that if I don't want to change my account or # then to go to a store like walmart or radio shack to buy a Verizon prepaid phonr and switch my account and # to the new phone my self. Has anyone heard of this? Is this really true? Thanks!  That's exactly what you can do - buy a new pre-paid model, then call pre-paid customer service or follow the directions to activate it with your current number.  Any money on account will transfer to the new phone...

 

Minniehaha is the pre-paid "expert" on here - she may see this and chime in with further advice!!


 

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Minniehaha
Specialist - Level 2

Suzy Q is right in her response and Thank You Suzy for the compliment.  The Verizon Stores get paid to sell contract phones so thats the last place a prepaid person should go for help.  So you can buy a new phone as long as its a prepaid and call customer service at 1-888-294-6804 or you can activate the phone from your new phone or online. There will be a activation fee $25 or $35 and like suzy said your balance will be moved over to the new phone.

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SuzyQ
Community Leader
Community Leader

Minniehaha wrote:

... There will be a activation fee $25 or $35 and like suzy said your balance will be moved over to the new phone.... even with an existing number?  Seems like the "activation fee" should be part of the cost of the new phone, seems pretty steep  each time you need to replace or activate a different phone on  prepaid.


 

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Minniehaha
Specialist - Level 2

Its been awhile since I changed phones but I'm almost sure I was charged for a second activation fee even though I was keeping the same number,  but I could be wrong, they can call customer service to verify that.  It was a few years in between the time that I changed phones.  

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Theodore
Newbie

Thanks for that helpful info both of you. And to Minniehaha I got a Verizon phone from walmart and and swich everything over to my new phone from the Verizon website and everything work out great and they didn't even charge me a activation fee. Thanks for your help. :smileyhappy:

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Minniehaha
Specialist - Level 2

Your Welcome and thanks for letting me know you didn't get charged for the activation fee I wonder if they changed that or its because I bought my online. Well anyway its great to hear everything worked out for you.

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Theodore
Newbie

Ha I wanted to reply to your post but forgot my login. Took to long for me to find out what it was. About the activation fee. I found out that they only charge you a  activation fee if you buy a prepaid  phone from their website or from their store. Any other stores besides their store and web site there is no activation fee. And that is a good thing. So yeah I wont go in to their store ever again to try and upgrade my phone unless I really want a prepaid that they have and I cant find it else where. lol

Also note! Found out too if you want to upgrade your prepaid  phone and want to buy it from their website. They will make you get a new account and new number. So it seems that their web site and store are only for new prepaid customers. And after you leave the store or website you are on your own.

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Minniehaha
Specialist - Level 2

They will make you get a new account and new number. So it seems that their web site and store are only for new prepaid customers. And after you leave the store or website you are on your own.Thats not true about having to get a new account and phone number if you buy the phone from Verizon online. I bought my second new phone online and kept my same phone number it is true that I had to pay a new activation fee.

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Theodore
Newbie

When I went on their website to see about buying a new verizon prepaid phone it ask me if I wanted a new phone # or port my # from another network. Is there another way around it?

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Minniehaha
Specialist - Level 2

when I ordered my second new phone it came with a new phone number so I called customer service at  1-888-294-6804 and told them I wanted to keep my present phone and they just entered my present phone into the new device and removed the number that came with the cell.  I would think (and I could be wrong about this but eveni when your switching phones even though it verizon to verizon  it still could be considered porting over the phone. I think the best thing would be to call customer service and let them switch the old phone over to the new phone.  When It asked you if you wanted a new number did you say No ?

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Theodore
Newbie

This is what it ask me at check out: I want a new phone number (or numbers if ordering more than one phone) Transfer number from another carrier

Even when I am login to my account on verizon.com it still shows it. Even after I pick the phone I want it ask me to pick a plan. But like you said just call them and have them switch the # to the new phone.

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SuzyQ
Community Leader
Community Leader
Thanks for reporting back, Theodore, and I'm happy it all worked out well for you! :smileyhappy:
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Doxen
Newbie

That's Bull. You can go to any store and buy any phone at full reatail price, not contract price. They're just trying to get you on a contract. Would go to a different store.

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Theodore
Newbie

Doxen. The lady wasn't trying to get me on contract. I came in and was looking at their prepaid phones and I told the lady that I wanted a new prepaid phone and that they had one that I wanted. She then ask me are you with verizon? I said yes. I am on prepaid. She then told me that in order for me to upgrade to a new verizon prepaid phone that I would have to get a new account and a new # and would have to pay the $35 start up fee. I told her that I didn't want to do that. I just wanted  the phone. And I think she told me that they only deal with new verizon prepaid customers. Not to sure. But she then told me that if I wanted the phone that they had for prepaid and still wanted to keep my account with the same # that I should go to a store like target or walmart that sell their prepaid phones and upgrade that way. So I did even tho I didn't find the phone that I wanted. But if she was trying to get me on contract then I didn't see it like that lol but heck I wouldnt go to their contract side anyways. I check a few years ago and they said that I would have to put down $400! Nah prepaid baby. lol

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