Buying a Droid: Retail v. New Line + ETF

[chr1sny]

Sorry if this is repetitive but I checked other threads and couldnt find a definitive answer.

Full retail = $559

2year contract price + ETF is 199 + 175 = $475

I saw a bunchof threads about buying the Droid for full retail. What are the downsides to opening a new line and then paying the ETF and keeping the phone?

Is there something I'm missing? I've heard that if you pay ETF in the first month that Verizon charges you the full retail price anyway? Is there any truth to this?

 

[Robobandit]

If you cancel within the first 30 days, you're supposed to return the phone. If you don't, it is only natural that they would charge you for the phone. There is no ETF if you cancel within the 30 days.

After the 30 days are over, you have to pay a ETF.

Also, ETF isn't just $175.. they do it like your final phone bill.. so you pay taxes on the ETF + whatever phone bill you had for your final month.. when I left verizon in June of 2007, I ended up paying $236 due to the taxes on the $175 ETF.

New line of service =

$36 Activation + $98 (first month of service)+ $299 out of pocket for the Droid + $236 (after tax) ETF + $20-30 partial month - $100 mail-in rebate = $599



So you don't really come out better than you would buying retail on the device.

 

[SSinisterSS]

im gonna add a new line, buy the droid for 199 at BB, then cancel my original line (135 etf) so itll come out to be around 350 for the phone.

 

[Flavor4Daze]

im gonna add a new line, buy the droid for 199 at BB, then cancel my original line (135 etf) so itll come out to be around 350 for the phone.

If you cancel your line they will charge you for the full price of the phone

 

[SSinisterSS]

If you cancel your line they will charge you for the full price of the phone

i thought that was only if you cancel the new line and keep the phone

they told me the 2 lines are independent of each other on the phone when i called, she said i can buy the droid on another line, then pay the ETF on the line ive been using for 10 months

 

[CatsTide]

i thought that was only if you cancel the new line and keep the phone

they told me the 2 lines are independent of each other on the phone when i called, she said i can buy the droid on another line, then pay the ETF on the line ive been using for 10 months

that is true...people are making this too complicated. if you cancell your first line,make sure you can keep your phone number if that is important to you.there might be an issue with putting your line 1 number on your line2.

if you ETF make sure you wait till after 30 days.

for me i will probably not ETF...it's just 10 bucks a month(240 over 2 years) to keep the line open. i won't miss the 10 bucks a month and it will open up a new line for me to upgrade in the future. if i upgrade it in 20 months i will get a NE2 100 bucks off a new upgrade. so if your keeping score,that would be 140 out of your pocket...or 100 if you upgrade in 20 months.

 

[SSinisterSS]

that is true...people are making this too complicated. if you cancell your first line,make sure you can keep your phone number if that is important to you.there might be an issue with putting your line 1 number on your line2.

if you ETF make sure you wait till after 30 days.

for me i will probably not ETF...it's just 10 bucks a month(240 over 2 years) to keep the line open. i won't miss the 10 bucks a month and it will open up a new line for me to upgrade in the future. if i upgrade it in 20 months i will get a NE2 100 bucks off a new upgrade. so if your keeping score,that would be 140 out of your pocket...or 100 if you upgrade in 20 months.

if i ETF before 30 days what would happen?

how do i get it to where keeping the line active is only $10? i have it on hold right now for 3 months, so would i be able to keep that hold on when i add that line or does it have to be active again?

 

[CRPercodani]

Ok people, anyone who is planning on doing this better hurry up because on the 15th VZW will be upping the ETF to $350 for high end phones like the Droid and Storm 2. It is to get scammers to stop buying phones at the sub. price and then cancel and sell them on eBay.

 

[JMarvel03]

If you pay the ETF are you guaranteed to keep your number?

 

[CatsTide]

if i ETF before 30 days what would happen?

how do i get it to where keeping the line active is only $10? i have it on hold right now for 3 months, so would i be able to keep that hold on when i add that line or does it have to be active again?

if you ETF before 30 days verizon will ask for the phone back or charge you full price for it. wait till after the 30 day trial period. if you add a line it will only be 10 bucks a month if you're on a family plan.

 

[TreyDaPrince]

Well, considering doing it that way, opening a new line and then paying the ETF would have been a good idea in the past but Verizon has smartened up...

Verizon rumored to be raising ETF to combat scammers Boy Genius Report

 

[SSinisterSS]

if you ETF before 30 days verizon will ask for the phone back or charge you full price for it. wait till after the 30 day trial period. if you add a line it will only be 10 bucks a month if you're on a family plan.

i was going to ETF my old line thats only 10 months in, not the new one. i have that one on hold right now since i sold my voyager

 

[phaze3131]

i thought that was only if you cancel the new line and keep the phone

they told me the 2 lines are independent of each other on the phone when i called, she said i can buy the droid on another line, then pay the ETF on the line ive been using for 10 months

Why go through all the trouble, just extend your contract for another 2 years and pay the 2 year price. You are 10 months into your contract, if you just talk to them (the right person) they will extend your contract and give you the 2 year price on the phone.

I have done this several times in the past 5-6 years.

if you are paying $100 a month about, the extra 10 months of the contact FAR outweighs the.. what 200 bucks they will be getting on the retail of the phone.

They don't want you to cancel lines, they want you to extend your contract, stay with them longer, pay them more money over time.

Just talk to them, forget what it says on paper. Stop canceling your lines and just extend your contracts!

 

[SSinisterSS]

Why go through all the trouble, just extend your contract for another 2 years and pay the 2 year price. You are 10 months into your contract, if you just talk to them (the right person) they will extend your contract and give you the 2 year price on the phone.

I have done this several times in the past 5-6 years.

if you are paying $100 a month about, the extra 10 months of the contact FAR outweighs the.. what 200 bucks they will be getting on the retail of the phone.

They don't want you to cancel lines, they want you to extend your contract, stay with them longer, pay them more money over time.

Just talk to them, forget what it says on paper. Stop canceling your lines and just extend your contracts!

thanks, ill give that a try on thursday ill talk to a store manager, or at best buy if they can be convinced

 

[JB4times4]

Why go through all the trouble, just extend your contract for another 2 years and pay the 2 year price. You are 10 months into your contract, if you just talk to them (the right person) they will extend your contract and give you the 2 year price on the phone.

I went into verizon and asked about this last thursday when the droid was announced, and they said they can't just add 2 years unless I was eligible.

 

[SSinisterSS]

I went into verizon and asked about this last thursday when the droid was announced, and they said they can't just add 2 years unless I was eligible.

damn, well im thinking of just paying the ETF then jumping right back on a week after they get paid. its 135 for my ETF then 199 for the phone still cheaper than the 549 retail. hell i may just go with a 1 year at 269 and not have to suffer for 2 years its a little more but oh well.

does anyone know how long you have to wait for to jump back onto vzw after terminating the contract?

 

[JB4times4]

Here is what I got from the verizon guy I talked to, you have these three options:
1) add a line to your account for $10 a month - $439 (not sure if you can swap numbers, hope you can)
2) Cancel your account and add a new line - $324 (lose your phone number)
3) Just buy the phone - $549

So I went over and confirmed with best buy and am doing option 1 on friday.

 

[SSinisterSS]

Here is what I got from the verizon guy I talked to, you have these three options:
1) add a line to your account for $10 a month - $439 (not sure if you can swap numbers, hope you can)
2) Cancel your account and add a new line - $324 (lose your phone number)
3) Just buy the phone - $549

So I went over and confirmed with best buy and am doing option 1 on friday.

they charge $439 for the phone if you add a new line of service? wouldnt it be 199? these prices include the phone price right?

 

[JB4times4]

Sorry, Let me spread these out:

1) add a line to your account for $10 a month - $240 monthly fees + $199 phone cost $439 total (not sure if you can swap numbers, hope you can)
2) Cancel your account and add a new line - $125 ETF + $199 phone cost $324 total (lose your phone number)
3) Just buy the phone - $549 phone cost

 

[SSinisterSS]

Sorry, Let me spread these out:

1) add a line to your account for $10 a month - $240 monthly fees + $199 phone cost $439 total (not sure if you can swap numbers, hope you can)
2) Cancel your account and add a new line - $125 ETF + $199 phone cost $324 total (lose your phone number)
3) Just buy the phone - $549 phone cost

i want to do option 1 then cancel the main line right after and use the new line with the droid, or maybe option 3 if its easier. i may have to do option 1 in order to get it friday

 

[JB4times4]

i want to do option 1 then cancel the main line right after and use the new line with the droid, or maybe option 3 if its easier. i may have to do option 1 in order to get it friday

I plan on having a blank line on my family account for 2 years, because I have less then 12 months left on my main line account so paying the cancel fee after adding a line would be more expensive, not sure how you are sitting right now.

 

[SSinisterSS]

I plan on having a blank line on my family account for 2 years, because I have less then 12 months left on my main line account so paying the cancel fee after adding a line would be more expensive, not sure how you are sitting right now.

is the blank line where you only pay $10 a month to have it "active but dormant?"

 

[JB4times4]

is the blank line where you only pay $10 a month to have it "active but dormant?"

Yes.

 

[SSinisterSS]

Yes.

thats a cheaper alternative then, thatll wind up being $120 for the remaining of my contract VS 135 ETF. thanks for that. how would i set that up? just make the new line with the droid, then wipe off the plan from the new line and put the phone on my established plan with the new plan from the 2nd line?

 

[JB4times4]

I was told you do it like this:
1) add a line to your account for $10 a month
2) get the droid as the phone with the account
3) swap your current phone with the droid

I was told they were able to do this, but I would verify that its only $10 to add a line to your account, and that you WILL be able to transfer the droid to your existing line.