[allen blake]

My wife is looking to get a 9630 from Sprint. She is not under contract to anyone right now. She was with Sprint for years, but like many of the other carriers, they are refusing to sell her the phone without a data plan if she renews with them.

(This is where some really helpful guy asks why ANYONE would want a Blackberry without a data plan. Guy brightly points out to me that a Blackberry without a data plan is like sex without genitals. Trust me Guy, I am aware that you can do MORE with a data plan than without it. Amazing. Imagine that. For a higher fee, I can do more. That being said, there are still features and qualities, specific ones, even, that I use my Blackberry for that a Jitterbug just doesn't possess. I won't get into specifics, but you'll just have to trust me on that. And, while I am much more of a man than Guy, I am not so much more a man that my laptop fits into my shirt pocket.)

My older Blackberry is without a data plan, and she could get it done via this lower end carrier, like I have done, but she WANTS Sprint.

(My carrier is only a regional carrier. She is a Corporate slave and has to fly around a lot. Sometimes out of said region.)

Sprint's behavior is making me happy that I was able to kick them aside.

I have seen quite a bit about this issue, and it appears that there is absolutely no way of getting a Blackberry from Sprint without a data plan any longer, but I thought I would come to the ultimate source of all things Blackberry and genuflect, before telling her to bite the bullet, or abandon Sprint and/or the 9630 specifically, for a lesser carrier and/or different phone, or some other multi-pronged solution.

Thank you in advance, community.

[arcadence]

I've successfully added a BB to my plan without a BB data plan. Although I did have a Power Vision data plan (and was told it was not compatible). So to answer your question, it defintely can be done. Maybe the way to go would be to buy a phone that doesn't require data, and then within the 30 day grace period, switch phones to the BB. Explain to them that you understand your BB will not be fully functional without said data plan, however you just want to use the phone as a phone and nothing more.

There is always the option of trying to get free data as well. =)

[Andrax]

Don't have an answer that you'll likely want to hear, but the best recommendation would be the cheapest everything data plan which would not only include bis and nav, but it would also get her unlimited mobile to mobile on any network.

On some of the legacy plans u could activate a bb without data but may run into the roadblock u find urself in now

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[bikedogrun]

My wife is looking to get a 9630 from Sprint. She is not under contract to anyone right now. She was with Sprint for years, but like many of the other carriers, they are refusing to sell her the phone without a data plan if she renews with them.

(This is where some really helpful guy asks why ANYONE would want a Blackberry without a data plan. Guy brightly points out to me that a Blackberry without a data plan is like sex without genitals. Trust me Guy, I am aware that you can do MORE with a data plan than without it. Amazing. Imagine that. For a higher fee, I can do more. That being said, there are still features and qualities, specific ones, even, that I use my Blackberry for that a Jitterbug just doesn't possess. I won't get into specifics, but you'll just have to trust me on that. And, while I am much more of a man than Guy, I am not so much more a man that my laptop fits into my shirt pocket.)

My older Blackberry is without a data plan, and she could get it done via this lower end carrier, like I have done, but she WANTS Sprint.

(My carrier is only a regional carrier. She is a Corporate slave and has to fly around a lot. Sometimes out of said region.)

Sprint's behavior is making me happy that I was able to kick them aside.

I have seen quite a bit about this issue, and it appears that there is absolutely no way of getting a Blackberry from Sprint without a data plan any longer, but I thought I would come to the ultimate source of all things Blackberry and genuflect, before telling her to bite the bullet, or abandon Sprint and/or the 9630 specifically, for a lesser carrier and/or different phone, or some other multi-pronged solution.

Thank you in advance, community.

It "CAN" be done. I recently switched from an 8130 to the Tour (LOVE it!) and gave the 8130 to my daughter. She also has lots of things she can do better etc on a BB even without data plan.

I called in to CS to switch the 8130 to my daughters line and got a very nice woman who at first was resistant to the idea. I mentioned that my daughter will use the phone, wants it for easier texting and just likes the look/feel of the BB. She said "OK - no problem; just realize you won't get the web or email". I said I understood and she did the ESN swap.

The difference for you is that the Tour/9630 is the flagship of the BB line for Sprint and still pretty new. They may not want to sell one without the plan (as you've discovered). This is not a Sprint-only thing, I know for sure that VZ & TMO are doing likewise on all so-called "Smart" phones right now.

If you could somehow acquire the 9630 elsewhere (ebay or Craigslist or other) and then ask to do an ESN Swap onto your wife's line, you'd likely have better success... good luck with this.

/BD

[mc21]

i was going to say the best bet is to get one with a clean esn from ebay or craiglist and then switch that only the line you want. i dont think that would switch your current plan and can be done without customer service. best of luck