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Cheap droids. Are they a scam?

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My friend/coworker bought 2 Droids and a dumb phone all for under $50 shipped. He ordered them on a Friday, and got them on Monday (even though they said they would arrive on Wednesday)...Pretty awesome deal...

**EDIT** The only issue he had was one of the Droid's did not want to port their number. It took like 2 days to get it sorted, but after that, everything went fine...
 
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These 3rd party vendors can work well if you're getting a new phone for a new Verizon account and with a new phone number. They are likely to screw up (or screw you) if you try to add the phone to a family plan or try to renew an existing account. Keeping your old phone number sometimes works and sometimes not.
 
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I bought my last several phones through internet discounters. Only had a problem once when Wirefly tried to scam me out of a $200 rebate. They finally paid up after I filed a complaint with the state DA. No problems with Amazon and a couple of others that I don't remember any more. You do have to be very careful with the fine print if you're upgrading an account instead of getting a completely new account.
 
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It should be known that these websites have their own contracts outside of Verizon's (or any one elses) contract. I don't know the exact terms, but something like you have to maintain your plan/data plan for so many months or they will charge you full price for the phone. Don't quote me on this, but I'm 99.99999% sure.
 
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Thanks for all the great information! A couple more questions:

Since my NE2 has been reinstated, I can order a Droid online for $99.99 - is this a better option than messing around with Amazon?

If I do go with Amazon, where is the "fine print"? I've searched the Amazon website, specifically regarding cell phones, and I can't find any of the cautions listed in this thread. Before I buy ANYTHING, I want to see all the information in writing.

Lastly, does Amazon have a 30-day return policy (similar to Verizon's) if I don't like the phone?

Thanks again!
 
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I got mine from wirefly as well.. but i got it for $29.99 2 months ago. Seem to be good..

One thing i don't like about wirefly that after u received your phone, if you are switching numbers, call Verizon Transfer department to activate your phone immediately so you can use it. I waited 4 days for my number to transfer.

Opendroid, Wirefly has 30 days return policy. If you want to save more money, goto bing.com, type droid and get $50 cash back from bing when clicking the sponsor link.
 
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Just pay attention from wirefly http://www.wirefly.com/about/purchaseterms/ :


Delivering on this promise means that you must agree to maintain your agreement for a minimum of 6 months after activation. Deactivating your phone, or downgrading features or the rate plan, may lead to additional charges.

When you sign up for wireless carrier service through Wirefly, we discount your phone purchase price by an Equipment Discount amount ranging from $200 to $300. By ordering through Wirefly, you agree to repay this discount if, during the 181 days after your new equipment is activated, if you:

Fail to pay your balance due to your carrier each month
Disconnect this line of service
Transfer this equipment to another line of service
Change your carrier service rate plan to a lower monthly service rate plan
Deactivate the email/data feature if one was required at the point of purchase
Transfer/port an existing phone number from another account if this is a new line of service
Replace an existing account with this account if this is a new line of service
Return or exchange your phone and it is not in its original, new condition with no more than 30 minutes of usage
If you break any of these contract provisions, except as a result of a documented service quality issue related to the carrier service, you authorize us to charge your credit card in repayment of the Equipment Discount


Yeah...
Also, they do not mention a particular early termination fee - I think its $400, or it used to be.
Just beware, these are sticky rules.
 
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I found this information about ordering from Amazon.com:

AmazonWireless

and this:

Amazon.com Message

Which answer=s just about all my questions but I'm going to call them tomorrow to verify a couple of things.

If/when I do order a Droid from Amazon Wireless, I'll let you know how it goes. :D


AMAZON:
AmazonWireless Instant Discount Policy
When you purchase your device with service from AmazonWireless.com, we automatically pass along an instant discount from the carrier to you. This discount has been provided to you based on your agreement to (a) activate a new, or extend an existing, line of service for this device with the carrier, and (b) maintain this service in good standing for a minimum of 181 consecutive days. If you do not activate or extend a line of service in connection with this device, or if your service is canceled/disconnected before 181 consecutive days, AmazonWireless.com will charge you $250 per device, plus applicable taxes.
 
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