Any way out? Verizon

[Todd33]

you can switch SIM between Verizon LTE phones.

Yes, I know, but that is a very limited selection of either expensive good phones or cheap crap phones. I can't for instance go to Google Play and buy a $200 Nexus 4.

Thanks for the replies though. I'll just stick out my last year and probably jump to T-Mobile.

 

[Joe1987]

Do you have an unlimited data plan?

 

[bearxor]

When everyone goes to LTE, all the damn bands will be different, and it's still the same thing, different day

This is where it's going to be righted.

Verizon uses the 700mhz band for LTE right now. Cell phone makers are already combining phones with AT&T and Verizon's 700mhz LTE bands. This is something you didn't see a year and a half ago.

Verizon is going to, this year (if they haven't already), start deploying LTE on AWS. AT&T and T-Mobile devices that support the AWS LTE frequency will work fine on Verizon's LTE.

Verizon has in place a roaming agreement in place to use Clearwire's 2.5ghz LTE network once it's up and running. This will (likely) belong to Sprint sometime in the next year and will be where they go to expand their LTE network once they finish their 800mhz deployment. This means Sprint phones will have this band and a Verizon SIM should work just fine on those phones with the (likely very limited) Clearwire LTE deployment.

Verizon has also announced their intention to begin refarming their 1900mhz PCS spectrum to LTE sometime beginning in 2015. AT&T and TMobile will likely begin doing the same by then, in anticipation of VoLTE, dedicating more and more bandwidth to LTE. This means those devices will also end up supporting Verizon's 1900mhz LTE deployment.

The point being, by the time 2016 rolls around, Verizon's spectrum holdings and agreements should overlap with just about everyone. Once VoLTE becomes the norm for all carriers (2015?), Verizon should be able to take just about any phone from any other carrier in the US.

What I find most interesting about Verizon's spectrum moves is the thought of how much longer they'd need to keep using the 700mhz C block. Once they start refarming the 1900mhz spectrum, I'd suspect they'll start deemphasizing their 700mhz holdings, in an effort to... alleviate themselves of the FCC's block C open access and open applications requirements. But who knows?

EDIT: Not that I'm advocating staying with Verizon if it doesn't make sense for you. But, if your only complaint is device compatibility, that situation is going to get better every year.

 

[AznAnarchy99]

Do you have an unlimited data plan?

This. You can make $200-400 a line.

 

[sgrinavi]

You can convert your lines to dumb phones and get minimum service until your contract expires - I did that with a line and it ended up being way cheaper than the early exit fee.

 

[Todd33]

Do you have an unlimited data plan?

No, I stupidly gave it up last time I extended my contract :'(

You can convert your lines to dumb phones and get minimum service until your contract expires - I did that with a line and it ended up being way cheaper than the early exit fee.

Doesn't the discounted smart phones have a data plan in the contract?

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

This is where it's going to be righted.

Verizon uses the 700mhz band for LTE right now. Cell phone makers are already combining phones with AT&T and Verizon's 700mhz LTE bands. This is something you didn't see a year and a half ago.

Verizon is going to, this year (if they haven't already), start deploying LTE on AWS. AT&T and T-Mobile devices that support the AWS LTE frequency will work fine on Verizon's LTE.

Verizon has in place a roaming agreement in place to use Clearwire's 2.5ghz LTE network once it's up and running. This will (likely) belong to Sprint sometime in the next year and will be where they go to expand their LTE network once they finish their 800mhz deployment. This means Sprint phones will have this band and a Verizon SIM should work just fine on those phones with the (likely very limited) Clearwire LTE deployment.

Verizon has also announced their intention to begin refarming their 1900mhz PCS spectrum to LTE sometime beginning in 2015. AT&T and TMobile will likely begin doing the same by then, in anticipation of VoLTE, dedicating more and more bandwidth to LTE. This means those devices will also end up supporting Verizon's 1900mhz LTE deployment.

The point being, by the time 2016 rolls around, Verizon's spectrum holdings and agreements should overlap with just about everyone. Once VoLTE becomes the norm for all carriers (2015?), Verizon should be able to take just about any phone from any other carrier in the US.

What I find most interesting about Verizon's spectrum moves is the thought of how much longer they'd need to keep using the 700mhz C block. Once they start refarming the 1900mhz spectrum, I'd suspect they'll start deemphasizing their 700mhz holdings, in an effort to... alleviate themselves of the FCC's block C open access and open applications requirements. But who knows?

EDIT: Not that I'm advocating staying with Verizon if it doesn't make sense for you. But, if your only complaint is device compatibility, that situation is going to get better every year.

Perhaps. The bands issue gets more and more complicated each time. We had quad band 2G phones in 2004 or even earlier. It took til 2011 or so to get quad band 3G phones, but at least we had North American models that were shared between Canada and the US and other 850/1900 countries. With 4G LTE, the bands are so fragmented, it's not even that the US and Canada are on different blocks, but every carrier is fragmented. It's going to be a while til we get a unified system. The good news is that phones are able to add more and more LTE bands. The new iPhone 5S seems to support like 10 bands each or something. That's not enough to roam the world, but it's getting there.

I realize device compatibility is getting better, but this has been touted YEARS ago even before LTE hit. People kept assuring me that after LTE we would be on SIM cards and it'd be just as easy like the GSM carriers before. We're still not there. The next step is VoLTE, and just because VoLTE launches doesn't mean CDMA dies. Verizon will likely keep CDMA around til 2020 at least. Think about how long they've been relying on that network. The change won't be overnight.

Maybe 10 years down the road Verizon will have the portability that AT&T has now, but that's 10 years. Think about how much the mobile landscape has changed in 10 years--even 5 years is a huge step. I'd get out now and enjoy the greener grass on the other side.

Also, all those complaints about AT&T? I bet a lot of those complaints stem from the 2009 days when the iPhone killed the AT&T network. A lot probably comes from friends saying network A or B sucks. I carry both AT&T and Verizon and while Verizon gets me coverage in some middle of nowhere ranch that I went for a wedding, AT&T works everywhere. During the NBA playoffs, college football games, etc. I've found that AT&T's done a better job in handling congestion too. I do wonder if those AT&T complaints are just repeated over the years and really have that much validity anymore.

 

[Genx87]

Im dropping Verizon this month and will be eating the cost. I have a year left on my Samsung S3. But the cost is just ridiculous and I get absolutely horrible service everywhere I need it most(fiancee's house, dads house, my work, my house, and cabin).

Most likely going to T-mobile.

 

[AznAnarchy99]

Im dropping Verizon this month and will be eating the cost. I have a year left on my Samsung S3. But the cost is just ridiculous and I get absolutely horrible service everywhere I need it most(fiancee's house, dads house, my work, my house, and cabin).

Most likely going to T-mobile.

I made the switch too. Besides from a few random buildings I was in I've had the same if not better service.

 

[sm625]

10 years ago verizon tried to rip me off out of $600. I told em to go stuff it, I aint paying it. I never paid it. 2 years ago I got my last debt collection notice. It said for $50 I could pay off the whole thing. Ha ha. That debt must have been sold to 5 different companies over the years. First one was an offer to pay it off for $200. Then $150. then $100. Finally $50 How about for nothing I can pay off the whole thing?

 

[AznAnarchy99]

10 years ago verizon tried to rip me off out of $600. I told em to go stuff it, I aint paying it. I never paid it. 2 years ago I got my last debt collection notice. It said for $50 I could pay off the whole thing. Ha ha. That debt must have been sold to 5 different companies over the years. First one was an offer to pay it off for $200. Then $150. then $100. Finally $50 How about for nothing I can pay off the whole thing?

Doesn't that hit your credit?

 

[Thegonagle]

Doesn't that hit your credit?

It probably did, but it drops off 7 years after the initial charge-off. That's the SOL for consumer debt. (SOL = Statute of Limitations, or SOL--the other SOL--for the collector.)

There's no reason for "settling" with a 3rd party collector now, unless you enjoy feeding vultures.

 

[Red Storm]

Not worth it. $250 for an iPhone incl taxes and fees. You sell it for $700 if you're lucky and unlock it. If not, you can expect about $650. That's $400 in profit minus the $350 ETF. All that for $50? Screw it. Get out.

I'm talking about the iPhone 6 during its launch week when people become stupid and gladly pay extra. No need to unlock, there are tons of Verizon customers happy to buy.

 

[bob123aka]

Call about twice a day having issues with dropped calls. After about a month say you want to talk to a customer appreciation specialist ( sounds weird lol ) and tell them is there any way to opt out of the plan and keep budging on it, they will tell you for being a dedicated customer they will waive the cancellation fee. Ended up getting me and my dad out of the plan doing this.

 

[cheezy321]

oops meant to post a new thread, not in this thread

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

I'm talking about the iPhone 6 during its launch week when people become stupid and gladly pay extra. No need to unlock, there are tons of Verizon customers happy to buy.

I did the same thing. I sold an iPhone 5S for $700 only because I unlocked it. It was very hard to get $700. I found some sucker who was willing to shell out because he had a buddy from Asia who wanted it, but believe me, almost everyone said $600 and if I tried $650 they would say that they're going to get it direct from Apple instead.

The only way you would get any more than that is if you line up the day of and get a gold one. My buddy who went at 1am didn't even get a gold one.

So all that effort, and you make... $700 - $250 - $350? Is it really worth it?

The reason I do it is because I stay on AT&T. I sold my 4S within 2 days, and my 5S within 2 days. I got $580 for the 4S and $700 for the 5S.

Edit: Not sure how Verizon works but on AT&T you have to activate your phone. So either you have to break the seal and pre-activate before selling and take out the SIM card or you have to let them activate it for you (requires last 4 of SSN), and then you go to AT&T and get a new SIM. For my 4S sale I didn't realize that and the guy called me for my SSN to activate. He activated it like ASAP and my phone just cut out. I was busy the whole night and couldn't get to AT&T til the next day so I was cellphone less for about 18 hours. If you break the seal you lose value but then you don't have to deal with this annoyance of having to get a new SIM.

I guess my point is that selling an iPhone isn't THAT easy, and if you do it, it works if you're not doing the whole ETF thing. Once you throw on a $350 ETF, it's not worth it anymore.

 

[sgrinavi]

Doesn't the discounted smart phones have a data plan in the contract?

I was able to convert a line that had a "disounted" smart phone to a dumb phone line. I just put the number on one of my old phones and stuck it in a drawer for 6 months until the contract ran out, cost me $10/mo plus tax. Cheaper than paying the ETF

 

[Red Storm]

I did the same thing. I sold an iPhone 5S for $700 only because I unlocked it. It was very hard to get $700. I found some sucker who was willing to shell out because he had a buddy from Asia who wanted it, but believe me, almost everyone said $600 and if I tried $650 they would say that they're going to get it direct from Apple instead.

The only way you would get any more than that is if you line up the day of and get a gold one. My buddy who went at 1am didn't even get a gold one.

So all that effort, and you make... $700 - $250 - $350? Is it really worth it?

The reason I do it is because I stay on AT&T. I sold my 4S within 2 days, and my 5S within 2 days. I got $580 for the 4S and $700 for the 5S.

Edit: Not sure how Verizon works but on AT&T you have to activate your phone. So either you have to break the seal and pre-activate before selling and take out the SIM card or you have to let them activate it for you (requires last 4 of SSN), and then you go to AT&T and get a new SIM. For my 4S sale I didn't realize that and the guy called me for my SSN to activate. He activated it like ASAP and my phone just cut out. I was busy the whole night and couldn't get to AT&T til the next day so I was cellphone less for about 18 hours. If you break the seal you lose value but then you don't have to deal with this annoyance of having to get a new SIM.

I guess my point is that selling an iPhone isn't THAT easy, and if you do it, it works if you're not doing the whole ETF thing. Once you throw on a $350 ETF, it's not worth it anymore.

Except the ETF does not stay at $350. As you get closer to your contract end date, the fee also goes down. So he would not be paying $350.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Except the ETF does not stay at $350. As you get closer to your contract end date, the fee also goes down. So he would not be paying $350.

It drops $10 per month I believe, but you were telling him to get an iPhone to sell. That would imply getting a new contract, and since the goal is to sell the iPhone closest to launch date to maximize profit, that would mean your ETF is $350. While you can come out positive buying an iPhone and selling it and cancelling your plan with ETF, given that the profit hovers between $50-$100 it's not worth it.

 

[Red Storm]

It drops $10 per month I believe, but you were telling him to get an iPhone to sell. That would imply getting a new contract, and since the goal is to sell the iPhone closest to launch date to maximize profit, that would mean your ETF is $350. While you can come out positive buying an iPhone and selling it and cancelling your plan with ETF, given that the profit hovers between $50-$100 it's not worth it.

Woops, that's right. Anyhow, I know it's possible to make some money with it because I myself have done it twice now.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Woops, that's right. Anyhow, I know it's possible to make some money with it because I myself have done it twice now.

how much have you been able to sell your iphones for I'm curious. I tried Swappa and CL this time, but CL won out. Specifically the hipsters in SF really wanted the iPhone.

 

[Red Storm]

CL always wins out, I never sell anywhere else. Sold an iPhone 4S for $780 during the launch week, was sold out and I found a desperate buyer. Did the same with the iPhone 4, but I don't remember how much I sold that one for.

There are stupid people everywhere who are willing to pay a premium just to get something a few days or weeks earlier. Capitalize on that and you can make bank.

 

[bearxor]

I think it depends on your area. I have way better luck on swappa than I do on CL in Charlotte.

A more populated city like SF or DC with a more technologically savvy group CL would probably be better off.

For instance, I put my Lumia 920 on Craigslist for $200. Everyone that was somewhat serious tried to get me down to $100-150. It was freaking like-new. Put it on swappa and sold it in less than a day for $250.

iPhone 5 similar story. Unlocked TMobile AWS-compatible iPhone 5, like new since it was just swapped out for a refurb at an Apple store. Put it up for $400 on CL. The highest offer I got was $175. Sold it on Swappa in a day for $445.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

CL always wins out, I never sell anywhere else. Sold an iPhone 4S for $780 during the launch week, was sold out and I found a desperate buyer. Did the same with the iPhone 4, but I don't remember how much I sold that one for.

There are stupid people everywhere who are willing to pay a premium just to get something a few days or weeks earlier. Capitalize on that and you can make bank.

That's crazy. Considering the 4S was on preorder for 20 hours and everyone who preordered got theirs delivered on launch day, I'm surprised you got $780! I wouldn't bank on that moving forward unless we have shortages like the 5S gold or iPhone 4.