Lost my blackberry, and have to get another. Can I buy a blackberry off ebay that says compatible with Verizon and it really work? Stupid when it comes to phone tech.
you should be able to, I think Verizon is a GSM network (someone correct me if I'm wrong) so you would need a GSM bb in order to swap the ESN with the lost one.
make sure your not buying a blacklisted ESN though, you won't be able to activate it.
You can buy off eBay. I've bought a couple of phones off eBay for Verizon, but be vigilant about checking the seller's feedback and asking as many questions that come to mind before buying. You definitely don't want a blacklisted ESN, and you definitely do not want a pin-locked phone. Okay, well, some people don't care about that, for whatever reason, but if you plan to use BBM and the like, make sure the pin is free, too.
If you buy off ebay, you can also purchase a warranty from squaretrade.com for a reasonable price.
Also, for eBay purchases, make sure you use Paypal. Paypal gives you several layers of protection if you receive a phone that is DOA or significantly different than what was described (new vs. used).
You can't get a warranty on a Craigslist BB, or one purchased on CB's Marketplace.
That said, I bought my 8330 from another CB member and haven't regretted it one bit.
Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com