Confusion everywhere ... just be prepared

[CKisses]

I am going back to using a beeper.......

+1 on that...lol

 

[Darth-gamer]

I am going back to using a beeper.......

I'll see your beeper and raise you 2 tin cans and a piece of string.

 

[DougFNJ]

Smoke signals fellas, smoke signals

 

[scorpiodsu]

man this is ridiculous, I wish Verizon would just add a FAQ on their iphone page to clear up all the confusion.

I want to order 2 iphones, and have 3 lines eligible for upgrade, but one of the lines that wants the iphone isnt eligible for upgrade. I know I can order 2 iphones on thursday(as long as I wake up on time) but I sure do hope they let me transfer an upgrade so I wont have to deal with activating and then swapping phones on that one line.

Several people posted an answer to this on a few threads and they are all consistent. Apparently you will have to order on the line that has the upgrade and then do an ESN swap.

 

[DoctorK]

I just spoke with a CSR on the phone at VZ who confirmed with her manager that ESN swaps will NOT be available with the iPhone at or around launch, but may be supported later. This contradicts what I've heard from other CSRs. Her explanation said something about a special "Apple Chip" that is coded to a number and cannot be changed.

Sounds like BS to me, but a policy against ESN swaps early on could be an effort to stamp out resales. It has the effect of frustrating legit swaps, though...

 

[iSRS]

An Apple chip? What knobs! (I mistyped kind there but liked the iOS autocorrect). What kind of bs is that? I know plenty of AT&T iPhone users that upgrade every year an pass the old one to their spouse.

 

[scorpiodsu]

I just spoke with a CSR on the phone at VZ who confirmed with her manager that ESN swaps will NOT be available with the iPhone at or around launch, but may be supported later. This contradicts what I've heard from other CSRs. Her explanation said something about a special "Apple Chip" that is coded to a number and cannot be changed.

Sounds like BS to me, but a policy against ESN swaps early on could be an effort to stamp out resales. It has the effect of frustrating legit swaps, though...

Yeah that would be pretty frustrating. But I still don't really see the benefit of reselling a VZW locked iPhone. I understood the AT&T one with GSM and sim cards but no one knows if this one would even be able to be flashed. Either way VZW gets the customer whether the person keeps the phone or resells it. I'm pretty sure they will be able to swap out the ESN. There's no way they can stop you from changing a phone on your line because your upgrade just says you need to renew your contract it doesn't require you to keep the phone on the line for X amount of time.

 

[JakePleasants]

Yeah, that's absolute BS. You can do ESN swaps with the iPhone. I'd bet my life on it.

 

[munchkinsdad]

If you have multiple lines and any one of them has an available upgrade, then you can buy the iPhone for the special upgrade pricing FOR THAT LINE... That doesn't mean though, that the iPhone can only be used on that line. In fact, all you are doing is signing that phone line to another 2 yr contract. You can use the iPhone on any other line you choose. That's all VZW wants, is another 2 yr contract.

Very simple.

 

[ericsmcdonald]

I just spoke with a CSR on the phone at VZ who confirmed with her manager that ESN swaps will NOT be available with the iPhone at or around launch, but may be supported later. This contradicts what I've heard from other CSRs. Her explanation said something about a special "Apple Chip" that is coded to a number and cannot be changed.

Sounds like BS to me, but a policy against ESN swaps early on could be an effort to stamp out resales. It has the effect of frustrating legit swaps, though...

Um, to be clear, that *IS* BS.

What it sounds like is that you cannot do alternate upgrade on the pre-order like normal. You will have to pre-order on the line eligible for upgrade and then do an ESN swap when it arrives, which is very easy to do.

 

[DougFNJ]

So they are saying they are somehow electronically fusing your number in to that particular phone? So I my iPhone arrives and malfunctions a day or 2 later, and I need to swap it out, I can't?

Being sarcastic of course, I am guessing you spoke with YET another misinformed rep that fell asleep during the meeting.....

 

[kch50428]

So they are saying they are somehow electronically fusing your number in to that particular phone?

For direct-shipped phones, yes.

The ESN/MEID goes into a database for which contract terms & conditions must be accepted - and that is done by means of calling a toll free number... once that is done and the phone activated on the line it was contracted to - ESN/MEID can be transferred to another number.

 

[scorpiodsu]

Once the iPhone is received and activated you'll be able to do an ESN swap. They just need to make sure it is initially activated on the line eligible for the upgrade. But like eric said, it just sounds like you simply cannot switch upgrades between lines right now. ESN swaps are likely to be possible because they cannot stop you from changing the devices on your lines.

 

[DoctorK]

I agree that it's 99.9% likely we'll be able to ESN swap after activation. But that is the exact situation I described to the CSR, which she told me would not be possible.

Here's what I don't understand, about the way Verizon links contracts and phone numbers (rather than contracts and equipment). I have:

1) my phone number, eligible to upgrade in July
2) wife's phone number, eligible to upgrade in July
3) new month-to-month number, eligible now
4) new month-to-month number, eligble now

So I set up a family share plan with 4 lines, get the iPhone on the two lines that are eligible now, then ESN-swap to our current phone numbers, so it will look like this:

1) my phone number, now with iPhone 4, eligible to upgrade in July
2) wife's phone number, now with iPhone 4, eligible to upgrade in July
3) newly activated line w/ 2 year contract (dumbphone assigned w/ 2 yr contract @ 9.99/month)
4) newly activated line w/ 2 year contract (dumbphone assigned w/ 2 yr contract @ 9.99/month)

So, now I'm in a situation where, if an LTE Verizon phone is available in July, I can upgrade, and I'll have two contract-free Verizon iPhone 4's to sell on ebay.

Now, if the contract followed the *equipment*, after the ESN-swap I would have two lines w/ iphones and 2-year contracts, and two dumbphone lines that I could cancel if I wished later this year. It would be better for Verizon, since I wouldn't be getting two more subsidized iPhones in five months, but it would probably be worse for me, since I wouldn't be able to upgrade this summer if the LTE phone comes out.

 

[shipwrestler125]

I agree that it's 99.9% likely we'll be able to ESN swap after activation. But that is the exact situation I described to the CSR, which she told me would not be possible.

Here's what I don't understand, about the way Verizon links contracts and phone numbers (rather than contracts and equipment). I have:

1) my phone number, eligible to upgrade in July
2) wife's phone number, eligible to upgrade in July
3) new month-to-month number, eligible now
4) new month-to-month number, eligble now

So I set up a family share plan with 4 lines, get the iPhone on the two lines that are eligible now, then ESN-swap to our current phone numbers, so it will look like this:

1) my phone number, now with iPhone 4, eligible to upgrade in July
2) wife's phone number, now with iPhone 4, eligible to upgrade in July
3) newly activated line w/ 2 year contract (dumbphone assigned w/ 2 yr contract @ 9.99/month)
4) newly activated line w/ 2 year contract (dumbphone assigned w/ 2 yr contract @ 9.99/month)

So, now I'm in a situation where, if an LTE Verizon phone is available in July, I can upgrade, and I'll have two contract-free Verizon iPhone 4's to sell on ebay.

Now, if the contract followed the *equipment*, after the ESN-swap I would have two lines w/ iphones and 2-year contracts, and two dumbphone lines that I could cancel if I wished later this year. It would be better for Verizon, since I wouldn't be getting two more subsidized iPhones in five months, but it would probably be worse for me, since I wouldn't be able to upgrade this summer if the LTE phone comes out.

so you are buying them with a 2 year contract? I think they will make you keep the data plan on the original line you get the phone with upgrade for atleast a month I may be wrong but think thats how it works

 

[alex3knowlin]

One year contract

So I'm the head number on my account, which means every year I'm eligible for an upgrade, I just get 50 dollars less or something. So what would be the price for me for a 16gb iphone? and is it even possible for me to purchase one with the one year upgrade?

 

[shipwrestler125]

So I'm the head number on my account, which means every year I'm eligible for an upgrade, I just get 50 dollars less or something. So what would be the price for me for a 16gb iphone? and is it even possible for me to purchase one with the one year upgrade?

They are doing away with the credit you would receive and after you upgrade you wont get a upgrade every year anymore

 

[DoctorK]

so you are buying them with a 2 year contract? I think they will make you keep the data plan on the original line you get the phone with upgrade for atleast a month I may be wrong but think thats how it works

The way they've done it in the past with droids and other smartphones is that as long as you're keeping the data plan on the line with the smartphone, it's all good. They're trying to keep you from selling it and replacing it with a dumbphone with no data package, which wouldn't be happening in this case.

 

[alex3knowlin]

They are doing away with the credit you would receive and after you upgrade you wont get a upgrade every year anymore

even if i purchase it on the 3rd? i thought they weren't eliminating option that for awhile. Especially cause on the "my verizon" site they're saying I am elligible

 

[beto89]

even if i purchase it on the 3rd? i thought they weren't eliminating option that for awhile. Especially cause on the "my verizon" site they're saying I am elligible

you can use the one you have. Once you use it though, its gone forever.