will someone please explain this to me?

Question

ok. if I buy a phone off ebay can i use it with my service? like do i just go into the verizon store and say hey i have a phone add it to my service? please help!

Answer 1

If there is a Verizon phone on eBay you can take it into Verizon to get activated, as long as the person who had it before you didn't rack up a bill and never pay it. Check a seller's feedback to make sure they seem trustworthy. Ask the seller questions. See if he will give you the electronic serial number of the phone or ESN for short. You can take this number and call the carrier to see if anything is owing on it or not (ask if it is open for activation). There are some exceptions to the rule, but when in doubt, buy a phone that was used on the service provider you plan on using. Sprint PCS phone for Sprint PCS, Cingular for Cingular, etc. etc. You will most likely still have to sign a contract even when you bring your own phone. Unless you plan on buying a REALLY cool phone on eBay, see if your service provider will sell you an acceptable one for free. There's a lot of promos going on for the holiday season!

Answer 2

The phone has to be compatible with the service provider (Verizon is CDMA, so it has to be CDMA). There are also some phones they will not allow on their network because of reliability issues. If you were going to buy a phone off of Ebay, I would recommend sticking with a phone they are currently offering or have offered in the recent past.

I have purchased a phone for someone off of Ebay, and didn't have any issues getting it activated on Verizon's service.

Answer 3

I know with Sprint. That phone would hve to be a Sprint phone. And yeah get the esn # before you buy it. I had this one lady call that brought a phone at a pawn shop and she called in to get it activated and it was reported lost or stolen. She was pretty pissed.