Phones bought through VZW come with SIM card?

[EKhatch]

This may be a really dumb question but if I buy a Moto X at retail price online from VZW will it come with a SIM card? My first 4G phone was the RAZR MAXX and I bought it directly from Motorola because VZW was out of stock at the time. It didn't come with a SIM card so I went to my local corporate store to get one and they said they had to charge me for it unless I spent XX amount of dollars on accessories. Everything I have read online says that they will give you one for free but that wasn't my experience.

Thanks

 

[hilmar2k]

If you buy the phone from Verizon it will come with a SIM card.

 

[VoidedSaint]

They are supposed to give it to you free, different reps will tell you different things.

When i ordered the S4 it came without a SIM card, we had to go to the vzw store to get one, and I despise going to the VZW store for anything because the reps at our store are completely rude.

 

[EKhatch]

Thanks for the replies. I had always heard that if you go to a corporate store they would give you one for free but when I went in they acted like it was store policy to charge for them unless I was spending money on something else. I thought it was ridiculous but didn't fight it because I needed a charging dock anyway and get %25 off accessories.

I would really rather avoid my local store so I was hoping I could order online and have the phone come with a sim so I don't have to cut down my current one.

 

[VoidedSaint]

Thanks for the replies. I had always heard that if you go to a corporate store they would give you one for free but when I went in they acted like it was store policy to charge for them unless I was spending money on something else. I thought it was ridiculous but didn't fight it because I needed a charging dock anyway and get %25 off accessories.

I would really rather avoid my local store so I was hoping I could order online and have the phone come with a sim so I don't have to cut down my current one.

if you call vzw and tell them what happened they may be able to credit your account.

 

[EKhatch]

This was a while back when I first got my MAXX. They didn't charge me for the sim card because I bough a charging dock.

I actually had to go twice because I went in the first time without the phone and they said they had to have the phone to give me one but neglected to tell me they were planning on charging me for it.

Sorry, this is turning into a rant. As long as I can by a Moto X online and have it come with a sim card I'll be happy.

 

[VoidedSaint]

This was a while back when I first got my MAXX. They didn't charge me for the sim card because I bough a charging dock.

I actually had to go twice because I went in the first time without the phone and they said they had to have the phone to give me one but neglected to tell me they were planning on charging me for it.

Sorry, this is turning into a rant. As long as I can by a Moto X online and have it come with a sim card I'll be happy.

no need to apologize bud, we have been there quite a few times.

it is sad they cannot just give you the sim card, you call VZW and give them the information so that you can do it yourself.
They give you a whole lot of what they can't do and no information on what they can.

It's why i prefer to speak with a CS rep they can do pretty much everything over the phone.
I was going to buy my moto x online but there were issues and it was wanting me to change my plan instead of my data package.
so the girl did it for me over the phone and gave me a 6gig data package.
when i looked i still have unlimited.... good day for me. unless it resets at the beginning of the new billing cycle

 

[Jus10]

If the SIM is a part of the store's inventory then it has a cost of $7.75 and is sold for $9.99

It is at the stores discretion if they will charge or not. I've had stores not care over $3. Some want you to buy something to make up for the loss or just to earn extra commission.

Some stores have told me if the phone is bought from Verizon they will not charge, but from Amazon, a vendor, etc, they will charge.

More and more phones are releasing with Sims already inside and the iccid on the barcode.

 

[timelord65]

Every 4g phone I've bought from vzw always come with a sim card. sim cards are free at Verizon store. No purchasing requirements necessary. I've also bought phones from eBay and craigslist and just walked in and asked for s sim and was given one, no charge, no questions asked.

 

[Jus10]

The SIM cards normally have a cost, like I said most Verizon stores will 0 them out. There are normally a handful of phones with a pre-installed SIM card, but most of the phones the cards are being pulled from the stores inventory and run out as $0.

 

[saptech]

When I bought my 4G Strat from Amazon 2 yrs ago, it came with a Sim card included...you would think since you're continuing to be a Vzw customer they would give it to you for free. Those types if issues, such as charging an upgrade fee for another phone, is what forced me to leave them.

 

[Jus10]

But you also have to consider what a retail location is there for, to make money. In order for the locations to stay open they have target numbers to meet, and if everyone starts buying phones from a website which has no overhead, then goes to a retail location which make no $$$ off of your purchase on Amazon, eBay, even The VZW website, the store can, at their discretion, not 0 out the Sim, charge for data transfers, even ESN fees.

That why I tell people if you want face to face customer service for ALL of your needs, buy your devices there.

Most stores don't charge because they have heavy foot traffic coming in. The stores that are struggling to make money will charge for these things.

It's like in the past when Best Buy price matched for Amazon, they would include a $5 - $12 misc fee for what Amazon would charge for shipping and Handling. I used to manage an AT&T location where we could price match Costco, but in certain cases doing so brought the Purchase below cost. We were losing money every time we would price match. Do the company came up with something for retail locations to charge $35 for an External Device setup fee. We were to charge that to anyone who purchased from Costco and since Costco couldn't transfer contacts, we charged that.

So if a customer wanted a Costco price match we had to treat them like Costco customers and price match the phone, then charge external device setup fee on top of that.

It does suck for the consumers, but that's the kind of thing your retail locations resort to if they are losing business to places like that.

I agree full heartidly with everyone when saying these things should be free, but remember retail locations have to pay property management, cellbrite licensing, shipping costs for FedEx and UPS to send phones from warehouse to their location, office supplies, and they still have goals to meet every month.

Websites are hurting retailers like Red Box and Netflix caused Blockbuster Videos to go out of business.

 

[Nelduhuh]

Count your blessings that you have a Verizon corporate store that is willing to give good service. Mine in Midland, Michigan is not. I was told by Verizon that I could go into the store and they would give me a card for no charge. Went into town only to find that it is the store's policy to not give cards unless someone is paying to activate a phone--which I did not want to do at the time. Didn't care that Verizon is telling people that the card will be given at the store. I have used this store to purchase and activate phones before but have NO plans to ever use them again. I have 5 people on my plan and I will be sure that this store is never used and will be more than happy to spread the word. I realize that a retail store needs to make money but it's not like I have never supported them in the past . . . but when it came time to support me, they were complete failures.

 

[Sternesfenris]

Count your blessings that you have a Verizon corporate store that is willing to give good service. Mine in Midland, Michigan is not. I was told by Verizon that I could go into the store and they would give me a card for no charge. Went into town only to find that it is the store's policy to not give cards unless someone is paying to activate a phone--which I did not want to do at the time. Didn't care that Verizon is telling people that the card will be given at the store. I have used this store to purchase and activate phones before but have NO plans to ever use them again. I have 5 people on my plan and I will be sure that this store is never used and will be more than happy to spread the word. I realize that a retail store needs to make money but it's not like I have never supported them in the past . . . but when it came time to support me, they were complete failures.

Bay City isn't much better. Had problems at that store as well on numerous occasions. I'd rather just do any business over the phone or online than go into a store which is pathetic.