OT - Buying a new cell phone w/o a new plan

juice · Dec 19, 2005

I currently have Verizon for my cellular service and my phone is a piece of crap. Verizon has a thing where every 2 years you can get a new phone for cheap, but I have to wait another 6 months or so for that and even then, you have to sign up for a new 2 year plan.

My question is this: Can I go on eBay or somewhere else, and just buy the phone without a plan for Verizon, and then get Verizon to put my number onto my new phone?

Has anyone done this or knows if this is feasible? Going through Verizon for just the phone seems to be really expensive, hence the eBay idea.

Thanks

SportSavant · Dec 19, 2005

are you ising GSM? they type of phone system where you have a little card called a "SIM" card that goes into your phone?

maxdemo · Dec 19, 2005

Yes it will work. Even if the phone is not GSM, as long as it is compatible to the Verizon system you can buy a phone. Then call them to activate the phone by the IMEI # or a sequence # that every phone has

SportSavant · Dec 19, 2005

yes but the phone must be BRANDED to verizon, or UNLOCKED..... one of the two....

if you buy a phone that is BRANDED to another cell phone company you could be SOL with it....

what you are looking for is UNLOCKED or BRANDED to verizon

maxdemo · Dec 19, 2005

Exactly

juice · Dec 19, 2005

Ok thanks,
I know Verizon does not use SIM cards.
What is a IMEI # / sequence # ? Is that the *228 I dial to update my roaming and use to activate the phone the first time?