[man44a]

I have my 2 year Verizon contract now that does not expire until early 2010. What options do I have to get out of the crappy phone I have now and get the storm?

I was told by a phone rep that if I "lost" my phone I could pay a fee and the pick a new phone and just renew my 2 year contract. Anyone know if this it true or have any startegies?

[mattsh33]

I have my 2 year Verizon contract now that does not expire until early 2010. What options do I have to get out of the crappy phone I have now and get the storm?

I was told by a phone rep that if I "lost" my phone I could pay a fee and the pick a new phone and just renew my 2 year contract. Anyone know if this it true or have any startegies?

I would recommend calling in to VZW and asking about what your options are concerning upgrading to Blackberry/Smartphone. I would imagine that since you would be paying an additional 30.00 dollars a month they would seem willing to help out...maybe not though, but worth a shot none the less.

[DurangoJim]

Depends also on how long you've been with VZW. I got my curve in May and signed a new 2 year contract, I called VZW last week and the rep said that most likely I'd be able to get a Storm at 2 year pricing. I've been with Verizon for 7 years. It may have also helped that I mentioned I might leave and get the Iphone as well.

[man44a]

Update:

I called Verizon and explained to them I hate my current phone and would like to know if I could have an early upgrade. I told him that I really wanted the Storm but more than anything I wanted to rid myself of my current phone. I also said that if I couldnt get an early upgrade I would just terminate my contract early and leave for an iPhone.

I was then told I wouldnt be available for an early upgrade until Aug 2009.

He was nice enough to tell me early termination would be $130.

Plan B or try again?

[briankeith513]

You could easily put on a nice black mask, and bring a chocolate flavored candy gun into your nearby VZW store and pick up a free Storm.

[kingrx]

i know it hurts big time when your contract is not up and you want to upgrade. when i made the switch to blackberry (the curve in particular), i was told i had to wait till feb 2009! screw that! i wanted the curve badly i bought the phone there and then without a contract.

but now i'm wondering what to do when the javelin is out.

or the storm. heh.

[jaykav99]

Im in the same boat but not as bad my contract is up july of 09. I am weighing my options, just do the early upgrade for probably big cash, or cancel current phone pay fee and then sign up again with 2 yr pricing. hmmmmm

[WG]

Update:

I called Verizon and explained to them I hate my current phone and would like to know if I could have an early upgrade. I told him that I really wanted the Storm but more than anything I wanted to rid myself of my current phone. I also said that if I couldnt get an early upgrade I would just terminate my contract early and leave for an iPhone.

I was then told I wouldnt be available for an early upgrade until Aug 2009.

He was nice enough to tell me early termination would be $130.

Plan B or try again?

Well if you want to you can lose your phone........ And if you have insurance on it then you can pay the 50$ and then get the Storm but I have never had an insurance claim and not sure how that works. Someone told me they just mail you a referb. Maybe someone else that knows can answer that??

Or if you have been with verizon for over a year already or have great credit and you only have one plan with them then you could just get a second line transfer numbers and let the new line go to suspended with payments and then it is only 9.99 a month for the second line until the contract is up.

Or you could do what I am going to do and that is to use my wife's upgrade and make her wait till my upgrade becomes available. And she already said I could use it. It helps she loves her phone and she gets my upgrade that is available in july.

[hbzant22]

i have a family plan with my aunt who has been with verizon for at least 3 or 4 years and has never missed a payment. We got three new bb's over the summer without relizing that the storm was coming out. wat are some of my possible options for getting at least two phones changed to storms with 2yr pricing

[grayzweb]

I think you can add a line for $9.99 a month. When you add a line you get the discounted pricing by signing a 2 yr. contract on that line. Then it is up to you to keep the xtra phone line or cancel and pay an ETF. Either way you've already saved hundreds on the price of that shiny new Storm
I think you can have up to 5 lines on 1 account.

[GpCaptMandrake]

You could easily put on a nice black mask, and bring a chocolate flavored candy gun into your nearby VZW store and pick up a free Storm.

ROFL!!!!!!

[forte831]

You can have 5 per each family plan which u can have as many as they have diffrent tiered fam plans. For instance fam at 900,1400,2100,3000 etc....

[xxraffyxx]

*bump* for some more good ideas. My NE2 is up, but my GF is interested in the phone as well, I'd like to buy it for her, but she just got a new phone 5 months ago. If I knew that this phone was coming out I would of told her to wait.

Im thinking about just buying it and selling her current phone.

[hbzant22]

i called up verizon this morning because they have to send me a replacement for my current curve. i asked the man on the phone and he said that i would be able to upgrade to the storm with 2yr pricing but i would have to extend my contract. does anyone know what the pricing mite be on a 2yr contract for the storm, also if the release date changed from november 9th. THX

[JRSCCivic98]

Start finding things wrong with your phone. Replace it for legitamate/believable reasons 3 times within a 1 or 2 month period I think and they will give you the option to replace it with something else. Then, just pick the Storm. That's your only "free" way out... or rather back in.

[Rjsumthin]

The options are as follows:

On a VOICE **not including your add on text, add on blackberry, etc** plan of 49.98 or higher per month? You get an upgrade 12 months after your last discounted purchase. If you change to this for 3 months you also get the same deal as long as it has been 12 months.

IE: From months 1 - 9 you are on 39.99, from months 10 - 12 you are on 59.99, at month 12 you will still get the upgrade.

2: Be eligible period

3: If you don't have insurance on your phone you can lose it, get damaged, or whatever, and there is a 1 year contract pricing replacement option.

4: Cancel your line and buy it at 2 year pricing, the ETF won't come for a bit anyways.

5: Add a line. If you use 500 minutes a month and are on a single line, you are spending 59.99, goto a 69.99 700 minute fsp and use that secondary line for upgrade purposes, might not be as much bang for your buck but if you are desperate, . I do it, I love having an extra line always accruing an upgrade so I don't find myself without one very often.

Ummm that's all I can think of off the top of my head, I lied... one more

If you are on a family share plan ninja gank the other persons upgrade, or find a friend that doesn't want to use their upgrade, they can sign the 2 year contract on their line then go back to their old phone and give you the storm.

A crooked but doable way, also a gamble, is what JR said. However alot of reps are cracking down since we just had this huge training on how much money we are losing due to replacing phones that don't need to be replaced. Plus verizon does reserve the right to replace it with a similar model, not for sure you get to CHOOSE the model you want to buy.

[WarER4X]

I think you can add a line for $9.99 a month. When you add a line you get the discounted pricing by signing a 2 yr. contract on that line. Then it is up to you to keep the xtra phone line or cancel and pay an ETF. Either way you've already saved hundreds on the price of that shiny new Storm
I think you can have up to 5 lines on 1 account.

I think that's almost right, but with Verizon, every line that has a Blackberry on it is required to purchase a data plan. The minimum data plan is $30/mo. So, if you wanted to go this route, you'd have to pay $9.99 for the additional line and $30/mo for the requisite Blackberry data plan. Perhaps, when you transition your existing line/number over to the new phone (provided that the current phone is also a Blackberry), you will be able to get rid of the data plan on the new line since there is no phone associated with it, an just pay the $9.99/mo. I don't know if that would actually work or not.

If the NE2 price for the Storm is more than $240 ($10 * 24 months), then it might be worth it. That will probably be the case based on my current phone (8830 WE). I got my current phone for $150 with the NE2 discount and full retail is something like $550 or so. If the Storm is $200 with a NE2 discount and $700 full retail, the "new-line" approach might be the best way to go if you simply have to have the Storm right now.

I would consider it if I had the money...

-SR-

-SR-

[xxraffyxx]

find a friend that doesn't want to use their upgrade, they can sign the 2 year contract on their line then go back to their old phone and give you the storm.

Thanks a great idea!

[Brandon26pdx]

Either pay cash for the phone, or early terminate your plan and fire up a new one (you'd lose your phone # though...)

Either way it will cost some money, sorry. I personally plan to pay cash for the phone this time and stay away from the usual 2-year plan program. Not because I plan on cancelling my wireless service, just for the peace of mind mostly.

[TrendyProfessional1]

Start finding things wrong with your phone. Replace it for legitamate/believable reasons 3 times within a 1 or 2 month period I think and they will give you the option to replace it with something else. Then, just pick the Storm. That's your only "free" way out... or rather back in.

Yes they will; it may be even up to 90 days. Go to a hardware store and put that sucker on the biggest magnet u can find it may kill the hard drive. Maybe the serious geeks know.