2yr renewal + new phone then switch carrier with ETF refund.. worth it?

Hey everyone,

Scenario: I am past my 2yr agreement with Verizon and currently month to month, so eligible for the 2yr "upgrade" & lower price phone spend.

Question: Is it too much trouble to go thru the 2y agreement and get new phone then port to another carrier like TMobile, which has the ETF refund? Then turn around and sell that phone for profit. Knowing that I will have a $250 or $350 ETF to ride for a few months until TMo gives me the refund.

Is it too troublesome to go thru paying $199 then maybe sell for $400 with all that hassle and wait?

Thanks

No ETF refund without trade in... So yes too much trouble..

They'll require the phones that are linked to the ETF be traded in in order to get the refund... so you'll end up back at square 1. No point re-upping with Verizon if you're going elsewhere.

How do they know WHAT phone I have on my plan? What if I give them my 90% broken LG G2. Hardware works, display works but a vertical crack caused the touchscreen to stop working. I use the OTG cable with KB+Mouse.

So I can get let's say a iPhone 6s, LG G4 or Moto X Pure or whatever that unbreakable one is, but give TMO my PREVIOUS phone. Don't they just want "A PHONE" not "THE PHONE" ??

I would think that would show up on your new 2 yr agreement from Verizon, that TMo would see for the refund. Further, the ESN number linked to the new phone would be there too (possibly). I have no doubt that TMo and other carriers that do the ETF refunds have thought all this through.

Kind of crappy what you are considering doing anyhow. It's basically theft. Not feeling any real respect towards you ATM.

Having gone through an ETF refund with TMobile.. they compare ESNs on the devices you send in with what was on your previous carrier. You can't send them old junk to misdirect, however they will take old junk if that's what you were using (my HTC One 7 had the volume keys physically break out of the housing, wasn't an issue for them).

First off this depends on your device upgrade method and second it all comes down to how much is it worth to you.

1) upgrade via device payment plans etf refund requires the same exact device to be turned into tmobile
Upgrade via subsidy, they could care less as long as your not turning in a pile of junk. Read up online about this.

2) ETF is not with tax, so if your etf is 325, and you have tax amount, make sure to add that towards your calculations of the device. Etf also does not come immediately after signing up so theres that.

I don't see how they would know which phone has the contract. Get the new phone and then put the old phone back on your account.

I upgrade phones once a year on verizon, usually every other year is on contract for me and the next year is at full price. When I put the full price phone on my account it doesn't say where what the old phone was or what put me in contract. There is just a contract end date. This is all for subsidized phones/plans.

Also @txsizzler its not theft, they are buying out your contract and want you to trade in a device. I don't see anywhere in the terms it says you have to give them the newest device. In fact tmobiles terms only specifically call out device payment plans being the one where you must turn in the same device, that does not apply to plans where there is just an ETF.

http://www.t-mobile.com/offer/switch-carriers-no-early-termination-fee.html

@txsizzler, like Donald Trump said, "I am not cheating the system, I am simply taking advantage of deals, vague or available situations where my business can profit."

But seriously, I needlessly 'gave' Verizon so much of my hard-earned money for really not much better service.

@munkle, one thing I did read in the link you posted is "..New device purchase.." but I am BYO an Asus Zenfone2, so I wonder if that void's this deal?

Cobalt2112 said:

@txsizzler, like Donald Trump said, "I am not cheating the system, I am simply taking advantage of deals, vague or available situations where my business can profit."

But seriously, I needlessly 'gave' Verizon so much of my hard-earned money for really not much better service.

@munkle, one thing I did read in the link you posted is "..New device purchase.." but I am BYO an Asus Zenfone2, so I wonder if that void's this deal?

Click to expand...

You have to purchase a tmobile device. No way to circumvent it. Bright side is, you can purchase the cheapest phone from tmobile and then simply switch simcards to you ZF2.

So to recap:

Purchase Price of Device (upgrade device cost via subsidy upgrade)+sales tax + ETF SALES tax + Cheapest Tmobile device (basic or smartphone) Cost (costs + sales tax) + the hours of switching accounts = total cost to you for this method


If your upgrading, and still want to do this convoluted way of upgrading, make sure Tmobile service is good in your area, and you get a amazing smartphone via the upgrade. Like either you get the phone free after contract or you get a $900 phone for only $399

for ETF (2-year contract subsidy), I think tmobile only requires you to trade-in a device... could be a different device

for EIP (equipment financing), T-mobile requires you to trade in that specific device listed on the EIP... can't be a different device

and I believe you have to buy a new t-mobile phone



t-mobile might have changed their policies last I looked... so verify this info ?