Help Activating a thunderbolt bought off ebay/craigslist

[Curt941]

Anybody bought a thunderbolt off ebay/craigslist, and if so did you have problems activating it? Did you have to go to verizon and get a new 4g sim card?

 

[MustangChris04]

I bought mine off craigslist. Just log into your verizon account online and click activate device. Then enter imei number that is on the box and then it will take you to another page where you will need to enter the number on your sim card. The phone comes with a simple card but you can request another from verizon if the seller didn't include it.

 

[famouzstarz]

if the phone was ever activated prior to you buying off craigslist or ebay you WILL need a new sim card no way around it.

 

[LoyalServant]

How in the world are you guys getting t'bolts off craigslist?

 

[famouzstarz]

How in the world are you guys getting t'bolts off craigslist?

umm you search, find one, and purchase. Its pretty simple actually, theres 1 in my area for sale right now.

 

[LoyalServant]

umm you search, find one, and purchase. Its pretty simple actually, theres 1 in my area for sale right now.

That's not really what I was getting at...
Someone buys a t'bolt then puts it up on craigslist?

Now.. just for a giggle... I went and searched craigslist in my area and there were a handful of for sale bolts.
There were far more 'by iPhone for your Thunderbolt' ads up.

 

[famouzstarz]

That's not really what I was getting at...
Someone buys a t'bolt then puts it up on craigslist?

people do it all the time not just with thunderbolts they buy and anticipate the hype and try to sell for a profit , but they do a horrible job because most ads i see are " paid 680 full retail but will sell for 500" LMAO if you ask me its a FAIL

 

[dyezak]

people do it all the time not just with thunderbolts they buy and anticipate the hype and try to sell for a profit , but they do a horrible job because most ads i see are " paid 680 full retail but will sell for 500" LMAO if you ask me its a FAIL

Actually what they do (have a friend who would do this) is carry 1-2 extra lines on their account for $10/mo ($120/y). They would get the extra line's renewal and go buy the hot phone on the market at the time for contract price (1y contract), usually around $250. Then turn and sell it for $600. So they had a profit of $350 imediately but had to pay back part of that profit over the course of the next year with $10/mo back to verizon. So they would really get a profit of $230.

This was a big deal in College, as most of the college student's were short on cash and $230 was a lot of college drinking!

 

[Cavemansol]

Are new sim cards from verizon free as they are from tmobile/At&t?

 

[jr313]

no i believe they are 4 - 5 bucks...could b wrong tho that wat i paid for mine thru best buy...bought the phone no contract and they sold the sim card seperate..

 

[Cavemansol]

Lame...but i figured as much