Buying a Used Droid?

[jntdroid]

I always recommend you meet the seller at a store where the esn can be immediately verified. If it's good, let them activate the phone for you right then. You can then pay the previous owner. I've heard too many horror stories about esn's that were verified good at time of sale, but then failed when new owner tried to activate. I guess this happens when the old owner doesn't pay the bill or the phone is reported stolen or some such??

Good luck.

That's a good point... I normally just have them send me the ESN and verify it with Verizon over the phone, but that situation could definitely crop up. Stolen will definitely do it - and I don't think it can ever be declared good again once it's deemed stolen. If the old owner doesn't pay the bill, I think it has to be a situation where the phone number associated with the account is still on the phone. If the number is moved to a new phone and pulled off the phone you buy, the previous account's bill shouldn't matter.

I *think* :icon_eek:

 

[enlightened]

That's a good point... I normally just have them send me the ESN and verify it with Verizon over the phone, but that situation could definitely crop up. Stolen will definitely do it - and I don't think it can ever be declared good again once it's deemed stolen. If the old owner doesn't pay the bill, I think it has to be a situation where the phone number associated with the account is still on the phone. If the number is moved to a new phone and pulled off the phone you buy, the previous account's bill shouldn't matter.

I *think* :icon_eek:

Not true. The phone can't be ported to a new number until the bill on the old account is paid off.

 

[googlelover]

I'm on my second original droid. The first one had some issues with the charging port loosening up to the point where a charger wouldn't fit anymore. So, they replaced that one with a new one, but it's a refurbed one. The first one had an issue just starting to happen right before they replaced it. This second one is now doing the same thing, but to the point where it's unusable. It's basically acting like a ghostman has his fingers on the screen and moving things around, pushing buttons, jumping the screen around, whatever. I can't get it to stop, and I'm thinking that the digitizer has went bad.

I need a new phone. I'm not one to want the latest and greatest, and this phone has served me well when it worked. I'd be happy with another one. Well, as you probably already know, original droids are going for almost nothing on the internet auction sites. I'll probably just pick up one there, but my question is, "What is the deal with 'locked' and 'unlocked' phones there?" Do I need an 'unlocked' phone, or what do I need to do to unlock an locked one? Is all this talk just selling jargon? Can't I just buy a phone there, and then take it to the verizon store and get my number put on it and my stuff switched over for a nominal fee? Please help.

Just a question, are you using the stock charger? or are you using a different charger? This sounds like problems others had when they used a different charger.

 

[jeremiahm]

Wow!

I'm on my second original droid. The first one had some issues with the charging port loosening up to the point where a charger wouldn't fit anymore. So, they replaced that one with a new one, but it's a refurbed one. The first one had an issue just starting to happen right before they replaced it. This second one is now doing the same thing, but to the point where it's unusable. It's basically acting like a ghostman has his fingers on the screen and moving things around, pushing buttons, jumping the screen around, whatever. I can't get it to stop, and I'm thinking that the digitizer has went bad.

I need a new phone. I'm not one to want the latest and greatest, and this phone has served me well when it worked. I'd be happy with another one. Well, as you probably already know, original droids are going for almost nothing on the internet auction sites. I'll probably just pick up one there, but my question is, "What is the deal with 'locked' and 'unlocked' phones there?" Do I need an 'unlocked' phone, or what do I need to do to unlock an locked one? Is all this talk just selling jargon? Can't I just buy a phone there, and then take it to the verizon
tore and get my number put on it and my stuff switched over for a nominal fee? Please help.

So I called Verizon last night at 7:20pm. They said that my phone was still under the manufacturer's warranty, and that they would send me another phone free. It showed up at my house at 11:28am this morning! That's from Fort Worth, Texas to Wilmington, Ohio in about 16 hours!

Thanks for the posts though, I needed to ask those questions anyways. I may upgrade to a different phone via the used route when this plan is up. Thanks to all those that posted!

Jeremiah

 

[jntdroid]

for what it's worth, found this link to do an ESN check online: Check Your Device